Add a Persuasive Edge to Your Articles Persuasion drives action and growth. To be persuasive is to have the ability to persuade or convince someone to do or believe something through reasoning or temptation. To write persuasively, the author convinces the reader to perform an action by presenting evidence that supports an opinion. Why You Should Be Persuasive Readers come to your articles in search of facts, tips, and solutions to help them reach their goals - but they still expect to be entertained, engaged, motivated, and informed. Essentially, you want your reader to finish your article and arrive at your Resource Box thinking: "Okay, you've convinced me. So, what's next?" Top 5 Tips to Writing Persuasive Articles Use these tips to give your articles and your calls-to-action a persuasive and engaging edge to convince readers! 1. Don't Keep Readers Waiting Teasers (i.e., the reader has to click away to gain the full benefit they were promised) are not persuasive; they're irritating and untrustworthy. Be up front in your article's title, summary, and introduction. In the article, deliver on everything you promised elsewhere and treat your Resource Box's call-to-action and links as the next logical step in your reader's search. 2. Provide Evidence That Supports Your Topic What is true and valid is often the most persuasive. Back up your claims by showing your readers facts, data, etc. you've gathered in your niche. Should you quote other sources to support your topic, limit quotations to no more than 5 lines (total) of properly cited content. 3. Lead With Originality Every Time Readers crave new, top-of-the-line information that gives them value. Whoever delivers fresh, unrepeated information has a competitive edge because of this value. Be the leading expert known for value: Provide 100% original information 100% of the time. 4. Be Personal Without Giving Away TMI Find the perfect balance between formal and informal writing by avoiding stuffy formalities where it counts, but know when a personal anecdote is and isn't appropriate. The key is to be relatable by placing yourself in the piece and providing information that doesn't convey TMI (Too Much Information). 5. Edit to Be Specific, Direct, and Persuasive Write using active voice (subject performs action) to be direct and concise. Rigorously edit your articles to remove any signs of verbiage; check for the following: - Remove needless words (e.g., "the reason for this is" = "because")
- Use emphatic words at the end of a sentence to drive the point home
- Add emotive language (e.g., health, anger, joy, frustration, passion, urgency, etc.)
- Stress nouns and verbs which are more powerful than adjectives and adverbs
Use these tips to add a persuasive edge to your articles and convince readers to act! Do you use any or all of these techniques? Do you have any additional persuasive techniques you'd like to recommend? Click here to share your insights, suggestions, and questions in the comment section of this post online! |
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