Here’s something most beginner freelancers never consider: your client doesn’t just need good content; they need content that gets clicked…. And nothing determines whether a post gets clicked more than the headline.
If you want to get hired by clients who post regularly on social media, you need to prove you understand one fundamental truth: curiosity is currency.
What Are “Curiosity Words” and Why Do They Work?
Curiosity words are terms that create an information gap, a tension between what the reader knows and what they want to know.
When someone reads “The Secret Behind Viral TikToks,” their brain doesn’t feel complete until it gets the answer.
That discomfort drives the click.
Psychologists call this the “information gap theory,” and marketers have exploited it for decades. Now social media has turned it into an arms race, and your clients are in the middle of it.
Here are some of the most powerful curiosity-triggering categories:
Words that imply hidden knowledge:
Secret, Hidden, Overlooked, Untold, Behind-the-Scenes, Rarely Known
“The Overlooked Reason Your Instagram Reach Is Dropping”
Words that signal a pattern break:
Surprising, Counterintuitive, Unexpected, Shocking, Most People Don’t Know
“The Counterintuitive Way Top Coaches Are Growing on LinkedIn Right Now”
Words that create urgency or exclusivity:
New, Finally, Discovered, Just Released, Now
“Marketers Just Discovered This Caption Formula, and It’s Working”
Words that promise a shortcut:
Effortless, Simple, In Minutes, Instant, Fast
“A Simple Trick That Gets More Comments Without Buying Ads”
Why This Matters for Getting Hired
When you pitch a client who posts 5 times a week on Instagram, LinkedIn, or TikTok, they’re not just hiring a writer, they’re hiring someone who understands performance.
They want to know their investment translates into reach, engagement, and clicks.
If your portfolio samples have flat, generic headlines like “Tips for Better Sleep” or “How to Grow Your Business,” you look like every other applicant.
But if your samples read like “The Sleep Habit Most Entrepreneurs Ignore (That’s Quietly Draining Their Focus)”… now you look like someone who understands the game.
You don’t need to be deceptive or sensational.
The goal is to be genuinely interesting.
Curiosity words work best when the content actually delivers on the promise. Clickbait without substance destroys trust.
Curiosity with real value builds audiences.
A Simple Exercise to Start Today
Take any headline you’ve written and run it through this test:
Does this make someone feel like they’re missing something?
If not, swap one key noun or adjective for a curiosity word from the lists above.
Before: “Ways to Improve Your Morning Routine”
After: “The Morning Routine Hack That High-Performers Rarely Talk About”
Same topic. Completely different pull.
Your clients live and die by attention.
Learn to command it, and you’ll never struggle to get hired.