5-steps to hold attention on LinkedIn

Are you missing the "itch" factor?

Hey there, Digital Writers!

Want to know the secret to holding attention on LinkedIn?

It’s not magic.

The answer is open loops.

Hooks get all the love on social media. And they should, because they grab attention.

But an open loop?

They hold your reader’s attention hostage until the end.

Hook: "Want leads on LinkedIn?"

Open Loop: "My DMs blew up after I stopped doing this one thing:"

See the difference?

It’s curiosity and suspense.

One teases, the other promises to reveal (but only if you read all the to the end).

They make your brain itch for closure.

The Curiosity Gap

Dr. George Loewenstein calls this the "Information Gap Theory."

He states, "Curiosity arises when there is a gap between what we know and what we want to know." When readers sense that gap, they must fill it.

For example, check out this post from Dickie.

You want to know the 7 questions. Because you think those questions might be the ticket to finally getting out of your 9-5. Gap opened.

Conversely, if your posts aren't getting the engagement you want, chances are you're not opening a gap.

Now, here’s another mistake writer’s make that cause an open loop to fail:

The Never Ending Loop

When you drag on for too lonnnng or worse, never close a loop, you'll lose your audience.

You have to strike a balance between suspense and timely resolution.

Imagine Dickie wrote this post instead:

The ONLY shortcut in life:

Learning from the people ahead of you.

But most people have no idea what questions to ask.

I ask 7 questions of all my mentors.

These helped me quit my job and escape the Wall Street rat race.

Don't waste their time "jumping on a quick call to pick their brain."

Instead, ask targeted questions they will be interested in thinking about.

Instant progress.

What happened?

You don’t get the 7 questions, so now you’re disappointed. And you leave. If you do this enough times, then you become an easy unfollow.

You have to close the loop.

Let’s put this into practice.

How To Build An Open Loop

Here’s the blueprint.

Step 1: Find A Painful Problem

Think about the problems your audience is obsessing over.

What keeps them up at night? What’s that one thing that will make them say, “I need to read this”?

• "I'm underpaid and overworked."

• "My job applications are ignored."

• "I'm anxious about public speaking at work."

Write it down.

Step 2: Write Your 1st Sentence

Your first sentence = EVERYTHING.

Start with any of the 6 proven single-sentence openers. For example: “Want to know the secret to writing a post that always go viral?”

• "Can a single email double your salary?"

• "Your resume is killing your career.”

• "92% of job seekers fail this 5-second test."

This is your hook.

Step 3: Build Suspense

Don’t reveal everything at once.

Tease the reader with a promise. What do they get if they keep reading? Drop breadcrumbs.

• "I used a 3-line email template that landed me a 6-figure offer..."

• "I discovered a resume hack that got me calls from Google and Apple..."

• "The 'backwards' presentation method that made me a company star..."

Every sentence should make them want to read the next.

Step 4: Raise The Emotional Quotient

Make your reader feel something. Tell a relatable story. State your opinion or make a bold statement.

• "After years of being overlooked, I was ready to quit. Then I discovered..."

• "Rejection after rejection, my confidence was shattered until..."

• "My hands shook every time I spoke up. Now I command boardrooms because..."

Your readers need to feel like you’re speaking directly to them.

Step 5: Close The Loop

Finally, give them what you promised.

• "The winning email: 'Dear [Boss], Our recent project increased revenue by 200%. I'd like to discuss how we can replicate this success. Do you have time this week?'"

• "Resume power phrase: 'Increased department efficiency by 50% through implementation of [specific tool], resulting in $500K annual savings.'"

• "Speaking trick: Open with a relatable mistake. 'Last year, I lost a major client. Here's what I learned...'

If you're staring at your screen, clueless about what to write next, not to worry.

Here's a simple AI prompt to get you started:

Bonus: Write An Open Loop Post With AI

Insert your topic and audience into the script below.

Then run the prompt: