Clickbait is a pejorative term that is used to describe content that is aimed at generating online advertising revenue at the expense of quality. Clickbait content usually relies on sensationalist headlines to encourage click-throughs and the forwarding of material on online networks.
Clickbait headlines typically aim to exploit the curiosity of readers by providing just enough information to make them curious, but not enough information to satisfy their curiosity without clicking through to the site to the link content.
One of the cons of clickbait is that it annoys people. When a website visitor sees an interesting headline on your website and clicks through to the link only to be left disappointed, they may lose trust in your site. You can expect a lot of dislikes and negative comments because people feel tricked.
Clickbait is a one-sided deal with your audience because you waste their time without delivering on your part of the agreement: to provide quality, useful content.
Clickbait isn’t the same as fake news and it isn’t always bad. It is a proven way to get people to click on content because the curiosity gap is a powerful thing. To make your content seem like clickbait, focus on including grandiose statements and many superlatives. Just make sure that the content that the readers click through to delivers on your promises!
“When done correctly, it is one of the best ways to get people to take notice and give you their most precious asset: attention,” says Neil Patel.
According to Neil Patel, clickbait tickles our curiosity while it dumbs down concepts to a common language, such as fear, greed, jealousy, envy and lust, that everyone understands. There’s nothing wrong with making your headlines more appealing but be sure that whatever content you are offering is not a time waste to your audience. At the end of the day, all of your content needs to be well-written and serve a purpose.
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