Clickbait headlines are used to psychologically compel readers to crave the information beyond the click. They generally have some mix of exaggerations in them, like: “Unbelievable”. It is a form of false advertisement, uses hyperlink text or a thumbnail link that is designed to attract attention and to entice users to follow that link and read, view, or listen to the linked piece of online content, with a defining characteristic of being deceptive, typically sensationalized or misleading.
One of the biggest reasons why clickbait gets such a bad rap is that people often exaggerate the information or simply make claims that can’t be true. If you mislead your readers, this can certainly backfire – causing you to lose credibility and potential customers. Clickbait titles have become an epidemic, and they need to be used responsibly. We see them online every day:
- “Shocking Truths About Banana Bread That Doctors Won’t Tell You!”
- “A Man Sneezed While Writing This Blog… and You Won’t Believe What Happened Next!
Seeing titles like these has become the norm during our daily browsing. I hope now you understand what is Clickbait headlines.