Julianna
Recently we talked about guiding your customers through your web site, and using actionable links to generate greater clickthroughs. The inspiration for that post came from Copyblogger, and they have followed it up with another great article I wanted to bring to your attention – using persuasive writing techniques to create better copy. This is one of the best articles I have read in awhile that advocates clear writing by making a point, repeating key ideas and telling a story. So really persuasive writing is good writing, and this particular post will teach you a lot about how to get your message across.
Here are two of the best techniques you should employ in any of your writing.
Reasons Why
Remember the power of the word because. Psychological studies have shown that people are more likely to comply with a request if you simply give them a reason why… even if that reason makes no sense.
The strategy itself does make sense if you think about it. We don’t like to be told things or asked to take action without a reasonable explanation. When you need people to be receptive to your line of thinking, always give reasons why.
Storytelling
Storytelling is really a catch-all technique—you can and should use it in combination with any and all of the previous nine strategies. But the reason why storytelling works so well lies at the heart of what persuasion really is.
Stories allow people to persuade themselves, and that’s what it’s really all about. You might say that we never convince anyone of anything—we simply help others independently decide that we’re right. Do everything you can to tell better stories, and you’ll find that you are a terribly persuasive person.
Great advice, and if you regularly write copy or even sales emails, this post is worth the full read. I can’t recommend Copyblogger highly enough as a good resource for learning how to be a persuasive and consistent writer. I know they inspire me to think differently and aspire to improve my writing. Hopefully they will do the same for you.