“This sweet purple thing can do wonders if you…” – CLICK
“You will never believe how she got to the top…” – CLICK
In the simplest way to put it, we are talking about Clickbait.
Clickbait is a label for a headline that is created solely to capture a user based on curiosity. And to be considered Clickbait, the headline needs to withhold key information to understand what the post is about, which in turn forces the user to click.
Also referenced in HeatStreet’s latest article
1994 behavioral economist George Loewenstein called it a “curiosity gap.” They focus the reader’s attention on a gap in her knowledge, producing “a feeling of deprivation labeled curiosity.”
And almost ALL news publishers and marketers have been using this strategy for decades.
Why?
Because it works!
You have to bait the hook before catching a fish, right?
It became a simple advertising strategy that worked for marketers…up until 2 years ago.
In 2014, Facebook made an update to their news feed algorithm that would weed out any deceptive headlines. And even more recently they have tweaked the algorithm more, to look for phrases commonly used in clickbait headlines.
In theory this will improve the Facebook user’s experience.
Facebook essentially is going against an old and proven industry standard and no one knows how well that will go…only time will tell!
New York times is calling this a “Technology Shocker..!”
What do you think about Facebook’s ‘War On Click Bait,’ let us know in the comments section below.
Ashley Sumida
Latest posts by Ashley Sumida (see all)
- Target, Engage & Monetize - August 22, 2016
- Bait & Click - August 15, 2016
