marketing words and phrases - linchpin
So, the problem is not that there is a lack of innovative businesses out there that are the best in their class—but they lose their cred when they describe themselves as such.marketing words and phrases meme

Power words table of contents

How to use these power words

  • Think interesting, not impressive: Don’t replace a word you have to sound smarter or to speak louder. Trying to write “wow” copy will have the opposite effect. Aim for subtle adjustments that are just different enough to be memorable.
  • Think specificity: Oftentimes, the better word choice is not a fancier or hyperbolic version of that word, but something more specific. Instead of “seasoned experts,” for example, you might say “GRC-certified experts.”
  • Don’t force it: Good copy reads easily. Plain language should be your base with interesting words sprinkled in like accents.

Adjectives: Power words for…

Best in class

This one is another easy fallback, especially with B2B marketing. After all, every business wants to succeed, right?

  • Aptitude
  • At last
  • High standards
  • High-caliber
  • In our own category
  • Masters of
  • One of a kind
  • Prowess
  • Top-notch
  • Unbeatable
  • Unmatched
  • Unparalleled
  • Unrivaled
  • Unstoppable

This word is a hard no. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve seen the word “daunting” in an introduction to a how-to blog post, I’d be rich. It’s the right idea to express compassion around the pain point your business or piece of content solves, but there are so many be alternatives to try:

Daunting

If you’re looking to use this word to describe your business, abort that mission and instead just use unique words, images, and designs in your content. But if you’re sharing unique tips or strategies, and want something different to use in your ad headlines, try any of these:

  • Arduous
  • Bane of your existence
  • Burden
  • Can feel like… rocket science? calculus?
  • Challenging
  • Complicated
  • Cumbersome
  • David and Goliath
  • Demanding
  • Discouraging
  • Dreadful
  • Gnarly
  • Hefty
  • Herding cats
  • Intimidating
  • Looming
  • No easy feat
  • Overwhelming
  • Scary
  • Slog
  • Strenuous
  • Struggle
  • Tedious
  • Trek

Let’s be clear: “easy” is a marketing power word, so I encourage you to use it. But if you’re looking for some other ways to say it or how to be a bit more specific, this list has you covered.

Easy

“Stop” is actually a great word for marketing with emotion. It can convey urgency and panic (as in, “stop paying your landlord’s mortgage) while at the same time empowering the reader. Use these stop words in your Facebook ad copy, landing page headlines, email subject lines, and more.

  • Breeze
  • X clicks away
  • Digestible
  • Direct
  • Doesn’t have to be hard
  • Drop your info
  • Easier than you think
  • Effortlessly
  • Faster than you can say
  • Hassle-free
  • In 5 minutes or less
  • In a cinch
  • In a day
  • In a flash
  • Inexpensive
  • No-nonsense
  • Plain-English
  • Quickly
  • Seamless
  • Simplified
  • Smooth
  • Walk in the park
  • With your eyes closed
  • Within reach
  • Without the hassle

I use this one wayyyyy too much so I’m always looking for alternatives. It’s a harmless word that works in any scenario, but if you’re ever looking to spice things up, here are a few seasonings to try:

Effective

BUT that doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for stronger synonyms. Save these for when they make sense:

  • Actionable
  • Battle-tested
  • Data-backed
  • Expert-approved
  • Fail-proof
  • Fool-proof
  • Future-proof
  • Indispensable
  • Like a pro
  • Practical
  • Pragmatic
  • Proven
  • Real-world
  • Solid
  • That we swear by
  • Tried and true
  • Uncontested
  • Useful

marketing words and phrases - gimmicks

Fast

You’ll notice that in our blog posts, the introduction always tells the reader what the piece of content is about.  As in, “In this post, we’re going to provide …” which means that I’m always trying to come up with alternative way of saying this. Here are some!

  • Activate
  • Before tickets run out
  • Before your next
  • Before you even have time to
  • By the time you
  • Faster than you can say
  • Glance
  • Grab your copy
  • In a jif
  • In one click
  • In the blink of an eye
  • In the time it takes you to
  • Instantly
  • Let’s move
  • Lightning
  • X-minute guide/ in X minutes
  • Moment
  • Now
  • Protect
  • Stop by
  • Stop in
  • Swipe
  • This week only
  • Today only

Marketing is basically one big effort to engage your audience. So as a person who markets marketing, you can bet that I find myself overusing this word. Here are some alternatives:

Great

Effective is not a bad word, but if you’re trying to write compelling marketing copy, it’s weak. Effective at what? Compared to what? Be more specific or try something more interesting to stand out.

  • Brilliant
  • Clickable
  • Favorite
  • Indispensable
  • Key
  • Killer
  • Lucrative
  • Must-have/must-read/must-try
  • Non-negotiable
  • Irresistible
  • Popular
  • Promising
  • That work
  • Undeleteable
  • Unsubscribe-proof
  • Winning
  • Worthwhile/
  • [Drool/etc]-worthy

marketing words and phrases - wrangle, fierce, stampede

Important

Now this word is definitely more interesting than “increase” but I see this one everywhere, too. And while some of the words on this list aren’t necessarily as exciting, you can sometimes have a greater impact by downgrading to a less exciting but less-common (and therefore more interesting) word.
If you’re looking for more creative ways to communicate with your audience, you’re in luck because here at WordStream, we happen to love words…

  • Cardinal
  • Center of/central
  • Core
  • Crux
  • Crucial
  • Essential
  • Foundational
  • Game-changing
  • Imperative
  • Key
  • Keystone
  • Linchpin
  • Mainstay
  • Necessary
  • Paramount
  • Priority
  • Staple
  • Top of your list
  • Vital

marketing words and phrases - indispensable
best marketing words and phrases - scale with confidence

Innovative

best marketing words and phrases - spark interest

  • A step ahead
  • Adventurous
  • Ahead of the game
  • Brave
  • Brilliant
  • Break tradition
  • Bright
  • Clever
  • Customary
  • Enterprising
  • Forward-thinking
  • Frontier
  • Imaginative
  • Ingenious
  • Inventive
  • Leading
  • Masterminds
  • Original
  • Pioneers
  • Proprietary
  • Patented
  • Redefining
  • Talented
  • Uncharted
  • Unconventional

Unless you’re going from good to great, there are lots of better words to use than this one in your blog posts, emails, and ad copy. Try more interesting synonyms to “great” or get more specific about what “great” achieves:

Ultimate

Here is another word that isn’t really overused, it’s just plain bagel. Cheese pizza. Vanilla ice cream. If you’re more of a rocky roader, these words might suit you:

  • A-Z
  • All-in-one
  • Complete
  • Comprehensive
  • Definitive
  • Drop everything
  • Epic
  • Finally
  • Indispensable
  • Last/only you’ll ever need
  • Official
  • Soup to nuts
  • You’ve always wanted
  • You’ve been waiting for

The mistake with this word is not overusing it, but rather in underusing it. Most things you’re writing about are just plain important. Not crucial. Not extremely important. Not imperative. Just, important. Unnecessarily overemphasizing something often weakens your message.

Unique

best marketing words and phrases - real world

  • Beat of your own drum
  • Clever
  • Crafty
  • Creative
  • Different
  • Eccentric
  • Extraordinary
  • Lesser-used
  • Non-generic
  • Not your average
  • Offbeat
  • Outside the box
  • Quirky
  • Sneaky
  • Uncommon
  • Weird
  • Whimsical

marketing words and phrases - steal

More power adjectives

marketing words and phrases - downright

  • Bold
  • Cathartic
  • Contagious
  • Curated
  • Electric
  • Endearing
  • Fresh
  • Genuine
  • Hand-picked
  • Humbling
  • Ideal
  • Magnetic
  • Underrated

copywriting words and phrases - daunting

Verbs: Power words for…

Boost

marketing words and phrases - four clicks away

  • Advance
  • Amplify
  • Augment
  • Climb the ranks
  • Double/triple
  • Elevate
  • Enhance
  • Expand
  • Extend
  • Fire up
  • Further
  • Gain ground
  • Ignite
  • Increase
  • Jumpstart
  • Level up
  • Lift
  • Make strides
  • Move the needle
  • Multiply
  • Pick up
  • Polish
  • Raise
  • Ramp up
  • Scale
  • Skyrocket
  • Spark
  • Take off
  • Touch up
  • Wake up
  • Widen

Here’s how your customers don’t want to feel

Check out

marketing words and phrases -beat of our own drum

  • Browse through
  • Borrow
  • Consider
  • Dabble
  • Dip your toes in
  • Dive into
  • Explore
  • Get your feet wet
  • Give these a shot
  • Implement
  • Incorporate
  • Have a look-see
  • Have you seen?
  • Head on over to
  • Meet
  • Peruse
  • Steal
  • Take a gander
  • Take a look at
  • Take a page out of
  • Take in

marketing words and phrases - electrify

Engage

marketing words and phrases - recipe

  • Activate
  • Attract
  • Catch their eye
  • Enthrall
  • Excite
  • Draw
  • Impress
  • Inspire
  • Intrigue
  • Invite
  • Motivate
  • Spark
  • Spur to action
  • Sweep off their feet
  • Take that first step
  • Wake up
  • Wow

As in, providing best-in-class solutions. This is an empty buzzword that says you’re trying to market your business, rather than share what you’re proud of and passionate about. You can throw “cutting-edge” out the window too. Here are some actual power words to use instead:

Improve

interesting words and phrases for copywriting - creative prowess

  • Brush up on
  • Correct/course-correct
  • Fine-tune
  • Fix
  • Fortify
  • Hone
  • Level up
  • Make over
  • Mend
  • Polish up
  • Recover
  • Refine
  • Regain
  • Renew
  • Reset
  • Revamp
  • Reverse
  • Revitalize
  • Straighten out
  • Shape up
  • Sharpen
  • Step up
  • Strengthen
  • Touch up
  • Turn around
  • Turn the corner
  • Upgrade

marketing words and phrases - irresistible

Provide

Instant gratitude is the name of the game these days. This is another strong word to use, especially when you need to be concise. For more creative copywriting, try out these words:

  • Break down
  • Coming at you with
  • Cover
  • Deliver
  • Discuss
  • Dish out
  • Dissect
  • Examine
  • Explore
  • Fill you in
  • Hand out
  • Hand over
  • Reveal
  • Run through
  • Share
  • Spill
  • Suggest
  • Talk about
  • Unleash
  • Walk you through

Here is a miscellaneous list of interesting description words that just bubbled to the surface in my brain while writing this post.

Stop

marketing words and phrases - imaginative

  • Avoid
  • Break up with
  • Crack down on
  • Eliminate
  • Eradicate
  • Freeze in tracks
  • Halt
  • Kick out
  • Prevent
  • Put an end to
  • Put the kibosh on
  • Say goodbye to
  • Say no to
  • Side-step
  • Squash
  • Take a break from
  • Tamp down on

marketing words phrases break up

Succeed

marketing words and phrases - inside track

  • Access
  • Achieve
  • Beat
  • Break down barriers
  • Capture
  • Conquer
  • Crush
  • Defeat
  • Dominate
  • Flourish
  • Fulfill
  • Gain ground
  • Get the hang of
  • Grow
  • Lock in
  • Master
  • Make it
  • Nail it
  • Outperform
  • Outrank
  • Outshine
  • Prevail
  • Prosper
  • Pull off
  • Satisfy
  • Secure
  • Reach
  • Realize
  • Victory
  • Win

And I’m not saying the words “improve” and “effective” are wrong (I use them all the time)…they’re just, not very interesting. So when you’re writing something that you really want to pop, might I suggest these 350+ alternatives?

More empowering verbs

  • Arm yourself
  • Bring on
  • Combat
  • Command
  • Control
  • Deflate
  • Demolish
  • Destroy
  • Dodge
  • Ditch
  • Evade
  • Escape
  • Maneuver
  • Navigate
  • Tame
  • Take back
  • Take hold of
  • Take on
  • Wrangle

marketing words and phrases - unleash

More power verbs

  • Activate
  • Attract
  • Avoid
  • Check under the hood
  • Crave
  • Deter
  • Discover
  • Drive
  • Employ
  • Energize
  • Illuminate
  • Grab
  • Gratify
  • Hook
  • Juggle
  • Lack
  • Maneuver
  • Raise the standards
  • Remix
  • Strike
  • Navigate
  • Nourish
  • Reflect
  • Rethink
  • Save
  • Sprint
  • Take advantage of

marketing words and phrases - fortify, weathered

Power adverbs

  • Actually
  • Alarmingly
  • Curiously
  • Deliciously
  • Downright
  • Ferociously
  • Hands down
  • Incredibly
  • Infinitely
  • Interestingly
  • Refreshingly
  • Relentlessly
  • Ridiculously
  • Surprisingly
  • Truly
  • Undeniably
  • Unquestionably

marketing words and phrases - gain ground

Nouns: Power words for…..

Guide

  • Action plan
  • Calendar
  • Cheat sheet
  • Checklist
  • Full scoop
  • Game plan
  • Handbook
  • Hidden gems
  • Inside scoop
  • Playbook
  • Pocket guide
  • Quickstart guide
  • Rulebook
  • Shortcuts
  • Starter kit
  • Survival guide
  • Toolkit

What’s wrong with this word, you ask? Nothing. It’s interesting, rolls of the tongue, and compels the reader…until every guide and checklist you put out there is the ultimate one. Remember, a great headline delivers on its promise and doesn’t over-sensationalize. This word—and the synonyms below—are okay to use sparingly, just save them for when you really have something comprehensive.

Sale

  • Bargain
  • Bonus
  • Deal
  • Giveaway
  • Offer
  • Marathon
  • Opportunity
  • Promotion
  • Special
  • Treat

Strategies

  • Approaches
  • Clues
  • Formulas
  • Hints
  • Ideas
  • Ingredients
  • Intel
  • Methods
  • Ploys
  • Pointers
  • Predictions
  • Secrets
  • Shortcuts
  • Signs
  • Steps
  • Suggestions
  • Tactics
  • Techniques
  • Tips
  • Tricks
  • Ways
  • Words of advice

More interesting nouns

  • Breath of fresh air
  • Bridge
  • Catalyst
  • Guesswork
  • Inside track
  • Music to their ears
  • Secret sauce
  • Secret weapon

marketing words and phrases - juggle

Pain point power words

This word is in the same camp as “best in class” and “cutting edge.” That’s not to say that you’re not actually an innovative company. But if you’re truly innovative, you’ll break away from every other business using this word in their ads and about pages and come up with something different…am I right?

  • Boring
  • Clunky
  • Confusing
  • Cumbersome
  • Dependent
  • Difficult
  • Draining
  • Exhausting
  • Expensive
  • Gimmicks
  • Lackluster
  • Limited
  • Mundane
  • Ordinary
  • Pesky
  • Plain
  • Pressured
  • Reliant on
  • Powerless
  • Stressful
  • Repetitive
  • Resource-heavy
  • Rough
  • Tedious
  • Time-consuming
  • Time suck
  • Unclear
  • Underwhelming
  • Undue
  • Unnecessary

Side note: If you want to write better introductions, stop starting your blog posts with “X is an important part of Y.” Try a personal story, fun fact, joke, stat, quote, funny warning, or an analogy. Lots of options here.

Ideal state power words

  • Accomplished
  • Ahead
  • Confident
  • Envied
  • Fulfilled
  • Heard
  • Validated
  • Light
  • Lucky
  • Relieved
  • Smart
  • Satisfied

Hook words

  • Didn’t know you needed
  • Or so you thought
  • That might change your mind
  • Think again
  • Until now
  • You thought you knew
  • You didn’t know about
  • Wish you knew about sooner

Want more power words?

marketing words and phrases - push of a button

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