With so much content on the internet, many people—myself included—struggle to feel seen and heard.

We’re afraid of being ordinary.

We’re afraid of blending in.

We’re afraid of missing out.

We’re afraid of falling behind.

We’re afraid of losing followers.

We’re afraid of being boring.

This list goes on but I think we can all agree that fear is counterproductive to happiness. Fear leads us to overthink and overstretch. To twist ourselves into shapes that don’t feel quite right because of our desire to stand out.

When fear manifests itself in our writing, we end up with words that don’t feel entirely like our own. Words that feel foreign and awkward, like wearing a neon green wool sweater to the gym. This becomes problematic because when you lack authenticity and confidence in your writing, your readers feel it too.

As a writer, I read a lot—of emails, blogs, websites, sales letters, transcripts, and books. It’s easy to notice when a writer is trying too hard to stand out or mimicking someone else’s voice. But…

…just because someone who’s achieved huge success throws the occasional F-bomb in their copy doesn’t mean you should.

…just because someone with 500,000 Instagram followers addresses their reader as “hey lovelies” doesn’t mean you should.

…just because someone who claims to have a 6-figure business uses the phrase “GET AFTER IT!” for every call-to-action doesn’t mean you should.

Rather, you should write how *you* speak and make it easy for your readers to follow along—even if it means sometimes using the same basic words and phrases everyone else uses. In fact, many of these phrases make frequent appearances for a reason: they communicate clearly and hold attention. 

If you walk away from this article with one big “ah-ha!” moment, let it be this:

Concise writing that clearly communicates what you want your reader to know makes the greatest impact.

You don’t need to force or fake your writing style. You don’t need a huge vocabulary or perfect grammar. All you need to do is tap into your own voice and set a clear goal for your copy. Often, the most effective and persuasive words are also the simplest. 

In his memoir, On Writing, Stephen King says: “One of the really bad things you can do to your writing is to dress up the vocabulary, looking for long words because you’re maybe a little bit ashamed of your short ones … Make yourself a solemn promise right now that you’ll never use ‘emolument’ when you mean ‘tip.’” 

King is talking about fiction writing but his advice holds true for copywriting, too. So before you whip out the thesaurus to fluff up your copy, consider using any of these 35 tried-and-true persuasive words that sell. 

The top 5 most persuasive English words:

     01. You

     02. Free

     03. Because

     04. Instantly

     05. New

Encouraging calls to action:

     06. Join now, Buy now, Enroll now

     07. Get instant access

     08. Become a member

Phrases to ease anxiety:

     09. 100% satisfaction guarantee

     10. Best-selling

     11. Endorsed by

     12. No questions asked

     13. Results

     14. 30-day money-back

     15. Easy

Words that prompt engagement:

     16. Tell me

     17. Discover

     18. Secret

     19. Create

     20. Share

Words that create a sense of urgency:

     21. Limited offer

     22. Only a few spots left

     23. Hurry

     24. Get in before anybody else

     25. Exclusive

     26. Doors close at midnight

     27. Today only

Power words that pique people’s interest:

     28. Introducing

     29. Bonus

     30. Immediately

     31. Imagine if

     32. Learn more

     33. Save time

     34. Special

     35. Magic

You’ll see variations of these words pop up in sales copy all the time because they effectively ignite interest, establish trust, spark engagement, acknowledge the reader, create a sense of urgency, or prompt action. 

Remember: copy exists to sell and clarity is king. If you want people to buy your ideas, services, or products, you need to convey your message clearly. You don’t need an impressive vocabulary or perfect grammar to write effective copy. Imagine having a casual conversation with your reader—only in writing.

Before you go, swipe these 10 overused buzzwords to hit “delete” on:

     01. Purpose-driven, Heart-centered

     02. Leading, Leader

     03. Innovative

     04. Unique

     05. Passionate

     06. Groundbreaking, Breakthrough

     07. Cutting-edge

     08. Largest, Fastest, Biggest

     09. Visionary

     10. Revolutionary

These words make lofty and exaggerated claims but lack substance. Without showing your reader how your business is innovative, unique, and purpose-driven, you risk losing trust and credibility.

For example, when everyone claims to be the “leading provider,” it becomes impossible for readers to decipher who’s really the leading provider and therefore, the term falls flat. Instead of telling people about your “innovative new product” or “heart-centered coaching business,” lead your readers to make their own conclusions by sharing real results, social proof, and testimonials.

Comment below and tell me: what words do you most often use in your copy and why? Or, what words do you avoid?