Linguistic strategies of persuasion in Bangladeshi social media influencer discourse

Abstract

This study examines the linguistic strategies of persuasion used by Bangladeshi social media influencers. With the rapid growth of platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, influencers play a key role in shaping audience attitudes, consumer behavior, and social perceptions through everyday language. Unlike traditional advertising, their communication appears informal and relatable, making persuasion more subtle yet powerful. Adopting a qualitative discourse analysis approach, this study analyzes selected influencer content to identify key persuasive strategies, including personal pronouns, evaluative language, storytelling, emotional appeals, and Bangla-English code-mixing. The study is guided by Aristotle’s rhetorical framework (ethos, pathos, and logos) and Critical Discourse Analysis to explore how credibility, trust, and engagement are constructed. It also considers how socio-cultural context influences language use. The findings aim to contribute to applied linguistics and media discourse studies by providing insights into digital persuasion in the Bangladeshi context.