What is Click Bait in Digital Marketing?

Click bait is a term synonymous with digital marketing, defined as a practice that employs a catchy title or creative image thumbnails to allure audiences into clicking through to consume content. The aim is usually to increase page views, social sharing, or to gain higher advertising revenues.

In a world where attention is the new currency, the click-baiting strategy often exploits the 'curiosity gap', providing just enough information to pique the reader's interest, but not enough to satisfy their curiosity without clicking through to the linked content.

However, not all click baits are positive. It could leave users frustrated if the content does not match their expectations set by the headline, endangering the website reputation and SEO.

Click bait plays an integral role in a successful digital marketing strategy. It acts as a doorway to the primary content, driving traffic and improving audience engagement.

Click bait is especially effective on social media platforms, where users can share the intriguing headlines, leading to viral content. However, it's critical to balance the captivating allure of a clickbait with the quality and relevance of your content.

Overusing click baiting can harm your brand's credibility amongst the audience. Therefore, it's about striking the right balance between achieving increased engagement and providing substantial, high-quality content.

Click bait is widespread throughout the internet, with forms ranging from catchy headlines, intriguing quizzes, or listicles. The 'you won't believe what happened next' or '7 secrets to success' are well-known examples.

A famous example is BuzzFeed blog posts like '10 celebrity wardrobe malfunctions that can’t be unseen.' Here, the reader is enticed by the promise of shocking imagery about people of interest.

While these headlines are infamous for their click bait nature, websites should aim to deliver content that fulfills the reader's curiosity sparked by the headline. The critical factor here is not to deceive the readers, but use 'click baiting' to provide valued content.