Writing a persuasive letter can be an effective way to communicate ideas, gain support for a cause or increase the likelihood of selling something. Learn how to write a persuasive letter that persuades readers to think, feel or act in a certain way.

Persuasive writing is a powerful tool for students to develop critical thinking skills. It allows them to express their opinions and voice concerns about social issues.

Identify Your Purpose

Identifying your purpose as you write helps you focus your work, organize your writing, choose the appropriate format and style, and decide what types of evidence to include. It also helps you determine the number of pages your letter should be and how long it will take to complete.

Suppose you are writing to convince readers to react against Internet censorship. It may be difficult to persuade computer users who surf the net daily that censorship is wrong.

You need to identify your purpose carefully so that you write about the issue in the most persuasive way possible. This involves determining your audience’s beliefs, making sure you understand what they are expecting, and using facts and reasons to persuade them.

Brainstorm Your Ideas

Brainstorming is a great way to get your ideas out of your head and onto paper. You can do this using various brainstorming techniques, such as listing, clustering, questioning, and freewriting.

The most important thing to remember when brainstorming is to let your creativity flow. Write down whatever comes to mind without making judgments about how it’s done or whether it’s the right way to do it.

One good brainstorming technique is to make a list of a general topic across the top and then write down related ideas underneath it. This creates a flow of ideas that can help you narrow your focus to a more specific paper topic.

Know Your Audience

One of the most important things you can do when writing a persuasive letter is to know your audience. This can help you determine whether the information you include is appropriate for your readers and what tone or level of formality is best for your message.

Your audience might be the person who receives your letter or it may be a larger group of people with similar interests. For example, if you are writing an editorial for the local newspaper, your audience would be people within your community who have an interest in that subject.

Knowing your audience will help you create a message that will resonate with them and persuade them to take action. This can be done by understanding their beliefs, feelings and frames of reference.

Make Your Points Clear

Having your points clear is an essential element of persuasive writing. It allows your reader to understand what you’re trying to say and why it matters.

Make sure your points are well-supported by facts, research, and relevant examples. Then, be logical in how you explain and interpret those facts.

Your argument should also be reasonable and respectful of opposing sides. You don’t want to be overly judgmental, but you do want your readers to see things from your perspective.

Whether you’re writing a letter to a newspaper editor or your local school, keep it under 300 words. It may be cut from the paper if it exceeds the limit, so be concise and polite.

Create a Call to Action

A call to action is a key element of persuasive writing. It prompts the reader to take specific actions, such as signing up for a service, ordering a product, or downloading an ebook.

To create a compelling call to action, you need to know your audience well and what they want from you. This will help you to choose the right words, the tone of your message, and the design of your CTA.

In addition, it's important to make the next step easy for your audience to take. That means using simple language that's easy for them to understand.