Persuasive Writing - Is Your Writing Persuasive

In many instances, persuasive writing is used as an argument to convince a reader of the writer’s stand on a debatable issue.  Its purpose is to persuade the reader that the writer’s point of view is the correct view and leads the reader to perform an action.

As an online marketer and writer of product reviews, it’s necessary for me to write persuasive content.  My goal is to lead a reader to perform an action; the action being an online purchase of whatever it is I am pitching.  In doing so, I employ a few techniques that I will share with you below but first take a look at the persuasive writing chart that I made which is used in nearly every form of persuasive writing.

The tone of your writing needs to be adjusted to your potential audience.  The potential audience depends also on the medium you’re writing for.  It could be that you are doing letter writing, writing books, writing for blogs or any form of creative writing.  The tone for those types of writing will be different than if you were doing resume writing, grant writing, or proposal writing. 

Tone just refers to the attitude of the writer as it is revealed in the choice of vocabulary.  As you may have noticed in my writing that I always choose to write in the first person.  I want my writing to come off as cordial and inviting as if I where having a conversation with an old friend.  This method of writing is warm and purposeful because I want my reader to feel comfortable.  In doing so, I build trust with my reader.

Persuasive writing almost always incorporates a personal appeal to human emotion.  You should be able to identify a problem and establish with your audience that you can relate to the problem and that a solution is forthcoming.  It’s important to avoid language that will come off cross and never use clichés or jargon.

The best way to cut off an argument is to acknowledge opposing viewpoints. If you have done your research then you should be familiar with any complaints or faults with your topic and then offer logical responses using a clear and authoritative voice.  Use supporting evidence, facts, figures and even testimonials to sway the reader.  Use your language to guide the reader from point A to point B and finally to point C where they will be offered the opportunity to perform an action.

The body of my persuasive writing will have continuity all the way through.  Whether I’m giving pros and cons, cause and effect, or comparison and contrast, my writing has to be balanced.  Without an even balance I will lose the reader’s trust that I’m giving a reasonable argument for or against a topic or product.  It will look like a snake oil sales pitch and I would have failed in my objective.

Remember, the chart above is just a guideline for developing a persuasive writing assignment. You can add as many elements as necessary to get your point across but remember your tone and your audience. Make sure the evidence you provide is reliable or you stand to lose credibility and ultimately fail in your objective.

I hope this writing was persuasive enough for you, if not then check out the books below and buy one :)