Ignite Curiosity: Open Loops in Copywriting
Hook, intrigue, and please your audience with this simple storytelling strategy.
One of my favorite storytelling techniques is intentionally starting a narrative with an unresolved question or incomplete statement—an “open loop.”
“A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...” blew my seven-year-old self’s mind. My goodness I couldn’t wait to see what was coming!
Here’s another thought-provoking open loop to start a story:
“In my younger and more vulnerable years, my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since.”
-- F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
And this first line:
“It was the day my grandmother exploded."
-- Iain Banks, The Crow Road
Holy cow.
Just like the iconic Star Wars intro and the opening lines from the books above, an open loop instantly hooks the audience and instills an irresistible curiosity about what will unfold next.
When used strategically, they can help small businesses with their copywriting and marketing strategies.
Key points about this technique:
Purpose: To capture attention, build anticipation, and motivate the reader to take the desired action (e.g., reading more, signing up, making a purchase).
How it works: Our brains are wired to seek closure and resolve unfinished business. This inherent curiosity drives us to find answers to questions or resolve conflicts.
Where to use: Almost anywhere in your marketing--Headlines, introductions, body text, product descriptions, calls to action, and email subject lines.
Examples:
Headline/Email Subject Line: "This one odd trick saved me 50% on my energy bill (but nobody wants you to know about it!)"
Introduction: "Imagine waking up every morning feeling refreshed and energized..."
Body text: "But there's one thing most people don't know about [product]..."
Call to action: "Discover the secret for yourself! Click here to learn more."
While open loops are great supplements to your marketing strategy, it’s important to use them sparingly. Overuse risks losing the novelty and effectiveness. Imagine if your favorite TV show ended every episode with a cliff hanger. It wouldn’t be your favorite show for very long.
You also don’t want to leave your potential customer hanging indefinitely. Make it easy to find answers to questions or solutions to problems within your copy. Closing the loop should be satisfying and valuable to your audience.
Imagine, for example, you are scrolling through Instagram and an ad catches your eye: “The ONE Mistake Killing Your New Year’s Weight Loss Resolution.” Intrigued, you click. But instead of revealing the mistake, you’re brought to a landing page offering a “free webinar” to find out the answer. Feeling misled and understandably annoyed, you swipe out of the screen as quickly as you can.
The power of storytelling lies in more than just unanswered questions. It’s about creating a narrative that resonates with your audience, building trust, and ultimately persuading them that your product or service will solve their problem. Use open loops wisely, but never forget the story you want to tell.
As Maya Angelou famously said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." Let your copywriting leave a lasting impression that goes beyond the initial intrigue.