You may already be using different types of persuasive writing without even knowing it. You’ve probably read persuasive writing or heard it used in speeches or debates too. That’s why knowing everything about persuasive writing is important.
You can use several techniques to make this writing effective and powerful. Moreover, you should also know how to improve this skill, which, in turn, makes you a better writer. Read on to learn about this type of writing and how to use it in your work.
What Is Persuasive Writing?
Persuasive writing uses your content to change readers’ opinions and get them to agree with your viewpoints. The techniques you use to convince people depend on what you want to do with your writing and its context.
For instance, if you’re writing to your professor asking for a letter of recommendation, you’ll use a formal tone. This is appropriate for the setting and is more likely to get a response from the individual.
On the other hand, what if you want to go on a night out with your friends? In this instance, the content will be informal.
Doesn’t this writing remind you of a type of argumentative essay? From a glance, both styles focus on convincing the reader. However, while writing an argumentative essay, you cover both for and against the subject of discussion.
In a persuasive essay, the focus is only on your opinions and getting the readers to think along your lines.
You’ll notice persuasiveness in writing is everywhere once you know what it is. For example, you’ll see it in social media posts, news, advertisements, and media.
Why Is Persuasive Writing Important?
Why should you learn about the different forms of persuasive writing? The primary reason you should know about this writing form is that you’ll need to use it. You don’t only require this style for academic work. It also has professional use cases, like marketing and copywriting.
For example, your professor wants you to write about why social media platforms aren’t good for teenagers and young adults. In this case, using persuasive content is better, as you want the readers to support your viewpoints.
Similarly, if you need to advertise a smartphone, you can see how this writing form can help. With this type of content, readers will realize why the smartphone you’re promoting is essential for their needs.
What Are the Three Types of Persuasive Writing?
The three common types of persuasive essays come from Aristotle, the iconic Greek philosopher. Despite these concepts being several millennia old, they’re still applicable today. The following sections explain how to use these writing forms in your work.
1. Ethos
The definition of Ethos, i.e., character, comes from the Greek language. In this persuasive technique, you’re writing content that appeals to the reader’s character and integrity. This is why you can also refer to this style as personal appeal.
You establish yourself as a trustworthy and knowledgeable source so that your opinions are credible to the reader. Otherwise, people will start to question why they should believe what you have to say.
Here is an example of ethos writing — You talk about your family’s four decades of experience in sustainable farming. You also talk about how you’ve been running an organic farm for over seven years.
By establishing your expertise, readers are more likely to take your word when discussing sustainable farming solutions.
2. Pathos
Pathos is also a Greek word meaning experience or suffering. This technique appeals to the reader’s emotions when they read your content, which explains why people refer to this method as emotional appeal.
You trigger the reader’s emotions through your writing. However, before using this writing form, you must put yourself in the reader’s shoes.
You appeal to emotions like love, hope, sadness, fear, anger, and joy.
Here is an example — Are you worried about how much it’ll cost to repair your iPhone? Make sure it’s safe at all times by using a reliable and rugged phone case.
3. Logos
Did you know that logic comes from the Greek word logos? In this writing style, you use verifiable facts to support your viewpoints. This is why it also goes by the name of logical arguments or appeals.
Whenever you make a statement in your work, you must include facts to back up your claims. This is how you build credibility in the eyes of the reader.
For instance, you highlight how much carbon dioxide passenger cars emit by citing a popular research paper. Then, you talk about improving public transport, which can significantly reduce emissions.
Bonus Technique: Kairos
There is one more form of persuasiveness, but it doesn’t fall into the same categories as the other styles. In this method, you look for the right opportunity to ensure your content has maximum impact.
For example, you announce a limited sale for your most popular product. You create a sense of urgency, as people feel they’ll miss the incredible discount. As a result, the readers will take action, i.e., purchase your product.
Types of Persuasive Writing Examples
Now that you know this technique, let’s use these methods in different writing examples.
1. Persuasive Essays
In persuasive essays, you need to make a statement that’s relevant to the topic. Then, you provide evidential data and facts to ensure your claim stands on a solid foundation.
The goal is to provide as much information as possible while still being engaging. The reader should have no ground to stand on to dispute your statements.
For instance, you’ll use this writing method in your thesis statement. It also works in essays, especially when you need to debate for or against the topic of discussion.
2. Opinion Pieces
In opinion pieces, you usually let your emotions take over and do the writing for you. You express your viewpoints about the topic to get people to change their minds.
However, you may not always use facts or statistics to validate what you’re saying. Instead, you rely on the readers’ emotions to influence their opinions while they go through your work. This method is common in editorials and blogs.
3. Cover Letters
When hundreds, if not thousands, of applicants are applying for a position, how do you get the recruiter’s attention? Your job application will make it possible to land the job. However, this isn’t enough, so include a cover letter.
Persuasive writing in cover letters can show the hiring manager why you’re the best person for the role. It can convince them to pick you over thousands of candidates.
4. Reviews
Reviews tend to be opinion pieces but use different types of persuasive essays. These techniques can convince the reader to believe your reviews before they make a decision. Here are a few examples:
- Ethos: I’ve used this particular brand of circular saw for all my woodworking projects. I recommend it to anyone looking for a reliable power tool.
- Pathos: Safety is essential when using power tools as they can cause life-threatening injuries. Thanks to this circular saw’s built-in safety mechanisms, this tool will stop immediately when it touches your skin.
- Logos: The circular saw has sensitive sensors that instantly detect human skin. This is why this power tool is safe for your woodworking projects.
How To Excel at Persuasive Writing
Use the seven tips in this section to excel at using persuasiveness in your writing in no time.
1. Use Tools To Help You Write
Implementing persuasiveness in your projects is challenging, especially from scratch. You need to present your opinions or facts and ensure people will go through your content. This is where tools like Smodin’s AI Essay Writer can make a significant difference.
It can generate persuasive essays in seconds according to your preferences. All you need to do is provide a title and a handful of keywords relevant to your topic. You can choose how many arguments you must include in your work. This gives you a framework that you can use to start your project.
Smodin’s AI Writer is another toolkit that helps you with any content-related task. You can use it to generate a compelling introduction, a bullet-proof thesis statement, and more.
2. Research
Research is pivotal in how captivating your persuasive content sounds to the reader. People will easily pick up on the lack of research, as they can dispute your viewpoints. Moreover, the sources you include aren’t reputable, so what you say may not hold any weight.
Spending more time on research ensures you have enough talking points to argue for or against a topic. You’ll also come across a plethora of high-quality sources you can use to substantiate your statements. This includes research papers, case studies, statistics, and more.
3. Identify With Your Audience
If you don’t understand your audience, i.e., readers, pain points, your arguments may not work. People must connect with your opinions so that their beliefs change. You need to show empathy, which makes it easier to be in your readers’ shoes. By making your arguments relatable, they will pay more attention to what you say.
4. Ask Questions
Questions, especially rhetorical ones, have a unique power like no other literary device. They can make your readers think, bridging you one step closer to changing their minds.
Think of questions as a guide that gets readers to move along a specific train of thought. Sometimes, you don’t even have to provide answers to the questions you ask your audience. If adequate data supports your statements, they’ll answer your questions and come to the same conclusion.
5. Use Repetition Strategically
If done correctly, repetition can strengthen your talking points with your readers. It’s similar to how you remember ads, even if you block them out subconsciously. If you come across the same ad multiple times, you can recall it anytime.
However, in writing, repetition can be tricky. If you overuse it, the reader may assume you’re out of ideas. Instead, you must devise different ways to repeat the same talking points. For instance, you can tell a story, paraphrase a quote, and include metaphors to convey your point.
6. Be Intentional With Your Word Choice
You must think about the words you use in your logical arguments. They should be relatable and leave an impact that makes the reader think twice about your topic of discussion.
Avoid technical terms and industry jargon, as not everyone will understand these phrases. Instead, you need to be inclusive so that anyone and everyone in your audience can follow the conversation. Avoid beating around the bush, as this reduces the strength of what you’re trying to convey.
7. Have a Strong, Clear Thesis Statement
Your thesis statement should be clear, i.e., the reader should immediately understand what you’re talking about. At the same time, it must be strong, i.e., there shouldn’t be room for second-guessing.
However, coming up with a thesis statement in your essay that checks all the boxes of persuasiveness is challenging. Thankfully, you can make your life much easier with Smodin’s Thesis Generator. Its built-in prompt template ensures you can generate what you need in seconds.
Improve Your Persuasive Writing Skills and Grades in Essays With Smodin
Persuasive essays, like argumentative essays, are essential skills that will help you academically and professionally. You will encounter several situations where this writing form will make a significant difference. You also learn how to make your content effective, i.e., convince the reader about your viewpoints or get them to take action.
As highlighted earlier, you must know your audience and use words that make your work relatable. This requires some trial and error until you get the right content. Moreover, you must do extensive research, which takes time.
If you’re in a hurry because of your busy academic or professional schedule, it becomes challenging to write persuasively. This is where Smodin can help by giving you access to a wide range of AI-powered tools.
The AI Essay Writer will generate an outline for anything requiring different types of persuasive texts. If you’re looking for a general-purpose tool, try the AI Writer, which can create anything in a compelling tone.
This gives you an excellent starting point, reducing the time it takes to craft your content. With the AI Rewriter, you can change sentences and paragraphs to improve their readability and effectiveness.
The AI Citation Generator simplifies the process of attributing sources using the right citation styles in your work. This ensures you don’t face any accidental plagiarism accusations. It also makes sure your academic integrity stays intact.
Use Smodin’s all-in-one AI writing toolkit today and use the different types of persuasive writing to craft engaging essays!
FAQs
This section answers queries students and professionals have about using persuasiveness in your writing:
Can I use persuasive writing in everyday life?
Yes, you can use a persuasive style of writing in everyday life. For example, talking to your friends about doing something together is a form of this writing method.
For instance, making a plan with your friends to watch a movie will fall under this category. You’ll also need it when you go to college and become a working professional.
How can I balance pathos and logos in persuasive writing?
By spending more time on research, you can balance pathos and logos in a persuasive writing style. This entails studying the topic of discussion and your audience, i.e., readers. You can use well-researched facts and logic to reinforce your statements and engage with your audience.