Death to Clickbait! Sad Day in Hollywood… We Say Goodbye to a Legend
Special to Hudson Valley Public Relations by Gladis Moreira Intern SUNY New Paltz.
How many times have you scrolled through your newsfeed to find an article claiming that Sylvester Stallone has died? How about articles with headlines that start with “You will NEVER believe…” or “This video will change your life.” Cliffhanging, catchy and provocative titles that fail to provide what is being offered are known as clickbait and they have infiltrated and saturated the internet.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines clickbait as: “content whose main purpose is to attract attention and encourage visitors to click on a link to a particular web page.”
Although clickbait is most commonly associated with the rise in digital media, using attention-grabbing headlines, titles, and graphics to attract people has been a long tradition in media. Sensationalized and exaggerated headlines have been widely used since the 1700s.
All said, it doesn’t work!
Articles with Images and headlines such as the one above, are deceptive and misleading. They entice a reader to click on the link to view content that is false and has little to nothing to do with what was being advertised.
Readers feel tricked when they click to read about one thing but find information on something completely unrelated. Intriguing titles that don’t fulfill their obligations have caused a huge mistrust between content creators and their audiences.
Not only does clickbait cause readers to become suspicious of what they see online but it is also a huge waste of money for marketers. Why spend advertising dollars on content that readers will find deceptive and and click away from after several seconds.
There are many other ways to attract people to important content that is attention-grabbing without fooling your audience. Creating content that is relevant and engaging is enough to attract an audience and keep them interested. Writing articles that are interesting and benefit the everyday consumer will not only get you noticed but will make consumers trust you.
RIP Glenn Rhree, husband, father to-be, warrior and friend.
The picture below is attention grabbing and a creative way to go about creating positive buzz. The Walking Dead’s, Glenn Rhee, was featured in a newspaper after his death in the popular TV show. The obituary of a Walking Dead character is imaginative and intriguing.
The end of disappointing and false advertising must come soon! Ending clickbait does not mean the beginning of dull articles but instead the creation of better and relevant content. Everyone- from businesses to consumers to marketers and all in between will greatly benefit with the downtrend of clickbait.
To learn more about creating engaging content, contact Hudson Valley Public Relations at 845-202-7087 or visit our website at www.hudsonvalleymedia.com.
