Click Bait Headlines You Don't Want To Miss
November 03, 2018
I was recently asked to write some quick headlines designed to attract interest in a tech development company. It was an interesting challenge since you are immediately faced with the desire to attract clicks vs. the need to communicate the value proposition of the company. We have all seen click-bait headlines that look like this:
The fear is that if you lean on "click bait" where the main purpose is to attract attention and encourage visitors to click on a link to a particular web page with little regard to the content on that web page, you will ultimately not deliver on the KPIs associated with that program (engagement, video views, PDF downloads, form fills, lead referrals etc.).
My small revelation is that the best banner ads do both and that the art of doing so is as old as the advertising industry.
Most banners get to the point and hope they catch your attention:
Nothing wrong with this approach, particularly when retargeting an interested audience or if you have a well optimized AI profile driving audience selection.
I find that the banners that do best tend to blend being clear with some level of intrigue or click bait.
Which led to the revelation that all of this is nothing new. Take these classic headlines:
“How does a snowplow driver get to work? The answer will surprise you.”
“Bet you can’t guess what the one thing you’ll hear inside a Rolls-Royce is.”
“Six people that achieved international fame from thinking differently.”
“How these hipster dudes greet each other is hilarious and contagious.”
Source: Adweek
So I guess in the end, what is old is new again. Now read the next post for some insight into "how your brand budget is in danger and the metrics to defend it." :)