In this corner, “Telling Stories!”
And in this corner, “Bullet Lists!”
(“Long copy!” “Short copy!” No, no, you guys aren’t in this one.)
For years now, writers and marketers have argued back and forth about what’s the more persuasive writing method. Many advocate telling stores in your content. Others look to the old stalwart “The Bullet List” to get points across fast.
There’s no way I could settle the entire debate with one blog post, so no, I’m not trying that. I’m just responding to one part of it, in the form of a question:
“Are there circumstances where one trumps the other?”
My response: Yes, there are. It all depends on where and when these methods are best employed.
What Factors Would Make Telling a Story More Persuasive (Or Bullet Lists)?
(Note: This post assumes a B2B audience.)
To hash this out, I’m detailing the persuasive power of telling a story vs. using bullet lists in terms of why an audience reads and what persuasion tactic the method employs.
1. Why An Audience Reads: What’s the reader’s main focus when they arrive at your content? What do they want out of it?
2. Persuasion Tactic Employed: What type of persuasive approach suits this method best? What will compel the reader to act the most?
TELLING STORIES
Why Read: When a reader comes across your story, it’s because you grabbed their interest with your subject. With B2B, they’re usually reading because they have a problem & are curious about you solving it.
Persuasion Tactic: Stories are a great way to emotionally involve others. They persuade via “Liking” – a principle that compels us to say yes to someone if we like and/or identify with them. The easiest way to do this is to admit that you (or your client) had a similar problem to the one that brought the reader. “Oh good,” they think. “I’m not alone here. How’d they solve it?”
BULLET LISTS
Why Read: Bullet lists have been around so long that everyone perceives them as straightforward information on a central topic. If people are reading bullet lists, they’re looking for information on that topic.
Persuasion Tactic: Because of this perception, bullets persuade via authority. We often look to an “expert” to show us the way to go. Using bulleted lists to back up your position/sales point carries the impression that you know what you’re talking about. (Which you’d better.)
When Stories are More Persuasive
When it comes to web content, I prefer using stories in blog posts, homepages, use cases and branding.
Case studies (one of my favorite projects) are pretty much one big story about 1 problem.
Even white papers can take advantage of storytelling. Best place for them is introducing the paper’s solution by giving a real-world example. Like a miniature case study inside the white paper.
When Bullets are More Persuasive
Bullet lists have more prominence (and more weight) in white papers and more content-rich websites. These are resources where readers will come seeking information. Give it straight and give a lot of it. Well-structured for easy reference, of course (that’s what the bullets are for).
These aren’t rules. (If they were, I’d have already broken them years ago.) But the principles are backed up by psychology, illustrious resources such as Robert Cialdini and Copyblogger.com, and my own experiences.
What’s your experience? Which is more persuasive to you? Leave a comment and let’s discuss it.
