Psst! The Secret's Out Hook 'em with the one word that leaves 'em begging for more.

Nudging itself onto the list of advertising's most magnetic words is an irresistible bonbon that few of us can pass over. That word is "secret." Others in the top five, in no particular order, are: "free," "new," "you," and "sale," with "sex" a steamy sixth.

I feel safe in saying that if you use the word "secret" in the headline or title of your ad or promotion, your ad is almost guaranteed to get noticed, which is half the battle.

Of course, you need to eventually reveal the secret, and it has to be a satisfying payoff. But that shouldn't be difficult. Any useful information that is not widely known to the general public could arguably be designated a secret. And the titillation created by promising to divulge such valuable yet little-known data is simply too enticing to pass up.