Sooner or later, as a small business professional, you’ll have to write copy that persuades. According to our poll, readers find persuasive writing the most challenging.
Here’s a post by Copyblogger Brian Clark about 10 Timeless Persuasive Writing Techniques:
- Repetition
- Reasons Why
- Consistency
- Social Proof
- Comparisons
- Agitate and Solve
- Prognosticate
- Go Tribal
- Address Objections
- Storytelling
I don’t believe this list is in any particular order. If it were, Brian would have started the list with Agitate and Solve. Nobody’s going to read your copy unless you get their attention. And like newspapers, you’ve got to use bad news up front in your headlines.
It’s hard wired in our brains to pay attention to pain. Yet many clients we work with struggle with finding the real pain of their market. Some write their blogs, newsletters, and copy with the same up-beat optimism that makes them successful and fun to be around.
When it comes to writing copy that persuades, however, take off those rosy glasses. Go for the pain. Agitate it and make it worse. Get readers to remember how bad it feels. Then you can talk about solutions to their problems.
The reason you do this, besides getting their attention, is to establish your credibility as someone who knows what they’re experiencing. You’re creating rapport through empathy.