Powerful Persuasive Writing: Persuade & Communicate Impactfully With Only The Words You Write

persuasive

August 6, 2020 in Communication & Presentation

Writing a persuasive essay is like being a lawyer arguing a case before a jury. The writer takes a stand on an issue – either “for” or “against” – and builds the strongest possible argument to win over the reader.

Persuasive writing appears across media in many different forms, such as op-eds, reviews, and advertisements. A good persuasive argument uses a combination of thorough research and careful word choice in order to present the writer’s opinion strongly and get the reader to agree.

The purpose of persuasion in writing is to convince, motivate, or move readers toward a certain point of view, or opinion. The act of trying to persuade automatically implies more than one opinion on the subject can be argued.

The Pros of Writing Persuasively

Persuasive essay writing is a useful writing skill. It allows a writer to clearly present their ideas in a structured and convincing way. Persuasive writing can be powerful, influencing people to believe in a cause and putting out a call to action, like donating to a certain charity or voting for a political candidate.

Persuasive writing helps improve a writer’s ability overall, teaching them how to use facts and research in an expressive yet succinct way. A writer learns to communicate their main points efficiently and present a clear argument.

8 Tips for Better Persuasive Writing

  1. Pick a topic you’re most interested about. You’ll do your best persuading when it’s something you truly believe in. If you have the option to pick a topic, choose one that appeals to your own sensibilities. There will be research to do regardless, but already having a strong opinion about your subject will make its defense a bit easier.
  2. Know your audience. If you want to convince readers to believe and agree with you, know who you’re talking to first. For example, if you’re writing a persuasive letter about why standardized testing should be removed from school systems, your audience will likely be parents: Keep that in mind when writing to your targeted demographic.
  3. Hook the reader’s attention. A persuasive writer should present their opinion with a declarative statement that clearly expresses their point of view. Starting with a fact, research findings, or any other evidence that explicitly states information supportive of your thesis will immediately clue the reader in to what the essay will be about, what your position is, and if they’re interested enough to read on to see if they’ll be on your side.
  4. Research on both sides intensively. In order to convince the reader to agree with you, you also must know what you’re trying to get them to disagree with. Your audience may be completely stuck in their ways, so knowing both sides of your argument—and how to effectively counter the opposition—will assuage any follow-up questions a reader may have that can cast doubt on your position.
  5. Be empathetic at all times. An effective persuasion technique is the use of empathy. A reader is more inclined to believe you if they feel like you can relate to and understand their experiences. Emotional appeal is important for persuasive writing, as it targets the audience’s sensitivities, while also providing a logical explanation for why their beliefs should change.
  6. Ask rhetorical questions. Presenting questions that the reader will be forced to answer for themselves later is another good persuasive strategy, especially when the information provided to help make that decision is supportive of your point of view.
  7. Emphasize your point. The use of exaggeration in order to express urgency, exclusivity, or just to make a point is another useful persuasive technique. Hyperbolic statements aren’t meant to be taken literally but are used instead to convey an impactful image. For example, if you’re attempting to persuade a reader not to go to a restaurant, you might say their bad service “nearly starved you to death.” Although likely untrue, it still creates a vivid picture.
  8. Repeat yourself. Strategic repetition can be an effective way to gradually remind the reader of your message. Finding different ways to make the same point by use of rephrasing, true stories, metaphors, or other literary devices all serve to reinforce your point without bogging down the reader with repetitiveness.

Conclusion

Persuasive writing is an important skill that everyone needs to have. It does not only apply to your work, it also can be helpful in your daily life. For example, if you would like to persuade your friend in joining a training with you, you would need to have good persuasive writing skills to win their heart and mind.

Source

Tips on Writing a Persuasive Essay

8 Persuasive Writing Tips and Techniques