Can you feel the difference between “love” and “hate”? Two opposite emotions.
And can you tell a “house” from a “mansion”, a “cottage” and a “trailer home”? While each conveys a place to live, the mental images we have are completely different. These pictures – and the emotions that come with them – are what marketers use to influence people.
Now you may not know this, but each word has an energetic frequency that can trigger an emotional response. For example, the word ‘love’ is positive for most people, and hence has a higher energetic frequency than ‘hate’.
If you want proof, just look at the famous rice experiment. In this experiment, people put water or rice in separate containers. One container then received loving words, while another was ignored, and a third received hateful comments. In the experiment, the water and rice that received love was in the best condition at the end of the observation period. This shows that words like love and hate – which draw on powerful emotions – have specific frequencies that can change outcomes in the real world.
But of course, a word by itself gets much of its power from the emotions behind it. To fully understand the impact of words, we can therefore consider the context in which they are spoken or written. How, where, when and with what intention a word is uttered can change its emotional frequency and thereby its impact.
How phrases change the energy of a single word
One factor that can change the impact of a word is the sentence or phase in which it is said. For example, the love of power, has a totally different frequency than the power of love, or the love of God and the love of truth.
The sequence and logic of words, and how individual words are combined, can change what type of energy is transmitted through them.
Marketers and salesmen use combinations of words to their advantage (just like politicians, public speakers and many others who seek to influence the behaviour of people).
Fancy an example? Just look at the product slogans of Volkswagen and Apple. Both companies use the word think, but Volkswagen says think small, while Apple went for think different. Same structure, but a completely different vibe from the word that each company added.
Or compare Netflix’s “see what’s next” to Microsoft’s “be what’s next”. One puts the reader in the role of the spectator, while the other positions the reader as an actor.
As you can see, just combining and rearranging words changes the energy and overall message of marketing communications.
The power of the speaker’s voice in energy transmission
Another factor that changes the energetic frequency of a word is the way in which it is spoken. Maybe the word is shared between man and woman, whispered quietly in a business meeting or blasted from the rooftops.
How that word is received changes not just with this context, but most obviously with the volume, speed and amplitude with which it is uttered. Just compare the two ways that this voice coach delivers his elevator pitch – the first is monotone, without much variance in pronunciation, while the second changes volume, speed and amplitude throughout.
Now, of course, voice also matters in writing. We commonly see this in plays and novels that try to emulate different forms of speech to give each character their own way of saying things.
But how do business and marketing writers create a distinct tone of voice? Well, have a look at the bullets below. You’ll see the same phrase repeated again and again, but written in a different way.
- Please leave.
- PLEASE LEAVE!!
- Please, …. leave.
- Please leave.
- Leave. Please.
Do you see how using all caps, commas, full stops or ellipsis changes how a word comes across?
That’s the easiest way a copywriter can mimic spoken words to leave an emotional mark on the reader.
Other – more elaborate – ways of changing the energetic frequency of words in advertising include the use of different fonts, colours and visuals. These set a new context in which a word appears and unfolds its impact.
Energetic frequencies are interpreted by people based on what they can receive
Just like you need to be on the right frequency to receive a radio transmission, energetic frequencies that come with words and conversations can only be received by those who are open to them.
This is a common struggle for marketers because the best message may do nothing for a business if it doesn’t resonate with enough of the right people.
What makes a person open to a particular frequency?
Well, each person has a unique way of looking at the world based on their experiences and beliefs.
If someone is allergic to cats, for example, they will respond to the word kitten differently than someone who thinks baby cats are adorable. This is because their past experience has likely taught them that having contact with cats leads to an unpleasant physical reaction.
Or imagine that I ask you to chop a lemon in half and then take a bite of the skin and juice. If you can picture that lemon, there is a good chance that you will start salivating and maybe even have a sour taste in your mouth. This is because your brain knows what a lemon is and your body prepares for digestion.
But what happens if I tell you to picture a smidgerone? If you’re like most people, you don’t know what that is, so your mind has no frame of reference on which to base an emotional or physical response. You’re not open to receiving information on this frequency.
Or maybe you have a strong sense of imagination – and some other related idea came to your mind. In that case, you constructed a mental concept of a smidgerone based on your creativity – and you would be receptive to anything that matches this construct.
(Before I get inquiries about a smidgerone, I used that word to show you how we respond to words only when we understand or process them. I don’t think that word has any apparent meaning.)
The law of attraction and receptiveness to energetic frequencies
In addition to our experiences, our beliefs determine whether we are receptive to the energetic frequency of a word.
We all know what ‘fear’ is, so we respond to that word almost involuntarily. But only those with a fear of flying will have an emotional reaction when you say ‘scared of flying’.
This combination of words is like a trigger that prompts a response from those who are on the same frequency or wavelength as those words. Meanwhile, people who feel at home on a plane will not resonate with that phrase as this would violate the law of attraction.
Of course, copywriters use the law of attraction to deliberate choose words that trigger an emotional response in a prospect.
Take a look at these headlines. Which emotions are triggered and what reader might resonate with each?
- “Drunk man kills innocent family of four in a devasting car crash”
- “They laughed as she walked on stage, but when she started to sing …”
- “Tired of eating out? Learn to cook yourself with these simple recipes”
Example 1: Drunk man kills innocent family of four in a devastating car crash
This headline might make young parents angry, especially if they oppose alcohol. The strongest emotional response will come from those who have themselves lost relatives in a similar incident.
Example 2: They laughed as she walked on stage, but when started to sing
The main emotion here is curiosity, as a reader wonders what happened next. This headline will resonate most with singers, or other performers, who have been laughed at as they walked on stage.
Example 3: Tired of eating out? Learn to cook yourself with these simple recipes
This headline speaks to people who eat out regularly – maybe a stressed man or woman. This is probably someone with a good income, who works long hours or hasn’t made the time to cook. The primary emotion here is fatigue or exhaustion, and the desire to move beyond that.
As you can see, each of these examples speaks to a certain type of person – with specific habits and beliefs. This is essential for a marketing message to succeed.
After all, you won’t get much of out of saying “tired of smoking” to a non-smoker, or convincing a college student who needs what little income they have for tuition to put that money into a retirement plan.
But matching the energetic frequency of a prospect is only the first step. Excellent marketers elevate the energetic frequency through their communications. They help prospects transition from a lower-frequency emotion like fear to calmness or from happiness to bliss.
How? Read this article to learn about 4 spiritual principles that raise the energetic frequency of your marketing copy and move prospects closer to a sale.
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