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Now that I’ve got your attention, let’s talk facts. It’s not virtual reality
We’ve watched the world spiral while creating engaging content, to the extent of baiting the reader in order to increase website traffic. The concept of clickbait is transparent enough – attract website clicks to generate higher ad revenues. The execution, however, hasn’t received the warm welcome it should have across the public relations industry. Without a time-consuming journey back in time, the fact remains that clickbait is a successor of the infamous practice of linkbaiting – content developed in a manner that encourages the reader to create a hyperlink to the site, eventually impacting the company’s SEO.
For over a hundred years, journalists have considered eye-catching headlines as best practice to eventually increase their circulation figures and there’s no better proof than British media, such as The Sun. They’ve pushed limits and challenged norms to create engaging content that is further enhanced by a headline to create intrigue. The backlash they’ve faced at times is attributed to the nature of the news and the decision to use a clickbait headline for that piece of content.
The point of clickbait is piquing the reader’s curiosity with the most enticing or customer-relevant part of the story – this is the essence of a good headline.
Speaking as a PR consultant, it is becoming an integral part of the brand generated content we develop for our clients. The misconception of ‘misleading content’ has to be revised and its time that we, as PR professionals, lead the charge.
Talking about cars, for example, we’ve always shared a press release highlighting the features, torque and speed, hand-crafted interiors and indisputable value. This practice has since been revised with the implementation of new-age PR tactics at Cicero & Bernay. As storytellers, or PR consultants, we’ve adopted the use of clickbait, which has lifted the embargo on our creativity and allowed us to share content with the journalists that doesn’t unveil the entire news in the headline. Traditional PR is still being practised, but with the ability to grab the reader’s interest, we can now take ownership of their ‘first impression’. This includes baiting them with a headline that is out of the ordinary – ie Through The Launch of Their New Super Car, This Premium Brand Has Increased Their Market Share This Quarter. Not sharing the name of the brand or their new model encourages the reader to click on the article out of curiosity (therefore increasing ad revenue for the publisher) and sharing the content within their like-minded social circle.
The additional benefit of this is an increase in direct customer engagement with the client. Moving on from the automotive world, let’s talk about the food and beverage industry. While sharing an announcement on the launch of a new delivery service for a reputed café, the headline can focus on a customer-centric approach – something like From the oven to your doorstep in 1,800 seconds. This will increase the possibility of customers clicking on the publisher’s link. Using linkbait within the content – hyperlinking the café’s name with their website or Zomato Online Ordering pages – we create a cross-platform benefit that achieves our goal. They have the option of ordering online through the menu on Zomato or visiting their website to learn about the café.
It’s our responsibility to lead the charge and remedy the misconception of clickbait. The online world is taking over the tangible one we live in, which is why I remain a firm believer in the use of clickbait and its benefits to us, as the PR storytellers, and the clients.
Use it wisely, use it credibly.
Riya Vatnani is Senior Account Executive at Cicero & Bernay Public Relations. An independent PR agency headquartered in Dubai and offering new-age public relations consultancy to the UAE and across the MENA. |www.cbpr.me