Persuasive Speech Topic Ideas

What is a Persuasive Speech? 

Persuasive speaking essentially is defined as any speech where the primary aim is to persuade the audience and get them to align with the views of the speaker.

The art in persuasive speaking lies in the well-structured reasons that the speaker gives to ensure that the audience listens to him/her.

It’s not just random passion. Here, the goal of persuasion is supported by statistics, real-life examples and other technically sound information.

The goal here can be anything, to get someone to vote or to create greater environmental awareness or raise a voice against inequality.

The idea is to leave your audience with a call of action and to persuade them to believe in your vision.

How to Write a Persuasive Speech?

There is no separate template when it comes to writing a persuasive speech.

There, however, are a few things that one must keep in mind to ensure that the writing is clear and crisp and the impact greater.

Understand and research your topic thoroughly

 Since you are looking to persuade your audience about a topic ensure that you have thoroughly read and understood about it.

Till the time you are completely well versed with all that the topic has to offer it is not going to reflect in your writing.

Your writing will lack the punch and the crispness that comes with complete knowledge of a topic.

Sometimes persuasive speech topics are like those of debates and you will have to choose sides. Here, knowing your topic is of primary importance.

Language

Understand that you are trying to persuade the audience to listen to you and to then believe in the arguments that you are presenting. Use the correct language.

Ensure that you use politically correct and simple language with the correct jargon depending on the field of the topic and steer clear of making concentrated statements. They tend to turn off your audience.

Your aim should be to win your audience on your side using your flair of writing and speaking and not using definitive statements.

Audience Analysis 

Aim to understand who your audience is. Your content, way of writing, use of language and mode of delivery will change according to the audience.

As a persuasive speaker, there are two types of audiences that you will encounter. The first will be people who know nothing to very little about the topic. E.g., a group of young school kids on the importance of sleep.

The other will be a group of people who will be at varying levels of knowing the topic.

The former will demand a simpler use of language and not too depth in the content to ensure that your audience understands you. The latter, a more technical approach in both language and depth of content.

Use examples 

Since the primary aim of a persuasive speech is to convince your audience try to use as many examples as you can in a bid to make them understand why what you are saying is right.

 E.g. An investor trying to persuade a group of young students on how money can grow exponentially if they begin investing right and young is more likely to convince them should he give them examples of people their age making it big.

Thus, ensure that you have ample of examples, case studies and facts to back you up.

We have written a detailed resource to help you write and deliver your best Persuasive Speech. Check it out here: The Secret of Writing a Persuasive Speech (On Any Topic) | Ethos, Logos, Pathos is Not Enough

How to Select Speech Topics for Persuasive Speaking?

Selecting speech topics is not that difficult but then it’s always a process marred by confusion. For persuasive speaking there is one simple trick – know your interest. Since a persuasive speech is going to demand a lot of research and reading on your part, it is best to take up a topic that one is interested in.

Persuasive Speech Topics

Animals

  1. Zoos: Throwing Autocracy, Bringing Democracy  
  2. Why should everyone be an Animal Rights Activist?
  3. Raising Voices against Animal Abuse: Why just watching dog videos is not enough?  
  4. How are dogs saving so many lives?  
  5. How are animals smarter than humans?  
  6. How people who have pets lead a happier life?
  7. The Need for Animal Welfare Influencers 
  8. Animal Sanctuaries: The best solution to wildlife stewardship?  
  9. Afraid of dogs? Know why running isn’t the best but the worst way out  
  10. Stray Dogs crave your affection, just like your own pet 
  11. How are humans causing depression in animals? 
  12. Lessons on selflessness humans must learn from animals 
  13. Treat animals the way you would want to be treated 
  14. Pets: The ray of hope in your most-difficult times 
  15. Do animals feel compassion and empathy as well?  

Automotive Industry

  1. How are self-driving cars violating your right to privacy?
  2. How automotive industry is still an unwelcoming Industry when it comes to women’s participation?
  3. 5 Reasons why sports cars are not as dangerous as you might think
  4. Who should you trust? Autonomous cars or Human Reflex?
  5. Why are electric cars not our best bet towards a sustainable future?
  6. Should you make a career in the automotive industry (given the recession in current times)?
  7. How is corruption in motor vehicle offices leading to the increase in road accidents?
  8. Is Artificial Intelligence snatching your job in the automotive industry?
  9. Gas-powered cars and the right to breathe fresh air
  10. Why should it be mandatory to wear helmets while riding bicycles?
  11. Dirt bikes or Street bikes: Which is safer?
  12. Should the automotive industry be held responsible for environmental pollution?
  13. Let’s make car-pooling a cool habit!
  14. Lessons to learn from the Chinese automotive industry
  15. With better infrastructure, it’s high time we raise the speed limits

Business

  1. Ethical & Successful: How NOT to Compromise on Business Practices
  2. The Promotion of Meritocracy
  3. Work From Home: A Productivity Killer
  4. How Greed Serves as The Foundation to Every Business
  5. Why Family-Owned Businesses Are More Successful
  6. Gender Bias: Why the Glass Ceiling Still Exists
  7. Why the Promotion of MSMEs Hinder a Country’s Growth
  8. Ageless & Timeless: Why a Multi-Generational Workforce Boosts Productivity
  9. Why Success Isn’t Determined By a College Degree
  10. The Essentiality of Networking & Collaborations
  11. AI: Why the Human Touch is STILL Greater Than a Smart One
  12. Why Addressing Mental Health is a Necessity
  13. How Restructuring Your Business Structures Growth 
  14. A Strong Performance Appraisal System: Need of the Hour 
  15. Why Parental Leave Should Always Be Paid 

Economics

  1. A low unemployment percentage doesn’t mean higher wages for the employees
  2. Why Import Duty Cuts Will Fuel the Economy
  3.  Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’s doesn’t make an economy self-reliant 
  4. The Bright Side of Trillion-dollar Health Care Investment by the U.S. Federal 
  5. Why China’s Economic Model Should Be Followed by Developing Countries
  6. Why India’s economy is determined by a bunch of wealthy industrialists
  7. Is the Economic Growth Fueled by Exports? 
  8. Why International Labour Has a Negative Impact on the Economy 
  9. How Workers are impacted negatively due to the Free Trade Agreements
  10. Positive effects of Boycotting Chinese products in India
  11. Why Should you Buy Products that are Made in the USA?
  12. Why Brexit will Boost the Economy of the UK?
  13. Technological advancement is a bane for jobs and laborers
  14. Why Internet Gambling should not be a legal grey area anymore
  15. Why the constitution needs to be amended with changing times

Environment

  1. Why it’s not too late to reduce climate change
  2. Is life really possible on Mars?
  3. The need to focus on coral conservation
  4. How can harvesting microorganisms help us?
  5. Should zoos still be legal?
  6. Why vertical forests help reduce climate change
  7. The need for forest management
  8. Why forest fires are good
  9. How glacier tourism is good
  10. Is it the end of snow?
  11. How wildlife tourism helps
  12. Natural disasters a result of urbanisation
  13. Architects – The future environment warriors
  14. How the lockdown eased the planet
  15. The need to teach climate change in schools
  16. The need to ban animal testing
  17. Why microorganism harvesting is beneficial
  18. Why we need algae 
  19. Why men will lead the next mass extinction
  20. The need for animal mental health warriors
  21. The need to ban circuses 
  22. Wildlife tourism – a boon
  23. The need for animal therapy
  24. Why coral conservation needs attention
  25. How migratory tourism harms
  26. Why cross-breeding is unethical
  27. The need to conserve endangered carnivorous plants
  28. The need to ban leather
  29. The need to make animal therapy accessible

Ethics

  1. Same-sex marriage should be made legal.
  2. Marital rape should be made illegal
  3. Use of animals for scientific research should be banned
  4. Is honest really the best policy even if it threatens someone?
  5. Is unequal distribution of wealth unethical? 
  6. Abortion is a woman’s choice and decision 
  7. Can we ever justify cheating?
  8. The rights and wrongs of society change overtime
  9. Religion should be secondary to humanity
  10. Why politics and religion need to be separate
  11. State censorship prohibits free speech
  12. ‘Designer babies’ are not ethical
  13. Is charity an obligation of the rich?
  14. Morals and ethics are subjective
  15. Students shouldn’t be asked their ethnicity in college/school applications

Family

  1. Helicopter parenting leads to self-esteem issues in children.
  2. Why should every workplace have child care centers?
  3. Why should adoption be normalized?
  4. Over-the-top birthday parties is a way of spoiling kids.
  5. 7 Reasons why giving privacy to the child is important
  6. Birth order theories are a hoax!
  7. Child rearing is not just a mother’s job.
  8. Is internet censorship a must for children?
  9. Family Vacation: Secret to a close knit family
  10. Why does stick and carrot motivation do more bad than good?
  11. All parents have a favourite child, although they never say it!
  12. Sex Education: A responsibility of the parent
  13. Why are grandmoms the cutest?
  14. Maternal side of the family is more loveable than the paternal one.
  15. Family gossip sessions work as bonding sessions. 

Finance

  1. It’s Time to Take Charge of Your Personal Finances.
  2. Microcredit leads to debt traps.
  3. Retirement planning is not all about money.
  4. Universal health insurance should be a must.
  5. Wage Insurance: Automatic stabilizer during economy at its weakest
  6. Should you be debt-free before you invest?
  7. Free shipping: Not an idea of rational decision-making.
  8. Market monopoly can only be broken by strong marketing approaches.
  9. Is hiring a professional financial planner really a good idea?
  10. Renting a house is better than buying one.
  11. Should schools teach financial literacy?
  12. Free trade agreements do more harm than good.
  13. Are giant businesses really unaffected by financial instability?
  14. Is Bitcoin likely to take over money?
  15. Investment is not just for rich people.

Food

  1. How the food industry is slowly killing its consumers
  2. Labeling of Genetically Modified Food: A Necessity
  3. Calories in vs. Calories Out: Why it’s time to throw out the approach
  4. How Genetically Modified food has modified our health
  5. Energy is the last thing an energy drink provides: what does it actually offer?
  6. Organic farming: behind the glittering green facade
  7. The rising price of healthy foods & its impact on global health 
  8. Malnutrition: it’s more than just hunger 
  9. How longer ingredient lists are shortening lifespans
  10. The colonialization of native cuisines
  11. What you see isn’t what you get: a closer look at food advertising
  12. How eating good food impacts mental health
  13. Why it’s necessary to put warning labels on junk foods 
  14. Back to the past: food habits in the middle ages vs. the 21st century 
  15. Why Tiktok diet trends should be taken with a grain of salt 

History

  1. The African American Poets played a vital role in the Civil Rights Movement
  2. Why was Indus Valley one of the finest civilizations to ever exist?
  3. Aryabhatta was a mathematician way ahead of his time
  4. The Big Bang was the ultimate beginning of humanity
  5. Why is Chandragupta Maurya The Great the best ruler of all time?
  6. Renaissance wouldn’t have been possible without art
  7. The upside of colonization
  8. Globalization as a disguised doom
  9. The Harlem Renaissance celebrated the African American Culture
  10. Overpopulation led to the end of the Mayan Civilization
  11. Alexander: History or just a story?
  12. Chanakya: one of the greatest statesmen produced by India
  13. Meiji Reforms caused the discontinuation of samurai culture in Japan
  14. Continental soldiers faced starvation during the American Revolution
  15. Nehru- the leader of young India or the one who sold India?
  16. Shell Shock was one of the worst fatalities to come out of WW1
  17. Civil war was the greatest crisis America ever faced
  18. Chola: The greatest of kingdoms
  19. Prithviraj Chauhan: Noble King or a fool?
  20. Israel- nation of people who returned home or nation of home stealers?
  21. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand was what eventually led to the World War
  22. Should Nazi Germany have won WW2?
  23. The Black Death as a blessing in disguise
  24. The Great Library of Alexandria was a generation’s worth of loss
  25. East India Company was a blessing in disguise for India
  26. Nathan Bedford Forrest: Legend of the Civil War or just Controversy?
  27. Tiananmen Square Massacre: A landmark in Chinese History
  28. Napolean was a result of the French Revolution
  29. Why must we stop glorifying Winston Churchill?
  30. The city of Dwarka is in fact the lost empire of Atlantis

Kids

  1. Why eating right during exams is necessary
  2. Why exam stress needs immediate addressing
  3. The need for sports in school
  4. The need to stand up against online bullying
  5. The need to stand up against body shaming
  6. Why it is essential to groom school students to be leaders
  7. Why sleep is essential for better grades
  8. The need of Public Policy education
  9. Why it’s essential to normalise failure
  10. The need to seek mental health aid
  11. Why there should be psychologists in school
  12. The need to normalise therapy
  13. Why online teaching is here to stay
  14. The need for dance, music, art and sports in schools
  15. Why we need more arts students
  16. Why liberal arts is the need of the hour
  17. Why integrated sciences can help the world
  18. The need to speak about climate change
  19. Why peer teaching should be encouraged
  20. The need for co-curricular education
  21. Importance of self-study
  22. Why peer teaching should be promoted

Literature

  1. E-books are better than paperbacks
  2. Reading self-help books don’t really add to your personal growth
  3. Why I prefer Amazon Kindle to physical books
  4. Listening to Audiobooks is better than reading one
  5. Is it worth reading literary classics?
  6. Having a degree in English Literature doesn’t really make you a good writer
  7. Self-publishing books doesn’t make you an author
  8. Why Haiku is the best form of poetry
  9. They say writers are undervalued but are all skilled enough?
  10. Why books are better than podcasts?
  11. The positive effects of reading comic books
  12. Instagram poets have ruined the essence of poetry
  13. With Twitter, everyone is a journalist today
  14. Classic art forms are buried in the past 
  15. Books vs Movies: Why is reading a book always better than watching a movie?  

Music

  1. Classical music is soul-soothing
  2. Rap music could be correlated to violent behavior
  3. Learning a musical instrument should be made mandatory in school
  4. Music censorship should be banned
  5. Listening to music all the time can make you lazy
  6. Music therapy needs more attention
  7. Country music is underrated
  8. Lana Del Rey is the goddess of sadness
  9. The Beatles are overrated
  10. Songs about feminism do more harm than good
  11. Gen Z songs have forgotten the significance of good lyrics
  12. Partners with similar music tastes tend to stay together longer
  13. The importance of regional music
  14. Getting in touch with classical music is a way of getting in touch with your culture
  15. Sexist rap songs need to be banned

Sports

  1. Why should college athletes be paid for their participation?
  2. Equal gender pay: A concern to be looked upon in sports.
  3. Is “Sports” safe for the LGBTQ community?
  4. Hockey: A sport that needs more media coverage.
  5. Paralympics is no less important than Olympics.
  6. Sports psychology is more than just a pop-culture thing.
  7. Why is Soccer better than Football
  8. How does WWE do more bad than good.
  9. Paintball: Sport that needs recognition.
  10. Female bodybuilders have proved that muscle isn’t just for men.
  11. Cheerleading: Most prevalent sexist practice in sports.
  12. Sports is a game-changer for mental health concerns.
  13. Prichard Colón: Why boxing should be banned.
  14. Why should schools make sports participation mandatory.
  15. Bullfighting: Not a sport but a form of animal abuse.
  16. Sports scholarships: Whirlpool of politics and nepotism
  17. Why is team building more important than winning or losing.
  18. Gymnasts: Victims of poor mental health.
  19. Why should women’s sports be as popular as men’s?
  20. Why is a predetermined retirement age is better
  21. Performance based salaries work as an incentive in a team.
  22. Athletics: A way of developing life skills.
  23. How losing in sports can be good
  24. Why should we not ‘Boo’ at the losing team.
  25. Betting: An offense that should be banned.
  26. Why do average players make great coaches?
  27. F1 isn’t a sport? Sorry, you are wrong!
  28. High school sports aren’t killing academics.
  29. Physical Education: An unconventional career path
  30. How can government funding promote sports culture

Teachers

  1. Why periodic assessment of teachers is necessary
  2. The need for psychologists and therapists in school
  3. Reading as an accelerator for better grades
  4. Healthy lifestyle an accelerator for better grades
  5. Why positive peer pressure can be a game-changer
  6. Why sports should be a graded component in schools
  7. The need for adequate sleep
  8. Why application-based learning is necessary
  9. The need to not negate bilingualism/multilingualism
  10. Shorter school days for the win
  11. Why recreational reading is also important
  12. The need for sex education in school

World Politics

  1. The U.N should have a standing army to foster world peace. 
  2. China’s One-Child Policy should be re-introduced in other countries.
  3. Climate change is a political tool. 
  4. Religious institutions should have a say in government decisions. 
  5. Refugees should not be granted citizenship. 
  6. A strong western power needs to subdue & take over North Korea.
  7. Patriotism is against world peace and unity. 
  8. Each country should have its own Nuclear Program.  
  9. There’s a need for an upper limit on a country’s military spending. 
  10. There must be an upper age limit for a President to run for office. 
  11. Kashmir is driving India and Pakistan headlong to a Nuclear War. 
  12. The War On Terror: are we fighting terrorism or promoting terrorizing people? 
  13. Forced conscription violates the right to freedom.  
  14. Should the entire world be one single country? 
  15. The value of a vote should be determined by age. 

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