Content and Structure

People are motivated by theatrics and a good story. They are moved by bold action and human drama. Your message should go beyond cold facts or even eloquent phras­es. If you can vividly describe what you are talking about — if you can paint pictures — your message will be more persuasive.

A number of techniques can make a message more persuasive; many of them have already been discussed. Here is a summary of additional writing devices.

Drama. Everyone likes a good story. This is often accomplished by graphically illustrating an event or a situation. Newspapers often dramatize a story to boost reader interest. Thus we read about the daily life of someone with AIDS, the family on welfare who is suffering because of state cuts in spending, or the frustrations of a middle man­ager who is unemployed for the first time in her career. In the newsroom, this is called humanizing an issue.

Dramatizing is also used in public relations. Relief organizations, in particular, attempt to galvanize public concern to attract donations. The idea is to personalize suffering and tragedy.

Saying that 3 million Africans are starving isn't as persuasive as describing a young mother in "Somalia sobbing over the lifeless form of her skeletal baby. Readers and viewers can identify with the mother's loss, which graphically illustrates the need for aid. Large numbers alone are cold and impersonal and generate little or no emotional involvement.

A more mundane use of dramatizing is the application story, sent to the trade press. This is sometimes called the case study technique, in which a manufacturer pre­pares an article on how an individual or a company is using the product.

Statistics. For some reason, people seem to be awed by statistics. The use of num­ber, which appear so precise, seems to convey objectivity, largeness, and importance in a credible way.

Numbers can be effective, but a writer should use them sparingly. A news release crammed with them tends to overwhelm the reader.

Surveys and Polls. The public and the media express a great deal of interest in what might be called popularity ratings. During a presidential election campaign, various polls and surveys about who's ahead and why seem to dominate coverage. People are also interested in what product ranks number one in cost or satisfaction or what airline is first in service or leg room.

The use of a poll or survey is a good device for getting audience attention and for generating news coverage. However, the writer should report the findings of a survey, and its limitations, accurately.

Examples. A statement or an opinion is more persuasive if some examples are given. In this way, generalized statement become clear and more understandable. Examples can clar­ify, elaborate on, and reinforce basic messages.

Testimonials. The testimonial is a form of source credibility that can be either explicit or implied. A campaign to curtail cigarette smoking might feature a popular athlete who doesn't smoke. A testimonial might also be a satisfied customer who raves about the quality of the product. Testimonials are usually given by people or organizations not formally connected with the product, service, or cause.

Endorsements. A variant of the testimonial is the endorsement. Endorsements may be made by individuals, organizations, or media outlets. Political candidates receive endorsements.

Humor. Of course you should focus on what your product can do for your customer. “The drudgery of fertilizing the lawn can be greatly reduced with a spreader attachment that spreads pellets at the same time the homeowner is mowing the lawn. The introduction of GREEN-SPREAD was announced this week…” Then you humorize the story: “My customers used to groan when i told them it was time to attack the dandelions, but GREEN-SPREAD means they can do two jobs at a time and not drop over from exhaustion.”

To check your work, you can put it off for one day and then reread it on the next day. You can also ask other people to read it and ask what it was about – you’ll be surprised how difficult it is to write clearly and how many people will misunderstand the message you were trying to convey. Look where the reader stops or pauses – it means there’s smth wrong there. Then of course you can have it edited, which is professional.

And finally remember the axiom: a good writing is not just written – it is rewritten.