Newspaper opinion editorials, or op-eds, are written by staff and guest writers at local and national newspapers in order to voice opinions on current affairs. These editorials often provide perspective on political and economic issues, as well as world affairs. Op-ed articles, for example, will often endorse one candidate before a local or national election, in an attempt to encourage the paper's readers to vote for the selected person. These articles are often written in the first person to represent one individual's point of view. In some cases, "we" is used to show that the entire editorial staff is in agreement on an issue.
Advertisement copy is written with the goal of persuading the reader to buy a product or service. Experienced copywriters will often ask leading questions with the hope that the answer will prompt the reader to rush out and purchase what the advertisement is selling. If the advertisement, for example, is for an energy drink, the ad might begin with the question, "Feeling tired?" The advertiser hopes that an unspoken affirmative answer to this question will encourage the reader to purchase the product in order to address that tired feeling. Copywriters might also provide examples of others who have used the product or service to good effect (called testimonials). Advertisements will often attempt to persuade the reader by suggesting that their product is superior to the completion or that the pricing is more favorable.
A persuasive letter is written to a business, a newspaper editorial staff, an elected official or a boss or employee with the intention of changing the addressee's mind about a business practice, political point of view or idea or issue of concern. As with other forms of persuasive writing, persuasive letters should take a clear and focused stand on the issue and provide supporting detail to give the argument strength and persuasive power. If, for example, you are writing a letter to your state's U.S. Senator to convince him to vote for or against a particular bill, you might describe how this bill could have a positive impact on the citizens of your community and state, so that he will be moved to take up your proposed position.
Grant writing is a highly specialized form of persuasive writing, and there are training programs to teach prospective grant writers the ins and outs of doing so successfully. The power of persuasion in grant writing is all about receiving funding from a government or private organization to support a project or to keep a non-profit business afloat. Grant proposals need to clearly state the use to which the money will be put, as well as justifying why the applying organization should be the award recipient. In order to persuade the grant donors to fund your project, often you will need to add to the persuasive power of your project description by including supplemental materials such as letters of recommendation and support.