The Secret That Sucks Readers In
They’ll Lean In. You’ll Reel ’Em In.
Dear Copy Tease Tactician,
There’s one sneaky trick great copywriters use to keep readers glued to every line.
It’s not a gimmick. It’s not hype. It’s a psychological principle baked into human behaviour.
It’s called the Open Loop.
And once you learn how to use it, your copy won’t just get read. It will pull people through every sentence.
What is an Open Loop?
An open loop is an idea, question, or story you start but don’t finish.
Not right away, at least.
Think movie trailers. Netflix recaps. That one sentence that makes you scroll to the end of a Twitter thread.
It’s the promise of resolution. And the brain hates unfinished business.
That’s what makes it such a powerful copywriting tool.
4 Ways to Use Open Loops in Your Copy
1. Ask a High-Stakes Question
Make them want the answer so bad, they have to keep reading.
Example: "What if the one thing killing your conversions is the one thing you think is helping?"
2. Tease the Payoff
Start the benefit. Don’t finish it. Let curiosity fill the gap.
Example: "Most copywriters miss this one sentence. It’s the difference between 2% and 8% conversions."
3. Interrupt the Pattern
Say something weird, bold, or contradictory. Then hint there’s a reason behind it.
Example: "I lost money on purpose. Here's why that got me 3 new clients."
4. Start a Story. Stop Midway.
Stories are natural open loops. Start a personal or client story and pause just before the punchline.
Example: "She was about to walk away from the deal. Then I said five words that flipped everything."
Before we jump into the prompt, let me tell you how it was built.
This prompt is designed to help you create copy that grabs attention fast and refuses to let go.
Each piece maps directly to one of the open loop strategies you just learned:
Ask the right question.
Tease a big result.
Break their expectations.
Start a story.
Leave them hanging.
These hooks aren’t just eye-catching. They’re mind-hitching. They stick until satisfied.
Curiosity Hook Builder Prompt
We’re going to do this in 3 steps.
Step 1: Fill in [your topic or big idea]
This is what the content is really about.
Examples:
[Why most landing pages bounce readers in under 8 seconds]
[How to build authority with zero credentials]
[The power of using silence in sales calls]
Step 2: Fill in [the curiosity trigger you want to spark]
This is what your reader wants to know or uncover.
Examples:
[What makes a hook irresistible]
[How to fix a broken CTA in one sentence]
[Why most email intros fail]
Step 3: Paste this prompt into your AI tool:
Write 3 open loop copy hooks about [your topic or big idea]. Each hook should create curiosity by teasing [the curiosity trigger you want to spark]. Use emotional tension, unanswered questions, or incomplete stories. Keep each line under 20 words. Make the reader want to keep reading.Real-World Open Loops That Work
Example 1: Ramit Sethi's Email Hook "Most people won’t take this offer. And they’ll regret it." Why it works: Creates tension and FOMO in one shot. You need to know what the offer is.
Example 2: Apple Product Launch "There’s one more thing." Why it works: Steve Jobs made this phrase legendary. It signals something big is coming, but doesn’t say what.
Example 3: Morning Brew’s Newsletter Intro "This story ends with a CEO in handcuffs. But it starts with a sandwich." Why it works: You can’t not read the middle. You want to know how A leads to B.
Bringing It Home
Alright. You’ve seen what an open loop is. You’ve seen what it does.
Now it’s time to weaponize it.
Pick one line. Just one. A teaser. A cliffhanger.
A sentence that punches curiosity in the gut.
Then?
Use it. Smack it at the top of your next post, email, or page.
Don’t explain it.
Don’t wrap it up.
Let it dangle.
Let your reader chase the answer.
Because when you open a loop... you open a mind.
Stay sharp,
Your Copywriting Coach
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