The rhetorical discourse on LinkedIn: strategies of persuasion and professional identity construction in digital environments; [Le discours rhétorique sur LinkedIn: stratégies de persuasion et construction de l’identité professionnelle dans les environnements numériques]; [O discurso retórico no LinkedIn: estratégias de persuasão e construção de identidade profissional em ambientes digitais]

Fernández-Cozman C.R.; Zelaya-Icaza P.M.; Flores-Núñez A.M. · Lengua y Sociedad (2025) · DOI: 10.15381/lengsoc.v24i2.30651

Resumen

Professional social networks, particularly LinkedIn, have become privileged spaces for self-presentation and the construction of professional identity. This study aims to analyze the rhetorical strategies employed by LinkedIn users and their role in shaping a persuasive and distinctive professional image. Based on Stefano Arduini’s theory of general textual rhetoric, the concepts of rhetorical fact and rhetorical text are examined in connection with discursive practices on the platform. Through a qualitative textual analysis of ten intentionally and anonymously selected profiles, the study explores the use of credibility appeals (ethos), emotional connections (pathos), and arguments of professional competence (logos). Findings suggest that the strategic use of metaphors, narratives of personal growth, self-praise —explicit and implicit— and emotional appeals contributes to the creation of authentic personal brands tailored to diverse audiences. The study concludes that LinkedIn functions as a complex rhetorical environment, where discourse choices reflect tensions between authenticity and selfpromotion, and where rhetorical practices acquire sociocultural implications in the projection of professional identity. © Los autores.

Instituciones: Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola; Universidad de Lima