48 Elements of Persuasive Written Content

48 Elements of Persuasive Written Content

Reader Comments (44)

  1. This is an incredible list. I feel like this is the kind of comprehensive list that you can reference again and again while writing persuasive content to get *just a lil’ bit more* of an edge.

    Along with the links to more information on a number of the bullet points, this is an incredible resource for anyone looking to write more persuasively! Thanks, Uttoran Sen, for putting this all together!

    -Brock

  2. “Content delivered over time gives you more room to persuade than a one-shot sales page.”
    I definitely agree with that one. The more times you can interact with someone the more valuable your content becomes. Most people aren’t going to buy after reading a few sentences, but a few sentences might be all it takes to get your brand in their mind.

    • hi Nick,
      an excellent way to describe it,
      with copywriting, it is mostly about sales, but with great content you can build a brand.

  3. Fantastic list and appreciate the links. Especially liked the short and succinct bullet points. Nice job

    • thanks Anneliz,
      glad you liked the list,

      Yes, bullets are always my favorite, perhaps the reason why most of my articles are list based,

  4. Great list. Although you sorted A-Z , I think Anxiety deserves the #1 spot in terms of importance. A desperate person will put up with bad design and writing to get what they want.

    • thanks Johnn, for your comments,
      Yes, i guess so, when someone wants to buy something, they will go to any lengths to buy it. However, the only problem is that a competitor with better content, presentation and design might just be more lucky in getting that sale compared to you.

      Now, if the Anxiety is created by your content, rather than a pre-anxious desperate person, you will have a better chance to sell to him or make him act in a desired way.

  5. An excellent list. I especially like #44 and #46, spacing and texture. We can choose all the right words and have them look horribly cramped and effective on the page. That’s why I like to work with web designers while I’m writing copy. There’s always editing to do once I see the words published.

    • hi Carrie,
      thanks for your comments, glad you liked the list,

      Yes, you brought a very good point on the table, always keep designers on your team, they are able to give some very good advice. Most people think about font sizes, but it is the x-height of the font that matters most.

  6. This was a super post. Worth reading again and again. It’s one of those: “hmm, which parts of this can I apply to my next blog post?”

  7. “That’s why content marketing is this year’s hot topic — and it will be for years to come.” Absolutely!

    My first freelance writing job was as a blogger for a company in the travel industry. The owners noticed I didn’t use a lot of contractions (Point #13). They asked me to start using them because they don’t sound as formal. It was a challenge at first because I was taught not to use contractions — it wasn’t proper. I no longer hesitate to use contractions.

    I have a request from those who use quotes (Point # 37). Please make sure the period is inside the closing quote mark. As a writer, it drives me nuts when I see a period outside of the ending quote mark. I usually have a Joan Crawford moment and say, “No, period outside the closing quote mark.” 🙂

  8. Certainly an amazing list Uttoran!

    I didn’t know before about persuasive content but after reading I get the idea of what it is all about and how professional writers are using it. And I am really obliged to read the list which I also can use to create a great content for my blog.

    Thanks for sharing great list :-)!

  9. I used to include contraction to make copy shorter and less formal.

    However…

    I have worked on a few projects recently where English is a second language for the client and some prospects. Contractions make it harder for them to understand.

    As an example, It is easy to imaging getting I’d confused with Id.

    So unless you absolutely know your audience will have English as their first language, I would avoid contractions.

  10. Great list …. never thought one has to go through so much details while creating great content. I thought those guys have in-born quality. But thanks to uttoransen – I can see that methodical approach can go a long way in creating great contents too.

  11. “Make your content appeal to local markets with clever references to landmarks, events, or local slang. It builds confidence with readers, as well as authenticity.” – I could not agree more Uttoran.

    Using local terms and slang is a great way to grab the search traffic – both paid and organic! A large part of creating great, persuasive content comes from doing you research before you actually get to writing. This means understanding who your audience is, demographics and pain points. This would make it easier to produce content that converts….

    You should also add another point – call to action.. get the reader to do something…

  12. I loved this! I am going to print it out and use it as an idea mill for my various copywriting projects. Thank you so much for putting this together!!

  13. Really nice list of things to remember, and yet it is not so easy, is it? I find that folks tend to write factual statements and documents, rather than thinking about what is the problem, who are the characters, what is the solution, how did X help?
    Thank you.

  14. Great article! One of the most powerful marketing components to a website, in my personal experience has been the testimonials. I find that they build trust among your potential customers, and if you post testimonials on your website, I find that your visitors are more likely to be interested in your product or service. Spacing is another important factor when writing web content or articles. By breaking up your text in smaller, easy to read paragraphs, your reader is more likely to stay interested and read your content. Thank you!

  15. Great post. Writing well is a challenge. In a previous life 😉 I was a news reporter and I was consistently stunned by the number of people (even in journalism) who struggled to write effectively and with power. Great article!

  16. I am a seasoned copywriter and still found quite a bit of useful information in this list! Thank you for breaking these fundamental copywriting tips into such a concise, useful, well-organized list. You have inspired me to write a blog on this topic on my own site and link to your blog! Thanks so much!

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