201 Trigger Words That Will Make Your Headlines More Engaging
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Plan out all your headlines ahead of time and get a jump-start on your content production process when you download this ultimate editorial calendar template for all of your marketing planning needs.What Are Trigger Words?
The term “trigger word” shouldn’t be confused with words that trigger an actual response, like from Siri or other A.I. assistants. The kind we’re talking about here purely encourage an emotional reaction in readers or inspire curiosity. The reason they work is because people connect to emotion rather than words. Content that elicits an emotional response — whether it’s amusement, joy, sadness, surprise, or something else — is far more likely to be shared than content that doesn’t.Content that elicits an emotional response — whether it’s amusement, joy, sadness, surprise, or something else — is far more likely to be shared than content that doesn’t.
Click To TweetYour List of 201 Emotional Trigger Words
Now you know what trigger words are and why they are so important in your headlines, let’s take a look at some choice words you can use. The trigger words listed here incite a variety of different emotions depending on how you use them and the intent of your headline. There are obviously thousands more where these came from, so by no means is this an exhaustive list.Using Trigger Words in Headlines: The Art of Balance
The key to using trigger words correctly is making sure you don’t go overboard — because this can make your headlines seem clickbait-y and inauthentic — and to use words that evoke the emotions you want to evoke.The higher the percentage of “uncommon”, “emotional”, and “power” words there are in your headlines, the better they are likely to perform.
Click To TweetExamples of Headlines That Include Trigger Words
Now that you have a decent list of resources and ideas on how to implement trigger words into your headlines, we want to share some examples of real content that has taken advantage of this strategy.1. Fairy Tail: 10 Hilarious Memes That Will Make You Cry Laughing
If being promised the opportunity to cry laughing isn’t enough of an emotional trigger, then what is? Not only does this headline include the trigger word “hilarious”, it also tells readers exactly what they can expect when they read the piece.2. How to Write a Blog Post: The Definitive 10,273-Word Guide
This post presents itself as a “definitive guide”. Basically, it promises to be the most comprehensive resource on this topic, and it backs it up with a huge word-count to boot. If a reader wants to learn how to write a blog post, chances are they’re going to be quickly drawn in by this headline.3. 50 Profitable Side Hustle Ideas
When people start a side hustle, they generally want to make money. By inserting the trigger word “profitable” into this headline, the piece is elevated from a generic side hustle building piece to one that offers even more value.4. 14 Surprising Things You Can Do While Stuck At Home
Not only is this piece incredibly fitting for these pandemic-infested times, but it promises more than your average things-to-do-at-home guide. The trigger word “surprising” piques our curiosity and encourages us to click through to find out what these elusive activities are.5. 6 Powerful Ways to Build Unbreakable Self-Discipline
This piece really ups the ante with not one, but two trigger words. By incorporating both “powerful” and “unbreakable”, it elevates itself to the kind of piece that really delivers results. The words are inspiring, which is particularly fitting considering the piece is all about self-discipline and self-improvement.6. 40 Easy Ways to Make Money Quickly
Combining the words “easy” and “quickly” makes this piece a good bet for anyone who desperately wants to make more money. Even if they don’t, it definitely sparks an interest in something that’s usually considered difficult.How to Decide Which Trigger Words to Use in Your Headlines
It’s easy to cram your headlines full of trigger words with hopes that they’ll spark any kind of emotion in the reader, but there’s an art to getting it right. Like we said before, if you want to elicit a positive response and make readers feel good, you have to include positive trigger words, like “great”, “amazing”, and “awesome”. Here are some tips for choosing the right trigger words for your headlines:- Match the intent of the word to the emotion you want to invoke. Think about how you want readers to feel when they read your headline.
- Cherry-pick just one or two trigger words to include and avoid sounding too clickbait-y.
- Make sure your headline still makes sense — there’s no point including trigger words just for the sake of it.
Start Writing Headlines With Trigger Words
Trigger words are an important concept in copywriting and can elevate your content from just “okay” to inviting, shareable, and even viral. With so much competition around, it’s crucial that you create headlines that stand out but — more importantly — deliver.Trigger words are an important concept in copywriting and can elevate your content from just “okay” to inviting, shareable, and even viral.
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