How Hypnosis and Marketing Are More Alike Than You Think

Hi, I’m Michelle Walters. I am a Clinical Hypnotherapist and Marketing Strategist. I spent over 20 years crafting marketing campaigns before pivoting into the world of hypnotherapy. In case you're wondering how those two fields go together… you're not alone. People ask me all the time: “Michelle, how is it that you are both a hypnotherapist and a marketer? Aren’t they totally different?”

And my answer? They are not as different as you might think.

Both marketing and hypnosis are about creating change. They influence behavior, activate emotions, and shift perspectives. Today, I share five surprising similarities and five key differences between marketing and hypnosis, plus a few powerful takeaways for anyone looking to inspire, persuade, or transform.

Five Ways Hypnosis and Marketing Are Similar

1. Both Use Suggestion to Influence Behavior

Suggestion is the common thread between marketing and hypnotherapy. In hypnosis, a person is in a state of trance so suggestions can sink into the subconscious mind. In this state, the mind is calm, focused, and open. Marketing also uses suggestion, even if we’re not in a deep trance. Catchy slogans and emotional taglines like “A diamond is forever” or “Just do it” are written to settle into your subconscious and stay there. They’re suggestions are nudging us toward a certain belief or action.

The difference is that in hypnosis, the suggestion is intentional and collaborative. In hypnosis, you’ve chosen to be there. In marketing, the suggestion might sneak in while you’re watching YouTube, listening to Spotify, or scrolling Instagram.

2. Both Focus on Emotion Over Logic

We love to think we’re logical, but most decisions are rooted in emotion. Hypnotherapy helps people change behaviors by connecting them with feelings such as confidence, pride, or peace. Similarly, marketing taps into feelings of desire, fear, or belonging. Disney doesn’t sell vacations. They sell magical memories with your family. Disney knows the way to your wallet is through your heart.

3. Storytelling Creates a Trance State

Stories bypass our critical minds. Whether it’s a guided visualization in hypnotherapy or a compelling commercial during the Super Bowl, storytelling draws us in, disarms our resistance, and opens us up to suggestion. It’s why good marketers and good hypnotherapists are also great storytellers. They know how to engage the imagination to shift beliefs and behaviors.

4. Repetition Strengthens the Message

In both hypnosis and marketing, repetition reinforces the message. Hypnotherapists often repeat affirmations or scripts to deepen the trance and imprint the suggestion. Marketers have a rule of thumb: a person needs to see or hear a message at least seven times before they act on it. That’s why you see the same ads over and over. Repetition creates familiarity, which builds trust.

5. Both Bypass the Critical Mind

Your conscious mind is where your logic and skepticism live. But change doesn’t happen there. Hypnosis and marketing both work by bypassing that analytical filter. They tap into the subconscious. The subconscious is the part of you that’s driven by emotion, memory, and instinct. Whether it’s a relaxation induction or a beautifully edited ad, the goal is to access the part of you that’s open to change.

Five Key Differences Between Marketing and Hypnosis

1. Intention: Healing vs. Selling

Hypnosis is about personal growth. It’s about healing, transformation, and change chosen by the client. Marketing, on the other hand, is about persuasion. Marketing might be about selling an idea, a product, or a service. The goal in hypnosis is internal; in marketing, it's external.

2. Consent: Voluntary vs. Uninvited

Hypnosis only works with consent. You can’t hypnotize someone against their will. But marketing? It’s everywhere. You can’t scroll, stream, or search without being marketed to. That’s not inherently bad, but it is a fundamental difference. Hypnosis is something you agree to. Marketing often isn't.

3. Depth: Deep Trance vs. Light Influence

Hypnosis works best in a mid-to-deep trance, a relaxed state that allows access to deeper subconscious beliefs. Marketing usually operates at a lighter level. It might grab your attention, but marketing rarely changes your life.

4. Relationship: Personalized vs. Distant

Hypnotherapy is highly relational. I work closely with my clients, customizing suggestions based on their unique experiences and emotional landscape. In marketing, the relationship is usually one-to-many. The marketer doesn’t know your name or your story. Marketers speak to a larger audience, not just one person.

5. Customization: Tailored vs. Targeted

Marketing can be targeted, especially with today’s data-driven tools. But it’s still not personal. Hypnotherapy, on the other hand, is deeply personalized. I might guide one client to a peaceful beach and another to the top of a redwood-covered hill. Being able to make each person’s experience highly individualized is what makes hypnosis so powerful.

Shared Takeaways for Hypnosis and Marketing

Regardless of what you are trying to accomplish, there are a few principles that matter in both:

• Use empowering language. Speak to people as capable and powerful. Whether you’re guiding a client or writing copy, respect your audience’s agency and opportunity to do what they want.

• Lean into emotion. Don’t shy away from feelings. Emotion is the bridge to behavior.

• Stay aligned and authentic. Whether you're helping someone transform or encouraging them to take action, your energy, intention, and integrity matter. Be clear, be real, and be true to yourself.

Marketing and hypnosis might seem like an odd couple, but when you understand how they both shape beliefs and behaviors, it becomes clear why I love and use both.

Thanks for joining me on this little dive into two of my favorite topics. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Have you noticed how marketing affects your subconscious? Or how storytelling has helped you change?

Let’s keep the conversation going.

—Michelle Walters