Persuasive Techniques in Writing

Persuasive Techniques in Writing

Persuasive writing refers to a form of non-fiction writing that encourages careful word choice, the development of logical arguments, and a cohesive summary. It is also known as rhetoric. Persuasive writing is something most students or individuals may do without even realizing it. In this article, we break down the basic components as well as identify the various persuasive techniques in writing.

Persuasive writing involves the presentation of ideas and reasons in a manner that will influence your audience. In order to convince an audience of an idea, you must first comprehend how persuasion in writing works. Persuasion in writing can be divided into three main divisions: Ethos, Logos, and Pathos.

Ethos

Ethos refers to appeal to credibility. In definition, it is the ethics or morality of something. It is used in writing to convince the audience of your good moral character or credibility. To get credibility, the audience needs to first determine whether you are up to good intentions or have a better and strong understanding of the subject matter. As such, it is up to you as a writer to present yourself as trustworthy. For example, as a medical doctor of thirty years, my experience gives me a keen insight into this issue.

Logos

Logos refers to the appeal to logic reason. This is a method of persuasion writing that mainly utilizes reason and rationality to convince the audience of an idea. For example, in the many years of human existence, there has never been recorded evidence of a flying pig. As such, it stands to reason pigs never fly. You must convince with facts and evidence that is difficult to dispute.

Pathos

This is the appeal to emotion. Pathos mainly aims to convince the audience by appealing to human emotions such as anger, sympathy, and sadness, among others. For example, how many homeless persons do you pass on the streets every week? Can you imagine what it feels like to sleep on the streets?

What is the Persuasive Technique in Writing?

The persuasion technique is a form of writing style that students use in their writing. With the use of persuasive techniques, a student or writer is able to convince the reader that his or her ideas on a particular topic are correct. On the other hand, the writer should be able to understand what the writer is putting across.

You must write quality logical arguments and thereafter close with a strong argument as well. As a student, you need to know the different techniques of persuasive writing in order to be as persuasive as possible.

The writer uses various techniques to persuade their audiences. We have different techniques in persuasive writing. Below, we identify these persuasive techniques in writing and why it matters to write persuasively.

Why are Persuasive Techniques in Writing Important for Students?

It is paramount for a student to be equipped with the different techniques of persuasive writing. This will allow students to express their views on various topics in the right way. Besides, it is a way to appreciate a student’s passion.

Most importantly, students get the opportunity to research topics and subjects they are most interested in. It will help students enhance their different styles of writing while improving their writing structure and research style. Persuasive techniques in writing will ultimately help students create evidence-based logical opinions, arguments, and conclusion.

Techniques Used In Persuasive Writing

Repetition

Anyone who is well versed in learning psychology can tell you how important repetition is. Repetition is also very important when it comes to persuasion writing. Most individuals won’t agree on an idea is you can’t really repeat what you are telling for them to get a better hearing and understanding.

Certainly, there is good repetition and a bad one. In order to stay on the good side of repetition, ensure you make your point in different ways like directly using an example, a story, via a quote from a famous person in your summary.

Consistency

No one wants to appear inconsistency in their thoughts and actions whether fair or otherwise as it is associated with flightiness and instability. Consistency, on the other hand, is associated with rational behavior and integrity. By being consistent in your writing gets the reader to agree with you on something up front that many individuals would have a hard time disagreeing with you. As such, be consistency in making your case with plenty of supportive evidence while relating your main idea at the opening scene.

Social Proof

Looking for guidance from others as to what to do or what to accept is certainly one of the most powerful psychological forces in our lives. You can derive social proof from testimonials and referrals, besides; it is the driving force behind social media.

However, you can casually fuse in elements of social proof in your writing. They can range from skillful alignment with outside authorities to deliberate name dropping.

Comparison

Comparison is a persuasive technique in writing that allows you to relate your scenarios to something that the reader has already accepted as true. Comparisons allow you to convince someone to look at things the way you see them. Comparisons elements such as metaphors, similes, and analogies are great for persuasive writing.

Reasons Why

Obviously, you can relate the power of the word because. Many psychological studies have shown that people are more inclined to comply with ideas or requests if you give them a “reason why” even when that reason makes no sense at all.

Certainly, people don’t readily do the thing they are told or asked to take action without a reasonable reason or explanation behind it. So when you need people to subscribe to your way of thinking, always be ready to give concrete reasons why.

Agitate and Solve

This persuasive technique works as a general approach to making your case. It emphasizes the need to first identify the problem and then qualify it to your audience. Proceed to agitate the audience’s pain before offering your solution as the answer that will make it all better.

At the agitation phase, try as much as possible to be empathic and not sadistic. Be sure to present yourself to the readers in the best way for them to know unequivocally that you understand their problem because you have dealt with it or you are experienced at eliminating it. The integrity of your answer or solution goes way up in case you prove that you really feel the prospect’s agony.

Address Objectives

If you present your claims and still you leave someone thinking “yeah, but…” you certainly have lost it. It is, for this reason, direct marketers use long copy, not because they want you to go through it from top to bottom, but want you to read and get enough information that will make you buy.

It is important to address all the potential objections of the majority of your audience even though it can be tough. But if you have a better understanding of your subject, the arguments against your ideas ought to be fairly obvious. Don’t overrule the fact that there are no reasonable objections to your ideas or viewpoints; you can be shocked if you get the comment section enabled.

Prognosticate

This persuasion technique in writing involves providing your readers with a glimpse into the future. Be sure to convincingly present an extrapolation of the present events into the likely future outcomes. The Ultimate, prognosticate is entirely built on credibility. If you have the least ideas on what you are talking about, you surely will end up appearing foolish with your points of view and ideas. However, if you can back up your ideas with tangible evidence, you certainly portray yourself to be having the subject matter at hand. Prognosticate is certainly a great persuasive technique.

Storytelling

This persuasive technique is unique as it can be used in combination with any other persuasive technique in writing. But why does storytelling work so well? The answer to this question lies in the heart of what persuasion actually is.

However, stories actually allow your reader to persuade themselves. That is what stories are all about. You might say that you never convince anyone of anything but you have helped a number of individuals to independently decide that you are right. So make an effort to tell the best stories and you will realize how you are a terribly persuasive person!

Rhetoric question

You can use rhetorical questions in your persuasion writing in order to create a dramatic effect or put across a point instead of just going straight to the answer. The concept here isn’t about getting an answer but rather emphasizing on an idea. For instance, you can pose a rhetoric question like, “Do you want our kids growing up in an environment where people threaten them with violence on every street corner?”

Formal Language

The use of formal language when presenting your ideas or persuading makes you sound knowledgeable on the issue while elimination emotion and doubt. Formal language can be more extensive and sophisticated use of language especially when it comes to persuading. Use of formal language is one of the persuasive techniques in writing that is widespread. As a student, make sure you have used only formal language in your persuasive writings.

Use of Evidence

Use of concrete evidence boosts your persuasive ability and your audience won’t have doubt on the ideas you are trying to put across. Evidence is what sets apart reality from rumors. There are three primary types of evidence that you can use as persuasive techniques in writing. These are:

• Anecdotal Evidence: This involves collecting evidence in an informal manner and relying entirely on personal testimony. You only use personal anecdotes to support your argument while making them look more credible.
• Expert Opinion: You may quote different opinions from various experts that correspond with your own in order to make your idea seem more credible before your audience.
• Statistics Evidence: These are numerical proof of an issue or argument. It can be presented in the form of statistics, bar diagram or graphs. For example, a recent study shows that 80% of students favor no school uniforms at all.

So if you want to take your persuasive writing a notch higher, consider using these kinds of evidence as much as possible when supporting your ideas or points of view.

Sensationalism

This is a persuasive technique that involves the presentation of stories in a manner that intends to provoke public excitement or interest at the expense of accuracy. As such, it leads the audience to believe it is important, dramatic and overall extreme that it actually is. For instance, a news headline from a local newspaper may be written as “Aspirin May Kill You,” in large bold and black letters. However, if you read the article you will find that aspirin may kill you if you take numerous tablets in on gulp.

Use Hyperbole

This is an extreme exaggeration that one can use to make emphasis or humor. However, this persuasive technique should be used very carefully. If you claim to be the biggest or best leader, you must provide proof very quickly. When you exaggerate an issue you can draw an emotional response from a reader.

Generalizations

Generalization goes hand in hand with stereotypes. They entail statements or concepts obtained from specific cases. For instance, a store manager might see one or two teenagers shoplifting and make a general claim that all teenagers steal or even can’t be trusted. Generalizations are said to be the most common persuasive techniques in writing.

If you have read all the way to this point, we believe that now you got extensive knowledge about persuasive techniques in writing and their examples. This information will certainly be helpful when you are writing persuasive papers or essays.

So a smart move you should make is to ensure that you use these persuasive techniques in writing your essays to that they are as enticing and engaging as possible. People are getting more persuasive each day, so should you!