A few folks have emailed me saying:

"I don’t know what 'opening a curiosity gap' looks like in MY niche."

So here are 4 examples of how to open a curiosity gap, from creators in different niches... so you can steal them.

Quick context...

Here’s what a video structure usually looks like.

1. Hook → get the viewer interested.
2. Segments → deliver information.
3. CTA → send the viewer to another video.

Right now, we’re only interested in the “segments”.

Much like your hooks, you want to keep these simple:

• Start of a segment → open a curiosity gap around the topic of that segment.
• At the end of that segment → close the curiosity gap by delivering a payoff.

So, in our 4 examples, we’ll cover:

• How the YouTuber opens a curiosity gap.
• The formula (so you can steal it).
• The questions it raises for the viewer.
• The moment our curiosity is resolved.

1/ Aprilynne Alter

Opens curiosity:

• “The first part is by far the most important… and yet also the most overlooked.”

Formula:

• [X] is by far the most important… and yet also the most overlooked.

Questions:

• What is [X]?
• Is it possible that I’ve been overlooking [X]?
• What negative effects are caused by my ignorance of [X]?

Resolution:

• “The best YouTubers in the world view thumbnails as a priority. Not as an afterthought.”

2/ Mike Shake

Opens curiosity:

• “I want to see for myself how hard it actually is.”

Formula:

• I want to see for myself [whether “X” is true].

Questions:

• Is [X] true?
• If so, what is [X] capable of?
• How exactly is he gonna test [X]?

Resolution:

• “Since polycarbonate is clearly resilient - meaning it can bend a lot without breaking - it's definitely my best option.”

3/ Cleo Abram

Opens curiosity:

• “I'm in an elevator on my way down to the giant particle smasher.”

Formula:

• I’m [travelling directly to] [the thing you’re curious about].

Questions:

• What will [the thing] [be like/look like/feel like/sound like]?
• What else will I find out about [the thing]?
• What is [the thing] even for?!

Resolution:

• [Plenty of up-close footage of "the thing"] “This giant underground detector is where those particles finally collide after being sped up close to the speed of light around that 27km track.”

4/ Mrwhosetheboss

Opens curiosity:

• “The first thing to understand is that every big tech company follows the exact same pattern.”

Formula:

• “The first thing to understand is that [thing of interest] does [surprising statement that needs clarification].”

Questions:

• How can [surprising statement] be true?
• Why does [thing of interest] behave this way?
• Is there some sort of conspiracy?!

Resolution:

• “Their objectives often boil down to ‘how do we make the users pay up until the absolute limit of what they're willing to, but just not past it?’”

Steal 'em…

If you’re struggling to open curiosity gaps in your script, start by taking inspiration from these:

• [X] is by far the most important… and yet also the most overlooked.
• I want to see for myself [whether “X” is true].
• I’m [travelling directly to] [the thing you’re curious about].
• “The first thing to understand is that [thing of interest] does [surprising thing that needs clarification].”

Btw, I’m working on a bunch of much larger cheatsheets + swipe files while revamping YTSP.

As an existing YTSP student, I’m excited to share these with you when V2 launches later this year!

‍

The Secret To Hiring On YouTube...

I've hired (and been hired) a bunch of times for YouTube.

That's why Jamie, Gwilym and I sat down to talk "hiring" last week.

Whether you're looking for creator economy talent, or you are the talent...

I think you'll like this episode 👇

Watch Now

That's all for this week! Any questions, just let me know :)

Speak soon,

George 👋