How charities should approach clickbait

The temptation to click on a flashy advert or titillating image is difficult to resist. Mainly, it’s about wanting to know more about a celebrity or juicy gossip.

 

For charities navigating the use of click-bait, there are pitfalls to be aware of before using the controversial digital marketing technique.

 

 

What’s the controversy about?

 

The very nature of clickbait is controversial. Its intention is to entice users to follow an online link, typically while being deceptive, misleading, or sensationalising.

 

In simple words, clickbait uses some elements of dishonesty to get clicks. The ‘bait’ may not always reflect the actual article or content of the message. From that perspective, clickbait is sometimes mixed in with fake news.

 

What clickbait does do is heighten interest.

 

Talkative UK’s marketing manager Patsy Nearkhou observes that clickbait is often mysterious or extraordinary. When speaking to the Content Marketing Institute, she says: “They work because people are naturally curious creatures so it’s irrelevant whether they use grandiose or subtle tactics.”

 

 

Using clickbait for good

 

The fundamentals of clickbait, which is to invite curiosity and interest, don’t have to be disingenuous. There are proponents out there that recommend using it. The strategy has been successful in not only generating clicks, but in motivating online engagement.

 

The Institute of Conservation (Icon)’s campaign “Botched Restorations” remembered failed restorations through a twitter thread on social media, print, and magazine to champion their cause.

 

This was meant to produce some horror and disgust at the potential defacing of culturally significant artefacts. A religious statue of Mary and Jesus was shown.  Jesus’ missing headpiece was replaced with what looked like Maggie Simpson’s head. The idea was to highlight the danger of having unregulated conservators work on important pieces.

 

The results of the campaign were stunning.

 

On Twitter, their campaign posts reached an audience three times bigger than the second-best performing campaign of the period and was ten times more successful in terms of engagement.

 

The thread was shared nearly 20,000 times.  A huge boost in traffic was seen online. The charity’s site experienced 35% more visitors. When measuring the impact of specific adverts, the website saw an increase of six times more traffic once live.

 

Clearly, clickbait is a powerful tool for digital managers. For Icon, it was about balancing the right amount of outrageousness with charity purpose.

 

 

Titles that offer more clicks

 

Having been convinced on the merits of clickbait, using it for most organisations means also avoiding the pitfalls of deception and fake news.

 

The Search Engine Journal offers up some advice, with the key word being appropriate. They suggest that the best way to use clickbait is to publish headlines that grab attention. Examples include:

• “X Reasons why…”
• “This is why you…”
• “This is how…”
• “You won’t believe…”

Another strong suggestion is “piggybacking”. Titles of this nature use other names as experts. Examples are:

• “Forbes magazine shares X”
• “Digital marketing expert reveals…"

Many of the titles aim not to hide information, but to grab attention. The journal also suggests providing supporting information linked to the title.

 

A note of caution here. Appropriateness is the operating word. Platforms like Facebook demote sensationalist stories so make sure that your title does offer something tangible.

 

 

How charities can use clickbait

 

Clickbait is a practice in the art of balance. Digital managers at charities have to craft the right mix of both mystery and curiosity to be successful.

 

Neil Patel, the social media guru, explains how clickbait works best. He offers several tips:

 

1. Use curiosity but don’t overdo it

 

Social media managers should use leading titles, but not exaggerated claims or sensational headlines. They should relate to the main content but pique curiosity. Controversial images can work but take caution by making sure they are appropriate to the subject.

 

 

2. Be honest

 

Building and maintaining charity trust is crucial. If there are claims or experts involved, make sure that they are correct. Do your fact-checking.  

 

 

3. Use facts and figures

 

Real facts and numbers draw in audiences. Neil Patel says: “Numbers represent actionable steps users can use to reach their goals. Numbered lists also improve scanability and make it easier for readers to digest content.”

 

 

4. Track metrics

 

With all digital strategies, track the results. Whether your key performance indicators are more clicks, traffic, or engagement, make sure you have the right tools to measure results. Ultimately this impacts your return on investment.

 

 

5. Don’t forget about quality content

 

Remember, once the bait has been unleashed online the content needs to follow. Whether it’s evergreen or interactive, the message needs to be relevant to audiences.