Alecia Hancock shares her best tips for creating persuasive content from setting goals and targets to 7 tips for persuasive writing, and professional writing tips.

1. How to
W I T H
W R I T E P E R S U A S I V E L Y
ALECIA HANCOCK

2. YOU WANT TO BE A BETTER WRITER, AND
WANT TO PERSUADE PEOPLE WITH YOUR
WORDS
u are in the right place

4. TELL THE RIGHT STORIES
IN THE RIGHT PLACE
TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE
AT THE RIGHT TIME
Just Sayin’

5. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
SET THE GOALPOSTS
HOW TO PERSUADE
WRITE LIKE A PROFESSIONAL
FEATURES VS BENEFITS

7. To prevail on a person to do something, as by advising or urging.
To induce belief by appealing to reason or understanding.

8. Plan for Success
01

10. WHY?
Story published in the newspaper
To raise more money because more people are aware of our new project
Hire a new staff coordinator
Feed 1000 more homeless people

11. Set a Target

12. TIP
Knowing your desired outcome is
the most powerful tool you have

13. Know your Audience

14. IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHO YOU
ARE WRITING FOR, HOW CAN
YOU WRITE TO THEM?-
Question

17. Talk to me
Who thinks this will
change something for them?

18. 7 Steps to Persuade

20. Show you understand the problem
Then solve it
01

22. Always talk to you readers
Not about yourself
02

23. Our mission is to ensure no child
under the age of 10 drowns in
Australia in 2016.
Keep your child alive. Learn these 5
steps to simple pool safety.
Will your child be one of the 212 that
drown in backyard pools in 2016?

24. Understand the pain
Work towards pleasure
03

27. Find the emotion
Facts alone don’t inspire
04

29. Anticipate objections
Then pre-empt them
05

30. EXAMPLE
You are writing a grant application to receive
$100,000 in funding. You want to feed the
homeless of Subiaco. Your charity is new,
with a small young team.
What objections can you see?
How can you pre-empt them?

31. Build trust
Admit weakness
06

32. Build trust
Admit weakness
06

33. https://youtu.be/BQN0cKThkVA

34. Social proof
Let others demonstrate
07

35. EXAMPLE
You are writing a brochure to encourage
people to volunteer their time to support
your organisation.
How could you social proof the message?

36. Talk to me
What stood out for you the most?
How can you apply it?

37. Write Like a Professional

38. KEEP IT CASUAL
Give me a better example:
This notification is to inform you that the new report has
been release, and has a number of signigicant findings
that substantially will impact on the future way that we feed
the homeless.

39. KEEP IT CASUAL
TIPS
Read it out loud.
Colloquial words.
Contractions.
Abbreviations.
You, I, me, your.
Show empathy & emotion

40. SHORT.
Remove extra words
As a matter of fact, there were actually far more injuries
from motor vehicle accidents in Subiaco 10 years ago then
there are today since we installed the new road.

41. SHORT.
Eliminate tautology
Plummeted downward.
I went there personally
He made a prediction about the future.
The students took turns, one after another.

42. GET TO THE POINT
Resist the urge to fill space
Start each new section / topic with a sentence that
summarises then point you want to make – then make it.

43. STAY FOCUSED
Remember your goals
Have you wandered off the path?
Does every sentence still help you achieve your gaols?

44. WIIFM
Is your reader getting what they
need?
We understand our goal and our reader, so is our reader
getting what they need to be persuaded? Try the WIIFM or
‘so what’ test on your copy.

45. TAKE A BREATH
(white space is good)

46. AVOID JARGON
Question
What is some of the most common jargon in your
industry?
How could it be said differently?

47. USE ANALOGIES
(or similies or metaphors)
It’s like the Rolls Royce of aged care.
As lound as a jet engine.
Heart disease kills 5 times more people than smoking.

48. TRANSITIONS
More than 5,000 people are in danger of Scheufoid
disease.
The disease is more likely to strike women than men.

49. TRANSITIONS
More than 5,000 people are in danger of Scheufoid
disease.
It is important to eat more pineapples.

50. TRANSITIONS
For example
Also
This means
However
Similarly
Next
Word echo

51. HOW DO THESE RULES
CHANGE FOR DIFFERENT
TYPES OF WRITING? -
Question

52. Benefits not Features

54. Features
Black or white
5GB hard drive
Intuitive navigation
1.8 inch screen

55. IN YOUR POCKET
1,000 songs

56. EXAMPLE
You are hosting an event to promote heart
health. It is a fitness class targeted towards
overweight males aged 35-50.
Maximum of 15 students per class
$5 per person
30 minute sessions
Held 3 times a week
Run in parks all over Perth

57. Talk to me
What is one thing that has
resonated most for you in this
session?

58. Talk to me
Who thinks they will be more
persuasive in their writing
from now on?

59. Twitter
.facebook.com/hancockcreative
Have Questions?
wow@hancockcreative.co
m.au
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group training
available.
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.@aleciahancock