The MAGNET Method: Mastering Mystery in Marketing

Most people are familiar with Andrew Tate. His clips have been everywhere. Even if you've missed them, he's been in the news quite a lot over the last few months.

First his clips start appearing everywhere across TikTok with hundreds of people reposting his clips to drive buy-in to his notorious Hustlers University (what some would call a Ponzi scheme). People with massive platforms started talking about him like Joe Rogan, NELK, and Logan Paul.

But perhaps the most effective marketing decision ever made by Andrew Tate lies buried and unrecognized by most people. Before being banned, Tate had 4 million followers on Twitter, 4.7 million on Instagram, and 768,000 subscribers on YouTube. He amassed a cult like following very quickly.

Tate did something that would boost his publicity, dominating Google searches and propelling him to controversial world fame.

What was it?

The strategy seems extraordinary. Many people believe it was because of his army of affiliate marketers that he became an overnight success. That's really only partly true. They helped with distribution of his content but had no influence on the graph above.

6 of the top 10 related search queries during this time where people trying to learn about who he was. The world was all wondering the same things. Who was Andrew Tate? How much was he really worth? What was his story?

Regardless of how you feel about Tate, he really understood a core principle that when mastered will change your business and life:

Create an air of mystery.

People were seeing his content everywhere. They'd never seen him before in the past and it created a curiosity gap that needed to be closed in their minds. This only fueled his rise in fame.

Robert Green said, "In a world growing increasingly banal and familiar, what seems enigmatic instantly draws attention. Never make it too clear what you are doing or about to do. Do not show all your cards. An air of mystery heightens your presence; it also creates anticipation -- everyone will be watching you to see what happens next. Use mystery to beguile, seduce, even frighten.

Why can't you help yourself from looking at others people's phone? Because it's a mystery what they are doing.

Mystery plays on people's imagination. They cannot come up with a perfect fantasy so they continue thinking about the endless possibilities in hopes of discovering one. When a door has been opened by curiosity they struggle to focus until that gap has been filled and the door can be closed.

People have a deep desire for answers. A desire that can be leveraged to heighten your persona, image, and business.

The power of mystery in marketing

Learn to let people try to interpret the possibilities.

Most people are too upfront in business and in life. They can be read like a book. Every product feature or service offering is outlined in extensive detail on their website.

This leaves no room for interpretation.

There's no mystery.

People have already made up their mind on if they are going to buy before even getting pitched.

Not only do they do this in business, but they repeat the same thing in their personal lives as well. I'm sure we can all name a few people that continually spill all their tea. They're an open book and you know exactly what goes on in their life. It's not a mystery and it's boring.

Leave room for people to connect the dots themselves. Where the unknown resides, imagination is free, mystery creates space that we want to see.

Mystery pulls the consumer in. It's so effective they can't ignore it. It's a magnet for attention.

Do you remember the app Clubhouse?

Once the next social media platform, they mastered this principle of mystery to propel their business into the spotlight. In a single week, they added 2,000,000 users to their platform. The concept of a voice driven social media wasn't novel or new. You just had very influential people talking about it. Everyone wanted to get past the waitlist and see how the app worked. It's the ultimate word of mouth marketing.

How about Fyre Festival?

They hired influencers and models to post this ambiguous orange box to their instagram dominating peoples feeds. No one new what the Fyre Festival was but after just 24 hours they received over 300 million impressions!

Creating exclusivity intertwined with mystery is what is known as the "velvet rope" growth strategy (but that's for another email). Had both the founders of Clubhouse and Fyre Festival been able to execute on their vision they would have become house hold names by repeatedly deploying these strategies. Next time, they should hire a great COO and CRO.

The MAGNET method: 6 steps to crafting irresistible narratives

There's an easy and potent way to stir up mystery in your stories -- drawing in the attention of the consumer. It's something I've been applying to my writing now for a few months developing it through my understanding of copywriting and persuasive psychology. I call it the MAGENT method.

1) Map out the mystery

You need to pose the mystery to capture the reader's attention.

This step involves clearly defining the challenge, pain point, or question that your product or service aims to address. By mapping out the mystery, you create a sense of curiosity and intrigue, enticing the reader to continue reading.

2) Add layers to the mystery

Once you have captured the reader's attention, it's essential to deepen the mystery by providing additional information or details that make the problem more complex or intriguing.

This step involves introducing different aspects or angles of the problem, highlighting its complexity and showing that there's more to it than meets the eye. You can even pose a question to the reader or consumer to get them thinking about the possibilities.

3) Generate alternative explanations

In this step, you present various potential explanations or solutions to the mystery you have established.

These need to be related to the question outlined above. This could involve highlighting different approaches, strategies, or options that people may consider. By calling out the common explanations, you demonstrate your expertise and provide the reader with a range of possibilities to consider -- deepening the mystery.

4) Nudge towards the proper explanation

After presenting alternative explanations, it's important to provide a clue or hint that guides the reader towards the correct or optimal solution.

This step involves introducing specific evidence, data, testimonials, or examples that support the proper explanation you want to emphasize. A clue helps the reader come to the conclusion on their own, which makes it even more powerful.

5) Envelope the resolution

Once the mystery is solved or the problem is addressed, it's crucial to clearly and convincingly resolve the mystery. This step involves providing a clear and satisfying solution that ties together all the information and hints previously presented. By enveloping the resolution, you bring closure to the mystery and demonstrate how your product or service effectively resolves the problem at hand.

6) Tackle the implications

Finally, it's important to cover the implications of the resolution or solution you have presented. Highlight the benefits, outcomes, or positive consequences that result from choosing your product or service. By tackling the implications, you show the reader how their life, business, or situation will improve by embracing the solution you offer.

Follow the MAGNET framework in your writing and marketing. You can create compelling and engaging content that captures attention, presents a problem, guides the reader towards a solution, and demonstrates the value of your product or service. It's the easiest way to create an air of mystery that makes consumers want more.