Written by: Vickie Sullivan | April 16, 2020
How Word Choice Matters Now
We thought leaders know that words matter. According to this Fast Company article, now we have some science (and a handy tool!) to back up our beliefs. The tool, called the Evaluative Lexicon 2.0 (EL 2.0) “measures the emotionality of a word, whether someone’s reaction to it is positive or negative (valence), and the extent of that positive or negative reaction (extremity).”
I’m gonna tamp down my excitement and focus on what this means for thought leaders:
• Decoding conversations. With the tool, we can now ascertain the degree of emotion behind social media posts. Social media interactions will now take on a whole new level. Ditto for sales conversations.
Listen: The Business Case for Your Best Words
• Defining what words work. Key quote: “We also demonstrated that such words indeed predict emotional thinking and reactions.” (emphasis mine.) Yes, the tool is available for free in academics. It won’t stay there.
Heads-up: Tools like this will be a game-changer in content marketing, thought leadership, and yes, political discourse. (Strategic word choice will be weaponized in the political arena. Count on it.) Your next best step: Find and use your best words.
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