The Psychology Behind the Open-Loop: Keeping Your Audience Coming Back for More

By using the open loop phenomenon in your marketing efforts, you’re not just keeping your audience engaged—you’re creating a journey they won’t want to end. And that’s a story worth telling.

Why is it so hard to watch only one episode of your favorite TV series on Netflix? WHY?

Thanks to streaming platforms such as Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Max, it is getting easier and easier for us mindless, lazy Sunday humans to say YES to “just one more episode.” (And by one more episode, I mean more like 4). These services make it easy to binge-watch by automatically counting down to the next episode before your pulse can return to normal after the jaw-dropping ending of the previous episode. 

There’s something irresistibly compelling about an unfinished story that keeps us hooked, eager to find out what happens next. This powerful psychological phenomenon is known as the open loop, and it’s a game-changer in the world of content marketing and paid advertising.

As a digital marketer, I’ve seen firsthand how leveraging open loops can skyrocket engagement and conversions. Today, I want to share with you how this strategy works and how you can apply it to captivate your audience in the same way those addictive TV shows do.

 

What is the Open Loop Tactic?

The Open Loop is the phenomenon that describes what happens when unfinished tasks stay in your mind. In psychology, it’s called the Zeigarnik Effect, a principle discovered in 1927 by Lithuanian-Soviet psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik. 

The effect suggests that people remember uncompleted or interrupted tasks better than completed ones. 

In other words, our brains are naturally inclined to seek closure, and unfinished tasks or stories linger in our minds until they’re resolved. (Think about the closure you never got from your first high school break-up, and how you still think about it sometimes). According to Kendra Cherry in her article The Zeigarnik Effect and Memory, this effect explains why we feel a mental itch when something is left hanging. 

The universal appeal of storytelling relies heavily on the creation and completion of open loops to grab our interest, create and resolve tension, and keep us coming back for more. When you only get a snippet of a story, you’re dying to know how it ends. Take one of the classic storytelling frameworks for example: The Hero’s Journey. At the moment of highest tension, where it looks like all hope is lost, we desperately need to know how the hero will eventually beat the villain and emerge victorious.

What does this have to do with marketing? Let’s first examine this phenomenon from the perspective of watching a dramatic episode of a show. For example, think about when you’re at the end of an episode of Stanger Things you’ve been watching. As the episode draws to a close, Billy crashes his car. When he goes to investigate the damage, he’s dragged into the mill by an unseen force. 

The screen goes blank. 

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? You have no idea. Your cortisol levels skyrocket. Anxiety ensues. You absolutely have to know what happens next. 

Lucky for you, the next episode is ready and waiting for your consumption! Press play and all those anxieties will go away. Your cortisol levels will return to normal.

The phenomenon works so well that Netflix began splitting seasons of their popular original programming into two parts in 2022. Rather than giving viewers an entire new season at once, splitting seasons up allowed Netflix and other streaming services to consistently keep their content relevant and hold viewers’ attention.

As a marketer, I find this concept of creating a physical need to consume more information extremely attractive, but also elusive. So how do I use the Open Loop tactic to get site visitors to stick around? To get a reader to click on another blog post rather than leaving your site without looking back? Or to turn email subscribers into paying customers?

 

Cliffhangers

See? It worked! 

The number one rule of cliffhangers? NEVER give away all the information at once. If you do, you might never hear from your audience again. Draw your readers in, present the problem and tease the answer in a Tweet or a Facebook post and make them click. 

Buzzfeed is an expert at this! With headlines like, “Crappy content is killing your conversion rates, now you can change that.” or “Join our email list to find out how you can boost your open rates with 6 easy steps.” the reader is presented with a problem with no apparent solution in sight. Because the reader is hard-wired to need closure they feel like they have to tie up loose ends, so they keep going in search of that resolution.

Once you get your readers to click, give them the information they need to feel like they’ve solved the problem you presented (with your help of course).

Now, I am by no means saying that every piece of content that you put out there should be a cliffhanger. At some point, you will have to provide a story and answers. 

Storytelling in marketing isn’t just about entertainment; it’s a strategic tool for creating emotional connections. By weaving open loops into our narratives—whether in blog posts, videos, or social media—we can evoke curiosity and encourage deeper engagement. If you need some help getting started, check out this post with 10 different, proven copywriting formulas that will help you captivate your audience.

 

Implementing Open Loops in Marketing Content

In the context of marketing, open loops tap into our audience’s innate curiosity. By presenting information that is incomplete or posing questions without immediate answers, we create a psychological trigger that encourages them to continue engaging with our content. This strategy not only grabs attention but also holds it, guiding potential customers further along the conversion path.

Let me show you some examples of how I use open loops in our digital marketing:

 

Crafting Engaging Blog Posts

When writing blog posts, consider beginning with a compelling story or a question that doesn’t get resolved until the end. This technique keeps readers engaged as they seek answers. Additionally, teasing future content or upcoming revelations can entice readers to return to your site.

 

Using Open Loops in Email Marketing

Email marketing is ripe for open-loop strategies. Subject lines that hint at exciting news or valuable insights without giving everything away can significantly increase open rates. 

Within the body of the email, you can create open loops by previewing content that will be shared in future emails, encouraging subscribers to stay tuned.

 

Open Loops in Case Studies

If case studies are mini stories that you tell to build authority, why not incorporate an open loop? You can use a statistic or data point early on that you return to and explain in more detail later. 

We use this tactic in our own case studies to show how our clients’ problems are resolved by working with us to build brand awareness, generate leads, or boost conversions.

 

Creating Compelling Ad Copy

In paid advertising, every word counts. Crafting ad copy that piques interest without revealing too much can drive users to click through to your landing page. Questions, bold statements, or hints at solving a problem can serve as effective open loops.

 

Best Practices and Potential Pitfalls

Ensuring Ethical Use

While open loops are powerful, it’s essential to use them ethically. Always deliver on the promises you make. If you tease valuable content or solutions, make sure you provide them. This builds trust and credibility with your audience.

 

Avoiding Overuse

Overusing open loops can lead to audience fatigue or frustration. Balance is key! Use open loops strategically rather than in every piece of content to keep your audience intrigued without overwhelming them.

Reflecting on my own experience, I can’t emphasize enough the transformative impact open loops have had on my marketing campaigns. By tapping into the natural human desire for closure, we’ve been able to significantly boost engagement and drive conversions.

If you’re looking to elevate your content marketing and paid advertising strategies, I encourage you to experiment with open loops. Start small, measure your results, and refine your approach based on what works best for your audience.

Ready to take your marketing to the next level? Our team of digital marketing experts is here to help you craft compelling narratives that captivate your audience and support your business growth. Contact us today to discover how we can partner together to achieve your marketing goals.

 

Editor’s note: Our team of digital marketing experts is always on the lookout to bring you the most up-to-date and comprehensive information about our industry. This post was originally published in November 2014 and has been updated to reflect current best practices.