The Art of Using Clickbait Content

Clickbait, although very prevalent in the current age of digital media, has mostly been frowned upon by the general population, and rightfully so. Many websites have been criticized for blatantly overutilizing clickbait headlines to push traffic upward, without really fulfilling its headline’s purpose. The political and cultural shifts that we have experienced globally as a result of large-scale digitalization have also played into why clickbait articles have been so successful. Owing to this, crafting compelling headlines that play on emotions has become a very common theme among digital marketeers and editors alike. Although all these might appear wrong and even criminal at times, clickbait content will always make its way into articles, blogs, videos, etc. considering the results it delivers. Hence, it would be ill-advised for any organisation or a website to completely discard it from their content marketing strategy.

Although the term itself is quite recent, content similar to what we know as Clickbait right now has been in use since the 19^th century. Newspapers from the early 20^th century also show how compelling and sensationalized headlines were used to attract more readers by printing headlines that zeroed on people’s emotions. Fast forward to the current age and we still see the same approach adopted by websites but with the added aid of SEO and other similar features. The results are also quite evident for the world to see, with sites like BuzzFeed etc growing in numbers as a result of this tactic. So keeping in mind the growth aspect, adopting Clickbait techniques in your online content will eventually help you grow gradually and organically.

Tips to excel the clickbait strategy:

1. Avoid Misinformation: In scenarios when you don’t have complete information on a topic, it is best to avoid this approach. Use clickbait titles only if you are certain of the content that you are sharing after verifying it with more than a handful of sources. This will ensure that your content is not misguiding for the readers and will also rack up the numbers.
2. Use popular trends: To make your title or headline more relatable, you can use pop culture references or something on that line that is trending. Look up what other content writers or digital marketing experts are currently using and implement similar styles in your content.
3. Use SEO: A great idea to implement clickbait in your content is by integrating both clickbait and SEO-relevant keywords into your content. It is advisable to include the keyword at the beginning of the title.
4. Be brief: Keep your title brief with no more than 10 to 15 words. Readers usually are not too keen on long titles and thus it fails to draw an audience.
5. Use numbers and data: Using accurate data in your content is a great way to show that your content is legitimate and shows research on behalf of the writer. People are also generally inclined toward articles that have lists and numbers both as this gives them a clear picture of the information they are seeking.

Advantages of Clickbait content:

1. More page views: The obvious advantage of creating clickbait content is a boost in the numbers that you can pull in. If your sole aim is to gain more viewers for your blog or social media post, this is probably the best strategy you can approach. But make sure that you don’t overindulge and avoid any sort of misinformation.
2. Potential for shares: If you can successfully tap into emotional triggers through your content, it is likely that your content will also be shared far more extensively as compared to content that fails to do that. Primary emotions that are usually associated with online content are anger, fear, sadness, surprise, joy, etc. Combining emotions with a compelling title and a well-written title will do wonders for you when it comes to your audience.
3. Brand awareness: As you garner more readers and shares, it eventually results in increased exposure for your brand as well. Ultimately, this is what content creators aim for and clickbait thus plays a huge role in achieving this. Your content doesn’t necessarily have to go viral in order to accomplish this, as an increased viewership and social sharing is also an indication that your content is being read by many.
4. Engaging content: Clickbait articles often use emotional tactics effectively and provoking readers emotionally is a good way to engage them in your content. Emotions like anger, sadness, or inspiration often linger in the minds of the reader long after they are done reading and pushes them to share their feelings as well. Although clickbait is frowned upon, readers continue to click away whenever there is a compelling title.

Disadvantages of Clickbait content:

1. Damages Brand trust: Purposefully misleading titles will most probably result in readers getting pushed away. Not only will readers be pushed away but it will also hurt your brand image. Although there are instances when misleading clickbait articles have gone viral, it ultimately fails in the long-term goal of building brand value. This is arguably the biggest cons associated with clickbait content.
2. It has been overused: When clickbait content first gain popularity among content creators, it was easy for websites to bait audiences with compelling titles, etc. Although it still continues to be prevalent, we have reached a point where sensationalist clickbait content has gotten a bit old. Even multinational outlets have resorted to publishing highly misleading content on a regular basis, which ultimately does not bode well for anyone involved.
3. It alienates readers: If readers believe that you are exploiting their emotions for a few clicks and shares, they will be unwilling to support you in the long run. This might even outrage some of your readers pushing them away permanently.
4. Risk of google penalties: Google values the quality of your content and not just the quantity of your content. Since Google is committed to providing high-quality content in its search results for its users, they have the capacity to filter out content that is blatantly duping or misguiding viewers. In this case, Clickbait doesn’t do anything to add to your SEO efforts.

In conclusion, click-baiting is a part of a larger picture when it comes down to creating engaging content. When done correctly without misguiding the reader, it is a very efficient strategy to create more traffic and grow organically. So, the next time you plan on writing a clickbait article, make sure you are doing it ethically without compromising on basic values, and you will no doubt see positive changes in the number and type of audience you attract.

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