Why You MUST Master Persuasive Storytelling

Award-winning writer Kathy Widenhouse has helped hundreds of nonprofits and writers produce successful content and has gained 600K+ views for her writing tutorials. She is the author of 9 books. See more of Kathy’s content here.

Posted 10.29.24

Persuasive storytelling is a writing technique. It uses a story to rouse a reader’s emotions and move him to act.

That’s a key reason we write, isn’t it? To bring about change for readers. Humans are notoriously eager to keep the status quo. We need a persuasive push against our internal inertia in order to make a change — even if it’s just adopting a new attitude or adding a piece of information to our brain’s hard drive.

Once upon a time, facts and reason were headliners in persuasive writing. But no more.

Traditional copywriting, the beacon of persuasive content, is a good example. Good copy makes a promise to a reader about a product and then offers proof (facts, statistics, evidence) to convince him to take the plunge and buy it.

But facts, by themselves, are no longer enough to persuade readers. These days readers have unlimited access to oodles of information online. We can find the facts for ourselves.

That’s why persuasive storytelling now shares top billing in writing powerful content. I’ll share how that came about in just a minute. But first …

An example of persuasive storytelling

Facts satisfy the mind. Persuasive stories engage both the heart and mind. That creates a powerful one-two punch to move readers to act.

I’ve experienced this firsthand as stories emerge from western North Carolina in the wake of Hurricane Helene — like this one:

My teammates and I noticed a small SUV trapped in a grove of trees just beyond the riverbed. It was caked in thick mud and debris from wheels to roof, masking its color and make. We sloshed through the sludge and pried open the door. Then, we saw two bodies — a mom reaching into the backseat for the baby carrier, with her son still buckled into his safety seat. Both lives could have been saved if we’d been cleared to begin rescues just 12 hours earlier. I fell to my knees and wept. I’m a rule follower, but I knew I had to begin the fight against bureaucratic red tape that prevented me from getting to this family sooner.

How do you react to that story? Grief. Horror. Indignation. This story churns up all kinds of emotions in me. I want to cry out in sorrow for the family and scream in fury at time-consuming paperwork.

Pair it with, “Will you sign this petition?” and you create a groundswell of readers responding immediately.

How persuasive storytelling works

Your content’s goal? Get the reader to act — whether it’s to make a purchase, learn a new skill, understand a concept, adopt a cause, click a button, change an attitude, download a checklist, volunteer, give a donation, make a comment — or in this case, sign a petition.

A story is simply a vehicle to achieve that end.

A story connects with the reader on a personal level so that he gets off his duff and does something (even a small thing.) Notice how my flood story released a plethora of feelings. You can read all kinds of facts about people who lost their lives, but you can relate to a story because It’s got …

• a character — or two or three (rescue workers, a stranded mom, and an innocent baby)
• a conflict (the forces of nature and inept management)
• a change (a volunteer who is committed to improving rescue response time)

Persuasive storytelling is simpler than you think

I admit it. Learning to write persuasive stories was a tough obstacle for me.

In my early writing days, I equated storytelling with writing a best-selling novel. And although I consume dozens of novels each year, the idea of producing one seemed overwhelming.

I lacked creative juices, so I thought, to conjure up imaginative characters in colorful settings. Even in content.

Until I learned that …

• Powerful stories are based on true-life experiences.
• Powerful stories in content can (and should) be short.
• Powerful stories open the door to explaining your point.

The tide has turned from fact-centered persuasive writing — thanks in large part to the internet. It doesn’t matter if you are a business or nonprofit or individual content creator. Persuasive stories are now part of the mix in content writing.

Here’s a quick timeline of how it happened.

1. Content marketing arose

In the early 2000s, with the acceleration of websites and blogs, businesses realized they could use online content to build relationships with their audiences. Bloggers did it. Why couldn’t organizations do the same to extend their reach?

Writers made the shift from churning out copy to producing content. They used to simply encourage readers to make a purchase through purely promotional messages — “sell them.” But now, creators focused on providing the kind of helpful information their readers needed. Writers shared their experiences — that is, they told stories of what worked and what didn’t and for whom.

The reader and his needs became the central focus. Figures like Donald Miller, with his Building a StoryBrand framework (2017), highlighted the importance of positioning the customer as the hero in content, rather than the brand itself.

Writing tip: persuasive stories are based on true life experiences.

2. Social media exploded

Soon, social media platforms were born. Facebook (2004), Twitter (2006), and Instagram (2010) amplified the need for personal content that people wanted to share with each other. Video joined the fray via YouTube (2005), Facebook video (2007), and TikTok (2016).

Suddenly, every user had his own platform.

And every person had the ability to answer the question, “What’s on your mind?” to the world every day. That produced a flood of opinions and experiences and feelings on display — all over the globe.

Businesses discovered that simply promoting products didn’t work. People make purchasing decisions based on a combination of emotion and facts — rather than logic alone. To succeed online, businesses had to tell stories that people could connect with and share.

And they couldn’t use a 10-page direct mail letter or a full-color newsletter to do so. Users’ attention spans grew shorter. All those stories in posts and multimedia, by necessity, are concise.

Writing tip: persuasive stories are short.

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3. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) evolved

As the internet became the main hub of information, search engines got wise to keyword stuffing and robotic language. Search algorithms changed … and continue to do so.

These days, a page ranks well in search results when its keywords appear naturally, and the content gives readers a good experience at the same time.

Storytelling lets you deliver both in a human-centered message.

You can place keywords strategically in your stories to satisfy the search engines. I think of keywords like a doorway or an entrance ramp. They pave the way to get to get eyeballs on my content.

Writing tip: persuasive stories open the door for you to explain your point.

Persuasive storytelling is a staple in content

In our cluttered online world, people want to connect with other people. That’s why persuasive storytelling has become a staple in content.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a blogger, online entrepreneur, business, organization, brand, influencer, or social media strategist. What does matter is that you know how to weave stories into blog posts, articles, sales pages, social media comments, articles, emails, and advertisements. “Purposeful storytelling isn’t show business,” says Mandalay Entertainment’s CEO Peter Guber. “It’s good business.”

Want to write a persuasive story? Don’t get all hot and bothered about writing the great American novel, like I did. Instead …

• Write a story based on true-life experiences.
• Write a story that’s short.
• Write a story that gives you an on-ramp to making your point.

Do that, and you’ll give readers plenty more than just facts. They’ll connect with your point personally. And then they’ll act.

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