The aim of this course is to examine the concept of persuasion, starting from the classical rhetorical tradition and continuing within the context of strategic communication practices in contemporary social media environments. The course covers a broad range of persuasion strategies, from Aristotle's approach of ethos , pathos , and logos to modern theories of persuasion; and encompasses advertising, public relations, political communication, influencer communication, algorithmic visibility, digital campaigns, micro-targeting, viral content creation, and AI-assisted persuasion processes. Students are expected to be able to evaluate persuasion techniques used in social media from theoretical, ethical, and practical perspectives.

The concept of persuasion, classical rhetoric, Aristotle's ethos - pathos -logos approach, modern theories of persuasion, attitude change, cognitive dissonance, source credibility, message design, audience analysis, social proof, authority, scarcity, reciprocity, principles of liking and loyalty, digital rhetoric, persuasion on social media platforms, influencer communication, algorithmic visibility, viral content strategies, persuasion in political communication, advertising and brand communication, micro-targeting, data-driven persuasion, AI-powered content creation, manipulation, disinformation, and ethical issues.