What NLP Can Teach You about Blogging

No matter what topic you blog on, you want to be clear and complete. You can choose words that paint a picture and help your reader see exactly whatever concept you are presenting. You will avoid picking words that make it harder for others to grasp your meaning.

In short, you practice NLP.

NLP stands for “ neurolinguistic programming.” It’s a behavioral science that has been around since the 1970s, often associated with hypnotherapy. It is also the foundation of the work done by self-help guru Tony Robbins, author of “Unlimited Power” and “Awaken the Giant Within.”

In the hands of a blogger, NLP becomes a powerful tool for communication. The more aware you are of how you use it, the more effective your blogging will be.

NLP in a Nutshell

First, there’s the “neuro” part of NLP. Everything you know about the world relates to one or more of your five senses: sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste. NLP calls these “sensory modalities” and names them visual (V), auditory (A), kinesthetic (K), olfactory (O) and gustatory (G).

In order for us to code, store and give meaning to the input we get from these modalities, we use language. That’s the “linguistic” part of NLP, which uses the phrase “representational system” to identify this process of translating experience into words.

The “programming” aspect of NLP refers to how our behaviors are wired to our experiences and language. Most people rely heavily on three modalities, V-A-K, as their primary representational systems. They understand the world mainly through what they see, hear, or feel, and they act accordingly.

Stating a Preference

According to NLP, the words that have the greatest impact and convey the most meaning to you are ones that are closely aligned to your preferred representational system. Visually oriented individuals respond to how things look, those with an auditory preference go by how things sound, and “kinos” are most concerned about how things feel.

Take, for example, the very first paragraph of this post. It contains three sentences. The second one uses the words “paint,” “picture” and “see,” which are obviously visual (V). The words “pick,” “harder” and “grasp” in sentence three are tactile (K).

A visual reader may not even notice the metrical rhythm (A) of the two clauses in the first sentence. On the other hand, a “listening” reader will not only absorb it, but will also respond to any alliteration, such as “clear and complete” or “paint a picture.”

More Choices to Make

Word choice is neither accidental nor random. As a blogger , you choose words to influence your readers’ thoughts and actions, not merely to express your own views. Could a bit of NLP make your writing more effective?

Go back through a few of your own blogs and look for examples of V-A-K words. Perhaps you will discover that you use your own preferred representational system when you write. Do you tend to leave one out? Or maybe you are already adept at shifting words to appeal to a variety of readers.

The skillful use of V-A-K language is just the tip of the iceberg in applying NLP techniques to blogging. Concepts such as “future pacing” and “re-framing” are other good ways to influence readers or put a new shine on an old idea. It’s all about what works—selecting words that deliver a desired effect.

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