Clickbait Is NOT All That Bad: How To Use It In Your Favor

A lot of people hate click baits. It has notoriously gained a bad reputation for some time now. For one, click baits are deceitful and a major source of spam and misinformation. At least, that is what people often perceive click baits especially when they encounter them in articles and emails.

But did you know that using click baits can also do wonders to your website and your business? It can drive traffic to your website, gain more followers on social media, and increase click-through rates among a few. Nonetheless, the ultimate goal is to have more to offer than just a witty headline or caption.

 

What you need to know about clickbait

In case you don’t know yet, not all click baits are bad. You can still use it in an ethical way… and can even help your business! But first, we need to understand what clickbait is and how it works.

A clickbait often comes in a form of a caption or a headline used to introduce videos, blog posts, and other online content. The main purpose of clickbait is to catch one’s attention and to compel people to click on your content. But more than a catchy headline, your content should be worthy of every click.

Click baits have been around since newspapers and other printed journalism came into existence. To entice readers, writers and editors had to use emotionally charged, attention-grabbing headlines. More than a century later, this tactic is still being used especially on online content such as blog posts and YouTube videos.

 

How to make clickbait work in your favor

As mentioned, a lot of people hate click baits mostly because they are deceitful and misleading. But you can reverse that negative perception toward click baits and work them in your favor. How? By tapping into your audience’s natural curiosity and emotions.

If you think about it, you need eye-catching headlines or captions to get readers to click on your content. If no one clicks on your content, the hard work you have put into it will go to waste. You won’t be able to reach your market and not achieve your business goals. That is why you need to focus on your customers’ pain points and match your headline with your actual content.

Never use clickbait to sensationalize your content. This includes using altered photos, negative news, and wordings like “Click here to see…”. Otherwise, it will damage your brand and end up restricting your page. Here are tips to use clickbait as part of your content marketing strategy.

 

• Never oversensationalize your content and using inaccurate promises and claims. Be truthful and get your facts straight.
• Use numbers as part of your title or captions (ex. “6 Reasons Why You Should Read to Your Child”, “10 Running Tips for First-Time Marathoners”)
• Make sure to match the title or caption with your actual content. A catchy title will bring your readers to your content, but it is the actual content that should matter most.
• Contact a digital marketing expert in Franklin TN for more effective click-baiting tips that will bring readers to click on your content!