In digital marketing, content matters. From blog posts to on-page content, meticulously planned and vetted word choices can help convey meaning and, more importantly, persuade someone to convert. Writing with power and precision comes more easily to some than others. Like any skill, though, it can be practiced and honed. Rhetorical strategies enhance comparisons and embolden the point an ad campaign is trying to drive home.
There are dozens of rhetorical strategies brands can use to craft better content. Here are a few that are best suited to digital content marketing strategies.
Ethical Appeal (Ethos)
The first three rhetorical strategies to employ in persuasive content marketing are ethos, pathos, and logos. Invoking credibility through ethos positions a brand as a trustworthy authority. This should sound familiar to anyone who’s done their homework on Google’s E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) formula. In the game of content marketing, especially in B2B sectors, this is an essential move for courting even the most discerning of corporate audiences.
Ethos operates by aligning a brand’s bespoke message with respected values. To reinforce a brand’s standing, get to work citing industry benchmarks or showcasing leadership endorsements. Studies of advertising rhetoric demonstrate that invoking ethical credibility not only enhances message acceptance but also increases “liking,” a key predictor of ad effectiveness.
In a B2B context, referencing white papers, certifications, or executive insights can substantiate claims and establish a foundation of trust. Beyond fair prices and unbeatable features, trust goes a long way in high-stakes purchasing decisions.
Another way to establish authority through ethos is to demonstrate that a brand has examined an issue fairly by considering a counterargument. E-commerce brands achieve this by drawing comparisons to competitors, testing products, or even explaining to the customer that it’s understandable to be reluctant to switch to another product or service. “Fairly” is a key modifier here. This isn’t the place to completely admonish counterarguments, but to use them to understand the audience.
Emotional Appeal (Pathos)
Pathos taps the audience’s emotions to foster deeper connections with the message the business wants to convey. In writing, pathos uses ‘loaded’ words that will garner a reaction, clickbait without the clickbait, so to speak. In digital marketing campaigns, evoking aspiration, empathy, or even friendly urgency can prime prospects for conversion. Research confirms that rhetorical schemes heighten ad likability, boosting engagement metrics across channels.
Whether through storytelling that highlights customer success or by framing challenges in human terms, an emotional narrative thread can transform abstract value propositions into compelling calls to action.
Harnessing pathos can be a tricky line to walk, and that line straddles “appealing to emotions” and “turning the consumer away.” What works in this context is evoking the passion a brand has for its products and services, employing a sense of storytelling within a blog post or email campaign, or using reviews to form personal anecdotes. Conversely, guilt-tripping or making implications about an audience’s personality are more likely to backfire.
Logical Appeal (Logos)
A logical argument is always a strong argument, and that’s why logos-driven content is so effective. A logos-driven piece of content uses credible facts, statistics, and clear reasoning to make its points. This effectively and precisely persuades analytically minded stakeholders. Incorporating data points such as ROI benchmarks or conversion lift percentages provides tangible evidence of campaign efficacy. In short, cite the sources.
For example, including figures like “A survey by McKinsey illustrates that only 31% of social sector employees trust their employers to safely develop AI tools in the workplace…” lends weight to a suggestion that better AI development tools should be integrated before relying on AI in the workplace. Logos-driven arguments not only reinforce credibility but also satisfy the due diligence expectations of procurement teams evaluating marketing investments. In this way, they loop themselves back around to ethos and authority.
Logos-driven content is also a boon for SEO. Linking to credible, high-authority sources with facts and statistics establishes a page as trustworthy in Google’s eyes. This kind of content also demonstrates expertise, another thing Google’s algorithm loves.
Repetition through Alliteration, Anaphora, and More
Repetition is, in fact, what makes memorization possible. Repetition, alliteration, and anaphora are rhetorical strategies that help something stick with someone.
Repetition cements key messages in the corporate mind, echoing across touchpoints until they become indelible. Single Grain’s analysis of advertising repetition shows that consistent slogans and visuals dramatically improve brand recall over extended campaigns. Alliteration, or the repetition of sounds in brand names (think PayPal, Coca-Cola, Best Buy), slogans, or even value propositions, can strengthen the power of repetition. Rishabh Dev notes that alliterative branding increases recall and lends a distinctive cadence to copy.
Anaphora is a specific form of repetition in which identical words or phrases open successive sentences, sharpening emphasis and rhythm. For example, Maybelline’s catchphrase, “Maybe she’s born with it, maybe it’s Maybelline,” uses anaphora through the repetition of “maybe.” This principle is sometimes paired with the classic “rule of three.” The rule of three suggests that things in sets of three are memorable and impactful. Costa Coffee employs both ideas to create its “real beans, real milk, real quick” slogan. Not only does it lay out the brand’s principles in short form, but it also has a repetitive, catchy rhythm.
Metaphors
Though marketing experts have likely heard of metaphors in other contexts, this principle does have a place in the tool belt of a content marketing team’s rhetorical strategy.
Metaphors forge vivid mental images, transforming complex offerings into relatable concepts. Mailchimp champions metaphors like “Business is a game of chess” to distill strategic ideas into memorable narratives. Storytelling in advertising draws on metaphor to create relatability. Consumers also understand the point of what they’re being sold via metaphor. Metaphors show creative prowess as well, which adds a touch of originality to an otherwise run-of-the-mill bit of advertising.
Antithesis
Antithesis contrasts opposing ideas in parallel construction to highlight key differentiators. It’s a game of “we have this, they have that.” This is a more straightforward method of comparison, as opposed to what might be employed through ethos’ idea of “seeing the other side of the argument” in order to establish credibility.
In marketing, antithesis helps to show why one brand is more favorable than another. A SaaS company selling a customer management system platform might show what it has that its competitor doesn’t: a better price point, a more user-friendly interface, standout features, or anything else that will keep it a cut above the rest.
Rhetorical Questions
People often encounter rhetorical questions, questions asked without the actual expectation of an answer, in their daily lives. In marketing, strategically posed rhetorical questions engage readers directly, prompting them to reflect and answer internally before the content supplies the solution.
Academic research into advertising effectiveness finds that such questions can boost persuasion by involving the audience in the argument’s construction. In a corporate context, asking, “What if you could cut acquisition costs by 30 percent?” invites prospects to envision outcomes, smoothing the path to a brand’s proposed service. Calls to action, as well, might employ rhetorical questions to entice a consumer to convert.
Is Irony a Rhetorical Strategy?
Yes, irony is considered a rhetorical strategy. It also has a place in advertising and marketing media. Irony is a figure of speech that sets up then subverts expectations or otherwise highlights a discrepancy between expectations and reality. It uses deliberate, purposeful language, which adds to the overall rhetorical effect.
Irony can drive consumer psychology. Brands can harness this rhetorical strategy to engage consumers and drive attention toward a particular campaign. It has its place in comedic campaigns but might not work in every campaign.
Write With Power and Precision by Writing with Rhetorical Strategies
Writing with power, the power to persuade a reader to convert, is not an easy feat. Lean too hard on logos, and more emotionally-minded consumers will feel alienated. Excessive pathos, however, might come across as clickbait. Repetition can get tiresome, and some metaphors might extend beyond themselves to the point of abstraction. However, when used well, these rhetorical strategies are excellent for creating ad copy, campaigns, and marketing materials that stick with a consumer and establish a business as a trustworthy expert in its industry.
A team looking to take the words that bring their brand to life would do well to practice and perfect these, just as they would any other corporate marketing skill.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many rhetorical strategies are usually found in advertising?
While this varies, most advertisements make use of up to three rhetorical strategies. Ethos, logos, and pathos are the most common.
How is rhetoric used in marketing?
Rhetoric is used in marketing to appeal to an audience. Through various linguistic means, the audience should be convinced to engage with a brand meaningfully.