Emotional Marketing Value (EMV): Statistics & Word List (GUIDE-1)
TABLE OF CONTENTS ►
1. What Is Emotional Marketing Value (EMV)?
Emotional Marketing Value (EMV) is a copywriting metric used to measure how strongly a headline or message appeals to human emotions. The concept was developed by the Advanced Marketing Institute to help marketers evaluate headlines based on the number of emotionally impactful words they contain.
Instead of focusing only on logic or product features, EMV measures the emotional pull of language, which strongly influences attention, engagement, and conversions.
Core Principle
Consumers respond more strongly to emotion-driven messages than purely rational messages. Research in behavioral marketing suggests that a majority of purchasing decisions are emotionally driven, and emotional triggers significantly increase engagement and recall.
2. EMV Score Benchmarks
The EMV score represents the percentage of emotional words in a headline.
| EMV Score | Meaning |
| 0–20% | Weak emotional appeal |
| 20–30% | Average |
| 30–40% | Professional copywriter level |
| 50–75% | Highly persuasive |
| 100% | Extremely rare (usually very short headlines) |
Statistics show:
- The English language contains about 20% emotional words.
- Professional copywriters average 30–40% EMV in headlines.
- Elite copywriters reach 50–75% EMV in high-performing headlines.
- 100% EMV headlines are rare and usually have fewer than 5 words.
3. Three Categories of Emotional Words in EMV
The EMV model classifies emotional marketing value words into three psychological categories.
1. Intellectual Words
These appeal to logic, curiosity, reasoning, and discovery.
They work best for:
- B2B marketing
- Technology
- Education
- Professional Services
| Word | Emotional Trigger |
|---|---|
| Secret | curiosity |
| Proven | trust |
| Strategy | intelligence |
| Discover | curiosity |
| Breakthrough | innovation |
| Unlock | opportunity |
| Powerful | authority |
| Ultimate | superiority |
| New | novelty |
| Advanced | expertise |
Example headline: “Discover the Secret Strategy Top Brands Use”
2. Empathetic Words
These connect with human feelings, relationships, and personal needs.
Best used in:
- lifestyle brands
- health
- family products
- personal development
Examples:
| Word | Emotional Trigger |
| Love | affection |
| Trust | security |
| Safe | protection |
| Easy | relief |
| Comfort | emotional safety |
| Hope | optimism |
| Honest | authenticity |
| Caring | empathy |
| Support | reassurance |
| Together | belonging |
Example headline: “The Simple Way to Feel Confident and Safe Again”
3. Spiritual Words
These create deep emotional impact and identity alignment.
Often used in:
- motivational content
- personal transformation
- branding campaigns
| Word | Emotional Trigger |
| Amazing | wonder |
| Incredible | awe |
| Miracle | transformation |
| Destiny | purpose |
| Ultimate | superiority |
| Extraordinary | uniqueness |
| Legendary | prestige |
| Life-changing | transformation |
| Unforgettable | memory |
| Freedom | independence |
Example headline: “Experience the Life-Changing Power of Storytelling”
4. Psychological Power of Emotional Words
Research in linguistics and psychology shows that emotionally charged words significantly affect engagement by influencing the thalamus creating dopamine.
Emotional Language Improves Attention
Words that trigger emotion activate stronger cognitive responses and are more memorable. Studies show that emotionally charged language increases reader engagement and persuasive impact in marketing and political messaging.
Positive Emotion Bias
Human communication has a positive word bias, meaning people naturally use and respond to positive emotional language more frequently. Research shows positive emotional words appear more often in communication, reinforcing social bonds and engagement.
5. High-Impact EMV Word Categories
Below are commonly used emotional marketing words that increase EMV scores.
Curiosity Words
Used to trigger interest and clicks.
- Secret
- Hidden
- Revealed
- Discover
- Uncover
- Insider
- Breakthrough
Example: “The Secret Behind Viral Brand Videos”
Authority Words
- Proven
- Elite
- Expert
- Trusted
- Powerful
- Ultimate
- World-class
Example: “The Proven Strategy Elite Brands Use”
Urgency Words
- Now
- Instantly
- Limited
- Last chance
- Hurry
- Today
- Deadline
Example: “Unlock Instant Growth Before Your Competitors Do”
Desire Words
- Dream
- Luxury
- Perfect
- Beautiful
- Stunning
- Extraordinary
Example: “Create Stunning Videos Your Audience Loves”
Fear / Loss Words
- Mistake
- Warning
- Danger
- Risk
- Fail
- Avoid
Example: “Avoid the #1 Mistake Brands Make With Video”
6. Formula for Calculating EMV
How is Emotional Marketing Value (EMV) Score calculated?
| EMOTIONAL MARKETING VALUE (EMV) = |
1. Emotional Strength (E)
- Score based on emotional words (0–100)
2. Engagement (Eng)
Measured using:
- Likes
- Shares
- Comments
- Time on page
3. Conversion Impact (Conv)
Measured using:
- Signups
- Purchases
- Leads
4. Weights (W)
- Emotional words weight = 30%
- Engagement weight = 40%
- Conversion weight = 30%
Example headline: “Discover the Secret Video Strategy Top Brands Use”
Total words = 7
Emotional words = Discover, Secret, Strategy, Top
EMV score:
4 / 7 × 100 = 57% EMV
Which is considered very strong emotional marketing.
7. Example of a High-EMV Headline
Example: “The Secret Video Strategy Behind Unstoppable Brands”
| Word | Type |
| Secret | Intellectual curiosity |
| Strategy | Intellectual |
| Behind | curiosity |
| Unstoppable | spiritual / aspirational |
| Brands | neutral |
Approx EMV: 60–70%
This headline works because it combines:
- curiosity
- authority
- aspiration
8. Why Emotional Headlines Perform Better
Emotional headlines perform better because:
- They trigger subconscious decision-making
- They create curiosity gaps
- They increase memorability
- They stimulate dopamine response
- They activate storytelling instincts
Marketing studies show emotional storytelling campaigns often outperform rational messaging because consumers remember how brands make them feel more than the factual content of ads.
9. Best Practices for High-EMV Headlines
Keep headlines short
4–8 words typically perform best.
Use power verbs
- Discover
- Unlock
- Master
- Dominate
Combine emotional triggers
Formula: Curiosity + Authority + Benefit
Example: “Unlock the Powerful Video Strategy Top Brands Use”
10. Sample 100% EMV Style Headlines
Short headlines can reach near-100 EMV.
- Unstoppable Brand Power
- Irresistible Video Mastery
- Legendary Storytelling Secrets
- Extraordinary Brand Impact
- Ultimate Video Authority
How PerformX Leverages Emotional Marketing Value
PerformX does extensive study to understand the underlying factors that add up to bring the best results fast, its helps to drive relevant traffic to your websites that contribute to all stages of the funnel. Here is an example we use to rank for the keyword – Chicago SEO Company.
Moral of this Story.
Emotional Marketing Value (EMV) is a proven copywriting metric used to measure how emotionally compelling marketing language is. Headlines with higher EMV scores typically achieve greater engagement, stronger brand recall, and higher conversion rates because emotional words activate curiosity, desire, trust, and aspiration in audiences, that being said good copy takes more than just high EMV but validation of performing data relevant to the vertical and good reasoning.
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“On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. “On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.” – David Ogilvy you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar”
– David Ogilvy
