There was a time when clickbait was associated with scammers and mediocre products, such as low-budget weight loss products. However, even the leading brands, such as newspapers and top-profile blogs, are using clickbait headlines to lure readers to their sites.  

This has often led to the question of whether clickbait is a worthy social strategy or if the strategy will cause more harm than good to your brand. Join us as we answer the question in this article and guide you on a good clickbait social media marketing strategy. 

What is Clickbait?

In the purest form, clickbait is a social media marketing method aimed at grabbing the attention of the user to make them click on a link. However, at other times, it has been associated with false and misleading advertising. This has even changed its meaning, with Tech Crunch defining it as the intentional misleading of an audience on the content of the news story or ads, either through an image, caption, or headline.

Clickbait aims to captivate users through shocking or intriguing information to drive traffic to a specific platform or website. This social media strategy is commonly seen on YouTube, where YouTubers use enticing titles and thumbnails. This strategy is also seen as a form of advertising for news articles on platforms such as Buzzfeed. 

The main downside of clickbait is the fact that it doesn't deliver on the excitement, value, and accuracy it promises. You have probably come across those misleading video captions on social media. “You won't believe what happened next,” or even “this is shocking”. 

Clickbait takes the form of a bait-and-switch strategy to grab the user’s attention immediately. But after the user has clicked, it fails to deliver. This leaves the user disappointed, frustrated, and even resentful.

Why Clickbait is Effective For Driving Traffic

Studies indicate that in the recent past, there has been an increase in the number of headlines using clickbait.  The success of this social media marketing strategy can be attributed to the way people think. According to an article by Psychology Today, the success of clickbait can be attributed to the way humans look for information—the strong desire for more information.

When we engage in a positive action, our brain releases dopamine. This chemical is also released whenever a social media user clicks on an interesting headline. Clickbait uses enticing headlines that compel social media users to click to get a dose of dopamine, rewarding them for their curiosity. 

As noted earlier, clickbait works by triggering various emotional responses, such as excitement, shock, or curiosity. They tap the user’s need for instant gratification or their desire to satisfy various curiosities, resulting in higher engagements and clicks. 

According to one study, the most compelling headlines are those that polarize their audiences. If the headline is generating the most extreme opinion, it generates the highest interest level. Therefore, clickbait is generally very effective for hooking leaders. 

Clicks also use the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), teasing social media users with information that naturally raises their curiosity. To avoid missing out, they click on the headline. While there are some instances when clickbait has been effective in attracting social media users, it can also drive them away. If you create clickbait headlines that misrepresent the content of an article, you can easily drive your audience away.

Types of Clickbait

Different kinds of clickbait are used to grab the attention of the user.

Misleading Headlines

These forms of headlines either have misleading, exaggerated, or over-promising details that do not reflect the article's content. For instance, you may come across a headline reading, “This is how I made $1000 in one day” or “This secret HIV cure has been hidden for decades.”

What these headlines do is to spark the curiosity of the reader and increase their expectations. They sensationalize the headline to persuade them to click on the article or video.

False Images

Another commonly used form of clickbait is the use of unrelated or misleading images to capture the attention of the user. Creators can add pictures to intrigue viewers, making them click. By doing that, they are exploiting the power of visual appeal to stir curiosity and generate clicks. 

For instance, you might find the creator adding a before and after of a celebrity with the caption “What happened to Madonna?” or “10 celebrities before and now”. These images may be photoshopped and thus misleading, or may not involve the people mentioned. 

Misleading Thumbnails

Eye-catching thumbnails that don't accurately represent the content are also another kind of clickbait. The thumbnails are usually created to grab the viewer's attention about the content of the video, encouraging them to click even when the content isn't accurate. For instance, you may come across a YouTube thumbnail with a shocked face caption, “See what happened after I put my soap in the microwave.” This makes users expect a surprising revelation.

Benefits and Drawbacks of Clickbait

When well and honestly utilized, clickbait can be an effective way of increasing your click-through rate. However, they also impact the audience’s perception of content. To navigate the use of clickbait for your social media marketing, you should understand the following pros and cons.

Benefits of Clickbait

Clickbait can help brands and creators to:

• Increase their click-through rate (CTR). When your social media audience sees an enticing headline that draws their curiosity, this can increase the click-through rate and visibility of your content. It can also drive traffic to your website or social media page, growing your audience.
• Higher engagement. When people come across enticing and attention-grabbing headlines, they are more likely to interact with the story, increasing engagement and encouraging your audience to dive deeper into the content.

Drawbacks of Clickbait

Clickbait also has drawbacks, such as:

• Loss of credibility. When you employ clickbait tactics, this may easily damage your brand’s credibility, lowering the level of trust of the audience.
• Loss of trust. When you excessively use clickbait, your audience may stop trusting you, which can lead to increased distrust and skepticism. When the viewers are wary of the creator or brand misleading them, it impacts their perception of authenticity. 
• High bounce rate. If a clickbait doesn't deliver what it promises, this will result in a higher bounce rate as users quickly leave when they realize that the content doesn't match their expectations. This can affect others' engagement metrics, affecting the potential for future interaction with their content. 

How to Use Clickbait in Your Social Media Strategy

Whether you are a brand or a content creator, it is essential to realize that you can still ethically engage your audience by leveraging their curiosity and providing value in your content. 

Here are effective ways to use clickbait in your content marketing:

Creating Viral Marketing Campaigns

The use of creative and honest clickbait can increase the share rate of your content, increasing its chances of going viral. While there is no guarantee that any viral marketing strategy will work, when more people share your content, its visibility is increased, thus increasing your chances.

Use of Titles that Drive Curiosity

You can use clickbait to create captivating titles that will generate curiosity. When you do that, you must ensure that the content is a reflection of the title. The titles can be in the form of a fascinating side or a question that encourages transparency, as it avoids misleading users. Ensure that your titles capture the user’s attention while also providing value to them in the article or video. 

Driving Traffic to Your Site

The primary goal of clickbait is to generate clicks, making it a good tool for driving traffic to your website. Also, you want to ensure that the headlines you use to entice readers deliver on their promise. Failure to do so will increase your bounce rate, affecting the ranking of your articles on the SERPs. 

Make Value-Oriented Thumbnails

Visually outstanding thumbnails that capture the value of the content can be a good way of using clickbait. You can do that by using visuals and images that genuinely capture the interest of the viewers without misleading them. The thumbnail should provide an accurate preview of the content while telling viewers the value they will get from the content. Doing this can show a level of transparency with your target audience. 

Creating an Authentic Teaser

You can also use a thumbnail to provide an authentic teaser or peek whether it's in a headline, thumbnail, or title. When you offer your audience a real preview, you encourage them to explore the content further, resulting in higher engagement while upholding the authenticity of the messaging. Therefore, ensure that the readers are a reflection of the content, resulting in a compelling and transparent invitation to the audience to engage with the content.

Show Benefits

You can use clickbait to provide insights, benefits, and a unique offering of your content. You can also accentuate the value of the content without having to resort to exaggeration or sensationalism. This will ensure that you show the audience the benefits awaiting them. 

However, you need to ensure that you are transparent in your messaging without exaggerating the benefits. This can help you connect authentically with the users based on the value of their content.

Tease the Compelling Aspects

If specific segments or aspects of your content are intriguing and engaging, you can use them as clickbait. When you highlight those compelling aspects of your content, you can stir curiosity, encouraging viewers to dive deeper into the content and view it entirely. Therefore, use teasers to entice your audience while promoting the captivating elements and encourage them to discover your content more.

Creating an Enticing and Factual Description

You can use clickbait to create enticing descriptions that convey your messaging, providing key insights without falling for false claims and hypes. You should ensure that you have a description that accurately represents the content. This is key to establishing your audience’s trust as you deliver reliable and transparent information. 

Adding Captivating Keywords

You can use the relevant and captivating keywords to describe your content and, therefore, spark the viewers' curiosity. When you strategically add the appropriate keywords that match the essence of your content, you can easily pique the interest of your audience while maintaining transparency and accuracy. Make sure you include keywords to entice viewers while optimizing the discoverability.

Introduction Snippets or Previews

Clickbait can be a good choice for offering an introduction or snippet into the nature of the content while not revealing all the details. These introductory snippets can add an element of anticipation and intrigue for viewers, encouraging them to explore the entire content further. These previews should offer a balance to capture the audience’s interest while allowing the viewers to explore the video.

Adding Interactive Elements 

You can use interactive elements such as polls and questions to make a teaser and increase viewers' engagement. This can be an effective way of capturing your audience’s attention and maintaining transparency in the content. 

Clickbait Strategies to Avoid

As noted earlier, the main reasons why people have a low opinion of clickbait are due to its misuse. Therefore, for an effective clickbait marketing strategy that maintains your audience's trust, you should avoid the following: 

• False promises. When making clickbait titles, descriptions, or thumbnails, avoid making false promises that you don't deliver. When you mislead your viewers with exaggerated or false information, it disappoints them and damages your credibility. 
• Exaggerations. Do not be tempted to exaggerate or overstate the details of your content until you misinterpret them. When you excessively exaggerate, your audience might end up feeling disappointed or misled. 
• Sensationalism. Don't use sensational titles or thumbnails with little or no substance in the content. While there is nothing wrong with using attention-grabbing headlines, this should reflect your content.
• Ambiguous titles. If your video doesn't offer much information on the content, it may confuse your audience, causing them to lose interest. 
• Clickbait in sensitive or serious topics. If the subject you are making content on is sensitive or serious, don't use clickbait. Otherwise, doing so might cause significant backlash from the public, spoiling your reputation. This may raise the need for social media crisis management.
• Emotional clickbait. It's advisable to avoid using clickbait that sparks emotions such as outrage and fear. Any ethical content creation should respect the audience's emotions.
• Misleading previews or thumbnails. Avoid using preview clips or thumbnails that misrepresent the content. This kind of content may leave your audience frustrated and erode their trust in you.

When You Should Avoid Using Clickbait

The use of clickbait in social media marketing is a sensitive topic that evokes strong emotions. Therefore, you should know when to use and when to avoid. 

Here are several instances when you should avoid using clickbait:

As a Bait-and-Switch Strategy

From the methods we have mentioned above on using clickbait, one thing remains clear:  you should never use clickbait as bait-and-switch marketing. This is what has given this form of marketing a bad name. 

Unable to Deliver on the Headline

When you use a headline or thumbnail that drives viewers to your page without delivering on the promise, you are showing a total disregard for your audience’s time. Doing this will make your audience wary of anything else you are offering. Therefore, if you cannot deliver on the hype you create with the headline, then avoid using the clickbait.

Don't Have Complete Information

When you come across information that contributes to your brand’s marketing, you can easily be tempted to use it, especially when you realize that it will cause some clicks. This may be counterproductive if the truth later comes out and it's found that the content doesn't align with yours. It will make you lose your audience’s trust. If you find the information is blatantly inaccurate or incomplete, avoid using clickbait.

While it's important to avoid fake news, at times you may be covering unfolding stories where you don't have complete information. In such a case, you need to avoid using clickbait. 

For Driving Sales

A common mistake that marketers make is to use clickbait as a form of sales pitch. This usually appears disingenuous and gives in to the audience’s preconceptions. Therefore, we avoid using clickbait to increase sales. If that's your social media goal, you'd better use paid ads instead of clickbait.

When It Will Do More Harm

It's essential to consider the impact of clickbait before using it, as it can harm your brand’s integrity. For instance, the Sun has consistently used clickbait in the form of false headlines and inaccurate information until it gained the name of a tabloid. This is even though it, at times, carries genuine stories. This is an example of consistently using an unsubstantiated headline that damaged the newspaper's reputation.

Master the Art of Writing Attention-Grabbing Headlines

The successful use of clickbait is more about mastering how to write captivating headlines. A good, captivating, and attention-grabbing headline should be fun and draw the curiosity of the reader. This can be done in different ways, but all focus should be on capturing the emotions and hopes of the target audience. 

That is why many marketers focus on pain points when motivating buyers to buy, because clickbait that focuses on people’s pain points is among the most effective.  

Here are tips on writing attention-grabbing headlines:

Understand Your Audience

If you don't understand your audience, it can be hard to create headlines that resonate with them. For instance, if you are targeting millennials searching for the latest trends, you need to create headlines catering to these interests and pain points. You can conduct a market survey to get insights into your audience using tools such as social media analytics and Google Analytics. The more you understand the audience, the easier it will be for you to create headlines that speak to them. 

Pique Curiosity

Curiosity is one of the drivers of clicks, and therefore, you want to craft headlines that compel leaders to want to learn more. You can use a mystery or a unique angle that can only be solved by your article. For instance, instead of writing “10 tips for successful weight loss”, you can write “discover the ultimate secrets of weight loss”.

Questions are also suitable for stirring curiosity. For instance, “Are you wondering why your weight loss journey isn't bearing fruit?” This piques their interest and encourages the readers to find out more. 

Leverage Emotional Triggers

As noted earlier, clickbait often leverages people’s emotions to connect deeply with them. This means you should use words that evoke feelings of fear, anger, excitement, hunger, etc. For instance, you can use a headline like “This offer is only available this week” or “Feel better with these beauty tips”.  

However, consider your product offering before evoking emotions. A retailer can do so by helping people save money. If you are an online store, you can focus on providing convenience and time-saving.

Use Action Verbs

Action verbs can be an excellent choice for creating a sense of urgency and encouraging your readers to act fast. Therefore, use verbs such as “boost your conversion with these simple steps”. This is likely to generate more clicks compared to another headline that states “steps to increase your conversion”. 

Therefore, use compelling words such as discover, learn, transform, or unlock to encourage actions. These offer clear benefits for the target audience to click while fostering engagement.

Use Numbers and Listicles

Numbers and listicles are tried and tested ways of increasing clicks. A Content Marketing Institute study showed that listicles generated ten times more shares than traditional topics. Therefore, use words such as five proven strategies for increasing sales. This shows the reader that they can skim through the content.  

Final Thoughts

While the name “Clickbait” has been around for years, the marketing tactic has become popular in recent years. According to Swiped, a clickbait headline was published in 1927, meaning the marketing method has been around.

However, in the recent past, it has gained a bad reputation because of unscrupulous marketers who use clickbait to scam their audience. The good news is that you can still use clickbait ethically to generate more clicks, increase engagement, and conversions by following the strategy outlined in this detailed guide.