The Zeigarnik Effect: The Psychological Glitch That Can Explode Your Marketing Results Part 4 – 17 Smoking-Hot Tips to Use the Zeigarnik Effect in Your Business

by Shane Doyle · October 30, 2025

(Warning: may cause obsessive refreshing, click-happy subscribers, and dangerously high conversion rates.)

Drop That Mic Mid-Sentence

Use cliffhangers in blog posts, videos, and emails. End right before the payoff to trigger that sweet tension.

Example: “And that’s when everything changed for my business—but I’ll tell you what happened in tomorrow’s email.”
Why it works: Their brain needs closure. So they stay hooked.

Turn Your Emails Into Mini-Series

Don’t info-dump. Break your topic into juicy parts and label them.

Subject Line Hack: “Part 1 of 3: Why Most Funnels Fail (and What I Did Instead)”

Now they’re anticipating the next message like it’s the next episode of a true crime podcast.

Chop Up Your Long-Form Videos

Have a 30-minute tutorial? Split it into three bingeable clips.

End each part with: “In Part 2, I’ll show you the twist that saved me $7,000…”

Result: More views, more subs, more replay time.

Let People Peek Behind the Curtain

Use phrases like “beta mode,” “early access,” or “this is still in progress…”

People love the feeling of watching something evolve—and they stick around to see how it ends.

Turn Courses Into Cliffhanger Central

Drip out your modules. Show locked lessons. Tease what’s coming next.

Example: “You’ve finished Module 2. But wait until you hit Module 3—that’s where I reveal how I nearly tanked my first launch.”
Think: Netflix, but for info products.

Incomplete Checklists = Completion Triggers

Give people a juicy, partially done checklist.

Show 30–50% progress. That half-finished bar eats at their soul (in a good way).

They must finish it. Because psychology.

Cart Abandonment That Feels Like a Cliffhanger

Don’t just say “Hey, you left something behind.”

Say: “You were this close to unlocking the strategy that tripled my income in 60 days. Want to see what it was?”

Curiosity → Click → Checkout.

Gate the Good Stuff

Let people consume the first half of your best content. Then?

Boom: “Want to see how this ends? Drop your email here.”

Now they’re emotionally invested in unlocking it.

Make a Pre-Sell Page That Teases the Transformation

“This is coming soon. You don’t want to miss it.”

No buy button. Just a waitlist and a whisper of what’s to come.

Scarcity + curiosity = explosive early demand.

Mirror Their Unfinished Goals on Landing Pages

Instead of: “This course helps you build a business.”

Try: “Still haven’t launched your first offer? Let’s fix that.”

Your headline should sound like it walked straight out of their subconscious.

Social Post Cliffhangers = Cross-Platform Clicks

Post tips 1–3 on Twitter. Send people to your email list for tips 4–6.

Now they’re chasing closure across your entire content ecosystem like it’s a scavenger hunt.

Drip-Feed Your Membership Content

One new piece a week. Always something next.

No binging allowed—this ain’t Netflix.

This keeps members paying and keeps engagement high.

Make Your Lead Magnet the First Step—Not the Full Solution

Give ‘em the appetizer, not the entrée.

Example: “Here’s the strategy I used to build my list—but the automation system that made it hands-free? That’s inside the course.”

Lead magnet = curiosity magnet.

Gamify Their Progress Like It’s Mario Kart

“Congrats! You’ve unlocked 3 of 7 levels.”

Give badges, points, and milestones. Progress + unfinished business = dopamine and drive.

End Your Content with a Big, Open-Ended Question

Instead of wrapping up neatly, try: “What would happen if you applied this to your audience today?”

This invites comments, shares, and mental chewing. A sticky thought is a viral one.

Use Progress Bars Everywhere

80% done? They’re gonna finish it.

Show this in:

Quizzes
Courses
Checklists
Email sequences

And even on your thank-you page: “Step 1 of 3 complete. You’re almost there…”

Sales Pages with Missing Puzzle Pieces

Frame your offer as the missing key to something they’ve already started.

Example: “You’ve got traffic. You’ve got a product. But if conversions still suck? You’re missing this piece—let me show you.”

Final Tip: Stack ‘Em Like Pancakes

One loop is good. Multiple, overlapping loops? That’s where the obsession starts.

And if you think this was good…

Wait until you see what’s coming next month…

Inside Part 2: Your Swipe-and-Deploy Toolkit (a.k.a. Where Things Get Deliciously Dangerous)

The ‘Ellipsis Ambush’ – Why ending with “but…”, “until…”, or “here’s why…” hijacks the reader’s brain (and inbox) with unfinished tension.
Swipeable Triggers – Steal subject lines that pulled replies, clicks, and conversions—including one that opened with “If I told you this on social, I’d get cancelled.”
Loop-Stacking 101 – How to chain curiosity across email, video, and sales page like a suspense novel—so your reader can’t stop even if they want to.
Subject Lines That Self-Destruct (Almost) – Grab lines like “This email will self-destruct in 24 hours…” that create built-in urgency and mystery.
The 3-Day Curiosity Campaign – Your step-by-step email sequence designed to hook, tease, reveal—and then twist again.
“I’ll Tell You Tomorrow…” – How creators like Morning Brew and Amy Porterfield engineer loyalty with nothing but a well-placed delay.
Binge-Worthy Funnels – Build your opt-in, email, and checkout experience like a Netflix series—cliffhangers included.
Use Part 1 Framing (Even if There’s No Part 2 Yet) – How YouTubers like Ali Abdaal tease future content to make you hit subscribe before you blink.
One Fill-in-the-Blank to Rule Them All – “I used to think ___ was the answer… until I discovered ___.” It works anywhere you need a hook.
The ‘Unanswered Question’ Callback – Reignite curiosity with this email-ending trick that turns open loops into ongoing engagement.
Why Cart Abandonment is a Closure Problem – Your checkout page needs tension, not just trust. Here’s the exact line to add: “If you leave now, you’ll never know the #1 lesson that made all the difference.”
Sales Page Cliffhangers That Sell – “Most people launch like this. I used to, too—until I realized it was costing me thousands…”