The Influence of Verbal and Visual Formality Cues on the Persuasiveness of Charitable Appeals

Informal communication can be a powerful persuasion strategy on social media, as it fosters a sense of personal closeness and connection with the audience. However, prior research suggests that in the context of nonprofit communication and charitable appeals, this approach may not yield the intended effects. Using a multimodal approach, the present study examines the persuasiveness of verbal and visual (in-)formality cues in Facebook donation appeals from a mental health advocacy organization. Findings from an experiment with 589 participants reveal that formal (vs. informal) language is more persuasive because it is perceived as more appropriate. This judgment, in turn, enhances the trustworthiness of the message sender and reduces perceptions of manipulative intent. Contrary to expectations, visual formality cues did not influence persuasion. Younger people generally had more favorable perceptions of donation appeals. Overall, the study underscores the importance of communication style in influencing message judgments and donation behavior.