Two different words. Almost exactly the same meaning. VASTLY different results. How is that possible?
Well, it comes down to the psychology of persuasion… And the nuances of language that many people miss.
Even one small decision, between two words that are ALMOST the same, can have a big impact on your results.
So how do you know what words will result in more leads and sales?
One of the BIGGEST factors in my success was the fact that I had spent months and years early on in my business studying copywriting.
It’s one of the most valuable skills you can have as a business owner…and today I want to share some of my secrets with you in a BRAND-NEW, FREE guide that I’ve put together called:
“Say This, Not That”: 10 Common Words & Phrases to Avoid in Your Copy (and Proven Winners to Use Instead!)
In this article you’ll discover:
- The “no-go” words when it comes to copy (and what to replace them with for higher conversions and better results!)
- Based on actual split test results – we’ve proven the winners and losers for you!
- One common “bad guy” word that we use all the time (and why you should too)…
- The real reasons behind the “do’s and don’ts”…
- And much more!
Are YOU using any of these common “no-go” words in your social media post and ad copy? If you are, you could be silently killing your conversions…without even knowing it!
Copy is such an important part of your business – it’s one of the most valuable skills that you can learn. And yet I see so many people using words and phrases (ALL THE TIME) that could be negatively impacting their results.
Without copywriting training, it’s hard to know what these common “no-go” words are.
And some of them we’ve only discovered through very thorough testing in our own business.
In this article, I’ve given you 10 of our top “Say This, Not That” examples and WHY they work so well. It’s my hope that you’ll begin to use them in YOUR copy and start to see the results!
| Say This | Not That | Here’s Why |
|---|---|---|
| Encore | Replay | Encore feels fresh and lively. We’ve tested this with consistently better results. |
| Discover | Learn | Learning feels like hard work. Discovery is exciting. |
| Get Access Now | Submit | Submit is vague, Get access now includes the benefit right there and has the plus of instant gratification. |
| Frankly | Honestly | Honestly implies that you’re not being honest the rest of the time. Frankly is a good replacement. |
| Steal of a deal | Cheap | You NEVER want to say your products or offers are cheap as that devalues them. Instead, they’re a “great deal”. |
| Major Opportunity | It’s happening tomorrow | This is one of our best-performing subject lines of all time. The “opportunity” outperformed the “it’s tomorrow” by 20%. |
| Download Now | Click here for instant access | In our tests, “download now” outperformed by 16.6%. |
| $105,535 | $100,000 | Whenever possible, using specific numbers adds authenticity and specificity. |
| Free | Complimentary | Many people will advise against using the word free, but it’s more powerful than the alternatives. Use sparingly in your subject lines but don’t abandon it completely – it works! |
| GET THIS | Starting Soon | In tests, GET THIS as the subject line gave us a 9.6% lift in opens. |
Alex Lim
Alex Lim is a certified book reviewer and editor with over 10 years of experience in the publishing industry. He has reviewed hundreds of books for reputable magazines and websites, such as The New York Times, The Guardian, and Goodreads. Alex has a master’s degree in comparative literature from Harvard University and a PhD in literary criticism from Oxford University. He is also the author of several acclaimed books on literary theory and analysis, such as The Art of Reading and How to Write a Book Review. Alex lives in London, England with his wife and two children. You can contact him at [email protected] or follow him on Website | Twitter | Facebook
