Image by Vic Berger
This article has nothing to do with Trump aside from being a shameless example of how easy it is to trick people into clicking a link.
Love it or hate it – clickbait works.
No matter how many times we fall prey to an enticing headline that doesn’t actually deliver the content we expected, we will still keep clicking on these articles just in case we find something juicy.
And the juiciest piece of online fruit we’re all subconsciously after - content that sparks an emotion.
As big dumb monkeys, we like being jolted by extreme emotions. We “hate read” articles about people we don’t like because the anger releases neurotransmitters into our brain that prepare us for war. Conversely, we like being excited by positive content, particularly if it’s content that we know our group or “tribe” will also enjoy.
As a business, how can you use this knowledge to grab your target audience’s attention?
Depending on what you’re selling, it’s unlikely you’ll be sparking extreme emotions from your products and services alone. In fact, mentioning your products in your headline will have the opposite effect, as we’re all masterfully proficient at tuning out a sales pitch when we see one.
Instead, think about who your audience is, and what really motivates them. Do you want to worry them or intrigue them?
What are they likely worried about in their role?
· Saving money
· New regulations
· Market disruption
· Difficult customers, employees, or co-workers
Create a headline that addresses these fears, and dangles a range of potential solutions (not just your product):
· Five simple ways to make real savings in your (x) budget
· Don’t wait until it’s too late to prepare for (x) regulation
· Essential advice for surviving in the fast changing (x) sector/industry
· How to cope with customers/employees/colleagues who (insert difficult behaviour)
What sort of information would intrigue them?
· New and innovative ideas
· Interesting statistics
· Bold and controversial opinions
· An amusing or relatable anecdote
Your headline should get straight to the heart of what these stories are about:
· Is (x innovation) a complete game changer for the (x) sector/industry?
· Four out of five people now say that (insert surprising statistic)
· The only way to achieve (business outcome) is to (insert bold/controversial tactic)
· I decided to ride a unicycle around the office. Here’s what I learned.
Notice that the majority of those headlines have very little to do with selling a product or service. Instead, they offer some form of potential value to the reader.
Getting people to engage with your online content is half the battle. The other half is getting them to actually stick around on the page, but I’ll discuss these tactics further in another post.
What’s important is that you forget about trying to shoehorn a sales pitch into the messaging you send out to your audience. They are already being sold something everywhere they turn, so the best way to stand out from the crowd is to be different.
Sometimes it can be difficult to know what your audience is really interested in, and how that relates in any way to your business. When we’re so consumed with the internal machinations of our business, and the specific features of our products and services, it’s natural to misunderstand the motivations of our audience. This is where a fresh pair of eyes and some external ideas can be incredibly valuable.
If you’d like to have an obligation free discussion about a potential content strategy for your business, feel free to get in touch with me at Hamish.williams@thewordbench.com.au. Let me know how you’d like to position your business and who your audience is, and I’ll be happy to develop some engaging content ideas for you.