You’re building your blog, hoping to one day turn it into a full-time income, but you have no guarantees it will ever pay off.
What if this blog you created is doomed to fail? What if you’re wasting your time? What if you’re fooling yourself thinking this will ever lead anywhere?
Building a profitable blog is hard work, and it usually takes time to see the rewards. Not everyone has the wherewithal to see it through.
But those who do can find amazing opportunities.
Today, we’re showcasing a few of the biggest blogging success stories. These 10 bloggers built their blogs and today make $1 million per year or more.
We’ll tell you how they got started, how they built their blogs, and how they generate revenue.
These stories will show you that you can take many paths to blogging success, and hopefully they’ll inspire you to see it through.
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner didn’t intend for her blog to become the income machine it is today. She started it more as a hobby, not even thinking she would ever make money from it.
Once she made her first $100 from her blog, though, that changed. She saw the potential and got more interested in turning her hobby into a business.
Her blog kept doing better and better, and eventually she was able to quit her job as a financial analyst and work on her blog full-time.
She’s currently traveling full-time, touring North America in an RV and loving her life with her husband.
How she makes money from her blog:
Her blogging income picked up some serious steam in 2016, when she further diversified her income.
Her main source of income up to that point was affiliate marketing, with some money coming in through sponsorships and advertisements. In 2016, though, she created her course Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing.
Her income doubled the month she launched her course, and in 2017 she had her first million-dollar year.
#2. Steve Pavlina
Site:Steve Pavlina Niche: Personal Development Income: ~$12 million/year (source)
Steve Pavlina is an author, a motivational speaker, and one of the most prolific self-development bloggers online. He grew his blog to more than two million monthly visitors without spending a dime on marketing or promotion.
Steve’s passion for personal development began when he was sitting in jail, having been arrested for felony grand theft. At that moment, he decided to work on improving himself and turn his life around.
And it paid off. He accomplished many amazing things. He earned two college degrees in the span of three semesters. He founded a software company that developed computer games. He ran the Los Angeles Marathon and trained in martial arts.
How he makes money from his blog:
Steve has experimented with many income streams to see which he likes best.
He mostly makes his money from affiliate marketing/joint ventures and hosting live workshops.
When hosting one of his workshops, he asks people who register about their personal struggles and uses this feedback to custom-tailor each workshop, which means he never does the same workshop twice.
Steve has also written a book called Personal Development for Smart People, the purpose of which was to create a single framework for growth that people could apply to all areas of their lives.
Pat Flynn was thriving in his career as an architect and had no plans to leave — until an economic downturn hit his industry hard and he was laid off from his job.
Before all this happened, Pat had created a little website to help him study for an architectural exam. It got thousands of visitors, and he realized he could leverage this traffic for income.
After studying up on doing business online, he created an ebook which he sold for $19.99 and made over $7,000 in his first month.
This got him so excited that he started Smart Passive Income, a blog on which he would share his strategies that helped him grow his online business. Today, this blog generates over $100K each month, with some months doubling or even tripling that figure.
But it’s not the money or material wealth that motivates him. Pat has remained a down-to-earth guy whose primary motivation is his family. He loves the freedom to plan his day around his family instead of his business, which allows him to spend the day with them and save work for after his kids go to sleep.
How he makes money from his blog:
Pat has done a great job of diversifying his income over the years.
The bulk of his income comes from affiliate marketing and course sales, but he also sells books, software, and apps, and he makes money from podcast sponsorships.
#4. Chiara Ferragni
Site:The Blonde Salad Niche: Fashion & Lifestyle Income: $2.5 million from her blog in 2015 (source); $20 million from her shoe line in 2016 (source)
Chiara Ferragni’s track record is impressive, to say the least.
She got her feet off the ground posting her daily outfits to Flickr, an image-sharing website, where she amassed a significant following. She then started her personal style blog in 2009 — when personal style blogs weren’t really a thing yet — and within two months she got tens of thousands of visitors per day.
She quickly began receiving sponsorship offers from fashion brands such as Dior and Louis Vuitton.
And three exams away from finishing her law degree, she decided to make The Blonde Salad her main focus.
Since then, Chiara has amassed over ten million followers on Instagram, Forbes named her one of the most influential people under 30, and she was the first fashion blogger to score a cover on Vogue.
How she makes money from her blog:
The Blonde Salad transitioned from an outfit-of-the-day blog to a full-on lifestyle platform with its own e-commerce clothing store.
And Chiara Ferragni has become a brand in her own right and makes thousands of dollars through sponsorships, modeling, and appearance fees.
On top of that, Chiara leveraged her platform to launch her own shoe line, the Chiara Ferragni Collection, aside from her blog. This line has reportedly made made eight figures in 2016.
#5. Vitaly Friedman
Site:Smashing Magazine Niche: Web Design & Development Income: ~$2,5 million in 2017 (source)
Vitaly Friedman was a freelance web designer before he started blogging. He had never taken a single design class at the time, but learned his skills from reading articles online.
He always had an interest in writing and editing as well, though, and he wanted to give back to the design community, so he started blogging.
Through one of his projects he was introduced to Sven Lennartz, who asked him to write for his German magazine Dr. Web. One year later, they started Smashing Magazine. They had no idea it would become one of the most influential resources for web designers and developers.
It grew from two people’s hobby to a business with a dozen employees and hundreds of contributors, and today gets over three million page views per month.
(Sven Lennartz is no longer actively involved with the site.)
How he makes money from his blog:
For most of its existence, Smashing Magazine made money primarily from ad revenues. But seeing those revenues decline a few years ago, they focused more on selling their books and diversifying their income.
They now have a library of 60+ e-books for sale (which they also sell in packages). They run high-ticket conferences and workshops. They added a job board where companies can purchase job postings and find skilled employees. And they offer membership packages which are reportedly their biggest source of income today.
#6. Brian Clark
Site:CopyBlogger Niche: Content Marketing Income: $12 million per year (source)
Brian Clark started writing about content marketing before people started calling it content marketing. He had been using content to market products and services for several years when he started CopyBlogger in 2006.
At the time, he wasn’t focused on selling because he didn’t know what he would sell. He focused on building an audience and had faith that he would identify their pain points.
And his faith was justified. As his audience grew, Brian was able to identify the problems content creators were having online, and he partnered with other entrepreneurs to create and sell solutions.
How he makes money from his blog:
Brian has offered a number of training programs, plugins, products, and services through his blog over the years. Many of them have since been taken off the market, and today his main income sources include:
Rainmaker Digital — a hybrid service and technology agency that builds sophisticated websites for its clients and offers services to create and implement successful digital marketing strategies.
StudioPress — a marketplace that sells premium WordPress themes and hosting.
Authority — a membership-based training program and community for content marketers, which also offers exclusive access to an additional course that you can take to become a CopyBlogger Certified Content Marketer.
#7. Timothy Sykes
Site:Timothy Sykes Niche: Stock trading Income: ~$15–$20 million in 2014 (source)
Timothy Sykes took $12,000 of his Bar Mitzvah money and turned it into $2 million by trading penny stocks. This feat got him on Trader Monthly’s “Top 30 under 30” list and on a TV show called Wall Street Warriors.
He then got hundreds of emails per day from people asking questions, which led him to write his book An American Hedge Fund. He initially launched his blog to help promote his book.
Around that time though, his hedge fund lost 30%, which lost him a lot of credibility. To get it back, he decided to start from scratch and repeat his earlier feat of turning a few thousand into a few million, resolving to track each step of the way.
Now he makes more money from teaching others how to trade than from trading himself.
How he makes money from his blog:
Timothy sells DVDs, offers coaching, and offers a subscription program called Tim Alerts, which lets his subscribers follow his trades in real time.
Elsie Larson and Emma Chapman are a sister team who have turned their food and DIY crafts blog into a raging success.
Elsie started A Beautiful Mess in 2007 and Emma started a food blog a couple of years later. They then decided to combine forces, and that’s when things took off for them.
At the time Elsie was running a retail shop, and she used the blog to move products, but the sisters soon realized that they enjoyed the blog more and that it was more profitable. They decided to close the shop and make the blog their main focus.
How they make money from their blog:
They once got business advice from a friend who said they should diversify their income, and boy, have they taken it to heart. They have built up several healthy and reliable income streams over the years and they try to add a new one every year.
They sell banner ads through AdThrive, promote products through affiliate marketing, and offer sponsored content.
They sell fashion, beauty, and wellness products in their online store as well as subscriptions to monthly beauty boxes and monthly stationery packages.
On top of that, they’ve written three books, created several courses, and launched three bestselling photo-editing apps.
When Darren Rowse started blogging, he was only looking for a new hobby. He blogged about living in Australia, religion, politics, and other topics he found interesting. He didn’t even know you could make money blogging at the time.
A year later, he started another blog on digital photography and discovered he could make money through ads and affiliate marketing.
He only made a few dollars per week at first, but it was enough for him to see the potential. After consulting his fianceé, he decided to treat blogging as a part-time job and devote two days per week to it. He saw his income grow from a part-time into a full-time income, and eventually into an income most only dream about.
Darren has started and been involved with numerous blogs over the years, but learned after a few years that his blogs perform better when he focuses on a few. So today he only focuses on ProBlogger and Digital Photography School.
How he makes money from his blogs:
While affiliate marketing is still his biggest income source today, Darren has since been experimenting with different income streams over the years.
His second-biggest income source is product sales. Between his two blogs, he sells dozens of e-books and several courses. On Digital Photography School, he also sells Lightroom presets.
On ProBlogger he makes additional money through a job board, and also through hosting an annual event in Australia.
In 2016, his earnings were split as follows:
#10. Heather Delaney Reese (and Her Family)
Site:It’s a Lovely Life Niche: Family, Lifestyle and Travel Income: $1,696,672 over the last 12 months (source)
After two of her daughters were born, Heather Delaney Reese looked for ways she could use the journalism skills she acquired in college and still remain a full-time stay-at-home mom.
At first she wrote about budgeting and saving money, but over time she transitioned to writing about her family’s lifestyle and travel.
Her husband Pete eventually quit his job to also work on the blog, and their three daughters now contribute as well.
Over time, she has turned what started as a hobby into a full-time career for their entire family.
How they make money from their blog:
Until March 2017, the Reese’s blogging income came solely from sponsored content. Every year their income increased as their audience grew and they were able to increase their rates.
From March 2017, they also started promoting products and services through affiliate marketing.
But their income truly boomed over the past seven months when they launched their premium courses, Blogging Blastoff and the Travel Blogging Fast Track, which they launched only months apart.
The launch of these two courses doubled their income and propelled them into their first seven-figure year.
Now Find Your Own Path to Blogging Success
If you ever have doubts whether you’re chasing a pipe dream with your blog, keep these stories in mind.
They all took different paths to success.
Not everyone struck gold with their first blog, and you may not either. Not everyone got rich on their first attempt, and you may not either.
That’s okay. Every step is a learning moment.
If you keep going and keep trying new things, you’ll reach your goals eventually.
It may be faster than you think, or it might take longer than you hope. But. You. Will. Get. There.
Keep that in mind the next time you’re plagued with doubts.
About the Author: Robert van Tongeren is the Associate Editor of Smart Blogger, who helps our writers get their posts in tip-top shape. He also runs his own blog that helps guys dress a little sharper at Restart Your Style. You can find him on Twitter here.
Looking for a quick way to give your writing more punch?
Maybe a little personality or pizzazz – that extra little “oomph” that makes the reader pay attention?
Well, good news:
“Power words” are the answer, and you can wake up put them in place in a matter of minutes. This post gives you areference lists of power words, examples of power words being used — everything you need to hit the ground running.
Rather than describe what I mean, let’s deconstruct an example from the great Winston Churchill:
We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You ask, what is our policy? I can say: It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival.
Inspiring, right?
Well, there was a lot on the line. Under attack from Germany, Britain was fighting for its survival, and somehow, someway, Churchill had to find a way to inspire his countrymen to greatness.
He chose words. Or, to be more accurate, power words.
Let’s take a look at the passage again, this time with all the power words underlined:
We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You ask, what is our policy? I can say: It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstroustyranny, never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival.
Each underlined word makes the audience feel something. In this case, Churchill intermixes words that cause fear, such as “struggle,” “tyranny,” and “terror,” with words that cause hope, such as “strength,” “God,” and “victory.” The last, in particular, is repeated over and over, practically drilling the emotion into the minds of the audience.
It’s no accident. Smart speakers, as well as their speechwriters, sprinkle their speeches with carefully-chosen power words, drawing the audience from one emotion to another as skillfully as any novelist or screenwriter.
Granted, that’s not all they do. The best writers use an entire tool chest of techniques to create emotion, and power words are only one such tool.
But there’s good news.
For beginning writers, power words are one of the easiest tools to master. Unlike many storytelling strategies which can take years of practice to master, you can start sprinkling power words into your writing, and you’ll notice an immediate lift in the quality of your prose.
All you lack is a list of power words to use, but of course, I have you covered there too. 🙂
595 Power Words and Phrases to Start Using Immediately
For years now, every time I mentioned power words to my students, someone always asked:
“Where can I get a list? Is there a book I can buy?”
Sadly, not that I’m aware of. That’s why I created this list.
Slowly, over a period of several weeks, I catalogued all the power words that jumped out to me, organizing them into categories based on the emotion you want to create, so you can easily find the right word. In the future, I’ll also update the list, adding new words on a regular basis to make it the most comprehensive list of power words available anywhere.
It costs nothing. All I ask in return is you share it with your friends and readers when appropriate, helping it reach the people who need it most.
Enjoy.
Our Giant Curated List of Power Words
FEAR
ENCOURAGEMENT
LUST
ANGER
Agony
Amazing
Allure
Abhorrent
Apocalypse
Ascend
Arouse
Abuse
Armageddon
Astonishing
Bare
Annoying
Assault
Astounding
Begging
Arrogant
Backlash
Audacious
Beguiling
Ass kicking
Beating
Awe-inspiring
Brazen
Backstabbing
Beware
Awesome
Captivating
Barbaric
Blinded
Backbone
Charm
Bash
Blood
Badass
Cheeky
Beat down
Bloodbath
Beat
Climax
Big mouth
Bloodcurdling
Belief
Crave
Blatant
Bloody
Blissful
Delight
Brutal
Blunder
Bravery
Delirious
Bullshit
Bomb
Breathtaking
Depraved
Bully
Buffoon
Brilliant
Desire
Cheat
Bumbling
Celebrate
Dirty
Clobber
Cadaver
Cheer
Divine
Clown
Catastrophe
Colossal
Ecstacy
Cocky
Caution
Command
Embrace
Corrupt
Collapse
Conquer
Enchant
Coward
Corpse
Courage
Enthralling
Crooked
Crazy
Daring
Entice
Crush
Cripple
Defeat
Entrance
Curse
Crisis
Defiance
Excite
Debase
Danger
Delight
Explicit
Defile
Deadly
Devoted
Exposed
Delinquent
Death
Dignity
Fascinate
Demolish
Deceiving
Dominate
Forbidden
Desecrate
Destroy
Effortless
Frisky
Disgusting
Devastating
Empower
Goosebumps
Dishonest
Disastrous
Epic
Hanker
Distorted
Doom
Excellent
Heavenly
Evil
Drowning
Excited
Hottest
Exploit
Dumb
Extraordinary
Hypnotic
Force-fed
Embarrass
Eye-opening
Impure
Foul
Fail
Fabulous
Indecent
Freaking out
Feeble
Faith
Intense
Full of shit
Fired
Fantastic
Intoxicating
Greedy
Fool
Fearless
Itching
Gross
Fooled
Ferocious
Juicy
Harass
Frantic
Fierce
Kinky
Hate
Frightening
Force
Kiss
High and mighty
Gambling
Fulfill
Lascivious
Horrid
Gullible
Glorious
Lewd
Infuriating
Hack
Glory
Lick
Jackass
Hazardous
Graceful
Lonely
Kick
Hoax
Grateful
Longing
Kill
Holocaust
Grit
Love
Knock
Horrific
Guts
Lure
Knock Out
Hurricane
Happy
Luscious
Know it all
Injure
Heart
Lush
Lies
Insidious
Hero
Lust
Livid
Invasion
Honor
Mischievous
Loathsome
IRS
Hope
Mouth-watering
Loser
Jail
Incredible
Naked
Lying
Jeopardy
Jaw-dropping
Naughty
Maul
Lawsuit
Jubilant
Nude
Misleading
Looming
Legend
Obscene
Money-grubbing
Lunatic
Life-changing
Orgasmic
Nasty
Lurking
Magic
Passionate
Nazi
Massacre
Marvelous
Pining
No Good
Meltdown
Master
Pleasure
Obnoxious
Menacing
Mind-blowing
Provocative
Oppressive
Mired
Miracle
Racy
Pain in the ass
Mistake
Miraculous
Raunchy
Payback
Murder
Noble
Risque
Perverse
Nightmare
Perfect
Rowdy
Pesky
Painful
Persuade
Salacious
Pest
Pale
Phenomenal
Satisfy
Phony
Panic
Pluck
Saucy
Pissed off
Peril
Power-Up
Scandalous
Pollute
Piranha
Praise
Seduce
Pompous
Pitfall
Prevail
Seductive
Pound
Plague
Remarkable
Sensual
Preposterous
Played
Revel
Sex
Pretentious
Plummet
Rule
Shameless
Punch
Plunge
Score
Sinful
Punish
Poison
Seize
Sleazy
Rampant
Poor
Sensational
Sleeping
Ravage
Prison
Spectacular
Spank
Repelling
Pummel
Spine
Spellbinding
Repugnant
Pus
Spirit
Spicy
Revile
Reckoning
Splendid
Steamy
Revolting
Refugee
Spunk
Stimulating
Rotten
Revenge
Staggering
Strip
Rude
Risky
Strengthen
Sweaty
Ruined
Scary
Striking
Tantalizing
Ruthless
Scream
Strong
Taste
Savage
Searing
Stunning
Tawdry
Scam
Shatter
Stunt
Tease
Scold
Shellacking
Supreme
Tempting
Sick and tired
Silly
Surprising
Thrilling
Sink
Slaughter
Terrific
Tickle
Slam
Slave
Thrive
Tight
Slander
Strangle
Thwart
Tingle
Slap
Stupid
Titan
Turn on
Slay
Tailspin
Tough
Unabashed
Smash
Tank
Tremendous
Uncensored
Smear
Targeted
Triumph
Untamed
Smug
Teetering
Unbeatable
Untouched
Sniveling
Terror
Unbelievable
Urge
Snob
Terrorist
Unforgettable
Voluptuous
Snooty
Torture
Unique
Vulgar
Snotty
Toxic
Unleash
Wanton
Spoil
Tragedy
Uplifting
Wet
Stuck up
Trap
Valiant
Whip
Suck
Vaporize
Valor
Wild
Terrorize
Victim
Vanquish
X-rated
Trash
Volatile
Victory
Yearning
Trounce
Vulnerable
Win
Yummy
Tyranny
Warning
Wonderful
Underhanded
Worry
Wondrous
Up to here
Wounded
Violate
GREED
SAFETY
FORBIDDEN
Bank
Above and beyond
Ancient
Bargain
Anonymous
Backdoor
Best
Authentic
Banned
Billion
Automatic
Behind the scenes
Bonanza
Backed
Black Market
Booked solid
Bankable
Blacklisted
Cash
Best-selling
Bootleg
Cheap
Cancel anytime
Censored
Costly
Certified
Classified
Discount
Clockwork
Cloak and dagger
Dollar
Endorsed
Concealed
Double
Foolproof
Confessions
Explode
Guaranteed
Confidential
Extra
Ironclad
Controversial
Feast
Lifetime
Covert
Fortune
Money-back
Cover-up
Free
No Obligation
Exotic
Freebie
No Questions Asked
Forbidden
Frenzy
No risk
Forgotten
Frugal
No strings attached
From the vault
Gift
No-fail
Hidden
Golden
Official
Hush-hush
Greatest
Permanent
Illegal
High-paying
Privacy
Insider
Inexpensive
Professional
Little-known
Jackpot
Protected
Lost
Lowest price
Proven
Never seen before
Luxurious
Recession-proof
Off the record
Marked down
Refund
Off-limits
Massive
Reliable
Outlawed
Money
Research
Private
Money-draining
Results
Restricted
Money-saving
Risk-free
Sealed
Nest egg
Rock-solid
Secret
Pay zero
Science-backed
Smuggled
Prize
Scientific
Strange
Profit
Secure
Tried to hide
Quadruple
Sure-fire
Unauthorized
Reduced
Survive
Uncensored
Rich
Tested
Under wraps
Savings
That never fails
Undercover
Six-figure
Thorough
Underground
Skyrocket
Trustworthy
Under-the-table
Soaring
Try before you buy
Undisclosed
Surge
Unconditional
Unexpected
Treasure
Verify
Unlock
Triple
World-class
Unreachable
Waste
Unspoken
Wealth
Unveiled
Whopping
Withheld
The 7 Different Types of Power Words
As you can see in our giant list above, we’ve organized our power words into seven different types:
Fear
Encouragement
Lust
Anger
Greed
Safety
Forbidden
These different types of power words all accomplish the same goal: They inspire emotion in your reader.
Let’s go over each type and see why they work.
Fear Power Words: Calling All Fearmongers
Let’s do a little experiment.
Just for a moment, stop reading this post, turn on the television, and go to a major news channel. Watch it for five minutes, listening for the words below.
Chances are, you’ll hear dozens of them. Here’s why:
Fear is without a doubt the most powerful emotion for grabbing and keeping an audience’s attention. To make sure you don’t change the channel, news networks load up with fear words, making you worry you might miss something important.
It’s effective. Granted, you can overdo it, but in my opinion, most writers don’t use these types of words nearly enough. They really do connect with people.
Here’s a bunch to get you started:
Agony
Fool
Plunge
Apocalypse
Fooled
Poison
Armageddon
Frantic
Poor
Assault
Frightening
Prison
Backlash
Gambling
Pummel
Beating
Gullible
Pus
Beware
Hack
Reckoning
Blinded
Hazardous
Refugee
Blood
Hoax
Revenge
Bloodbath
Holocaust
Risky
Bloodcurdling
Horrific
Scary
Bloody
Hurricane
Scream
Blunder
Injure
Searing
Bomb
Insidious
Shatter
Buffoon
Invasion
Shellacking
Bumbling
IRS
Silly
Cadaver
Jail
Slaughter
Catastrophe
Jeopardy
Slave
Caution
Lawsuit
Strangle
Collapse
Looming
Stupid
Corpse
Lunatic
Tailspin
Crazy
Lurking
Tank
Cripple
Massacre
Targeted
Crisis
Meltdown
Teetering
Danger
Menacing
Terror
Deadly
Mired
Terrorist
Death
Mistake
Torture
Deceiving
Murder
Toxic
Destroy
Nightmare
Tragedy
Devastating
Painful
Trap
Disastrous
Pale
Vaporize
Doom
Panic
Victim
Drowning
Peril
Volatile
Dumb
Piranha
Vulnerable
Embarrass
Pitfall
Plague
Fail
Plague
Worry
Feeble
Played
Wounded
Fired
Plummet
Encouragement Power Words: Give Your Readers a Pep Talk
Let’s face it.
When they’re reading, most people aren’t exactly bouncing off the walls with energy and enthusiasm. They’re probably bored, maybe a little depressed, and almost definitely tired. And they’re looking for something, anything, that’ll wake them up and make them feel better.
The good news?
Your writing can do that for them. Use these power words to give them a pep talk and get them charged up again:
Amazing
Fearless
Score
Ascend
Ferocious
Seize
Astonishing
Fierce
Sensational
Astounding
Force
Spectacular
Audacious
Fulfill
Spine
Awe-inspiring
Glorious
Spirit
Awesome
Glory
Splendid
Backbone
Graceful
Spunk
Badass
Grateful
Staggering
Beat
Grit
Strengthen
Belief
Guts
Striking
Blissful
Happy
Strong
Bravery
Heart
Stunning
Breathtaking
Hero
Stunt
Brilliant
Honor
Supreme
Celebrate
Hope
Surprising
Cheer
Incredible
Terrific
Colossal
Jaw-dropping
Thrive
Command
Jubilant
Thwart
Conquer
Legend
Titan
Courage
Life-changing
Tough
Daring
Magic
Triumph
Defeat
Marvelous
Tremendous
Defiance
Master
Unbeatable
Delight
Mind-blowing
Unbelievable
Devoted
Miracle
Unforgettable
Dignity
Miraculous
Unique
Dominate
Noble
Unleash
Effortless
Perfect
Uplifting
Empower
Persuade
Valiant
Epic
Phenomenal
Valor
Excellent
Pluck
Vanquish
Excited
Power-up
Victory
Extraordinary
Praise
Win
Eye-opening
Prevail
Wonderful
Fabulous
Remarkable
Wondrous
Faith
Revel
Fantastic
Rule
Lust Power Words: Take a Page from Cosmopolitan (or Playboy)
Like it or not, lust is one of the core human emotions.
Just look at the men’s and women’s magazines in the checkout aisle, and you’ll see what I mean. Nearly every headline on the cover is either blatantly or indirectly about sex.
And it works, not just for men’s and women’s magazines, but for anything. As a writer, you can use words that inspire lust to make almost anything intriguing.
Here’s a lascivious list to get you started:
Allure
Itching
Sinful
Arouse
Juicy
Sleazy
Bare
Kinky
Sleeping
Begging
Kiss
Spank
Beguiling
Lascivious
Spellbinding
Brazen
Lewd
Spicy
Captivating
Lick
Steamy
Charm
Lonely
Stimulating
Cheeky
Longing
Strip
Climax
Love
Sweaty
Crave
Lure
Tantalizing
Delight
Luscious
Taste
Delirious
Lush
Tawdry
Depraved
Lust
Tease
Desire
Mischievous
Tempting
Dirty
Mouth-watering
Thrilling
Divine
Naked
Tickle
Ecstasy
Naughty
Tight
Embrace
Nude
Tingle
Enchant
Obscene
Turn on
Enthralling
Orgasmic
Unabashed
Entice
Passionate
Uncensored
Entrance
Pining
Untamed
Excite
Pleasure
Untouched
Explicit
Provocative
Urge
Exposed
Racy
Voluptuous
Fascinate
Raunchy
Vulgar
Forbidden
Risque
Wanton
Frisky
Rowdy
Wet
Goosebumps
Salacious
Whip
Hanker
Satisfy
Wild
Heavenly
Saucy
X-rated
Hottest
Scandalous
Yearning
Hypnotic
Seduce
Yummy
Impure
Seductive
Indecent
Sensual
Intense
Sex
Intoxicating
Shameless
Anger Power Words: Start a Riot
As writers, sometimes our job is to anger people.
Not for the fun of it, mind you, but because someone is doing something wrong, and the community needs to take action to correct it. The problem is, with wrongdoing, most people are pretty apathetic — they’ll wait until the situation becomes entirely intolerable to do anything, and by then, it’s often too late.
So, we have to fan the flames. By using the below power words, you can connect with people’s anger, and slowly but surely, you can work them into a frenzy. Just be careful who you target. Lawyers can eat you alive if you pick on the wrong person. 🙂
Abhorrent
Gross
Punish
Abuse
Harass
Rampant
Annoying
Hate
Ravage
Arrogant
High and mighty
Repelling
Ass kicking
Horrid
Repugnant
Backstabbing
Infuriating
Revile
Barbaric
Jackass
Revolting
Bash
Kick
Rotten
Beat down
Kill
Rude
Big mouth
Knock
Ruined
Blatant
Knock out
Ruthless
Brutal
Know it all
Savage
Bullshit
Lies
Scam
Bully
Livid
Scold
Cheat
Loathsome
Sick and tired
Clobber
Loser
Sink
Clown
Lying
Slam
Cocky
Maul
Slander
Corrupt
Misleading
Slap
Coward
Money-grubbing
TSlay
Crooked
Nasty
Smash
Crush
Nazi
Smear
Curse
No good
Smug
Debase
Obnoxious
Sniveling
Defile
Oppressive
Snob
Delinquent
Pain in the ass
Snooty
Demolish
Payback
Snotty
Desecrate
Perverse
Spoil
Disgusting
Pesky
Stuck up
Dishonest
Pest
Suck
Distorted
Phony
Terrorize
Evil
Pissed off
Trash
Exploit
Pollute
Trounce
Force-fed
Pompous
Tyranny
Foul
Pound
Underhanded
Freaking out
Preposterous
Up to here
Full of shit
Pretentious
Violate
Greedy
Punch
Greed Power Words: Stomp on Their Greed Glands
The legendary copywriter Gary Halbert once said, “If you want people to buy something, stomp on their greed glands until they bleed.” Graphic, yes, but also true.
Skim through good sales copy, and you’ll find a lot of these power words. Many of them are so overused they’ve become cliché, but that doesn’t stop them from working.
The truth is, nearly every human being on the planet is interested in either making or saving money. Use these words to tap into those desires:
Bank
Freebie
Pay zero
Bargain
Frenzy
Prize
Best
Frugal
Profit
Billion
Gift
Quadruple
Bonanza
Golden
Reduced
Booked solid
Greatest
Rich
Cash
High-paying
Savings
Cheap
Inexpensive
Six-figure
Costly
Jackpot
Skyrocket
Discount
Lowest price
Soaring
Dollar
Luxurious
Surge
Double
Marked down
Treasure
Explode
Massive
Triple
Extra
Money
Waste
Feast
Money-draining
Wealth
Fortune
Money-saving
Whopping
Free
Nest egg
Safety Power Words: Make Them Feel Safe
Greed isn’t the only emotion you want buyers to feel. You also want to make them feel safe.
They need to trust both you and your product or service. They need to have confidence you’ll deliver. They need to believe they’ll get results.
Of course, building that kind of trust starts with having a quality brand and reputation, but the words you use to describe yourself and your product or service also matter. To help your customers feel safe, try to use as many of these power words as possible:
Above and beyond
No obligation
Risk-free
Anonymous
No questions asked
Rock-solid
Authentic
No risk
Science-backed
Automatic
No strings attached
Scientific
Backed
No-fail
Secure
Bankable
Official
Sure-fire
Best-selling
Permanent
Survive
Cancel anytime
Privacy
Tested
Certified
Professional
That never fails
Clockwork
Protected
Thorough
Endorsed
Proven
Trustworthy
Foolproof
Recession-proof
Try before you buy
Guaranteed
Refund
Unconditional
Ironclad
Reliable
Verify
Lifetime
Research
World-class
Money-back
Results
Forbidden Power Words: Offer Them a Forbidden Fruit
Remember when you were a kid, and someone told you NOT to do something? From that point on, you could think about little else, right?
The truth is, we’re all fascinated by the mysterious and forbidden. It’s like it’s programmed into our very nature.
So why not tap into that programming?
Whenever you need to create curiosity, sprinkle these power words throughout your writing, and readers won’t be able to help being intrigued:
Power Words in Action: 14 Places Where You Strong Words Can Help You
So, now that you have a big list of options to choose from, where are the primary places you should put power words to get the biggest “bang for your buck?”
Below you’ll find examples of power words being used in:
Headlines
Subheads
Email Subject Lines
Opt-in Boxes
Home Page
Sales Pages
Testimonials
Bullet Lists
Business Names / Domain Names
Product Names
Buttons
Author Bios
Youtube Videos
Book titles
Ready to dive in?
#1. Using Power Words in Headlines
Any bloggers who’s been in the game for a while knows that the headline is the most important part of your article.
Its purpose, after all, is to entice the reader to read the rest of the article. If it fails to get attention, potential readers will ignore it when it shows up in their social media feed.
And just one or two power words in your headline is usually enough to make it stand out.
Just look at this headline from BuzzFeed:
The word “Unveiled” makes it feel like a secret is being exposed, and the word “Breathtaking” makes you curious to see what the photo looks like.
Here’s another example from BoredPanda:
People generally love anything adorable, so this headline will easily catch attention. (The fact that it refers to snakes will only make people more curious.) The headline then drives it home by using the powerful verb “Conquer”.
Here’s one more from BrightSide:
While one or two power words are often enough, this headline proves you can use more when it fits. This headline has four powerful words, but they feel natural in the headline, which keeps it from feeling like over-the-top clickbait.
#2. Using Power Words in Subheads
Once people click on your headline, most will scan the post first to see if it looks worthy of their attention. Adding some power words to your subheads is a good way to make your post look like an interesting read.
For example, here are three subheads from our post on Ebook mistakes:
See how the power words in these subheads catch attention and make you want to read the text that follows?
#3. Using Power Words in Email Subject Lines
Having an email list is of little use if only few on your list open your emails.
And these days, most people’s inboxes are flooded, so they’re selective in which emails they open.
You can stand out in their inbox and raise your open rates by including power words in your subject lines.
Just look at this one from Ramit Sethi:
If this subject line would’ve read “The rules of learning”, do you think it would be as appealing? The word “unspoken” is what makes it interesting.
Here’s another one from Cal Fussman:
Both “Triumph” and “Tragedy” are powerful words full of emotion.
And finally, here’s a good example from AppSumo:
The phrase “Unleash the power” makes you feel this email is hiding something incredibly powerful inside.
See how that works?
When you send out emails to your list, try and add a power word to your subject line to make it stand out in people’s inbox.
#4. Using Power Words in Opt-In Boxes
As a blogger, one of your main goals is to grow a large and engaged readership, and the best way to do so is through converting readers into subscribers.
That means you should have opt-in forms scattered across your website. You can place them on your homepage, at the end of your posts, in your sidebar, in a popup, or anywhere else.
But no matter where you place them, your opt-in boxes must catch people’s eye and make them want to share their email address with you. Because they won’t just give it away to everyone. (Remember, their inboxes are already flooded, so they’re not necessarily eager to get even more emails.)
Fortunately, you can use power words to make your offer more enticing.
Here’s an old popup from Cosmopolitan which is an excellent example:
This popup had power words everywhere, but it avoids feeling like overkill. I bet it converted like crazy.
Here’s a slightly more subtle example from Betty Means Business:
It’s more subtle, but still quite effective.
Again, you don’t have to overdo it with the power words on these. A little can go a long way.
Here’s one final example from Renegade Planner:
Are you using power words in your opt-in boxes yet? If not, you should add some right away.
#5. Using Power Words on Your Home Page
Your home page is the face of your website and it’s usually one of the most visited pages. Many people who enter your website, will see this page first, and you want it to make a good first impression.
Some people use their home page to promote their email list, others use it to promote one of their products, and others use it as red carpet, welcoming new visitors and explaining what their site is all about.
In any case, your home page is a good spot to add a few power words, as it can determine whether people stay (and take the action you want them to take) or leave.
Look at this value proposition on the home page for Nerd Fitness:
“Nerds”, “Misfits” and “Mutants” are unusual power words that work well for the audience Nerd Fitness is targeting. These words immediately separate his blog from all the other fitness blogs out there.
But they push it even further with “Strong”, “Healthy” and “Permanently”.
Here’s another value proposition from MainStreetHost’s home page:
It’s quite minimal, isn’t it? They just wrote down three power words and follow it up with a service they provide.
Of course, you don’t have to limit your use of power words to the top of your homepage. You can use it in other parts of the home page too, as Ramit Sethi does here in his list of what you’ll get when you sign up for his email list.
Go look at your homepage now and see if you can find any areas you can spruce up with some power words.
#6. Using Power Words in Business Names/Blog Names
Your blog or business name should have an impact on people. Having a forgettable domain name is poison to your blog growth. You want a name that people can easily recall when they want to visit your site.
If you haven’t chosen your blog name yet (or if you’re thinking about rebranding), you might use a power word to give it some punch. It’ll make you stand out from all the boring, forgettable brands.
Just take a look at the collection of blog names below and see how well they’ve incorporated power words:
#7. Using Power Words in Product Names
Just like you can use power words to spruce up your blog name, you can also use them to make your product names pack more of a punch.
It can make the difference between your potential customers thinking, “Ooh, this product sounds cool!” and them thinking, “Meh.”
Just check out this subscription product from Nerd Fitness:
It has such a powerful name that you’d almost want to sign up without learning anything else. Who wouldn’t want to be part of a community of rising heroes?
Here’s another good example from Pat Flynn:
It’s a powerful name for his podcasting course that instantly informs you of the benefit.
So if you’re about to launch a product (or if you’ve launched a product with a tepid name), consider giving it a power word to make it pack a punch.
#8. Using Power Word on Sales Pages
You can also use power words to spruce up your sales pages and make them more effective at selling your products or services.
They will grab people’s attention when they arrive on the page, they will keep their attention as they scroll down, and they’ll help seduce readers before they reach your “buy” button.
Just look at this headline on Ramit Sethi’s sales page for his product 50 Proven Email Scripts (which also has a power word in its name):
And as you scroll down, you see he keeps using power words throughout his sales page.
His headline is follow by subheads such as these:
And he even uses power words his guarantee:
#9. Using Power Word in Testimonials
Power words are also tremendously effective in testimonials.
Of course, I’m not suggesting you change people’s testimonials to include power words. But you can certainly select the ones that already use them to great effect.
Just look at this example from Betty Means Business:
Or look at this one from Farideh’s blog:
And here’s another example from Renegade Planner:
All these testimonials will lend extra credibility and excitement due to their power words and phrases.
#10. Using Power Words in Bullet Lists
Many sales pages include a list of benefits of the product that they’re selling. Many opt-in forms include a list of reasons you should sign up to their email list.
You can use power words in these lists to inspire more excitement in your reader as they read through it.
Here’s one example from Ramit Sethi’s sales page for his How to Talk to Anyone course:
And here’s another example from an opt-in form on Restart Your Style:
Without these power words, these list wouldn’t convince nearly as many readers to buy or subscribe.
#11. Using Power Words in Button Copy
Yep, you can use power words in your button copy too, even if you only have a few words you can fit in there.
One of the most common power words used in buttons is “Free”, as in the example below:
But you can be more creative with buttons than you might think.
Takes this button from the sales page for the book The Renegade Diet:
“Immediate”, “Money Back” and “Guarantee” are all incredibly powerful words, and the author manages to squeeze them all into one button.
And take this example from Tim Ferris’ popup:
He could’ve used “Send Me the List” as most people would do, but “Unlock” makes it sound a lot more intriguing, like you’re getting access to something that’s been kept hidden away.
Now take a look at the buttons on your site. Do you see any opportunities to spruce them up with a power word?
#12. Using Power Words in Author Bios
Your author bio is another extremely important part of your marketing.
When you guest post for another blog, your author bio has the difficult job of making readers want to know more about you so they click through to your site.
That means your author bio needs to spark attention and interest. And you usually only get three sentences, so you need to carefully consider the words you use.
See this author bio from Henneke Duistermaat:
Henneke’s author bio is full of power words. It shows her uniqueness and makes her stand out from other copywriters.
You can tell she has carefully picked each word for maximum impact.
Here’s another examples from Sarah Peterson:
She opens strong immediately by mentioning her guides are insanely useful. And just the name of her report alone is full of power words: “Free”, “Reveal” and “Begging”.
Makes you want to get your hands on that report, doesn’t it?
#13. Using Power Words on Youtube Videos
If you’re publishing videos on youtube and you want to get more views, you should use power words in your titles as well.
All the biggest youtube channels do this. They understand that most of their views will come from their subscribers finding them in their feed, and from people finding them in the sidebar of other videos.
In both cases though, you’re competing with many other videos for their attention.
See how Philip DeFranco does it below:
“Disgusting”, “Punishment” and “Controversy” are all attention-grabbing words (and that’s besides the attention-grabbing names of Brock Turner, Star Wars and Kim Kardashian).
Note also how he has capitalized “Disgusting”. It’s another smart trick many youtube channels use to stand out more in youtube’s lists of video suggestions.
Style vlogger Aaron Marino often does it as well:
By capitalizing the power words “Don’ts” and “Stupid”, his title catches a lot more attention (as you can see for yourself by the millions of views).
#14. Using Power Words in Book Titles
If you’re interested in writing your own book, adding power words to your titles will help it sell better. With all the competition in the book market these days, you need a title that grabs people’s attention and makes them want to peek inside.
Here are a few quick grabs from Amazon’s list of bestsellers in the self-help niche:
I’m sure you’ve seen this title before. You might say Stephen Covey’s use of power words in his title has been highly effective. (See what I did there?)
Mark Manson’s bestselling title is packed with power. The power word “Subtle” juxtaposes well with the F-bomb in the title, and his use of “Counterintuitive” will spark some interest as well.
Lastly, Jen Sincero’s encouraging book title makes you want to flip it open right away and read it in one go. The use of “Badass” alone will make it stand out in the self-development section, but her use of “Greatness” and “Awesome” in the subtitle truly seals the deal.
Yes, this is an enormous list, but so many power words are available, nobody can possibly catch them all on the first pass. What are some other words that seem to have that extra little spark of emotion inside them?
Leave your answer in the comments, and as time goes by, I’ll come back periodically and update the list. Eventually, I hope to have over 1,000 words here, separated and organized by category, making this the definitive resource for power words on the web.
Thanks in advance for commenting and sharing the post with your friends!
About the Author: Jon Morrow has asked repeatedly to be called “His Royal Awesomeness” but no one listens to him. So, he settles for CEO of Smart Blogger. Poor man. 🙂
