Blogging for Business in Gentler Phrasing

“Should Environmental Messages Be So Assertive?” was the question raised by researchers for a study published in the Journal of Marketing.  

Since, as a freelance blog writer and corporate blogging trainer, I’m part of each client company’s marketing team, I find my membership in the American Marketing Association very helpful, and often find information in their journal that can be of help to all Indianapolis blog writers.

“Environmental communications often contain assertive commands, even though research in consumer behavior, psycholinguistics, and communications has repeatedly shown that gentler phrasing is more effective when seeking consumer compliance,” this particular article begins.

In any kind of writing, the “tone” of the piece influences how great (or how little) an effect it will have on readers. When it comes to SEO marketing blogs, establishing exactly the right “tone” is crucial.  With the purpose of blogging for business being to cultivate relationships with potential customers, patrons, and clients, anyone providing blog writing services needs to “get it right” and “get” what messages are likely to be turn-offs to the target audience.  

“Many environment/social-related issues are forcefully promoted through assertive slogans such as ‘Use only what you need’ and ‘Stop talking, Start Planting’, I learned. Yet research strongly suggests that assertively phrased requests typically decrease compliance with the message, compared with less assertive phrasing, such as “Please be considerate and recycle.”

“Assertiveness interacts with consumers’ drive for freedom in a counter-persuasive manner”, conclude authors Kronrod, Grinstein, and Wathieu.

Talk about a piece of information blog content writers need to hear! If blog writing for business is about anything, it’s being informative and persuasive, and gentler phrasing can be one of our secrets to success.