How to choose the right words and syntax
Help customers imagine the benefits they would receive from your product.
Vague benefits are difficult to imagine.
Customized responses are more persuasive.
Concrete examples (e.g., leftovers) are more persuasive than broad examples (e.g., food).
Depict a hypothetical scenario of the desired action.
Negative frames instill a mental image of the negative event.
Each word will strengthen activation for the related words.
Products seem more expensive (yet worse in quality) when described with unfamiliar words.
Active sentences position causes before effects. This sequence matches our real-world experience.
Connective words maintain the flow of mental imagery.
Start sentences by referencing the preceding object.
Arrange your words so that only one interpretation is possible.
Create separate pages for each customer segment to address their specific needs.
Customers resist if they believe you are trying to persuade them.
Communicate safety with certifications and endorsements, rather than telling customer your product is safe.
Readers prefer “two-sided arguments” that describe benefits and drawbacks.
Rhetorical questions are persuasive because they generate an implicit response.
Hospital staff were more likely to wash their hands when a message framed the benefits toward patients (vs. themselves).
1:58 PM feels sooner than 2:01 PM
A "more" percentage feels like an "of" percentage.
Each type of scarcity (supply, demand, time) affects behavior in different ways.
People are more likely to comply with a request if they believe this behavior is growing in popularity.
If you want to depict something as easy, your sentence should be easy to read.
A chair seems softer when the words “chair” and “soft” are closer together.
Something just feels right, and we attribute this feeling to the semantic meaning.
Imperfect verbs (e.g., was painting) are more vivid because they depict ongoing actions.
Inject variety into your writing.
You read by speaking internally. If something is hard to say aloud – Red leather, yellow leather – it will be hard to read.
If you need an exclamation mark to convey excitement, your writing isn’t exciting enough.
Loyal customers prefer humanized words (e.g., intuitive, elegant) because they identify with these products.
