In order to persuade in your writing, you have to use special methods and words to convince the reader that what you have to say in regard to an issue is right, to motivate the reader to take an action, or present several arguments to affiliate with the reader’s opinion. Worldwide, this is one of the most commonly used writing types. Persuasive writers use many techniques to improve their argument and show support for their claim.
1. Power of reason
The word because is a powerful tool at your disposal. Many people are prone to agreeing with your views and comply with your request as long as you give them a reason why, even if that reason seems feeble to you. As long as you give reasonable explanation in your writing, people will be receptive to your line of thinking, and take the course of action you propose.
2. Offer a solution
Before you do this, however, you need to connect with the readers by identifying a problem that is present within a certain audience. After you’ve identified the problem, you increase the reader’s pain, before offering up your solution as the only answer to the present issue. This convinces the reader that you empathize with them, that you’ve felt their pain and fundamentally understand how they feel. Furthermore, your solution makes the reader feel as if you are the most experienced person in eliminating the problem. Therefore, the more you show that you feel the reader’s pain, the more your credibility rises, and with that, your opinion and solution to the problem at hand.
3. Be consistent
First, you get your readers to agree with something that most people would agree with as well, and then you state your case with a lot of supporting proof, until you reach your ultimate point, while always coming back to the initial point that everybody can agree with. This will show the readers that there is a consistency to your thoughts, which is a valued social trait. When you write to persuade, you mustn’t appear inconsistent, for inconsistency is considered similar to instability, while consistency is connected with rational behavior and integrity.
4. Discredit objections
Address all potential objections to your opinion in your writing. Make sure you know your subject well, for this will help you predict the objections that will rise against your opinion in your readers. Never think and imagine that no one would object you – however, if you succeed in predicting these objections and addressing them in your writing, your credibility will rise with your readers, and with that, the power of your persuasion.
5. Tell a story
Storytelling as a technique should always be included in the above mentioned techniques. It is really a catch-all technique, and the reason why it works so well lies in what persuasion is at its heart – a way of helping people decide what’s right for themselves. The better storyteller you are, the more persuasive you’ll be. Stories help people decide that what we have to say is right, and they do that independently, without us having to convince them.
6. Appeal to logic, emotions and ethics
Use logic in your persuasion in order keep out any negative emotion and anger when presenting your case to the reader. Combine it with stubborn, indisputable facts as proof, and your credibility will rise exponentially, especially if you’re dealing with an unconventional matter.
Appealing to emotions has to be done carefully and masterfully, for if it’s overdone, it might alienate the reader and make them feel manipulated. However, adding logical appeals to emotional substance can be quite effective in convincing the reader of your opinion.
Using ethics in your persuasive writing requires you to be credible, resourceful and what you say has to be proven with hard facts. This will make the reader see you in the best possible light and pave the way for the positive reception of your message.
Georgina Roy wants to live in a world filled with magic. As a 22-year-old art student, she’s moonlighting as a writer and is content to fill notebooks and sketchbooks with magical creatures and amazing new worlds. When she is not at school, or scribbling away in a notebook, you can usually find her curled up, reading a good urban fantasy novel, or writing on her laptop, trying to create her own.