What is clickbait?
It’s a marketing tactic intended to draw attention and entice users to click through.
But clickbait is by and large considered a misstep in marketing, intended to mislead and dupe users into clicking spammy content.
So, is it ever acceptable to use clickbait? Read on to find out.
What You’ll Learn:
- What Exactly IS Clickbait?
- Why It’s Effective
- The Case for Using Clickbait
- When to Avoid It
- How to Use Clickbait the Right Way
Clickbait gets a bad rap.
Years of overuse and abuse have done a number on its reputation, leading many to ban the practice altogether.
For example, Facebook’s algorithm figured out that its users despise clickbait, leading to the social media giant taking a stand against the practice.
Both legitimate and “fake” news sites have adopted the practice to get more eyes on their content. NPR reports on how Upworthy, the poster child of clickbait headlines, faced an early demise because of its tendency to overdo the hype and underdeliver the story.
Their story is a perfect example of how NOT to use clickbait.
But clickbait isn’t a new phenomenon, and there’s still a time and place for it in marketing.
What Exactly IS Clickbait?
In its purest form, clickbait is simply content aimed at grabbing users’ attention and enticing them to click.
But over the years, it’s gained a reputation as false advertising.
Tech Crunch defines clickbait as the act of intentionally misleading an audience about the content of an ad or news story, typically through a headline, image, or caption.
You’ve certainly seen examples floating across the web, leading with phrases like “you won’t believe what happens next!” or “this will shock you!”
The problem with clickbait is that it uses a bait-and-switch method. It grabs attention immediately but fails to deliver when a user clicks through. Understandably, this leads to frustration and even resentment on the user’s part.
Take this example:
It grabs attention because, well, it’s weird, and it seems scary. It’s not something you hear every day so you want to know what it is.
Turns out, it doesn’t do anything crazy or attack anyone. It just crawls through the fence, exactly as the picture shows. That doesn’t quite live up to what the headline promised, does it?
But not all clickbait is bad, and when used correctly can be a powerful addition to a marketer’s arsenal. The difference is in the delivery.
If you can develop good clickbait and deliver on the premise, the users are far more likely to forgive your use of it.
Click bait appeals to the curiosity gap, which is both a psychological principle and a method of communication that entails generating desire for information by opening up a gap between a person’s knowledge and lack thereof. Let’s dig a little deeper into that phenomenon.
In using this curiosity gap, clickbait advertising often uses a carefully selected combination of thumbnails and teasers, playing just enough off of what its target audience already knows to encourage them to investigate.
When using clickbait images and text, marketers can benefit from the curiosity gap with effective attention hooks without making deceptive claims. For example, you might ask a question like “Is ___ Really a Good Idea? Here’s Why It’s Not!” The connected content could then go into a deeper explanation on the latter point, keeping the reader from feeling actually clickbaited.
Why Does Clickbait Work?
Clickbait’s continued success comes down to the way people think.
Psychology Today links the success of clickbait to how we as humans forage for information – we always want more.
Our brain releases dopamine to reward us for doing positive actions, and when we click on an interesting headline, we get a shot of that chemical directly into our brains. The words in clickbait headlines prey on that want, compelling us to click so we’ll get that quick shot of dopamine as a reward for giving in to our curiosity.
A joint study, performed by the Federal University of Minas Gerais in Brazil and the Qatar Computing Research Institute found the most compelling headlines that exist are the ones that polarize the audience.
The extreme opinions generated the most interest. By introducing information we may not know, the headline compels us to find out more. Clickbait is an easy way to hook a reader from the get-go.
In doing so, clickbaiting also uses certain emotional triggers to drive action, whether that trigger is curiosity, fear, anger, joy, outrage, or surprise.
Clickbait also plays into the FOMO effect, or fear of missing out. If you tease someone with information, they’ll naturally need to close the curiosity gap; otherwise, the risk of missing out.
Clickbait isn’t an automatic method of getting readers’ eyes on content, however.
If you misrepresent what your content is about in a headline, you risk driving your audience away instead of keeping them interested. There are specific instances where clickbait is perfect for catching the audience and reeling them in, and on some occasions when it doesn’t work at all.
Platform Responses and Distribution Risk
When using any type of click bait, from clickbait advertising and clickbait images to a dedicated clickbait website, you need to be careful when sharing this content on social media.
Many social media algorithms today know how to avoid clickbait, especially when it’s potentially harmful to their audiences.
Each platform has its own techniques for detecting and filtering clickbait ads and other content. For instance, Facebook’s “Click-Gap” signal determines whether a clickbait website is getting most of its traffic from Facebook over other sources like Google’s organic results, which could suggest that the site is producing low-quality content.
Meanwhile, YouTube uses visual-textual incongruence to assess the connection between a video’s thumbnail, title, and content. The system will flag content as click bait if it determines the thumbnail and title sensationalize or otherwise fail to represent the video’s actual content.
X, formerly Twitter, detects clickbait advertising that experiences high negative engagement based on users’ actions, such as blocking, muting, or reporting content for spam.
When these platforms identify attempts at clickbaiting, they could severely limit your reach and overall performance. One clickbait example is on Facebook, which ranks posts from pages known to use this technique at a lower level, while X places this type of content lower in people’s “For You” feed.
Repeated attempts can lead to a penalty affecting an entire account or website, too, compromising all marketing efforts on that particular platform.
When Clickbait Works and When It Harms
There are a few times when a business might look at clickbait as a handy marketing solution.
It’s not a wonder drug or a quick fix, however. Using clickbait comes with massive expectations for the content to live up to the hype.
Always exercise caution. If you’re unsure if a headline accurately reflects its content or don’t think the quality warrants the hype clickbait could provide, avoid using it altogether.
Generally, clickbait works best in these situations:
1. Sharing a Listicle
What is clickbait often used for? You’ve likely seen plenty of clickbait examples leading back to listicles that are highly skimmable and engaging.
Let’s consider a scenario involving a clickbait news article example: A clothing brand publishes a listicle of the “Top 10 Looks From Fashion Week That Will Shock You.” That headline alone could drive a lot of clicks, while the actual list delivers on that promise to “shock” with some unconventional or simply surprising fashion choices.
Listicles are among the best applications for click bait, but don’t do what some brands do and promise to discuss a particular item, only to leave it out of the list for the sake of getting people to keep scrolling.
2. Attempting Social Virality
The critical word here is “attempt” since no one can guarantee a piece of content will blow up and get shared all over the internet.
However, smart clickbait can get people to want to share things.
While it won’t guarantee your post will go viral, it might encourage more people to share it around, giving it wider exposure.
As more people see your content, the chances of it taking off and going viral increase. The eye-catching headline makes it easier to get people reading.
3. Conducting Low-Stakes CTR Tests
While most of us in digital marketing are here for a good reason, it doesn’t negate the fact that we do need to entice people to click on our work if we want to get our message across to them.
One place where you’ll really see this is on YouTube.
Take this YouTube thumbnail for example. When you look at it, it probably makes you think “I don’t know! Is it a scam?!” You may not even know what the presenter is talking about but now that she’s piqued your interest, you’re going to click on her video to find out if she got scammed or not.
That’s how clickbait works. It entices you to click on the video. In this situation, the copy is simple but the graphics and the font are what drives home the feeling of importance.
When trying to get more clicks, you could run A/B tests to see which version of your title and thumbnail works best to increase your click-through rate (CTR). For instance, you might try out two versions of a subject line for a newsletter promotion via email marketing. While Version A might be something like “Get a Coupon Worth 10% Off Today,” Version B might take a click bait approach in the form of “This Major Mistake Is Costing You,” with content that discusses said mistake before leading people to your coupon to help readers save.
When to Avoid Using Clickbait
Too many marketers use clickbait when they shouldn’t.
The result is that the entire concept gets a bad reputation. Clickbait is a tool, and like any other tool, it can help or hinder its users. Clickbait isn’t a bait-and-switch and shouldn’t be used as such.
A lot of the negative press the tactic gets comes from marketers and journalists leveraging it to drive views without a care for the audience’s time investment. Just like there are specific use-cases where clickbait is good, there are some times when a company just shouldn’t adopt it as a marketing strategy.
Where is clickbait not reliable? Some of these situations are:
1. You Risk Eroding Brand Trust
If a company relies heavily on building brand trust among its audiences and starts implementing clickbait advertising tactics, what is a clickbait tactic going to do to that trust? It’s likely going to hurt it.
An example here could include a financial planning company that publishes an article titled “This Secret Investment Can Make You a Millionaire.” While it doesn’t necessarily promise that said investment will make the reader a millionaire, it does come off as sensationalized and could make audiences feel clickbaited, especially if the firm typically takes a more serious approach.
Put simply, some industries benefit more from clickbait marketing, while others… not so much.
2. Targeting High-Intent Buyers
When people are toward the bottom of the sales funnel and ready to make a purchase, they don’t want sensationalism. Instead, they want concrete deliverables that convince them to buy.
A person entering “reliable used car” should not face a headline like “Don’t Purchase a New Car Until You Read This!” In its place should be something more like “A Comparison of the Most Reliable Used Vehicle Brands in 2025.”
At this stage, avoid making any suspect promises and trying too hard to sell through clickbaiting. It should be all about nudging your audiences over the edge toward a sale.
3. When You Can’t Deliver on the Headline
People put a lot of value on their time.
They don’t appreciate it when a headline builds them up for something and doesn’t deliver on its promise. If anything, it makes them wary about anything you might offer them.
If you can’t deliver on the hype your headline offers, then we should just avoid it altogether.
Learning the Art of Clickbait
Though the ‘clickbait’ title is relatively new, the actual marketing tactic has been around for years.
While the method and medium of delivery have changed, the content and aim remain the same. Swiped mentions an ad that features a clickbait headline, published in 1927. So, as you can see, clickbait was used way before websites and Google entered the game.
This demonstrates the good side of clickbait. Remember, at the end of the day, it’s simply a marketing tactic aimed at influencing people to buy a product, which marketers have been using since the early twentieth century.
From this ad, we can realize that the art of clickbait is to offer hope and then deliver on that promise. It aims to seize the user’s attention and put their eyes on something of use to them.
Grabbing Attention With Headlines
Successfully using clickbait is all about mastering the art of the headline.
A clickbait headline is one that offers a fun, intriguing, and exciting premise to the reader.
It can come in several different forms, each one focusing on a different part of our audience’s hopes and fears. Marketers understand the use of the term “pain points” when talking about what motivates buyers.
These “pain points” are also present in people’s minds. These are the things that three of the most popular and useful clickbait techniques focus on.
3 Types of Useful Clickbait
Obtaining a clear understanding of how to use clickbait requires us to break down these three techniques: The Newsjack, Shock Topics, and Cliffhangers.
The Newsjack
Newsjacking takes a legitimate, newsworthy topic and then adds intrigue and mystery to it.
It’s not a new technique – PR firms have been doing it for decades to get free publicity. As mentioned before, polarizing headlines are sure to get people interested, and including a polarizing issue in a headline will get people wanting to click on your content link.
The general format of the headline goes along these lines:
[Person/Brand/Company] Secretly Mentions to [Person/Brand/Company] What Their REAL Opinion Is Of [Polarizing Topic]
If you adjust the words and change the people or brands, you can create a buzzworthy news title that just needs the blanks filled in.
Here is an example of newsjacking:
This article uses one of the internet’s biggest names – a Kardashian – to drive clicks. Anyone who is interested in celebrity gossip, reality TV, or influencer drama is going to be interested in what is going on with Khloe Kardashian these days. They list her well-known friend – Malika Haqq – as a way to tease that they know something that you don’t. Then they throw in Khloe’s father’s death for shock value.
So what is making Khloe so upset and what does Malika have to say about it? Guess you’ll have to read the article to find out!
Shock Topics
People don’t expect news to shock them, so when someone or something performs an unexpected action, everyone wants to know about it.
The mainstay of the muckraking journalist since time immemorial, a “shock topic” can cover the taboo societal discussions such as sex, politics, race, and religion – the topics that most experts agree you shouldn’t talk about in polite company.
The general format of these headlines goes:
[Person/Group] Does/Says [Inappropriate Thing] at [Controversial Setting]
Or:
The [People Against An Issue] Are Using This Shocking [Photo/Image Of Issue] To [Change Minds/Create Chaos/etc.]
This is an example of a shock topic type of clickbait:
It takes one of Hollywood’s most popular young actresses, Jenna Ortega, and pairs it with the scandalous action of cigarette smoking. Then it adds shock value by mentioning the way her mother reacted. The purpose is to drive people to click on the link by seeing the “awkward” exchange.
Sure you know that cigarette smoking is bad but what other websites are going to show you how a current It Girl is being shamed by her mother on the internet?
Cliffhangers That Draw Readers In
Cliffhangers, like clickbait, have a bad rap.
Some people like them, some hate them, but regardless of the audience’s opinion on them, they will always want to know more.
A cliffhanger is designed to encourage the reader to click. It offers them a tease of the topic without a satisfactory ending, making them want to click on the link to learn more.
Some standard forms of cliffhanger titles include:
The Things No One Mentions About [Controversial Topic]
Or:
[Overhyped Thing] vs. [Other Overhyped Thing] in The World Today
Here is an example of a cliffhanger:
The goal of this photo is to make you wonder what three simple things this supermodel does to look young. If you want the answer, you have to click on the picture.
It’s playing into your human sense of wonder. How does this woman look so beautiful? You would have to click on this photo to find out!
Here is another example of a cliffhanger:
Thanks to the recent live-action movie release, the Little Mermaid is a huge trending topic right now. This article jumps onto that train by posting two “easter eggs” and then enticing you to click and learn the other 21.
Want to know what you missed in the movie? You would have to click on this Buzzfeed article or you’ll never know!
Ethical Headline Formulas
What is click bait without a compelling headline? In learning what are the dangers of clickbait, it’s important to know how to avoid clickbait headlines that mislead and deceive audiences while still appealing to their curiosity.
Here are some examples of good headline formulas for click bait and some clickbait news articles examples and others to go with them:
1. The Counterintuitive Finding
One method you can try is to format your headlines as little hints of a discovery that goes against what most people appear to know, introducing yourself as a source of unique insight.
The template would look something like “The [Common Practice] That’s Actually [Negative Outcome, e.g. “the Wrong Way”]
One writer of a newsletter found one of the most effective of these titles to be “The Popular Growth Advice That’s Actually Hurting Your Newsletter.”
2. The Comparative Experiment
Another template you can try is the comparative experiment that unveils a comparison with an unexpected outcome, inspiring people to learn how that outcome came to be.
For example, you could use the format “We Tested [A Number of Items], and [One Unanticipated Result].”
Imagine a food franchise sending out a newsletter or promoting a blog post titled “We Tested 5 Famous Recipes, and One Really Stood Apart.”
3. A Solution to a Particular Problem
You may also opt for a format that offers a solution to a specific pain point your audience faces.
You might use a template such as “This [Convenience Adjective] Fix for [Common Issue] Most People Miss.”
An example here might include a fitness brand’s blog post with the title “How This One Simple Change Can Dramatically Improve Your Workout Routine.
4. The Exclusive Knowledge Insight
This template indicates that the person behind it gained some invaluable knowledge that they’re eager to share with their audience.
It might look like “What I Learned After Analyzing [A Number of Items].” E.g., “What I l Learned After Looking at 10 Different Banking Apps.”
5. The Personal Transformation
Here, a person would have a story arc to share with an accompanying transformation or worthwhile change, enticing people to find out how this change occurred.
“How I Achieved [Result] By Overcoming [Common Challenge.]” A health food brand could use this to advertise “How I Achieved Lasting Weight Loss By Overcoming This Critical Dietary Mistake.”
6. “What You Don’t Know”
In this format, you would frame the headline in the form of missing information, truly inspiring the reader’s curiosity.
This could be akin to “What Most People Miss About [Industry Subject].” In this instance, a home renovation company might make a blog post advertised as “What Most Homeowners Miss About DIY Projects,” ultimately giving insight into why sometimes hiring professionals is better.
SEO and Editorial Guidance: Headline Testing and Metrics
As mentioned, A/B testing is a great way to try out your headlines and visuals to see which gets the best results. After all, what is click baiting without some experimentation with different emotions?
Try changing one element of your clickbait ads, whether it’s your thumbnail or your headline.
Based on which performs better, you can decide on a formula that works.
You can also learn more about how language influences people’s interaction with your content, as the below clickbait news article examples illustrate:
For effective clickbait marketing, you should also measure critical metrics to gauge the performance of your strategy, such as:
- Click-through Rate (CTR): Measures the rate at which people click through a link to your website.
- Dwell Time: Indicates how long people spend on your web pages after clicking through your click bait link.
- Bounce Rate: Determines how frequently people leave your web page shortly after landing on it, with a high rate indicating that content is either irrelevant or of poor quality.
- Conversion Rate: Calculates the rate at which people convert after clicking through your link, whether that entails buying a product, contacting you, scheduling an appointment, or taking another action.
Also, be sure to set up guardrails to avoid any controversy with your efforts. A good strategy here is to avoid deceptive tactics while teasing audiences, giving no false promises that could hurt your brand’s reputation.
Tactical Alternatives to Clickbait
Why do people use clickbait when there are other alternatives out there? While there’s nothing wrong with using clickbaiting ethically, it’s not always the best tactic to use to get clicks and drive conversions.
Here are some other strategies you could implement:
- Clear Value Propositions: Instead of being vague, consider using headlines that establish a clear value proposition, such as “We Have Solved [Specific Issue] With [Specific Benefit]”.
- Curiosity + Benefit: You can also use thumbnails and images that engage the curiosity gap while connecting it to an actual benefit. Examples could include social copy stating “The secret reason your workouts aren’t getting results (and how to fix it),” coupled with a high-quality thumbnail of an athlete pointing to the blurred solution.
- Data-backed Teasers: Use reliable statistics to lend your posts some credibility and tease as to what these statistics mean. E.g., “90% of social media advertisers get this wrong. Find out what and why.”
- Numbered Lists: When sharing a list of any kind, even if it’s not a straight-up listicle, include the number of items in your headline and social copy, such as “7 Tips for Maintaining a Healthy Diet.”
In these efforts, be sure to explore visual context that helps you create the right blend of visuals and copy to convert your audiences. The image and text should ultimately complement each other to bring people through.
AI and the Future of Headline Strategy
What is clickbait in the face of AI? Today, there are many uses of AI in marketing, with one big area including search engine results pages (SERPs) that implement solutions like Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode.
With the implementation of these solutions, you will need to adapt your strategies to focus less on headlines and more on optimizing the content behind the click bait. Having a good balance of helpful, rich, and keyword-optimized content with titles and headlines that grab people across platforms, you can dominate AI search results while connecting with audiences on other channels.
Ultimately, you want the best of both worlds here.
Common Mistakes and Quick Fixes
What are the dangers of clickbait headlines? Let’s look at some common errors and quick fixes for each:
- Vague Promises: Ensure any promises are truly promises, or avoid implying that you’re even making a promise when there is no guarantee.
- Misleading Statistics: Only use real, meaningful statistics with clear, accurate context.
- Missing Benefits: Once you’ve reeled people in by using the curiosity gap, disclose a clear benefit that keeps them engaged.
- Sensationalism and Exaggeration: Appealing to emotions is one thing, but be sure you’re not sensationalizing or stretching reality with your headlines, keeping them realistic and not deceptive.
- Overreliance on Emotional Triggers: Relying too much on emotional triggers like fear or outrage could make people upset with you over the topic you exploit, so use these elements thoughtfully and truthfully.
- Lack of Credibility: Establish yourself as an authority on a topic when appropriate, especially if people are looking for accurate information from reliable sources.
- Poor Spelling and Grammar: Always spellcheck and proofread your social copy and headlines to make sure they look professional and trustworthy.
Make Full Use of Ethical Click Bait With Ignite Visibility
Want to get the best results from clickbait marketing? Ignite Visibility can assist you with social media management, content development, and other marketing strategies that implement this tactic when appropriate.
With our experts backing your campaigns, you’ll be able to:
- Identify your target audiences, including their demographics and other aspects that determine how to appeal with effective clickbait and other content
- Develop high-quality ads and social media content
- Incorporate clickbait into your overarching marketing strategy to achieve your goals, from clicks to conversions and sales
- Continuous measurement and optimization to keep you ahead
- And more!
Connect with our experts today to get started on your next campaign with a free proposal.
