Clickbait has become yet another weapon in the content marketer’s arsenal. These days, it seems as though no site is above resorting to dastardly tricks to get you to click on their content, and these techniques have become so familiar, some experts have questioned whether clickbait still has a future.
What is Clickbait?
Content written specifically to attract as many clicks as possible
- Eye-catching headline
- Easily skimmable
- Funny or memorable images/video
- Humorous tone
- Intended to encourage social sharing
- Over time, content marketers have decided to imitate the style and format of clickbait web content
Pageviews Aren’t Even That Important
Some experts believe that pageviews aren’t even that important any more.
- More and more publishers are moving away from pageviews as a defining metric. As audiences become increasingly fickle, and the amount of content produced continues to increase, an attention-based model may soon become the norm.
History of Clickbait
The practice of enticing users to click on web content actually grew out of the much older technique of linkbaiting
- Just as linkbait was content designed to entice other sites to link to it, thus boosting the link profile of the site that published it, clickbait is content intended to attract as many clickthroughs and pageviews as possible
- More pageviews typically means higher ad revenues, which means bigger profits for the site’s publishers
Sensationalism Is Getting Old
Everyone and their grandmother is using clickbait to try and exploit the benefits listed above, resulting in waning interest among audiences.
- The signal-to-noise ratio has become so skewed that publishers are resorting to increasingly desperate measures to make themselves heard
More Pageviews
If pageviews are your only goal, then clickbait is an excellent way to get them.
- Clickbait can generate more pageviews whether you use it on your own blog or elsewhere, such as social media posts or guest columns for other publications.
Misleading Clickbait
When people click on a piece of content, they expect to be taken to content that aligns with that expectation.
- If you intentionally deceive them for the sake of a pageview, not only will they probably bounce away almost immediately, but they may also perceive your brand in a negative way as a result.
To Click, Or Not to Click?
There are pros and cons to using clickbait in your content marketing strategy. Only you can decide whether the potential gains are worth the risks.
- Dan Shewan is a journalist and web content specialist who now lives and writes in New England.
Greater Potential for Social Shares
To encourage social sharing of clickbait, it pays to appeal to people’s emotions
- There are six primary emotions associated with social-friendly content
- Fear
- Sadness
- Anger
- Disgust
- Joy
- Surprise
Increased Brand Awareness
If clickbait results in more pageviews and social shares, it follows that more people will be exposed to your brand as your content spreads across the web.
- The farther your content’s reach, the greater the chances that people will remember your brand.
