Persuasive Writing- Definition and Techniques

Persuasive writing, also known as the argument essay, is logical in nature and tries to establish one idea more strongly than another. It attempts to persuade a reader to adopt the point of view presented by the writer, or to take a particular action suggested by him.

IMPORTANCE OF PERSUASIVE WRITING:

Writing is an essential skill and plays a significant role in all professions and businesses. All official emails, memos, etc are examples of persuasive writing. For sales personnel, it is even more essential to use the techniques of persuasive writing for drafting any proposal.

Other uses of persuasive writing could include the resume, emails, proposals and other important documents in any profession/business.

PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES

• Establish trust and develop credibility. Persuasive writing should help the writer connect with the reader in such a way that the reader should be able to trust the writer, and his credibility should be established.
• Gauge the reader’s purpose and align your own. Understanding the intent of the reader is very important in the present scenario. Content writers should be able to assess what are the readers expecting from their content.
• Pay attention to language. Writers should choose best possible language in order to make their writing more persuasive. There are some basic literary techniques and examples to consider for a more persuasive outcome:
• Flattery: Make the reader feel good by praising one or more of his skills/qualities.
• Hyperbole: Sometimes a little exaggeration works for the better, by grabbing the reader’s attention.
• Direct conversation with the reader: A personal or one-to-one connect between the writer and the reader is an important feature of [persuasive writing].
• Call for action: Direct instruction to make a call/ meet the writer/ join a webinar etc can also help in persuasion.
• Quote facts/actual statistics: For persuasion, facts are always better than assumptions and theories, as they are more convincing.

• Consider tone. The tone of our writing determines how the content reaches the reader. The ‘tone’, whether authoritative, logical, intelligent or neutral, should be in accordance with our purpose so that it helps to persuade the reader.
• Use rhetoric and repetition: Rhetoric and Repetition are two important techniques for connecting with the reader in a persuasive way. ‘Repetition’ as an element, should make the content engaging and not redundant.

“What could be better than attending a free webinar?” is an example of a rhetorical question:

MERITS OF PERSUASIVE WRITING

Persuasive writing is a useful skill. It lets a writer present his/her point of view, in a structured and convincing manner. This genre of writing can make people believe in a cause and can also give a call to action, for instance, taking up a project or donating to a particular charity.

By using this technique, a writer learns to communicate more clearly and efficiently.

The purpose of persuasive writing is half fulfilled if the writer’s point of view is presented strongly and completely fulfilled, if the reader agrees to it.