The Science and Art of Persuasion

Writers must be very talented persuaders. Their talent allowing them to capture, influence, and hold the full interest and attention of multiple readers from start to finish. Reciprocity, scarcity, authority, consistency, liking and consensus, all taking part in the recipe to stealing a reader's heart and mind, even if it is just for one book, one post.

When it comes to blogging I think a few of the six "ingredients" are more relevant than others.

1. Reciprocity- Paying back what we receive from others. In the blogging world, this may apply when readers browse through the real circumstances of other people, often relating the scenarios to their own life. The author provides a lesson learned, a piece of advice for readers to take with them after finishing the content in front of them.

2. Authority- If bloggers can create a sense of credibility, a sense that they are knowledgeable about the content they are displaying for the reader, there is a better chance of the intent being perceived the way it was meant to. Readers will also be able to establish a more trustworthy relationship with the creator.

3. Consistency-   Frequent and consistent posting of content, means increased readership from audience members. There will also be an increase in the audience due to the idea of sharing content, as well as returning readers who want to keep up with any new content that is being posted.

I think these three tactics are the most important when it comes to blogs. I think if an author utilizes these three qualities the most, their readership, credibility, and likeability, will increase in the end. If they can appeal to the audience in this way, it will surely happen.

From The Science of Persuasion, the creator said that tips often increase for a waiter when they leave a mint on the table after a customer's meal is finished, and their tip value increases even more when they leave more than one mint, making the customer feel singled out and important. Like the waiter thought of them individually. I think this is a great metaphor when it comes to blogging. If a writer is writing about a personal situation, but the details they are giving, the emotions they are explaining may connect personally to a reader, leaving them feeling as if the author is giving advice and providing hope just for them rather than a general audience.

Bloggers appear to use ethos and pathos more regularly. If they can hook onto a reader's emotions and create a sense of authority/credibility, it is a great benefit for the creator. When it comes to essayists, they tend to lean more on the logos and ethos side of things. They use facts to back up their claims rather than emotion and personal experience.

This is what makes blogging a whole new type of content creation. There is, in fact, other people who go through the same experiences we do, leaving us with a whole world of people to learn from and connect with.

The Art of Influence

“To essay is to attempt, to test, to make a run at something without knowing whether you are going to succeed” (Lopate, 43).

I had never thought about writing in this way. Students write essays for classes and do not know whether a professor will like it. Authors write books and do not know whether a publisher will think it is worthy of being on the shelves. Bloggers create posts and are unsure if they’ll connect with the audience. There is a lot of uncertainty when it comes to the creation of an “essay”. It almost makes the art somewhat heroic. Writers take a leap of faith, trust in their abilities, and hope for the best outcome. It is truly a means of hope and capability. I think this concept motivates me to put forth my best work. Whether it’s creating a studious essay for a college course or an entry for a blog post, I am motivated to try my best and persuade my readers into believing in my work. I work hard to have them connect with my writing. It is almost as if the audience is an influential factor for my writing.

Social media withholds a strong capability to influence people. Society’s take on body image is a prime example. If it wasn’t for social media and seeing models posting pictures of their tall, slim figures, we would not have assumed what it means to be beautiful, what it means to be in shape. We would have all been based on our own appearances and opinions of ourselves. We would likely be more satisfied and less blinded by what we see on the internet. I would say that would be the negative influence of social media platforms. On the other hand, social media can influence people in many positive ways. If celebrities, or highly followed individuals, are posting pictures of them cleaning up the environment, or the importance of washing your hands, people will follow in suit of their actions. People become more motivated to do good acts when they see individuals who they look up to doing the same. On that note, I would argue that social media withholds the power to positively and negatively influence society.

I think people can influence others unintentionally. For example, if someone is walking around town and they spot an individual who is wearing clothing that is not stereotypical, or an individual enacts in a good deed without the intention of other people seeing, people will hold on to that. Due to this, I believe people are influenced on matters that they care about. It doesn’t always have to be due to the influence of another person, they could pick up on something that they themselves find interesting and want to enact in.

I would say that I am an influencer. I would also say that everyone is an influencer. We all have people who look up to us, whether that be children, siblings, neighbors, we all have people surrounding us who are inspired by the actions we make or even the clothes that we wear on a daily basis. You never truly know who may be inspired by you.

“You would be surprised at who is watching your journey and being inspired by it.”