Catchy headlines. Click bait. Or whatever you want to call it.
Headlines are probably the most important part of your blog post. Especially if you’re sharing them across social media and hoping for someone to get drawn in and click.
Click bait is often something frowned upon – dramatic titles that promise things that seem impossible, they rarely live up to expectations. If you want to make your headlines dramatic, well your blog post better live up to its big title. Because if you use click bait and it’s just that – click bait that is just a dull post that can’t deliver, your audience will lose trust in you.
When it’s done right, though, it can be wonderful. Click bait for comedy value is fantastic, or if you actually are in love with a product, then feel free to make the most clickiest and baitiest title about.
I’m sure at some point in your life you’ve been on Facebook and seen a headline you just can’t resist. Usually, when you click on those type of sites you’re then brought to an awful web page that is full of adverts and you constantly have to click next, hoping you’re clicking the right button to avoid a popup. I hate these viral websites with a passion as they are just created to get views and make money, but they get people clicking, so there are things we can learn from them.
So what gets us clicking on a headline?
Generally, it’s some incredible claim that we’re dying to discover. How many of you would click on something that says ‘How this women lost 50lbs in a week and you can too’? Even though that claim is unbelievable, you still are dying to know what the trick is.
It needs to be shocking, intriguing or helpful. Helpful on the life changing scale.
I’ve had a browse through my Facebook feed to see some of the words that have popped out in some headlines to click bait articles:
- unbelievably
- deeply in love
- most important
- seriously
- expert
- happier
- amazing
- happiest
- unhappiest
- you probably didn’t know
- you won’t believe
- shocking
- worst
- fakest
- will hate
- 10 most
- don’t want you to know
- everyone is talking about
- 6 secrets to
So the next time you’re trying to write a catchy headline, have a look through your Facebook feed and see what words phrases cause you to click.
Are you a fan of clickbait titles?
If you like what you see, please sign up to my newsletter below and follow me on Twitter and Bloglovin so you don’t miss out on updates!
Click bait titles work on me everytime, but it makes me sad when the post/link in question doesn’t live up to the title but hey – they’re not looking for quaity content they just want my eyeballs on their page! I do love it when bloggers have the click worthy posts to go with those titles though! My problem is what I usually think it a witty click baity title, is probably dropping like a lead baloon online haha!
Sarah 🙂
I don’t like them, rarely they deliver on content. Yesterday I’ve read a post on a blog that should have been emotional and personal… instead it was a sponsored post without disclosure. It was so obvious and annoying.
I love a clickbait headline – I don’t know what it is about them I enjoy so much! I still get something from the article so I’m not complaining haha 🙂
You are the queen of good blog post titles haha, your clickbait ones are hilarious!
Amy xx
http://www.callmeamy.co.uk
I’m not a fan of click bait if the post is untrue to the headline. But if the titles catchy and is a genuine fit, then great. Thinking up creative headlines is hard Lucy x
I’m a bit of a sucker for a clickbait title! I do find it disappointing though if it sounds really impressive and click through to read the blog post or watch a youtube video and it’s nothing like the title makes it out to be! x
I’m always fooled with those headlines on Facebook and as you said you know that it is nothing special but you can’t really stop yourself from clicking it… Finding a catchy title is not easy! x
Haha yes – on fb, clicking on a link that takes you to some dodgy website full of adverts and Next buttons! I hate them but I can’t resist clicking them lol. Great post as always! 🙂 x
♡ itsjessiejane ♡
I get the appeal of click bait headlines but most of the articles end up being disappointing for the most part.
So many headlines are better than the actual post, but a good headline is still so important 🙂
I am a total sucker but I get so annoyed as well that I unfollow, unblock such posts/ blogs. Especially the really tacky ones – I like the funny one or the ones that are overly exaggerated in good humour.
Click bait titles really annoy me – they pop up on my Facebook all the time and I get suckered in and go to the article and have to click next, or wade through adverts. Argh! But they do work so…Very helpful post, thanks 🙂
I don’t mind clickbait per se, I just hate the ones that use clickbait titles and then have one line per page and each page is riddled with ads.
I hate those websites too where you constantly have to click next just to see what Susan Boyle looks like now she’s lost 70lbs but I fall for them every time!