Top influencers use a secret to keep viewers addicted to their content. Most viewers don't even realize it.
The worst part is that you are making mistakes, crushing your content as you bring it to a close. But not anymore, my friend.
Why can't you stop watching some creators, even if their videos are long? This is not an accident.
These creators are using secrets that keep your brain craving more. And once you understand these secrets, you'll never look at content the same way again.
I will show you how to create content that is so engaging you'll get comments begging for more.
Think of your content as the most exciting movie ever created. Would you keep watching if that movie revealed everything in the first five minutes? Probably not.
You keep watching a movie because of unanswered questions. Your content needs to create the same level of curiosity to keep people hooked.
Here’s how top creators tap into your curiosity and how you can do it, too.
Imagine you are creating a video about productivity. An average creator might say, "Today I am going to share five tips to be more productive."
This is decent, but it fails to engage the audience, is not very exciting, and is not unique.
A mid-tier creator might say.
"I am going to share with you tips that made me so productive that I made six figures this year. Tip number five was a real game changer."
Viewers see that creators are trying to bait them into watching the entire video.
You need a much more solid open loop.
A God-tier creator would open a piece of content with something like this.
"There is one common habit that is silently wrecking your productivity, and chances are, you do it every single day. And the worst part? You probably think it's helping you. But science says otherwise."
The top creator will also add subtle tension to the video to keep viewers engaged. We will get to this in a moment.
Learn to enjoy creating tension
This is where tension comes in. Good movies are great at creating tension using open loops.
Open loops are situations that remain unresolved. They are gaps you leave in your followers' minds on purpose.
If I said, "Break me of a piece of that…"
Your brain probably completed the thought with the phrase, "Kit Kat Bar."
That is an open loop.
Because your brain wanted to close the loop.
I see a few problems with open loops in content. The first big problem is what I call overt open loops. These are obvious, and your followers know they are being tricked in some way.
I bet you've seen those list videos. The creator often says, "Here are 10 tips for XYZ. Stay till the end; tip 10 is the most important!"
This is an overt open loop. The creator is trying to get us to watch the whole video. Modern audiences are more sophisticated and can pick up on this.
Humans feel uncomfortable with tension.
New creators often start their videos with an open loop, but they rush through it.
This is a mistake.
Creators must learn to get comfortable with tension.
Creating tension in your videos is like fishing.
When fighting a fish, you have to keep constant tension on the line. Overt open loops snap the line, and the fish gets free.
When you use open loops with care throughout your content, you can reel the fish in.
The average creator uses one or two open loops at the beginning of their content. The intro usually feels sharp, aggressive, and rushed.
To be fair, this does work. You might not get a mind-blowing amount of views. But you will see videos 1 million and below that only use a hook (open loop) at the beginning of their content.
Viewers may click off or skip to the end.
If you're reading this newsletter, you want great results from your content. That is what the rest of this newsletter will do for you.
Open Loops
I have categorized open loops into three types.
- Overt Open Loops – These scream ‘PLEASE STAY!’ (Think: "Tip #10 is the most important! Stay to the end!"). Viewers see right through this and may skip ahead or leave.
- Subtle Open Loops – A natural curiosity gap that keeps people watching. Think of how good stories unfold with just enough mystery to keep you engaged.
- Stacked Open Loops – The God-tier strategy. Layer tension over time, like MrBeast’s videos, continuously raising the stakes.
We can create stacked open loops without creating content like Mr. Beast.
Even educational content can stack open loops to become more interesting. Start with questions. Then, suggest the answers but wait to share them later.
Becoming a God-Tier Creator
God-tier creators master the art of tension. They know when to apply pressure and when to ease off, creating a careful balance in their content.
Look at prominent creators like Mr. Beast. His videos start with a powerful hook, but he never closes that loop until the end of the video. He never says, "Stay till the end to find out what happens."
Instead, he stacks tension throughout a piece of content.
He uses techniques like upping the stakes as the video progresses.
MrBeast doesn’t just have a big idea. He keeps viewers hooked by always raising the stakes.
Take his video, in which contestants were locked in a room to see who could last the longest for $50K.
MrBeast didn't just wait. He jumped in, offering smaller cash prizes, a Tesla, and other tempting bribes to get them to quit.
He pulls the fishing line, keeping the loop open so viewers HAVE to see what happens next.
You are romancing your followers
For some followers, it will be their first date… With YOU!
The person will likely run away if you mention marriage in the first five minutes of a first date. You have killed the mystery. You have left nothing to the imagination.
Part of entertainment is leaving something up to the viewers' imagination. Take the popular TV show The Office. The Scranton Strangler has been a long-running theme.
A serial killer is on the loose. Throughout the whole series, we follow the subplot of the Scranton Strangler.
The show explores theories about who it could be and more until, eventually, he is caught. At the end of the series, we learn that the person the police caught may not actually be the Scranton Strangler.
Fans have gone wild guessing who the strangler might be. Many Reddit threads and YouTube videos discuss their theories.
Think about why this subplot worked so well. The Office started dropping breadcrumbs about the Scranton Strangler. They started early in the series and kept the plot going.
Occasionally, they made it seem like one of the cast could be the strangler himself.
Keep Your Audience Wondering
What if you did this in your content? Instead of giving everything away, you can drop breadcrumbs throughout your content.
But here is the genius part: The office creators never closed the loop. Even after the show ended, people were still debating who the real killer was.
Make your content memorable to create evergreen engagement. Your audience should think about it long after it’s published.
This is an open loop that remains open, but it adds to the entertainment factor. Let viewers draw their own conclusions for entertainment.
Think about your content.
Are you revealing too much, too soon? Are you creating a mystery that keeps people thinking even after watching?
Instead of giving everything away, drip-feed your audience breadcrumbs of information. Let them come up with their theories, ask their questions, and keep coming back for answers.
Falling In Love
This is also part of falling in love. There has to be mystery. You must be comfortable creating tension.
God-tier creators on a first date are comfortable with the tension. They follow the natural rhythm of the first date.
On the first date, they share small bits of themselves. They tell little stories to spark conversation, but they don’t ask the person to move in immediately.
They come from a non-needy place.
Most creators who jump in with an overt open loop use the "I NEED YOU TO LIKE ME" approach.
It's like arriving at a first date with a wedding ring, a moving truck, and a list of baby names. It's too much, too soon, and comes off as desperate.
The best first dates have mystery. Enough to keep the conversation going.
A true master who lets curiosity build naturally without forcing it.
By the end of your content, you should leave your followers wanting more. It should feel like a perfect date that you never want to end. It's so great that it's suddenly closing time, and the server has to ask you two lovebirds to leave.
This is what we want to create with our content—the sense of wanting more.
You want to give your viewers the sense that there will be another date.
"I Don't Want It To End"
Average creators tell you the video is coming to an end. Like a bad date, they stand up, awkwardly push the chair back, and lean in for a hug. Instead, they give you a high five and walk away.
God-tier creators do not, and I repeat, DO NOT have an explicit cutoff in their videos. They give no clues that the video is ending. They ease into the call to action.
They never say words like "finally," "lastly," or "here at the end." They keep their endings ambiguous.
Average Creator:
"My final tip for you for first dates is too blah blah blah. Thank you for watching and I will see you in the next video."
God Tier Creator:
- Gives the last tip without saying the word "final."
- Doesn't say thank you or see you next time, or anything like that.
Suppose you were a God-tier creator creating content about getting a date. This is what the end of your content would look like.
"Remember, on a first date, just be yourself and don't tell them everything. Leave some things up to mystery. Your date probably doesn't need to hear about the time your brother pantsed you on the playground.
Mystery is one of the most important aspects of love that most get wrong. Which is crushing their dating results. If you want to learn the true secrets of mystery without looking like a serial killer watch this video here".
In this example, the creator doesn't do anything to close the content, which is exactly what we want to do.
They are easing into the next date and leaving the opportunity open.
If your retention sucks, I guarantee you are making this mistake.
The next time you are working on a piece of content, don't end it. Ease into the next logical step. Leave them begging for more. This is how you create binge-worthy content. This is how you turn casual viewers into rabid fans.
Your Action Steps:
- Remove obvious phrases that signal the end of content.
- Leave intentional open loops unresolved.
- Use subtle language to lead into your CTA naturally.
- Increase stack tension to build viewer anticipation.
But here's the real secret: Open Loops are the beginning. Open loops changed how I create content. But wait until you see the storytelling hack that boosted my viewer retention tenfold overnight! You can read it here.
Thank you,
Chris Reck
P.S. Here are more ways I can help you make your Dent!
You can read my past newsletters here Chris Reck Letters
#1: Want To Ask Me A Question?: Dent Makers is a coaching group with monthly calls and a community designed to help you make your DENT on social media. Join Here
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Meet your host
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Chris Reck
A seasoned YouTube creator with over a decade of experience crafting impactful digital content. For the past 10 years, I’ve dedicated myself to helping others carve out their unique space online through Dent Makers, a vibrant community dedicated to empowering aspiring experts, creators, and entrepreneurs.
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