50 Trigger Words and Phrases for Powerful Multimedia Content

50 Trigger Words and Phrases for Powerful Multimedia Content

Reader Comments (81)

  1. I wonder if Mark Twain ever said anything that wasn’t worth repeating. Probably, though he was wise enough to make sure the room was empty.

    Great list Brian, one worth returning to to be sure.

  2. The thing you said about Revenge and Betrayal is 100% right. That is what is being used by many major media companies of the world and that is what makes their readers glued to them. Isn’t it?

  3. Hey Brian,

    Thank you for such a timely list, just when I’m revamping some ad copy 🙂

    Excellent content as always. Duly bookmarked!

    Conor

  4. Directly into the “Copy Inspiration” bookmark folder she goes…basic stuff on the face of it but I reckon I’ll be coming back to this one time and again to get slightly stuck gears moving again.

  5. I was energised and blissful by your post and I feel I can now turn the tables on the pointless and arrogant world.
    But seriously a good read!

  6. This is an excellent list — you unpack a hefty dose of trigger words without going into sleazy/false territory — because you gave each section context. It was interesting to gauge my own reactions as I read through each word on the list.

  7. John, I mention “secrets” in the description of Forbidden. Otherwise, I tried to avoid stating the obvious with the examples. 🙂

  8. Do you really think a word like “Jubilant” will fly in multimedia? It just sounds funny… and I would replace it with “Ecstatic.”

    But other than that, this is a great list and is definitely worth a delicious save.

  9. So true.

    One of my mentors calls it “the tip of the iceberg” problem. Technically, you might have made the point, but missed the impact.

    Another one of my mentors focuses on “emotional picture words” … or metaphors to make the points. The right metaphor is like a Vulcan mind meld.

    At the end of the day, I think it’s a reminder that if you win the heart, the mind follows.

  10. Thanks for putting this list together! The right words will “invoke and engage emotion”. Once I read that, I was hooked on the rest of the post.

  11. Saved. Wicked awesome list. I love the more “concrete” how-to posts on Copyblogger with concrete examples. Thanks!

  12. I teach a communications PR course and in discussing the use of emotional elements there is a fairly generally accepted number of main emotions (7 emotions) that are as follows:

    sadness
    anger
    disgust
    fear
    interes
    surprise
    happiness

    Some of the above listed words are more like feelings or actions than true emotions.

  13. Great list.Thanks for giving them as a list,less work for us.I generally use quotes,I find them a good way to make people think

  14. Excellent list and great post. I can understand how just one word makes a whole piece seem to have a different appearance. Writing everyday you can sometimes get comfortable with the words you use and go through stages of discovering a new word and fall in the trap of re-writing this over again. Yet one simple change and you can rework the whole article/script/story.
    Excellent!

  15. So much of everyday communication is through email, and adding the right words here and there can make a whole world of a difference. Thanks for sharing!

  16. Brian,

    You nailed it in that last paragraph — the most powerful words are the ones that draw the emotion out of us. Even the different category names you list elicit very specific emotional reactions, and that makes all the difference.

  17. I wonder if Mark Twain ever said anything that wasn’t worth repeating. Probably, though he was wise enough to make sure the room was empty.

    Great list Brian, one worth returning to to be sure

  18. Great post, Brian … May have been posted 6 months ago, but powerful content isn’t tarnished by time. So, thanks for an excellent read.

    It’s fascinating that sales writing is so emotive, isn’t it? In the hard world of sales, it’s our raw humanity that makes the difference whether we buy or not.

    Many writers profess the virtues of using fear to sell. Are you an advocate of that style too? In reading your article, I like the way you suggest good sales writing empathises with negative emotion, instead of using it to frighten prospects.

    Words which empower have greater effect than words which belittle readers…

    From one copywriting blogger to another, I appreciate the thought that has gone into this article. Thanks again for a thought-provoking read.

  19. Great list.I was looking for trigger words and these are definitely it. Thanks for taking the time to share this list.
    Great one to keep and use over and over. I especially liked to list for Hope.
    Gail J Richardson

  20. I just finished a draft of an article that I plan to post to my blog. I was in need of additional pulling power with powerful words when I came across your site today. Now I can put the finishing touches it and post it later tonight. I’m grateful to Barbara Ling who point me your site.

    I’m also grateful to you for the power that you have with words.

  21. Hello Brian, my eyes spotted a tweet by Guy Kawasaki. The link led me to your valuable content and energized me to take action. I took a pen and with high greed wrote all 50 words in my notebook. Thanks for sharing this bright and empowerful content.

    It reminded me of the book “Start with Why” by Simon Sinek. He talks about the the Golden Circle (p. 56). Quote: “the middle two sections” (of our brain) “comprise the limbic brain. The limbic brain is responsible for all of our Feelings, Such as trust and loyalty. It is also Responsible for all human behavior and all our decision making, but it has no capacity for language” . Yet, your 50 words, Brian, are a real treasure to enlighten this limbic brain and get people thrilled and responsive. Before I forget, check out Simons website, while this is fresh on your mind.

  22. Don’t confuse ‘trigger phrases’ with ‘buzz words’. Open-book quiz: which one is the “tip of the iceberg”?

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