How to Hypnotize Your Blog Readers Like Agatha Christie and Joe Vitale

When I asked Joe Vitale how to write hypnotic blog posts, he pulled out a gun and aimed it at my face.

“That is a secret known only by the world’s most elite circle of copywriters” he asserted. “If I tell you, I’ll have to kill you”.

Of course that didn’t really happen.

But this blog post sucked you in, didn’t it?

And why exactly?

Because I kicked it off, slap bang in the middle of a story (albeit a made-up one) – which is one of the many hypnotic blogging techniques you’re about to discover. Tried and trusted techniques from the father of Hypnotic Writing himself, Mr Joe Vitale.

That’s right. I asked Joe some valuable questions. He gave me some valuable answers. There were no guns pointed at either of our faces.

Read on to reveal his words of worldly wisdom…

First up. What the heck is hypnotic writing and why’s it useful?

I coined the term “Hypnotic Writing” decades ago, and wrote a book called “Hypnotic Writing” to explain it. In short, Hypnotic Writing engages people, holds their attention, and keeps them reading, even when the phone is ringing, the dog is pooping on the floor, and dinner is ready.

In technical terms, Hypnotic Writing is a “waking trance”, where your eyes are open (you are awake) but you are in a light trance (focused mental state) as you read. I created it as a synthesis of fiction writing elements combined with copywriting or sales writing elements. The result is a riveting new blend.

Hypnotic Writing is necessary to get your message across, convince or persuade, or just be heard. Without it, you won’t be read, let alone remembered.

What has hypnotic writing/blogging done for you and your business?

Everything. It shot me into the lifestyle of the rich and famous. I’ve used and still use Hypnotic Writing principles in all I do, from public speaking to movie appearances to talk shows to blogging to authoring books. It’s my main secret to staggering success.

I’m using it to answer these questions, too, so read carefully.

Would you say that most companies’ blogs are ‘hypnotic’? And if not, what are they doing wrong?

They aren’t even close. They are the opposite. They are boring, self-centered, and windy. They are insomnia remedies. They are focused too much on themselves and not enough on their readers. They are passive and egocentric. They are mainly written by people who are barely entertaining themselves. Their only readers are themselves, maybe a few family members, and maybe a few die hard customers.

If you had to pick the five most important elements of a hypnotic blog post – what would they be?

It’d be loosely the same as a hypnotic sales letter:
1. Great title (like a good headline, it signals a reason to read)
2. Great opening paragraph (that grabs attention)
3. Developed story (that explains, educates, entertains or persuades)
4. Main point or call to action (you want the reader to do SOMETHING)
5. Reminder (end with a reminder of the benefits)

How long (or short) should a hypnotic blog post be?

Lincoln wanted his legs long enough to reach the ground. I want a blog post long enough to make its point.

Generally, the shorter, the better. But if it takes 2,500 words to tell the story and state your case, then proceed, but make every word count. Edit ruthlessly. Pretend you’ll be paid one thousand dollars for every word you delete. Or imagine a cold blooded old time editor reading your blog, looking for and deleting every boring or weak sentence. Or follow novelist Elmore Leonard’s advice when he said,

I leave out the parts that people skip.

How can you grip the reader right from the start and keep them itching for more?

Lots of ways: Stories. Statistics. Trivia. Dialogue. Humor. Questions. It all has to be relevant and not random, of course. But start with a bang.

Are there certain ‘hypnotic words’ you can throw into the mix, to keep your audience entranced?

Yes. The greatest hypnotic words in history are still YOU and YOURS and FREE.

The more you can use active words rather than passive words, and words that are known to be engaging – such as YES, LOVE, NEW, DISCOVERY, EASY, SIMPLE, EFFORTLESS, ALERT, ANNOUNCING, BREAKTHROUGH – the more you automatically write hypnotically. For example, “You can now easily write hypnotic blog posts with my new breakthrough method that makes any writing simple and effortless.”

Can you give us some examples of hypnotic openings we can use to start off a blog post with a bang?

Example #1: Story

When he asked me how to write a hypnotic blog post, I pulled out my gun and aimed it at his face. I then told him…

Example #2: Dialogue

“How do you write hypnotic blog posts?” a reader wrote.

“Easy,” I replied. “You start with a kitten and three ducks.”

Example #3: Statistic

According to Cyber Journalist, there are 50,000,000 blog posts right now. How will you make yours stand out?

Example #4: Question

Did mystery novelist Agatha Christie literally hypnotize her readers?

Consider –

Scientists from three leading universities studied 80 of the famed novelist’s works and discovered she used words that invoked chemical responses in the brains of her readers.

The study – The Agatha Project – involved loading Christie’s novels into a computer and analyzing her words, phrases and sentences. They concluded that her phrases trigger a pleasure response. This causes people to seek out her books again and again, almost like an addiction.

How about hypnotic sentences to weave in throughout the post?

There are hundreds to thousands of sentences you can use. I like to use “connector” phrases and words, such as “Obviously” and “But” and “And.” I also like to tease, or foreshadow, what is coming in the post by using sentences such as, “I’ll tell you the rest of that story in a minute…” or “What she told me shocked me, but I’ll get to that shortly…”

And what’s the best way to end a hypnotic blog post, in your opinion?

I like to end with humor, an inspiring statement, a question, a call to action, or a quote. As Mark Twain said, “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.”

What’s the most hypnotic post you’ve ever written and why did it work so well?

I believe http://www.mrfire.com/secret/attract-175000-today/ is the most popular. It’s certainly my favorite. I think the headline grabs people, as it promises to show how to attract $175,000. I think the story it tells is unique and captivating. I think the message is inspiring. It’s written in a friendly, breezy, hypnotic style.

Can you think of any companies or individuals who nail hypnotic blogging (apart from you!)?

Jen Sincero is doing a great job of mixing humor with message. Her playful but loving attitude comes across well in her writing. She’s at http://jensincero.com/ And my blog is at http://www.blog.mrfire.com

What’s the best thing someone can do to get good at this style of writing? Any daily tips?

READ. Read the classic books on copywriting, such as “The Robert Collier Letter Book,” and “How to Write A Good Advertisement,” and read the new book, “The Elements of Eloquence,” and read my own “Hypnotic Writing” and “Buying Trances” books.

But READ. And, of course, write. The more you read, and the more you write, the better you will get. Practice doesn’t make you poor; practice makes you prosper.

Bonus: There’s a revealing interview with me about writing blogs over at http://www.mortylefkoe.com/joe-vitale/

Feel like you’re armed with the tools to hypnotize your blog readers?

Go try out Joe’s techniques and watch your engagement and conversion levels sky-rocket.

Love you,

Konrad x