Substance and Style

    Nine Tips for Persuasive Web Writing

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    1. Know your purpose. What do you want your audience to think or do after reading the piece? Keep this purpose in mind while you write and edit. Make sure it comes through in the text, and edit out extraneous detail.
    2. Respect your audience. Know who they are and how to reach them. Don’t waste their time or talk down to them. Actually like them, especially if they’re your customers. It’s become somewhat common, especially on social media, to choose an audience you don’t particularly like and try to convince them of your point by insulting them. This will never work. Hopefully you don’t do this in your personal life, but even if you do, do not carry it over to your professional life.
    3. Forget about persuasion as a zero sum game. The days of the smarmy used car salesman are over and most people were glad to see them go. Think of how you and your audience can both benefit from your content. Focus on providing valuable information, and know that they will appreciate it.
    4. Care about what you’re saying. If you believe in your message, your audience is more likely to give it some serious thought. Make it clear through your writing that this means something to you, and invite the reader to care about it as well.
    5. Use a balance of facts and emotion. Some people respond better to one or the other, but everyone responds when you use both. Emotional appeals can be stories about people affected by the problem you’re trying to solve, case studies about your product or service, or imaginative “what if” scenarios. Include moving visual elements for added impact. As for the facts…
    6. Use trustworthy sources.  Somehow we’ve gotten to a point in the United States where this is controversial, but it shouldn’t be. If your content is something your seventh grade Language Arts teacher would have failed for lack of credibility, don’t put it into the world. There’s plenty of disagreement about what constitutes a reliable source. Avoid the controversy by using verifiable facts that you’ve verified yourself.
      For example, I often write about proposed legislation. If I see on TV that “Senator such and such supports legislation that is destroying this or that,” I go to Legiscan and actually read the bill. I find out who voted for it and what committee is reviewing it. I find out who is sponsoring the bill and who that person’s main donors are. Every bit of that information is a matter of public record, and I don’t have to rely on the bias of any particular network.
      There’s a difference between persuasion and propaganda, and it’s extremely important to safeguard against the latter. No matter what your political beliefs are, don’t contribute to the misinformation that is everywhere online. If you’re putting it out there, it’s your job to verify it.
    7. Keep it Short. Get to your point, and make it clearly. There are places for long essays and articles with nuanced arguments and multiple points, but I would limit those kinds of posts to sites where readers expect them, like literary and academic journal websites. If you’re producing content for busy customers with short attention spans, especially in blogs or on social media, less is more.
    8. Use structure to maximize your impact. Strategically place your most important information so that you hook your readers at the beginning and leave them with something to ponder and/or do at the end.
    9. Write well. Mistakes happen, especially on the internet, when you are trying to crank out content quickly. However, errors can be distracting or confusing to your readers. Especially if you are trying to be persuasive, you need to proof for clarity and common errors. The most important thing is getting your point across. Make sure you’re accomplishing that goal.