What is Clickbait, Really?

My friend Collins, who authored a well-known dictionary (not the awkward participant from Australia’s 2024 edition of "Married at First Sight"), defines clickbait differently from popular belief. Many assume that ‘clickbait’ headlines deceive readers into clicking on articles under false pretenses. Collins, however, defines clickbait as:

Content primarily designed to attract attention and encourage visitors to click on a link to a specific webpage.

This shift in understanding highlights a semantic evolution in the term.

The Essence of Clickbait

Interestingly, my personal interpretation of clickbait diverges from the common view, yet it’s essential for enhancing your audience engagement and revenue. If the number of views reflects how clickable your headline is, then the percentage of reads indicates the effectiveness of your hooks.

Hooks… I’m getting a bit fancy, having nearly reached a triple-figure article count. I find articles to be clickbait-y if they take too long to deliver what they promise.

But what do I mean by “the promised land”? Your promise, indicated in your headline, conveys the benefits to the reader. You might also think of it as ‘the big reveal,’ or as Matthew Dicks, author of Storyworthy, calls them: “second moments.”

Consider these examples of mine:

1. The Moment My ADHD Nearly Cost Me My Marriage and What I Did Next to Save It
2. I Took My Wife's Phone Away — Here's Why I Wish I Did it Sooner
3. How to Avoid Being Bullied — 1 Tip for Inside & Outside the Ring

Maintaining Balance

Striking the right balance is crucial. If you reveal key information too soon or too late, readers may lose interest. I often feel misled when articles delay getting to the main point. For instance, if I click on a boxing article titled “There’s One Clear Winner” in a close fight prediction, I expect to find that winner quickly. Instead, I often encounter lengthy background details unrelated to my initial interest, with the main point buried at the end.

Effective Clickbait Strategies

To effectively engage readers, how do you initially “bait” their click? Two strategies I favor are Nicolas Cole’s Tequila Test and what I call the same-but-different method.

Medium is filled with articles presenting similar ideas. For instance, when discussing habit formation, most think of strategies like tracking progress or accountability. However, they likely wouldn’t consider “Tequila and breaking your face.”

The Tequila Test is about capturing your readers' curiosity through your title, compelling them to investigate further. Many associate blatant falsehoods in headlines with clickbait, but I advocate for what my sports law professor termed “well-packaged honesty.”

A prime illustration of this is how I transformed a generic headline—A 4 Step Process to Breaking Bad Habits—into a much more engaging title: Breaking Your Face — The First Unusual Step to Breaking Bad Habits.

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This article was published on June 26th, 2024 in Long. Sweet. Valuable. publication.