Ways of improving Mantra's effectiveness?

Some of us repeat a mantra to drum a thought or feeling into our heads in the hope of it helping us become lucid one night. If anyone is anything like me, you will know that just picking a phrase and repeating it relentlessly does not work.

So what are the ways we can improve a mantra, and what are some basic things to do when doing a mantra?

This isn't a tutorial, btw, I'm hardly qualified to write one, but I want to compile a list of all the best tips and approaches to using a mantra, as I feel it is a very fine technique to use.
So I need outside input from people who know how to do a good mantra.

From what I know already, it isn't necessarily the words that have the effect, but the feeling you get from repeating it. You need to feel relaxed and confident, borderline excited when thinking your mantra.

TL;DR What are the main tips and basic principles of having an effective mantra?

I would say visualization is the best way to strengthen a mantra. It really helps because you're adding your senses to your intentions, creating a moment (or even scenario) that your mind can hold, increasing the chances that you dream with it :)

Ok, so it is actually quite apparent that the actual words don't mean that much. They of course have to be directed toward your goal, but it's what's behind those words that make them work. Otherwise you are just learning off a phrase.

Visualisation and confidence, along with well chosen wording.

What else?

Visualisation, 1st Person, Short and Snappy, Repeated for a long time, Repeated before sleep (preferably before REM).

OK, great, now how about some examples of some that are popular or have worked in the past?

And maybe some things you shouldn't do?

What seems to work very well is:

- Choose a vivid dream, preferably lucid, that you can easily recall by being rich in sensations, vividness, and emotions
- If it's a lucid, try to hold to the way you felt when you became aware that you were dreaming. If it wasn't a lucid, imagine how good you would feel when you became lucid.
- Don't see yourself in the beginning of the process: imagine yourself lucid saying your mantra "I'm dreaming!"
- When you go to sleep, or even during the day, choose what will you do when you become lucid. This is very helpful because often you end up performing your goal and in the middle of it realize what you're doing and become lucid.

For last, residual memory seems to help a lot, along with physical excitement. I get excited when I think about my mantra and my goal for the next lucid. I hold onto that feeling as most as possible during the day, and especially 1-2 hours before I sleep. I then go to bed 15minutes earlier, and rather trying to fall asleep, I empty my mind (using a "chest" technique I found here in DV)/I guess you could call it meditation, until I can clearly and only think about my mantra/goal. I then perform WBTBs, using as much time as needed to make sure the message is getting in.

Dont's: saying I will lucid dream tonight seems pretty bad, because if you don't have a ld in that night you will get frustated. Also make the mantra as personal as you can. Visualize YOU lucid, YOU performing your goal, YOU succeeding. It's really about the intention and the amount of yourself you put into the task. That's why so many people get lucids in the first night they practice, it's such a level of excitement and thinking on the world of possibilities when they first learn about it that the brain is flooded with this intention :)

This is all really valuable input, the only stuff about mantras I can find on here is just examples of some to say and how often to say them.
That's like saying you need to do a WBTB at night... but nothing else.

What about common mistakes and misconceptions?