Hidden Commands - Do it!
Can you pick out which of the following two lines are better?
If you are planning on subscribing to this blog, click on the RSS button.
or
If you plan to subscribe to this blog, click on the RSS button.
Did you spot the hidden command?
If you plan to subscribe to this blog, click on the RSS button.
The second sentence is the better of the two because within it, there is an indiscreet phrase telling the reader what to do, which in this case is subscribe to the blog. Subconsciously, the person is being told what to do, and has more of a chance to do this.
This works well when linking to an affiliate program within text. Example within an article about windows:
“Washing your house can be a hassle, especially those hard to reach windows. The best way to clean your windows is by using a powerwasher filled with windex.“
This is referred to in many places as “hypnotic copywriting” and many people use it in their everyday speeches as well!
Here are some more interesting articles on hidden commands:
Embedding hidden commands in copywriting
The video from yesterdays blog post
This video:
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