becoming a persuasive writer chapter 2. cutting through the clutter public relations writers spend...

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Becoming a Becoming a Persuasive Persuasive Writer Writer Chapter 2 Chapter 2

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Page 1: Becoming a Persuasive Writer Chapter 2. Cutting Through the Clutter Public relations writers spend much of their working day crafting and disseminating

Becoming a Becoming a Persuasive WriterPersuasive Writer

Chapter 2Chapter 2

Page 2: Becoming a Persuasive Writer Chapter 2. Cutting Through the Clutter Public relations writers spend much of their working day crafting and disseminating

Cutting Through the Cutting Through the ClutterClutter

Public relations writers spend much of their Public relations writers spend much of their working day crafting and disseminating working day crafting and disseminating information that will (hopefully) persuade and information that will (hopefully) persuade and motivate people. motivate people.

PR messages are often designed to try to: get PR messages are often designed to try to: get people to take action; change attitudes and people to take action; change attitudes and opinions; reinforce existing predispositions; opinions; reinforce existing predispositions; and/or influence people to buy a product, use a and/or influence people to buy a product, use a service, or support a worthy cause.service, or support a worthy cause.

In today’s age of information overload, PR In today’s age of information overload, PR writers must constantly analyze public attitudes writers must constantly analyze public attitudes and shape persuasive, credible messages that cut and shape persuasive, credible messages that cut through the clutter.through the clutter.

Page 3: Becoming a Persuasive Writer Chapter 2. Cutting Through the Clutter Public relations writers spend much of their working day crafting and disseminating

Questions to AskQuestions to Ask

How do you appeal to self-interests?How do you appeal to self-interests? What information is most salient to What information is most salient to

the target audience?the target audience? What is the most effective What is the most effective

communication channel? communication channel? Which spokesperson has the most Which spokesperson has the most

credibility?credibility? What are my ethical responsibilities What are my ethical responsibilities

as a writer? as a writer?

Page 4: Becoming a Persuasive Writer Chapter 2. Cutting Through the Clutter Public relations writers spend much of their working day crafting and disseminating

Factors in Persuasive Factors in Persuasive WritingWriting

(for the purpose of persuading your target (for the purpose of persuading your target audience)audience) Audience AnalysisAudience Analysis

Source CredibilitySource Credibility Appeal to Self-InterestAppeal to Self-Interest Clarity of the MessageClarity of the Message Timing and ContextTiming and Context Symbols, Slogans and Symbols, Slogans and

AcronymsAcronyms SemanticsSemantics Suggestions for ActionSuggestions for Action Content and StructureContent and Structure

Overall Goal: Persuade Overall Goal: Persuade your target audienceyour target audience

Also, persuasion should Also, persuasion should not be manipulative not be manipulative and misleading. It and misleading. It should be based on should be based on truthful informationtruthful information

Page 5: Becoming a Persuasive Writer Chapter 2. Cutting Through the Clutter Public relations writers spend much of their working day crafting and disseminating

Audience AnalysisAudience Analysis The message must be compatible with group values The message must be compatible with group values

and beliefsand beliefs Tapping a group’s attitudes and values in order to Tapping a group’s attitudes and values in order to

structure a meaningful message is called structure a meaningful message is called “channeling” “channeling”

Example: Car commuters become more interested Example: Car commuters become more interested in carpooling and mass transit when the messages in carpooling and mass transit when the messages point out the increasing cost of fuel and how point out the increasing cost of fuel and how gridlock increases every yeargridlock increases every year

More “passive audiences” have to be lured into More “passive audiences” have to be lured into accepting your message…often with catchy themes accepting your message…often with catchy themes and slogans, and shorter messagesand slogans, and shorter messages

Celebrities can help attract more passive audiences Celebrities can help attract more passive audiences to a product, cause, or service- giving “glamour” to to a product, cause, or service- giving “glamour” to a product is known as “transfer” a product is known as “transfer”

Page 6: Becoming a Persuasive Writer Chapter 2. Cutting Through the Clutter Public relations writers spend much of their working day crafting and disseminating

Source CredibilitySource Credibility A message is more believable to an A message is more believable to an

audience if the source has credibilityaudience if the source has credibility This is why it’s important for writers to This is why it’s important for writers to

attribute information and quotes to people attribute information and quotes to people who are perceived as expertswho are perceived as experts

PR writers should think about who is the PR writers should think about who is the most credible, expert and sincere most credible, expert and sincere spokesperson for the given message and spokesperson for the given message and audienceaudience

It could be the company president/CEO, the It could be the company president/CEO, the chief financial officer, a PR staffer, a chief financial officer, a PR staffer, a celebrity or hired expert (examples on page celebrity or hired expert (examples on page 44).44).

Page 7: Becoming a Persuasive Writer Chapter 2. Cutting Through the Clutter Public relations writers spend much of their working day crafting and disseminating

Appeal to Self-InterestAppeal to Self-Interest

PR writers should always consider what PR writers should always consider what the audience wants to knowthe audience wants to know

Example: A news release to the food Example: A news release to the food industry trade press might focus on how industry trade press might focus on how the product was developed and the product was developed and distributed to the publicdistributed to the public

But if the release is going to a daily But if the release is going to a daily newspaper, the focus should be on the newspaper, the focus should be on the food’s nutritional value, convenience, food’s nutritional value, convenience, cost and qualitycost and quality

Page 8: Becoming a Persuasive Writer Chapter 2. Cutting Through the Clutter Public relations writers spend much of their working day crafting and disseminating

Message ClarityMessage Clarity Communication will not be successful if the Communication will not be successful if the

audience does not understand the messageaudience does not understand the message A way to ensure understanding is to copy test A way to ensure understanding is to copy test

all PR materials on the target audienceall PR materials on the target audience Can also apply readability and comprehension Can also apply readability and comprehension

formulas to materials based on number of formulas to materials based on number of words per sentence and the number of one-words per sentence and the number of one-syllable words per 100 wordssyllable words per 100 words

In general, standard writing should average In general, standard writing should average about 140-150 syllables per 100 words, and the about 140-150 syllables per 100 words, and the average sentence length should be about 17 average sentence length should be about 17 wordswords

Newspaper and magazines such as Time use Newspaper and magazines such as Time use this guidethis guide

Page 9: Becoming a Persuasive Writer Chapter 2. Cutting Through the Clutter Public relations writers spend much of their working day crafting and disseminating

Timing and Context Timing and Context Think about keying messages around events and related news Think about keying messages around events and related news

stories to give your messages context, timeliness and stories to give your messages context, timeliness and newsworthiness newsworthiness

Your message must also arrive at a time when it is most Your message must also arrive at a time when it is most relevant to the audiencerelevant to the audience

If it’s too early, your audience might not be ready to think If it’s too early, your audience might not be ready to think about itabout it

Example: A new software program for doing taxes is relevant Example: A new software program for doing taxes is relevant in the weeks before the April 15 deadline but the news value in the weeks before the April 15 deadline but the news value drops after this datedrops after this date

We think of hearts around Valentine’s Day, so maybe a PSA We think of hearts around Valentine’s Day, so maybe a PSA about heart disease awareness could be launched in the weeks about heart disease awareness could be launched in the weeks leading up to and after Valentines Day in Februaryleading up to and after Valentines Day in February

Holiday and Special Day Listing: Holiday and Special Day Listing: http://webclipart.about.com/library/clip6/blholidays2.htm

National Popcorn Day- January 19: National Popcorn Day- January 19: http://www.punchbowl.com/holidays/national-popcorn-day

Page 10: Becoming a Persuasive Writer Chapter 2. Cutting Through the Clutter Public relations writers spend much of their working day crafting and disseminating

Symbols, Slogans and Symbols, Slogans and AcronymsAcronyms

Effective symbols can graphically convey Effective symbols can graphically convey reliability and quality to consumers– Smokey reliability and quality to consumers– Smokey the Bear, the Red Cross, the Nike swooshthe Bear, the Red Cross, the Nike swoosh

Slogans can be highly persuasive– Nike’s Slogans can be highly persuasive– Nike’s “Just Do It,” “You Deserve a Break Today” at “Just Do It,” “You Deserve a Break Today” at McDonalds, Mastercard’s “Priceless” McDonalds, Mastercard’s “Priceless” campaigncampaign

Acronyms, good ones, are pronounceable Acronyms, good ones, are pronounceable and memorable– NOW and AIDS for exampleand memorable– NOW and AIDS for example(p. 47)(p. 47)

Not all acronyms work! Not all acronyms work! http://vowe.net/archives/007437.html

Page 11: Becoming a Persuasive Writer Chapter 2. Cutting Through the Clutter Public relations writers spend much of their working day crafting and disseminating

Semantics and Suggestions Semantics and Suggestions for Actionfor Action

Be aware of how words and symbols have Be aware of how words and symbols have different meanings to different people around different meanings to different people around the worldthe world

Examples: gay, shag, “Hook ‘em Horns”gestureExamples: gay, shag, “Hook ‘em Horns”gesture Persuasive writing must also give people Persuasive writing must also give people

information on how to take actioninformation on how to take action If you are wanting people to do something, to If you are wanting people to do something, to

take some action then you must, in your take some action then you must, in your message, include pertinent contact information message, include pertinent contact information (phone, email, websites, locations) to make it (phone, email, websites, locations) to make it easier for people to, for example, write an easier for people to, for example, write an official or attend a rally or order a productofficial or attend a rally or order a product

Page 12: Becoming a Persuasive Writer Chapter 2. Cutting Through the Clutter Public relations writers spend much of their working day crafting and disseminating

Content and StructureContent and StructureTechniques to make a message more Techniques to make a message more

persuasivepersuasive DramaDrama StatisticsStatistics Surveys and PollsSurveys and Polls Examples Examples Testimonials Testimonials EndorsementsEndorsements Emotional AppealsEmotional Appeals

People are People are motivated by motivated by theatrics and a good theatrics and a good story. story.

Try to go beyond the Try to go beyond the cold facts.cold facts.

Try to vividly Try to vividly describe what you describe what you are talking aboutare talking about

Paint word pictures Paint word pictures for a more for a more persuasive messagepersuasive message

Page 13: Becoming a Persuasive Writer Chapter 2. Cutting Through the Clutter Public relations writers spend much of their working day crafting and disseminating

Why Messages Fail to Why Messages Fail to PersuadePersuade

(page 50)(page 50) Emphasis on the Emphasis on the

company instead of company instead of the customerthe customer

All features, no All features, no benefitsbenefits

Copy that fails to say, Copy that fails to say, “What’s in it for me?”“What’s in it for me?”

Too much jargonToo much jargon Redundancies– hate Redundancies– hate

the radio CXs that the radio CXs that repeat phone # over repeat phone # over and over! and over!

No call to actionNo call to action Copy not addressed Copy not addressed

to target audienceto target audience Failure to nail down Failure to nail down

messagingmessaging Poor grammarPoor grammar Failure to edit or Failure to edit or

proofreadproofread

Page 14: Becoming a Persuasive Writer Chapter 2. Cutting Through the Clutter Public relations writers spend much of their working day crafting and disseminating

The TARES Test The TARES Test (p. 57)(p. 57)

Ethics Test for PR WritersEthics Test for PR Writers

Persuasive efforts Persuasive efforts require an ethical require an ethical framework for decision framework for decision makingmaking

PR writers should test PR writers should test their persuasive their persuasive communication against communication against five basic moral five basic moral principlesprinciples

Do not lie, fabricate, Do not lie, fabricate, misrepresent, distort! misrepresent, distort!

TARES stands for: TARES stands for:

TTruthfulnessruthfulness AAuthenticityuthenticity RRespectespect EEquityquity SSocial ocial

ResponsibilityResponsibility