a single source, nothing corroborates it

Write a title that refuses to resolve

A title that completes its own thought gives the reader permission to stop, so write one that forces them into the next line. Make it an explicit promise about what they will end up with, and test it by asking whether somebody would feel short-changed if the piece failed to deliver. An opening is only clickbait when the content does not pay it off, so polarising is fine if you honour it.

The method

1. 01

   Write titles that make an explicit promise about what the reader or viewer will get.

2. 02

   Test a title by asking whether someone would feel short-changed if the content failed to deliver it; if they would, the title is doing its job.

3. 03

   Avoid titles that resolve on their own; write one that forces the reader into the next line.

4. 04

   Write openings that feel too polarising if the piece pays them off, since a headline is only clickbait when the content fails to deliver on it.

What it returned

• A talk titled around how to open a speech reached 18M views

Sources

• Reverse engineering attention in 2025.Justin Welsh · justinwelsh.me · The clickbait myth that's holding you back · 2025-08-02
• One of these videos has 18M viewsHarry Dry · Marketing Examples · undated
• 17 tips for great copywritingHarry Dry · Marketing Examples · 9) Avoid “contained” titles · undated