The Social Media Trick Big Brands Use to Hijack Your Attention (And How You Can Too)
Scroll through your feed and it feels like magic. One second you are mindlessly thumbing past breakfast photos and vacation selfies, the next you are glued to a brand’s post you never planned on seeing. You watch the whole video, you laugh at the caption, maybe you even click through to their profile.
This is not an accident. Big brands are playing chess while most people are still learning checkers. They know one powerful trick to hijack your attention and they use it relentlessly. The good news is that you can steal their playbook and make it work for you.
Before we dig into exactly what this trick is, here is the truth: your growth depends on mastering attention. If your posts do not stop the scroll, nothing else matters. Want us to take this off your plate and craft attention-grabbing posts for you? Book a free call with Multipost Digital today.
The Trick: Open Loops That Demand Closure
The human brain hates unfinished stories. Psychologists call it the Zeigarnik Effect. When you are teased with information but not given the full picture, your brain keeps tugging until you close the loop.
Big brands know this. That is why you see headlines like “The mistake you are making right now” or captions that start with “Wait until you see what happens next.” They build tension and hold your attention hostage until they deliver the answer.
Instead of dumping information upfront, they bait curiosity. And it works. A vague tease beats a blunt statement every time because your brain cannot resist filling in the gap.
Why Open Loops Beat Bland Posts Every Time
Most businesses post like they are writing a report. They lead with the conclusion. “Our new product is live.” “We just launched a sale.” Straightforward, yes. But effective? No.
The problem is that clarity without curiosity does not hook. People are already overloaded with information. They do not have the mental space for another announcement.
Compare these two posts:
“Our new skincare serum is available now.”
“The tiny mistake in your routine that’s been wrecking your skin (and the serum that fixes it).”
The first is information. The second is a loop that begs to be closed. One is ignored, the other is clicked.
If you are tired of posting into silence, it is not because you are not working hard. It is because you are not working smart. Big brands have mastered this. You can too.
How To Build Open Loops Into Your Content
The trick is not complicated, but it does require practice. Here are three proven ways to hijack attention with open loops.
1. Tease the Consequence
Instead of giving the answer, lead with the problem. Example: “This one mistake is killing your engagement.” Readers cannot leave until they know what it is.
2. Start with Suspense
Think like a thriller. Tease the middle of the story, then rewind. Example: “I almost quit social media last year. Here’s what stopped me.”
3. Ask a Loaded Question
Pose a question that demands an answer. Example: “What if the algorithm is not killing your reach… but your content is?”
Each of these creates curiosity debt. People need to keep watching or reading to repay it.
Real Brand Examples That Prove It Works
Look at any viral campaign and you will see open loops in action.
A fast-food chain might tease: “The secret ingredient you have been eating for years.” A fitness brand might say: “Why your cardio habit is actually making you weaker.” Even entertainment giants drop trailers that reveal everything except the ending.
The formula is the same: create tension, delay the payoff, then cash in with a reveal that feels satisfying.
If billion-dollar brands are leaning on this psychological trick, why wouldn’t you? The only difference is scale. They run entire departments testing loop-driven content. You can start with one post today.
Need help turning this science into posts your audience cannot ignore? Let Multipost Digital handle it for you.
Where to Use Open Loops for Maximum Impact
You might think this trick only works in video. Not true. It is universal.
Captions: Start with a cliffhanger sentence.
Thumbnails: Show part of the story but leave the key detail hidden.
Stories: Use text like “Part 1” to signal there is more coming.
Emails: Tease the main lesson in the subject line but reveal it inside.
The format does not matter. The psychology is the same. People will always crave closure.
The Fine Line Between Curiosity and Clickbait
Here is the warning: do not cross into deception.
Clickbait is when you tease one thing and deliver something else. That erodes trust. Open loops only work long term if the payoff feels worth it. Big brands know this. They may bait you with curiosity, but they reward you with value.
So when you use open loops, ask yourself: will my audience thank me for staying, or feel tricked? If it is the former, you are building loyalty. If it is the latter, you are burning it.
How To Practice Without Burning Out
You do not need to rewrite your entire content strategy. Start small.
Pick one post this week. Rewrite the opening line as an open loop.
Track how it performs compared to your normal style.
Repeat and refine.
Over time, this will become second nature. You will start spotting curiosity gaps everywhere and filling them into your own content.
The best part? This does not require extra hours or expensive tools. It is a shift in framing that delivers exponential results.
Why This Matters More Than Ever
Algorithms reward engagement. Engagement starts with attention. And attention begins with the hook.
If your posts are being ignored, it is not because your product is bad or your team is lazy. It is because your openings are not strong enough to stop the scroll. Big brands hijack attention because they know that without it, nothing else happens.
The difference between silence and shares is often just one better opening line.
Turn Curiosity Into Conversions
Imagine every post you make pulling people deeper instead of letting them slip away. Imagine your comments doubling, your DMs filling, your clicks spiking. That is what happens when you master open loops.
Attention leads to trust. Trust leads to sales. But it all begins with the hook that stops them from scrolling past you in the first place.
If you want a shortcut, we have one. Work with Multipost Digital and we will craft your open-loop strategy for you. We test, we refine, and we know what works because we have done it across millions of views.
Do not let your posts fade into the feed. Use the same psychological trick big brands rely on every day. Your audience is waiting to be hooked.
