60 irresistible open loop templates to keep your audience hooked

Want content your audience can’t stop reading? These 60 open loop templates spark curiosity instantly.

Before you use these, it’s worth reading The secret to keeping readers hooked (it’s easier than you think)

These templates are flexible, so adapt them to fit your specific niche or audience.

They work well for:

• Blog titles

• Email subject lines

• Social media captions

• YouTube video headlines

Open loop templates for headlines or hooks

1. The surprising insight

   • "The one thing you should stop doing if you want [desired result]."

   • "What nobody tells you about [common activity or goal]."

2. The big mistake

   • "Are you making this mistake that’s costing you [specific consequence]?"

   • "The biggest mistake people make when [action or goal]."

3. The secret formula

   • "The [number]-step system for [achieving a specific goal]."

   • "My go-to strategy for [specific outcome] - and why it works every time."

4. The untold story

   • "How I [achieved something remarkable], and what I learned along the way."

   • "The real reason behind [unexpected result or common frustration]."

5. The unusual discovery

   • "The unexpected lesson I learned from [everyday situation or experience]."

   • "Why [something counterintuitive] could be the key to [desired outcome]."

6. The challenge

   • "Can you guess the [unexpected element] that makes all the difference in [goal]?"

   • "I bet you’ve never thought of this when [doing something common]."

7. The counterintuitive advice

   • "Why [something people believe] is actually holding you back."

   • "You don’t need [common belief or tool] to succeed at [goal] - here’s what you need instead."

8. The step-by-step reveal

   • "Here’s how to [achieve a goal] in just [specific time or effort]."

   • "The exact process I used to [achieve a result]."

9. The case study hook

   • "How [person/brand] went from [starting point] to [impressive result]."

   • "What I learned from [someone’s story or journey] that changed how I approach [problem or goal]."

10. The transformation

    • "What happened when I tried [specific approach or tactic]."

    • "The before-and-after results of [making a change or trying something new]."

11. The unexpected twist

    • "I thought [belief/action] would help, but what actually worked shocked me."

    • "What I realised about [common goal or problem] that changed everything."

12. The big reveal

    • "The truth about [common topic] no one talks about."

    • "Here’s what really happens when you [take a specific action]."

13. The myth buster

    • "The biggest lie about [specific topic or goal]."

    • "Why [common assumption] isn’t as true as you think."

14. The challenge or dare

    • "What would happen if you [did something bold or unconventional]?"

    • "I tried [something unconventional] - here’s what I learned."

15. The “you’re not alone” reassurance

    • "If you’ve ever struggled with [specific issue], this is for you."

    • "Feeling [common frustration]? Here’s why it’s not your fault - and what to do next."

16. The curiosity gap

    • "The [unexpected or unusual thing] that completely changed how I [achieved goal]."

    • "What [unexpected element] taught me about [specific topic]."

17. The relatable mistake

    • "I thought I was doing everything right - until [something went wrong]."

    • "The mistake I didn’t realise I was making (and how I fixed it)."

18. The simplified solution

    • "The easiest way to [achieve goal] without [common obstacle or frustration]."

    • "How to [achieve goal] even if you [specific limitation or concern]."

19. The personal confession

    • "I used to believe [common belief] - until I discovered [unexpected truth]."

    • "What I learned the hard way about [specific challenge or goal]."

20. The time-specific promise

    • "In [number] minutes, you’ll learn how to [achieve goal]."

    • "By the end of this [content type], you’ll know exactly how to [solve a problem]."

Open-loop ideas for blogs and articles

1. The unresolved problem

• "Why your [specific tool/strategy] isn’t working (and how to fix it)."

• "The surprising reason [specific group of people] struggle with [common goal]."

2. The unexpected twist

• "What happened when I stopped [common habit] for 30 days."

• "The one thing I changed that completely transformed my [specific result]."

3. The personal story hook

• "How I nearly gave up on [specific goal] - and what turned things around."

• "The day I realised I’d been doing [specific task] all wrong."

4. The missing link

• "The one thing nobody tells you about [specific process or goal]."

• "What most people forget when trying to [achieve specific outcome]."

5. The bold challenge

• "Can you guess the [specific mistake or insight] that’s holding you back?"

• "Think you’re doing [specific task] the right way? Think again."

6. The relatable mistake

• "I thought [common belief or practice] was the answer - until I tried this."

• "The mistake I didn’t realise I was making with [specific task]."

7. The big reveal

• "What I learned about [specific topic] that changed everything."

• "Why [unexpected behaviour or action] could be the key to [specific goal]."

8. The teaser insight

• "There’s one thing I wish I’d known before [specific event or decision]."

• "What [specific group] get wrong about [common goal or assumption]."

9. The unconventional strategy

• "Why I stopped [common habit] and started [unconventional action]."

• "The surprising strategy that helped me [achieve goal]."

10. The expert secret

• "What [industry expert] taught me about [specific skill or outcome]."

• "The best advice I ever got about [specific challenge or goal]."

11. The cliff-hanger story

• "I once made a [specific mistake] that cost me [specific consequence] - but here’s what I learned."

• "A client once told me [specific comment or problem] - you’ll never believe what happened next."

12. The myth buster

• "The biggest myth about [specific topic] - and why it’s holding you back."

• "Why [common belief] is wrong - and what actually works instead."

13. The roadmap promise

• "Here’s exactly how to [achieve specific goal] in [short time frame]."

• "The step-by-step guide to [specific result]."

14. The challenge hook

• "What would happen if you [did something unconventional]?"

• "Could you survive a week without [specific tool or habit]? Here’s what happened when I tried."

15. The time-tested solution

• "The [specific number]-year-old strategy that still works for [goal]."

• "What history taught me about [specific modern problem or goal]."

16. The ‘not what you think’ angle

• "Why [specific tool or advice] isn’t the solution you think it is."

• "The real reason [specific group or outcome] struggles with [specific challenge]."

17. The counterintuitive insight

• "Why doing less of [specific action] could actually get you better results."

• "The counterintuitive trick that helped me [achieve goal faster]."

18. The big comparison

• "What [specific group or person] does differently - and why it works."

• "How [unexpected source or concept] can teach you about [specific challenge or goal]."

19. The cliff-hanger insight

• "I tried [specific action] - the results surprised me."

• "You won’t believe what happened when I [attempted specific goal]."

20. The "what if" question

• "What if you stopped [specific action] for a month?"

• "What would change if you approached [specific challenge] differently?"

Open-loop ideas for storytelling

1. The cliff-hanger opening

• "I knew something was wrong the moment I stepped into the room."

• "It started like any other day - until I got the phone call that changed everything."

2. The unexpected twist

• "I thought I was doing everything right, but what happened next completely threw me off."

• "I never expected to find myself in [unexpected situation], yet here I was."

3. The secret reveal

• "There’s something I’ve never shared about [specific event or experience]."

• "What happened that day taught me a lesson I still carry with me."

4. The foreshadowing hook

• "If I’d known what was about to happen, I would have done things differently."

• "Looking back, all the signs were there - I just didn’t see them yet."

5. The unresolved conflict

• "Everything was going perfectly, until [specific event] turned it all upside down."

• "We thought we had it all figured out - then disaster struck."

6. The relatable dilemma

• "Have you ever felt like you were doing all the right things, but nothing was working?"

• "I found myself at a crossroads, unsure of which way to go."

7. The unusual question

• "What would you do if [unexpected scenario] happened to you?"

• "Have you ever had a moment where you questioned everything you thought you knew?"

8. The mystery setup

• "It all started with a strange email that landed in my inbox."

• "I couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right."

9. The incomplete story

• "I once met someone who completely changed my perspective - but not in the way you’d expect."

• "There’s a moment in my life I’ll never forget, and it all began with [specific detail]."

10. The shocking outcome

• "What happened next shocked me - and taught me an unforgettable lesson."

• "I couldn’t believe what unfolded after [specific event or decision]."

11. The lesson in disguise

• "At first, I thought it was a complete failure, but then I realised [unexpected insight]."

• "What seemed like a disaster at the time turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me."

12. The high-stakes moment

• "We only had one shot to get it right, and the pressure was on."

• "I felt like everything was riding on this one decision."

13. The “what if” scenario

• "What if I’d made a different choice that day?"

• "I sometimes wonder how things would’ve turned out if I’d followed my gut instead."

14. The time-bound challenge

• "I had just 24 hours to figure out [specific problem]."

• "With the clock ticking, I knew I had to act fast."

15. The misstep

• "I thought I was being smart, but in reality, I was making a huge mistake."

• "What I didn’t realise at the time was that [specific mistake] would cost me dearly."

16. The pivotal moment

• "There was a moment when everything changed - and I’ll never forget it."

• "I didn’t realise it at the time, but that decision would shape everything that came next."

17. The emotional pull

• "I was heartbroken, but I knew I couldn’t give up."

• "I didn’t think I had it in me to keep going, but then [specific event] happened."

18. The unexpected hero

• "Help came from the most unlikely place, and it changed everything."

• "Just when I thought all hope was lost, [specific person or event] came through."

19. The “aha” moment

• "It wasn’t until [specific event] that I finally understood [insight]."

• "Everything clicked when I realised [unexpected truth]."

20. The open-ended setup

• "I wish I could say that was the end of it, but the story doesn’t stop there."

• "What happened next is something I’ll never forget."

Open loops are the secret to grabbing attention and keeping it.

These templates give you a simple way to spark curiosity, guide your audience, and keep them engaged.

The key? Always deliver on your promise. An open loop is only as powerful as its resolution.

Now it’s your turn - pick a template, try it out, and see how your audience responds.

Which one will you start with?