Clickbait

July 1, 2024

Someone  came into the rugby group chat at the weekend and posted a screen shot of someone having go at his beloved club.  Notwithstanding the fact that his club’s supporters are reknown for their conduct, perhaps spurred on by the antics of their former captain, he had allowed himself to get wound up by something which had clearly been posted to trigger comments.

I pointed this out to him straight away, but it took him about a quarter of an hour to calm down and a few more minutes for me to explain that he had been the victim of “clickbait”.

So What Is Clickbait?

Clickbait refers to a type of online content (often sensationalised, misleading or exaggerated) designed with the primary goal of any or all of the following:

  1. Attract Attention:
    • Clickbait titles are designed to grab attention quickly. In an environment where users are bombarded with content, attention-grabbing headlines are essential to stand out. However this can be an ever escalating
  2. Increase Engagement:
    • Social media algorithms often prioritize content that generates high engagement. Clickbait can lead to more clicks, likes, shares, and comments, which can help content perform better on these platforms.
  3. Drive Traffic:
    • Content creators and websites often rely on traffic for ad revenue. More clicks on a link mean more visitors to a website, which can increase ad impressions and revenue.
  4. Enhance Virality:
    • Content that is intriguing or sensational is more likely to be shared, increasing its reach and potential for going viral. Clickbait leverages curiosity and emotional triggers to encourage sharing.
  5. Algorithm Influence:
    • Social media algorithms reward content that keeps users on the platform longer. Clickbait often leads users to spend more time engaging with content, which can improve the content’s visibility in news feeds.
  6. Monetization:
    • Many content creators and influencers rely on monetization strategies that benefit from high click-through rates. Clickbait can drive more traffic to monetized content, boosting revenue from ads, subscriptions, or sponsored posts.
  7. Competitive Environment:
    • The sheer volume of content on social media means that creators are in constant competition for user attention. Clickbait provides a competitive edge in drawing initial interest.
  8. Psychological Triggers:
    • Clickbait often taps into psychological triggers like curiosity, fear of missing out (FOMO), or emotional responses. These triggers can compel users to click on content to satisfy their curiosity or emotional need.
  9. User Behavior:
    • Users often have short attention spans and quickly scroll through their feeds. Clickbait is a way to capture quick decisions by providing an immediate reason to click on a post or link.
  10. Data and Analytics:
    • Engagement metrics are crucial for content strategy. High click rat”es, even if driven by clickbait, provide valuable data that can inform future content creation and marketing strategies.

While clickbait can be effective in the short term, it can also lead to negative consequences such as user dissatisfaction, reduced trust, and potential backlash if the content does not meet the expectations set by the headline. It can also be incredibly draining, especially these days when it’s becoming increasingly impossible to tell if the responses are merely AI generated or not.