What is persuasive writing?

The term ‘persuasive writing refers to a form of non-fiction writing that encourages deliberate word choice, developing logical arguments, and a cohesive summary. This type of writing provides the opportunity to convince someone to adopt a particular viewpoint. When the copy is persuasive, it plays on a reader’s emotions in such a way to get them to take a specific action, be it to:

• Click,
• Download,
• Purchase, or else
• Share.

Persuasive writing is prevalent in ad campaigns where the marketing department wants to convince its customers to buy something.

As a digital copywriter, your primary focus is on crafting copy which persuades your readers to take a specific action. These actions could be anything from reading a blog post to buying something that has been advertised.

To help a copywriter with making this come to fruition, there are several tools which he or she can use. Your most powerful tools to persuade people to take action as a result of your copy are your headline and your lead. If you don’t capture their attention with these aspects, you’ve lost your reader’s attention.

What makes copy persuasive?

If copy is to be persuasive, it must be:

• Well-written – Persuasive copywriting is professional-grade, free of errors, and clear.
• Succinct – Copywriting, which is too long or jumbled, loses the meaning very quickly. Thus, the most persuasive copywriting is short, sweet as well as to the point.
• Intelligent – Nobody will be persuaded by copywriting which doesn’t sound intelligent. In order to be persuasive, copywriting must be smart, forward-thinking, and well-rounded.
• Relevant – What one audience looks at as persuasive another audience won’t necessarily be persuaded by it. This means that persuasive copywriting in a given industry must be of interest to the company’s target audience.

Writing persuasive copy takes a specific set of skills and expertise. Luckily, it’s not out of reach for any person who wants to commit the time and effort to learn it.

What are the elements of persuasive writing

Virtually all persuasive copy contains the essential items listed below.

• Gains attention
• Focuses on the customer
• Stresses benefits
• Differentiates you from the competition
• Proves its case
• Establishes credibility
• Builds value
• Closes with a call to action

All persuasive writing does not have all eight characteristics in equal proportions. Depending on the product, some of these elements will be dominant and others subordinate.

Follow these essential tips to master the fundamentals of persuasive writing:

• Highlight the benefits of whatever you’re offering – How to make your content more persuasive means highlights benefits as opposed to features. When you can offer your customers a lifestyle, you’re in business.
• Get specific – Persuasive content doesn’t use generalities as people don’t connect with generalisations. As opposed to hearing that “a lot” of people subscribe to a blog (so you should, too), individuals want to hear that millions of people have already signed up.
• Be as specific as you conceivably can in your content as generalities and vague pronoun references get you nowhere.
• Appeal to the reader’s emotions – Persuasive content is emotive. When readers, viewers or fans connect to a piece emotionally, it is much more probable that they will remember it.

Appealing to viewers’ emotions is a compelling thing. In addition to making a connection which outlasts the copy itself, appealing to human emotions also has the result of making your content much more persuasive.

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