How Do You Write Click Bait That Is NOT Manipulative and Genuinely Eye Catching?
This question has often occurred to me. How does one actually write a substantive piece with a good heading, while also generating a substantial amount of clicks? Is it possible? Or is a good piece of click bait really just a bunch of rambling thoughts with key words scattered throughout?
My thought is no, that it is actually possible to write something that is a good and thoughtful read, while simultaneously generating the necessary attention. You can meet your marketing and click goals while also producing good content. Here are a few of the things I have thought about when writing content myself that I think might be relevant to everyone elses work.
First though, let me say that there are a few relevant goals that I take into consideration when writing for social media or when generating online content, and those are:
1) Shareability
2) Likeability
3) And AM I BEING MANIPULATIVE
That last one especially is important, for two reasons. The first is that another person is going to be totally disinterested in reading anything or participating in anything that feels like a trap. If your piece is designed as a trap, then people will think it is a trap, and they won't want to click on it. The second reason is personal, but I think it might be more generally applicable, and that is that I do not want to feel as if I am doing work solely tom manipulate people. I don't think anyone I know in this business who takes it seriously wants to get rich dishonestly. At least, I do not.
Anyway, in order to meet all the aforementioned goals, I usually try to pay attention to the following things:
-RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH!
This one is a given whenever you want to write something intriguing, whether it is meant for an audience of 1 or 1 million. Doing an adequate amount of the prerequisite studying to actually communicate truthfully and effectively the essence of a topic is really what distinguishes substance from a lack of. One must really delve into a topic before they espouse anything on it, right?
-FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE.
You attract more flies with honey than with vinegar. Who has not heard that? I have found, in writing what I have written, that focusing on positive or uplifting things is often the way to go. Think about it. If someone is scrolling through the internet looking for something to read in their free time, are they more likely to read something that is going to make them happy or sad? Sticking to positive content usually means you will increase the number of clicks you get, even if you change nothing else.
-NAIL YOUR TITLE
Even though the content of your articles is extremely important to producing work that will generate interest, your headline is almost equally as important. I remember when I first started learning to write seriously in school, I was told that you always have to have a title and topic sentence that grabs the readers attention. You need to enthrall your audience right from the start, and there is no better way to do that than with a dynamite title. Sometimes I have to spend more time on a title than on anything else on a project.
-CREATE FIRST. EDIT LATER.
This is one of the most important things that I had to learn along the way. I find it is so much more beneficial to begin any kind of writing work with a stream of consciousness brainstorming session. It helps me to get my ideas down on the page without judgment, and look at everything that is in my head surrounding a various topic. Often these brainstorms will have no rhyme or reason to them, they are just a way for me to grapple with whatever topic I need to focus on.
And Finally
-SET MANAGEABLE GOALS
This is, I think, the hardest thing to do as a writer. Individual projects demand different word counts and different amounts of time, but if you don't know how to break that down in a way that makes it easy for you and enjoyable, then there is no way you are going to be successful. I like to break a project down into 500 word segments and set reasonable time goals for personal completion. It does take a little bit of trial and error to figure out what works best, but if you can make this kind of goal setting part of your routine, you will soar!!!!
Well, there you have it. That is what helps me to write, or at least, some of what helps me to write. I am extremely curious if you all have any additional tips for all of us.
My thought is no, that it is actually possible to write something that is a good and thoughtful read, while simultaneously generating the necessary attention. You can meet your marketing and click goals while also producing good content. Here are a few of the things I have thought about when writing content myself that I think might be relevant to everyone elses work.
First though, let me say that there are a few relevant goals that I take into consideration when writing for social media or when generating online content, and those are:
1) Shareability
2) Likeability
3) And AM I BEING MANIPULATIVE
That last one especially is important, for two reasons. The first is that another person is going to be totally disinterested in reading anything or participating in anything that feels like a trap. If your piece is designed as a trap, then people will think it is a trap, and they won't want to click on it. The second reason is personal, but I think it might be more generally applicable, and that is that I do not want to feel as if I am doing work solely tom manipulate people. I don't think anyone I know in this business who takes it seriously wants to get rich dishonestly. At least, I do not.
Anyway, in order to meet all the aforementioned goals, I usually try to pay attention to the following things:
-RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH!
This one is a given whenever you want to write something intriguing, whether it is meant for an audience of 1 or 1 million. Doing an adequate amount of the prerequisite studying to actually communicate truthfully and effectively the essence of a topic is really what distinguishes substance from a lack of. One must really delve into a topic before they espouse anything on it, right?
-FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE.
You attract more flies with honey than with vinegar. Who has not heard that? I have found, in writing what I have written, that focusing on positive or uplifting things is often the way to go. Think about it. If someone is scrolling through the internet looking for something to read in their free time, are they more likely to read something that is going to make them happy or sad? Sticking to positive content usually means you will increase the number of clicks you get, even if you change nothing else.
-NAIL YOUR TITLE
Even though the content of your articles is extremely important to producing work that will generate interest, your headline is almost equally as important. I remember when I first started learning to write seriously in school, I was told that you always have to have a title and topic sentence that grabs the readers attention. You need to enthrall your audience right from the start, and there is no better way to do that than with a dynamite title. Sometimes I have to spend more time on a title than on anything else on a project.
-CREATE FIRST. EDIT LATER.
This is one of the most important things that I had to learn along the way. I find it is so much more beneficial to begin any kind of writing work with a stream of consciousness brainstorming session. It helps me to get my ideas down on the page without judgment, and look at everything that is in my head surrounding a various topic. Often these brainstorms will have no rhyme or reason to them, they are just a way for me to grapple with whatever topic I need to focus on.
And Finally
-SET MANAGEABLE GOALS
This is, I think, the hardest thing to do as a writer. Individual projects demand different word counts and different amounts of time, but if you don't know how to break that down in a way that makes it easy for you and enjoyable, then there is no way you are going to be successful. I like to break a project down into 500 word segments and set reasonable time goals for personal completion. It does take a little bit of trial and error to figure out what works best, but if you can make this kind of goal setting part of your routine, you will soar!!!!
Well, there you have it. That is what helps me to write, or at least, some of what helps me to write. I am extremely curious if you all have any additional tips for all of us.