Yes, we all love kittens. And puppies. And cute koalas with cotton mittens. And while we might all click on these viral images, clickbaiting isn’t always good for your business. Actually, clickbaiting is never good for your business. Here are six reasons why you should simply not engage in this social media temptation.
But First, Housekeeping: What Defines Clickbaiting?
Clickbaiting is a content marketing strategy used to, yes, bait for clicks. It usually encompasses vague titles to draw readers in and, many times, charming little animals. While this tactic can work wonders for entertainment sites, it’s not a good strategy for business.
1. Your Goals Don’t Align
The goal of entertainment sites on social media is to reach as many people as possible. They want their content to go viral. But the goal of your business is to engage with your prospects meaningfully. Clickbaiting can hurt your efforts to build a trusting relationship.
2. You’ll Sacrifice Quality
Don’t underestimate the intelligence of your readers. While they may be curious, they’ll see right through your sexy headline when the content doesn’t deliver. They may feel duped and, worse still, hesitate to return to your site. This could result in a lost potential customer.
Remember, while content is king, quality is always queen. Just like in chess, the queen protects the king."
3. You’ll Lose Authority
There’s a reason you don’t see companies like Apple or Microsoft using clickbait strategies. It erodes authority and can make you seem a novice. Appearing to try too hard to grab attention can easily backfire. Your goal is to be respected as a provider of high-quality, educational content.
4. Trust Trumps Temptation
Yes, clicks can be important. But you want the right kind of clicks. There is no question that clickbaiting captures audience attention. Clickbaiting headlines can receive between 150%-175% more clicks. But you want something more important than just clicks: you want trust. By creating honest headlines, and seeking to educate your audience, you’ll establish yourself as a thought-leader in your industry.
5. Sensationalism Doesn’t Last
Clickbaiting is by nature sensational: it depends on trends and fads for its livelihood. It can be very appealing to a certain demographic, but it has a limited lifespan. As soon as the trends shift, your content turns irrelevant. Nobody will go back and read it again. You want to create timeless solutions for your customers, on all digital platforms. So focus on marketing truly attractive content.
Be personal, but don’t try too hard to be sensational.
6. It Won't Grow Sales Faster
Your site may receive a lot of traffic, but it might not be the kind of traffic you’re looking for. Many of the visitors clicking on your sensational headline probably aren’t looking to buy. You most likely will not be able to guide them down the sales funnel and through the stages of TOFU, MOFU or BOFU. Know the traffic you wish to attract, and market accordingly. Here is where automated marketing software, like HubSpot, can really help. It affords you the opportunity to interact with the visitors coming to your site in a meaningful and constructive way. This will ultimately grow your potential sales base.
Finding the Right Balance
That said, remember not to be afraid to write funny, interesting – even awe-inspiring – headlines on social media. Content needs to be engaging. Just make sure that your headlines honestly describe your content, and that the quality of your posts is always upheld. Then you’ll be right on your way to a successful social media strategy.
Keep Sharing
We constantly receive questions about the power of social media. Many ask us, "Is Facebook good for business?" Facebook can be great for business—along with Twitter, Pinterest, Linkedin, GooglePlus and Youtube. At The Kingdom, we utilise these social media channels and we think you should too. We live in a digital world, and a sophisticated social media strategy is key to successful marketing. With so much opportunity out there, maximise your reach on all the diverse platforms.
Interested in discovering how well your business utilises social media? Take our free social media audit today.
