What is a Trigger Word?
A trigger word or a power word is a word or phrase that evokes a certain emotion in the reader.
They are those eye-catching words or phrases that determine whether a reader is going to keep scrolling or really clicks.
The ultimate goal of an emotional trigger word is to compel and persuade the reader to take action.
They aren't necessarily words with special meanings—they're just words that relate to your emotions and hook your attention. 🪝
Have you ever clicked on a page or a popup saying:
- “I Bet You Did Not Know How”
- “The Ultimate List”
- “Last Minute to Sign Up”
- “Buy the Limited Edition Now!”
Well, if your answer is yes, then, you've been triggered, my friend.
Don’t feel bad, though, these words are designed in a way to spark curiosity and be irresistible and persuasive.
Just like that, trigger words can help you stand out in an increasingly competitive market; they have the power to make your user curious, entice them to buy, or get them to click on a specific link.
Positive power words are emotionally evocative words or expressions designed to provoke a psychological reaction in users (in our case – popup viewers).
Your customers' emotions can be quickly influenced by a variety of different types and shades of powerful words.
All you need to do is to know where and exactly when to use them in order to strike a nerve with the person you want to reach and achieve the best results.
Why Do Trigger Words Affect Us?
If you've ever found yourself feeling more strongly about a product or service than you expected and ended up buying it right then and there, you're not alone.
The reason why we feel and act this way is because of how marketers use the power of emotional triggers to get us to purchase their products.
According to researchers at Cornell University, an average adult makes 35,000 remotely conscious decisions each day.
Obviously, you cannot ignore the importance of human emotions in this regard.
In fact, Antonio Damasio, a Professor of Psychology, Philosophy, and Neurology, in his hypothesis posits that "emotion" and its underlying neural machinery participate in decision making…”
Perhaps the best way to explain this phenomenon can be found in Antonio Damasio's famous statement asserting that:
"We are not thinking machines.". We are feeling machines that think.”
Ultimately we can conclude that emotions not only drive our decisions but also boost our ability to retain just about anything.
Therefore, we can see the reasoning behind emotional trigger words: They appeal directly to our emotions which then affect our decision-making process by influencing us one way or another.
The “wheel of emotions” created by Robert Plutchik illustrates some of these emotional connections perfectly using colors.
You can see in this colorful wheel of emotion how a small change on the scale can result in different kinds of emotion and use it to grab your audience's attention.
One way is to identify your customer using psychological segmentation and then with the right trigger word get them interested in learning more.
30 Best Positive Trigger Words to Power Your Campaign
Now that you understand trigger words' psychological effects, let’s look at the most useful words that can capture human attention and convince your readers to engage with your work.
Practicing these power words in your popup designs and call to action helps you to generate more quality leads and convert them to happy customers.
1- Best
Best is one of those eye-catching words you can use in your headlines and copy to grab the readers’ attention.
This word appeals to the idealistic side of human nature and subliminally persuades them to click and engage with your campaign.
Take a moment to remember all the times you clicked on a headline because it contained the word "The Best".
We can help you with the last time though, it was exactly when you clicked on this article to get more information about the best trigger word examples.
The reality is that we are under the influence of this word even though we do not realize how potent it is.
However, the tricky part here is to remember not to misuse the word, and if you are about to introduce the best of something, make sure you actually provide it to the user.
2- Free
In the world of advertising, free is one of the magical word that has the power to sway the reader's heart and increase engagement.
Free is one of the best emotional trigger words that can immediately grab the reader’s attention and convert them into potential customers.
It’s no secret that people love free stuff and even sometimes they are willing to spend more money to have the free gift in your marketing campaign.
Have you ever seen a crowd of people happily queuing up in front of a store to get free samples?
It's likely that we've all experienced this phenomenon or were even a part of it (Yes, we’ve all been there my friend).
The power of the free trigger word lies in its simplicity.
People love freebies, even if they can afford them on their own, which is why marketing strategies like "buy one, get one free" work so well.
The key to success when using this trigger word is to attract the customer with a pop-up banner offering a free item or coupon in exchange for their email and then target them with advanced email marketing strategies.
3- Now
Now is one of those keywords that creates a sense of urgency and commands immediacy in your reader.
It can be used to inspire conversions on time-limited offers like:
- Don't let time run out! Get your discount now.
- On Sale Now: Our Top Products in a Bundle.
- It's Now or Never! Sign Up Now for Your Free Month.
You can see that these phrases use the word now to create a fear of missing out and which is a great way to create buzz around the products and services you provide.
Your prospects need to be able to get something valuable right now when they click, sign up, buy, or subscribe.
4- New
It's true—the word "new" is one of the most effective persuasive words in marketing word.
The word "new" has been shown to have a powerful effect on our brains. It can make us feel excited, even if there's nothing special about what's being offered.
It can make us feel like we're getting something better than what everyone else has already seen or used—even if that isn't true!
The human mind is programmed to seek out the latest and most updated items that are available on the market.
That’s why brands typically release new products just before Christmas or on special occasions.
When we receive new and exciting things/information, we feel good, and that's why this is a powerful trigger word that if used correctly can be highly effective in advertising campaigns or marketing strategies.
5- Ultimate
“Ultimate” is a trigger word that has the power to manipulate people into making decisions that are in their best interest.
It's one of the most persuasive words out there, and the phrase “the ultimate” is often used to indicate that whatever your experience is, it's going to be amazing.
When you use “ultimate” in an ad, it's a signal to consumers that the product or service being promoted is of the highest quality.
It's like saying "the best" or "the very best."
In addition, it can also indicate a comprehensive or all-inclusive experience for the reader, which is appealing to people.
6- Limited
Limited is also another trigger word that raises the sense of urgency in the reader and makes them take action immediately.
The use of limited in your copy basically suggests an exclusive/special experience that the reader will miss if they don't take action right away.
There is no doubt that scarcity can lead to an increase in demand and a greater sense of value for an item.
That's what limited trigger word is all about.
7- Win
Just like free the word win also makes your reader excited.
You can gamify your campaign and trigger your reader to win a special prize by engaging in that activity.
It's nice to feel like a winner, isn't it? Then give it to your readers and harness its power to your best advantage.
8- Save
The word "save" reminds us of our greatest desire: preserving and enhancing our resources.
There are two reasons why promotions and ads using the word 'save' are effective.
- To begin with, they remind us of our desire to save money and make us feel good about ourselves when we do so.
- Additionally, they use powerful words to encourage people to act on their innate desire for self-preservation.
Together, these two factors create an irresistible offer that encourages customers to buy more than they might otherwise.
9- Convert
Convert is one of the most important words in the B2B marketing world that you can use to persuade your B2b SaaS client.
Almost everyone has a goal of converting prospects into customers. Especially if your audience is B2B, this is a common goal that all your readers can identify with.
So use it wisely and see how the trigger word "convert" actually converts users to readers and makes them interested.
10- Guaranteed
Making someone feel confident about your company is necessary when selling them a product or service.
Guaranteed is one of those emotional trigger words that invoke trust and makes your reader think they are getting a great deal since you guarantee it.
It's a word that makes people feel like they can rely on what you're selling—and it works!
11- Sale
Oh, this one is really good!
Have you ever gone out on a walk only to end up with two bags full of products on sale? 🤷🏻♀️
This trigger word has the power of shining your brand out like a bright star in the darkest of nights.
This brings us back to our desire to save money. It implies that the consumer can save money by purchasing the sale items now, it relates back to the idea of saving.
Use it properly and you'll see how people will respond to it.
12- Secret
Got a secret, can you keep it? Swear, this one converts! 😉
As human beings, we are curious by nature and nothing makes us happier (except freebies) than to know the secrets surrounding us.
The word secret implies exclusivity and knowledge. Obviously, your payoff has to match your promise. If you advertise a secret, you’d better deliver.
Make sure you don't use a word like a secret in your content and then announce something obvious.
Timing is very important when it comes to the trigger word secret.
When you use it right, you'll generate curious customers who are willing to pay even to learn more about it.
13- More
As human beings, we have the unending desire for consuming, and once the word more catches our attention, we can't help but pause and think for a moment.
More information, more offers, more discounts, more statistics; It's a never-ending quest.
By adding the word "more" to your copy, you are implying that you offer the best product on the market.
It suggests that consumers will get greater value for their buck or their time. That’s a good thing.
14- Find
Wanna find out more trigger word examples? There you go “find”! 🔍
As mentioned above, our curiosity drives us to find out more and always want the latest news and information, and the word find evokes this sense in us the most.
You can also use the word discover to empower your customers to dig a little bit deeper into your services or products and find out the answer.
15- Stop
You can’t force someone to buy your products, but you can encourage them to pay attention. Use stop trigger word to draw focus to whatever comes after it. ✋🏻🛑
Stop is one of the best trigger words that work and have this immediate effect on humans to pause and take a look.
We’re conditioned to follow certain orders and “stop” has the same effect as a red light at a traffic signal. Your audience literally stops in their tracks.
You can use it as a call to action or a way to draw focus on what comes after it.
Until this point, I have listed 15 trigger word examples you can use to hook your customers' attention and discussed the emotions they evoke.
Assuming that you got the overall point, let me give you more ideas under different emotion umbrellas.
Here are listed some more examples of emotional trigger words for specific emotions you can use to engage your readers and ultimately convert them into customers:
10 More Emotional Triggers for Trust 🤝🏻
Trust is one of the most important emotions you should try to evoke with your marketing effort because it motivates the final push towards conversion.
Even if you are able to convince users to purchase your products it could be for nothing if the parties have no trust.
Trust is the key to happy and loyal customers.
Nowadays, consumers are faced with a lot of false advertising and online scams, so it's hard to convince them that your brand is safe and they can trust you.
Listed below are words with trust-building emotional power to help you prove your brand's credibility in the eyes of your users, but always remember that words are meaningless without actions.
In other words, if you use these words, be trustworthy and act accordingly.
16- Proven
17- Authentic
18- Data-Driven
19- Accurate
20- Reliable
21- Credible
22- Certified
23- Verified
24- Research-based
25- Factual
10 More Emotional Triggers for Surprise 🤯
We all like to be pleasantly surprised, right? So why not attract users by making them feel that way?
It can be the release of a new product, launching an information campaign, or conducting a competition.
In marketing, surprise and delight are methods that improve interactions with customers and provide them with unexpected rewards in an effort to attract and nurture them.
Its purpose is to increase profitability by promoting customer loyalty and engagement while reducing churn. Here are some emotional trigger words you can use for unexpected results and surprising facts or events to catch the reader's attention.
26- Mind-blowing
27- Astonishing
28- Impressive
29- Exceptional
30- Unbelievable
31- Jaw-dropping
32- Stunning
33- Awe-inspiring
34- Breathtaking
35- Outstanding
10 More Emotional Triggers for Growth 🚀
Most people are interested to know more about development and growth and some words can trigger them in this regard.
As these words have the ability to trigger human growth, they can influence the audience in almost every statement they read.
You can make your marketing effective and organic by using the growth trigger words listed below to guide the emotions of your potential customers.
36- Boost
37- Cure
38- Enhance
39- Energize
40- Increase
41- Develop
42- Innovative
43- Thrive
44- Flourish
45- Bloom
10 More Emotional Triggers for Urgency 👀
When you create a sense of urgency, viewers are more likely to act quickly, which, in turn, increases the likelihood that they will be influenced by your intent.
By using emotional urgency trigger words, you create this fear of missing out in your audience and make them want to act immediately.
By using the following list of phrases in your FOMO campaigns, you can create a sense of panic and make viewers feel as if they're about to lose something valuable and that they may regret not taking advantage of the opportunity.
46- Last Minute
47- Limited offer
48- Never again
49- One time offer
50- Only now
51- Offer expires
52- Don’t miss out
53- Hurry up
54- It’s Ending
55- Final chance
10 More Emotional Triggers for Anger 😤
Anger is another powerful emotion that we face on a daily basis. We get frustrated about so many things and are likely to adopt a solution when we see one.
So, why not trigger angry viewers, and give them something to calm down?
When you use these words, you engage their emotions, pique their interest, and inspire them with the solution you provide.
It's important to use these words appropriately and give the audience what they desire to cure their frustration.
55- Tired
56- Had enough?
57- Done with
58- Disappointed
59- Not happy?
60- Can't take any more?
61- Let down
62- Exhausted
63- Not satisfied?
64- Furious
65- Annoyed
Avoid Using Excessive Trigger Words in Your Content
You know by now 65 best trigger words that can attract attention and get people engaged with your copy and content.
Keep in mind, however, that they can also backfire if you aren't careful—and use them too often or too liberally.
The key is knowing when to use them and when not to.
If your ad has a lot of trigger words in it and they don't seem relevant or useful (like "best" or "exclusive"), then there's a good chance it will turn off readers and make them tune out the rest of your message.
Don't overuse or misuse a trigger word or phrase—it's not just about attracting attention; it's about making sure that people get what they came for.
You don't want them to see something on a page and then leave without taking action—that's not good for your brand reputation.
Be like a Lannister and pay your debt to the power word you use.
If you raise expectations then you better deliver!
Frequently Asked Questions
How to Attract Readers with Powerful Words?
In marketing, you can use powerful words like Exclusive, Best, or Proven to trigger your readers’ emotions and make them want to know more about the subject. You can use these trigger words in your blog post headlines, popup messages, campaigns' calls to action, or slogans on your landing pages.
Where Can We Use Triggers Words?
Trigger words are to attract the readers and your target audiences. You can use them in your email marketing campaigns or in your popup call to action to draw the users’ attention and persuade them to engage. You can also use these power words in your slogans, marketing copy, blog content, and headline to boost their effectiveness.
You can also take a look at these related articles for further reading:
- FOMO Marketing Email Examples To Boost Conversions 2024
- Google Ads & Organic CTR : How To Improve CTR With 11 Tips
- Limited-Time Offers: 7 Examples To Increase Your Conversions
