How to Write and Sell a Persuasive Essay

Everyone is trying to sell something. The economy thrives on the business of buying and selling. Beneath this is the use of persuasion — the power to take someone from where they are to where or what you want them to be. It is a skilled material for every trade. Before we go into the persuasive essay for sale, here is how persuasion works.

You walk into a store with a shopping list. It reads dried fruit, grains, shredded cheese, pita chips, nuts, and legumes. Then the raw greens. Lettuce and spinach will be perfect for your salad too. There are a lot of food items, you run your hands over the shelves without touching them.

Your hand stops on the ice cream shelf. A sea of icy sweetness. A brown-skinned container stares at you. You stare back, noting the promise of chocolate. ‘I don’t want chocolate ice cream’, you announce, ‘I am here for a salad’. Your resolve seems unshakeable. Choco isn’t giving up. I have coconut. Coconut? Yes, coconut, with every scoop, you will journey through nature, says the ad. You pick a miniature size and toss it beside the greens.

This analogy of a shopping moment instructs on the effect of persuasion. It is a case of well-placed advertising with the power to alter resolve, change decisions and make sales in the process. In advertising, it is a major tool. Still, it can be applied in various sectors: high school debates, proposing a bill at the legislature, making a child brush his/her teeth at night etc.

History of Persuasion

A brief history of persuasion is necessary for a better understanding of how to write a persuasive essay. To know its use, it is vital to identify its original purpose.

The art of persuasion can be traced back to the Greeks for their elevated rhetoric and elocution. These were touted as the perfect model of a successful politician. It was common to see trials at the feet of the Assembly. Each dispute had representatives from both sides, as is the case today. Matters determined by the Assembly relied on the persuasiveness of both speakers.

The use of rhetoric — the ability to discover possible means of persuasion, was the standard go-to for speakers. The Greek philosopher Aristotle outlined reasons why anyone can or should adopt the art of persuasion:

Truth and justice are unique and can sway to your advantage. Therefore, if a case is lost, it is the speaker’s fault
A persuasion is a perfect tool in instructing a group of people
When a person is good at rhetoric, he/she doesn’t need to know how to debate both angles to know the entire problem and the choices that are available
It is the standard way to defend yourself and relay your information

What is a Persuasive Essay?

An essay that attempts to drive the reader to agree with a certain point or argument is a persuasive essay. You present the arguments in a distinct format or style so the reader can sway to your side. In essence, the essay aims to convince about a particular point. Until you achieve that goal a convincing college essay is not carried out successfully. A good writer uses research and ideas to function in this role.

A persuasive essay also describes determined topics in a way to steer the audience to a well-informed conclusion that is both logical and align with the topic’s standpoint. It is often called an argumentative essay.

Unlike an expository essay that is recognized as exam questions or part of standardized tests, the student writes persuasive or argumentative essays out of the class and examination hall because they need extensive research.

Persuasive Essay Topics

A familiar trait of every argumentative essay is that there are always two sides to the topic. The writer will choose from these. It often asks a question for debate. Knowing this, here are possible persuasive essay topics:

Should abstinence-only lessons be part of the school’s curriculum?
Should schools teach financial literacy?
The best form of education: formal or informal?
Do standardized tests measure intelligence and knowledge?
Can we ban plastic?
Is humankind’s lifestyle the cause of pollution and global warming?
Should we limit access to the internet by students? Yes or No?
Should people be prosecuted for smoking in public places?
Has social media done more harm than good?
Should teenagers be allowed to play realistic action games?

Persuasive Essay Structure

Different ingredients go into the drafting of this form of essay. There is a rigid but efficient method of doing it. It is an organized system and must be adhered to for a better understanding of the essay. Here there are:

Thesis statement: This is the establishment of your points. It brings out the opinions. A good draft of a thesis statement sets the direction for where the essay is going. It is always placed in the introductory paragraph.

Introduction: This is the beginning of your argument. It opens the floor for what the essay is talking about and brings out the problem. It answers the audience question: why should we care or read further? It prepares them for the points they will come across if they do. It conditions the essay for the points you are trying to make.

Counterargument: When writing a persuasive essay, examine both sides. This is the duty of a counterargument. It is the points the opposing side rely on. And contains the point of view that contradicts the other side. The opponents hold this view. We see this early in the persuasive essay. It is vital that the point of view is arranged clearly and is seen to be fair. Be sure that it is situated with the purpose of a counterargument which is to rebut the major points of the other side.

Body paragraphs: This is where you include your facts and evidence to support your points. In the thesis, there should be credible sources to better understand your arguments. The body paragraph is where you write those sources.

Conclusion: Never fail to include this paragraph. It is a summary of all your main points and wraps up your thesis.

Stages for Writing a Persuasive Essay

Every writing has stages. So does this type of essay. Following these steps will help you in beginning and ending the writing. It makes your work easier to a certain degree. This is a comprehensive walkthrough of phases in writing a persuasive essay:

1. Pre-writing a Persuasive Essay

This is the stage before writing the essay. It is essential and gives you the organisation of your thoughts. This phase plans every detail of the essay. Before you write an argumentative essay:

Pick a position: Choose a side before anything. Know the issue you wish to argue. Without this, every other thing will be out of place.

Know your audience: Writing is done in part for oneself and another part for the audience. A writer often writes for the reader. The trick is not to lose one’s style of presentation. To write a powerful persuasive essay, the writer should know how the reader thinks. Which side is the reader more inclined to? Do they favor your side or the other? How best will they like the points delivered to them? Will they appreciate the humor? Get answers to these questions before you begin anything.

Research: What is an essay without research? Naked, weak, a dish that shouldn’t be served at all. It will hold nothing tangible. Your essay must be fact-filled, logical, solid, joined with convincing evidence. It might be tempting but do not bank on a single source. Get quality contents from diverse websites and materials on the subject matter.

You can go further by having conversations with experts and academicians. Listen to the points they emphasize and take notes. You can’t discard knowledge-based research on a persuasive essay. Also, research on the possible points that could arise from the opposing side. You have to know this to properly refute them.

2. Drafting the Persuasive Essay

The next step is drafting the essay. When planning the first draft a few suggestions will help you with it. The introductory paragraph should grab the attention of the reader. It should begin with a strong opening. An unusual fact, a question or quote, a logical and emphatic statement, a story that relates to the topic, historical data etc.

For example, when writing on how journalism has faired in the 21st-century world, you can begin this way: As the world falls into several levels of anarchy, journalism is threatened. For the first time in 10 years, global peace reports arrived at a new low. After measuring the effects of conflicts around the world, the statement declared that the world is not as safe as it was 10 years ago.

Be sure it grabs the attention of the audience. This is referred to as a Hook. The thesis statement must not place doubt in the reader as to the writer’s stance.

Each body paragraph should be for a different point. The sentences on each paragraph should give definite opinions related to facts, databases studies, quotations from experts, and personal or firsthand experiences.

3. Revise the Essay

In the stage, go through the essay to modify, and organize it in a well-structured manner. The aim is to get the rough draft in a presentable format. To make it the best work ever, never serve up the first draft. If the essay doesn’t convince you as a writer, chances are it will not convince your reader. They will find out. When this happens, examine the thesis again. How best can it present your strongest point of view? Run a test by taking the opposing side. Write out the opposing thesis statement for comparison. Compared to it, does yours need to be solidified? If the thesis offers a structured approach with clear refutation for the opposing point of view, the essay is good to go to the next phase.

4. Editing the Persuasive Essay

After revising, you edit, thoroughly. You can invite a professional editor to do this for you or do it yourself. Nevertheless, adopting the anima of a wiper and scan for possible errors in spelling, diction, sentence structure, grammar, use of tenses etc. Go through the mechanics, improve the style of writing the reader will clearly understand. Let it be clear. You could also ask a friend to read through the persuasive essay so you can get a new perspective on your work.

5. Publishing the Persuasive Essay

It is not easy to share your essay with the world to read. But if you have breezed through that crippling anxiety phase, just do it. Share with the class or family members or close associates. It might be both exciting and challenging. Take a lesson from the experience and apply the feedback so your next essay can be better.

Know your paragraphs and you will know how best to structure your essay. Explore different means to make the points easier to read. Adopt analogies, compare arts, or illustrate with hypothetical sentences.

Be mindful of the audience state of mind or level of intelligence. Do not assume the reader has an in-depth understanding of the topic. Always define your terms and proffer background information where necessary.

Your concluding paragraph should resound your most important points and let the audience perform a specific action or take a stance. It could be an appeal, a prediction that calls for action, a question that scrutinizes the subject or provokes the reader to meditate seriously on the issue. You could also recommend ideas of your own on what the reader can do.

Buying a Persuasive Essay

Writing a persuasive essay might get too technical for most people. The instrument a writer requires for writing a good piece is not always available. Some might blame writer’s block. These reasons and more are why most people decide to buy a persuasive essay. It is very possible to acquire it on various sites on the internet. With this reality, the buyer needs to be protected. To know a good persuasive essay as a buyer, here are a few things to note:

Did the essay satisfy its goals, the firm position it set out to present? Was it backed up by accurate and researched database studies, quotations, and true to life examples?
Did the essay draw your attention as the audience? Did it do well in the introductory paragraph? Did it ‘hook’ the reader? Are you certain it will make them read further no matter the length of the persuasive essay?
Did individual paragraphs give convincing evidence that was focused on the supporting point offered?
Has the opposing point been refuted? Was it researched properly, to begin with? Are you sure the writer didn’t miss any point or possible facts the opposing side might raise?
Examine the structure of the essay. Is it written persuasively? Are you persuaded as a reader? Is the sentence structure unique? What about the word choice? Is it definite? Is the transition smooth across paragraphs? Does it use precise transitional words? Does it aid the reader’s understanding?
Does the conclusion summarize the points very well? Take a look at the concluding paragraph and see if any new point has been raised? Does this paragraph give value to the writer’s stance? Is there a call to action that urges the audience to think or act in a distinct way?

When the essay does not agree with you, you can send it back to the writer for review before he/she gets paid. Do well to identify the parts you feel should be rewritten and adjusted. If the argument is not convincing enough, indicate the exact point that failed your test.

Conclusion

There are defined steps to writing a persuasive essay. Knowing this will make your writing easy to carry out and relatable to your audience. Your message will be passed across in the way it should be. In writing a persuasive essay, outline. Mount your proof to build up your strong points. Your assertions must be clear. If there is a specified essay structure by the person who gave the topic, input this in the outline.

In your introductory paragraph, seize the attention of the reader by placing a hook using facts or figures or a story format. Then, give a broad explanation of the argument. After this, conclude with the thesis statement. It should show the stance that you argued. In your body paragraphs, focus on one point per paragraph. In each paragraph, information must support your argument. Don’t forget to describe the opposing views and rebut the key points. When writing your conclusion, restate the thesis statement alongside the researched argument. Do not raise a new point in your concluding paragraph.