Gentle Persuasion
December 4, 2018
One of the great things about the internet is that it's easier than ever to have your say about things. Put up posts on social media, blogs or reviews and potentially your views will be seen by a worldwide audience.
However, being persuasive means doing more than firing off Tweets as the impulse takes you. Look at the derision President Trump's brought on himself, and the ammunition he's handed to his detractors by not checking for typos. It always pays to spend a little time shaping what you write. Make it as succinct and unambiguous as possible, and be polite.
The downside of the explosion in writing online is that there's so much of it that people don't have time to read everything. It's essential to grab their attention straight away. Pay particular attention to the opening words of your first sentence. Think how headlines can influence how readers view events simply by changing the order of the words. Here's an example:
1. Five Injured in Motorway Pile-up
2. Motorway Pile-up Injures Five
3. Pile-up Injures Five on Motorway
The first wants you to think about the shocking number hurt; the potential for tragedy. The second emphasises how dangerous the motorway is. The third focuses on the accident–caused by reckless driving, perhaps.
Be sure your readers go away with the message you intended. Your headline or opening sentence might be the only part that the reader has time to take in–don't waste it.
However, being persuasive means doing more than firing off Tweets as the impulse takes you. Look at the derision President Trump's brought on himself, and the ammunition he's handed to his detractors by not checking for typos. It always pays to spend a little time shaping what you write. Make it as succinct and unambiguous as possible, and be polite.
The downside of the explosion in writing online is that there's so much of it that people don't have time to read everything. It's essential to grab their attention straight away. Pay particular attention to the opening words of your first sentence. Think how headlines can influence how readers view events simply by changing the order of the words. Here's an example:
1. Five Injured in Motorway Pile-up
2. Motorway Pile-up Injures Five
3. Pile-up Injures Five on Motorway
The first wants you to think about the shocking number hurt; the potential for tragedy. The second emphasises how dangerous the motorway is. The third focuses on the accident–caused by reckless driving, perhaps.
Be sure your readers go away with the message you intended. Your headline or opening sentence might be the only part that the reader has time to take in–don't waste it.
Posted by K. S. Dearsley.
