How to WOW with Words – the Content Writer’s Edition

So, you’ve been in a bit of a rut lately. Your content writing feels stale, your reservoir of ideas is running on empty, and you just feel…tired. Or uninspired? Or like your message is missing something? Fear not! This blog will turn things around and help to take your content to the next level – it’s time to WOW with words.

It’s been a tough year with a lot of challenging things going on …

It’s been hard to stay focused, to stay motivated, and to continue to feel as if what you put out into the world has purpose and that it comes from a place of intention.

The first thing I’d like to share with you is that you’re not alone! It seems as if everyone I speak to these days has been feeling the same way. There has to be some comfort in that fact.

The next thing is – and this should definitely be reassuring – I’m pretty confident that there is a quick and simple fix for this problem. It is just a matter of making a few, straightforward tweaks to what you’re already doing to get back on track.

In the past, whenever I have felt that the content I was producing was feeling stale, I kicked things up a notch by elevating some of my word choices.

WOW with words…

1. Look at some of the words you use most often and change them out for something similar – yet different! Not only will this get your creative juices flowing as you go old school and use a thesaurus, it will help to make your content stand out from the crowd.

Here is an example…Instead of the word, “AMAZING,” how about subbing in one of these: fascinating, unbelievable, wonderful, astounding, fantastic, breathtaking, or impressive?

Changing things up like this is like giving a breath of fresh air to your content writing. Let me give you another example of how to deliver the WOW factor that your audience has been looking for.

2. Dress up your titles – there are a BUNCH of ways to do this! You can start with alliteration (see what I did with the title of this blog?). Alliteration, or the repetition of the first letter of words in a phrase, is a great way to catch the attention of your reader. You can also try any of the following:

a) Use another literary device like a metaphor, an oxymoron, or foreshadowing

b) Quote a famous lyric or saying

c) Use numbers, such as, “The TEN best…”

d) Inject some humour

A catchy title not only hooks someone new who just happens to be scrolling by, it invites your existing readers to stick around and see what’s new. Even the smallest changes in your vocabulary can inspire a new conversation and a sense that your content has been revitalized.

3. Add some “touchy, feely” words.

Like, not in a literal sense, because that would be super weird.

What I’m talking about is using wow words that inspire an emotional response in the reader. This could be a laugh out loud giggle, an acknowledgement of feeling equally frustrated with a shared problem, or a greater understanding of our shared humanity. Words that generate emotion are powerful – they are relatable and help readers to connect.

4. The word, “very” is VERY overused. When you can, use an alternative such as:

a) especially, completely, or significantly

b) greatly, infinitely, obviously

c) immeasurably, remarkably, exceedingly

d) deeply, extremely, clearly

See what I mean? By replacing a simple word such as “very” with one of these WOW words, your writing immediately sounds more interesting and again, a little bit different than the norm.

And, why blend in when we are able to stand out?  

5. Be descriptive – use adjectives (colours, personality traits, feelings, shape, size, etc) to liven up your language. Descriptive text has the unique ability of being able to create a picture for the reader. It opens up the world of imagination and allows people to feel as if they are a part of the story or experience.

Just look at the difference between these two examples:

1. Everyone was excited to try the new version of product X.
2. The energy in the sunlit room was palpable as everyone anxiously awaited the unveiling of product X.

Which sentence better captures the tone and mood of the crowd?

As you can see, there are many ways to WOW with words as you continue to create content for your own brand, or for others. I’ve merely touched on just a few of my favourites here, so if you’d like some more direction (or even some additional examples), reach out to me anytime!

I’d love to help you WOW your audience.