Believe it or not, I think some academic theories out there are useful to winning content. Rhetoric, for example, offers some guidance on tackling contextual subtleties of persuasion.

What Is Rhetoric?

Rhetoric is the study of using language effectively and persuasively. If we use language effectively and persuasively, we can have an impact on what people agree to as reality, or context. Rhetoric begins with a concept from Aristotle that remains influential to this day—persuasive appeals:

• logos - the appeal to logic or the rational
• ethos—the appeal to a speaker’s or author’s credibility or authority
• pathos—the appeal to emotion

Aristotle stressed including a mix of these appeals as a fail-safe way of influencing everyone.

Today, using rhetoric is more about understanding your customers or a situation well enough to know which type of appeal to emphasize—or de-emphasize. For instance, when someone who has just been diagnosed with an unfamiliar disease visits the Centers for Disease Control or Prevention Web sites for information, the content needs to be sensitive to emotions such as worry and apprehensiveness. Likewise, when I worked in the wireless industry, I observed the role of emotions time and again in customers’ interpretations of and reactions to bills. In that context, sensitivity to emotions such as anger and frustration is key. In either of these contexts, sticking to logos—facts, quantitative evidence, and so on—might be best, because adding emotional language or tone to an already emotional situation increases the chances for interpretive noise. For instance, in my experience with IVRs, customers who checked their amount due did not like hearing the number from an all-too-chirpy automated voice.

Another aspect of emotions to consider is the company’s or brand’s attributes—which ideally align with the target customers’ values—and how to convey them. For instance, the care-free, clever brand of Bliss Spa, focuses on pathos and ethos appeals through light-hearted, pithy, often-rhyming product descriptions and testimonials. They don’t ignore logos—and duly note a product’s quantitative results—but it’s not their emphasis.

Modern rhetoric expands the definition of language to encompass more than words, emphasizing the role of graphics and actions in being persuasive. We can extend this idea to video and every other type of content available to us today. It’s important to look at the rhetorical influence of an entire communication, not just the words. Modern rhetoric also points out more subtle aspects of persuasion. For instance, identification theory states that emphasizing common interests is powerfully influential. Consequently, a speaker who establishes his or her ethos as being like the targeted customer or being an actual customer has subtle but strong influence. That’s what makes testimonials, online reviews, and related communications so significant.

Rhetoric is more than theory. It helps make winning content a reality.  For more on rhetorical and other theories, see my article “Rediscovering Communication.”