Every once in a while, I see a list of "power words" -- words you can use to add more punch to your headlines and sales copy. These lists are useful for finding better alternatives for the sorts of boring words we often use in our day-to-day writing, or even just to get you in the mindset to write with more oomph.

But you have to be a little careful with these power words. Use too many, and your copy comes across as over-hyped. Use them in the wrong places, and your message could get mixed up completely.

Today I read an article at BoostCTR.com about the power of finding exactly the right word.

Morbidly inappropriate marketing video by Frank Kern reveals why he's the highest paid internet marketing consultant on earth.

So I saw this ad on Facebook and was struck ... specifically with the "morbidly inappropriate" part.

I was struck by it because it was exactly the right phrase "“ one that fit Frank Kern's public persona and created almost instant intrigue.

I agree completely that for a Frank Kern video, "morbidly inappropriate" is an enticing choice of words. So should you use it to promote your videos? For most people, the answer would be "no".

If I were to run a promotion saying "Morbidly inappropriate marketing video by Antone Roundy reveals why ...", most people who don't know me (of whom there are a lot more than those who don't know Frank) would likely just think, "the guy's probably a jerk", and ignore it.

People who do know me would probably think, "why the heck is Antone making morbidly inappropriate videos." Some might click through and watch it, but it would be more to allay their misgivings than out of the kind of curiosity Frank Kern can inspire with this sort of thing.

When you read copy that grabs you, by all means learn what you can from it. But before you blindly copy any words or phrases for your marketing, make sure they'll work for you the same way they worked for the copy you're emulating.