Click Bait

Just what is clickbait? Psychology Today:

Before we go into how clickbait works, let's define it. I like the Merriam-Webster definition better than Wikipedia's version. M-W defines clickbait as: "Something (such as a headline) designed to make readers want to click on a hyperlink especially when the link leads to content of dubious value or interest."

Sometimes clickbait is more like bait and switch. That is, we read a catchy headline or link, click it, only to find ourselves enveloped in an ad. The majority of clickbait is of the "dubious value" variety. There is content when we click on the link, but it is heavily wrapped in advertisements. Thus, the article or video is in actuality a lure that exposes us to the ad, which is the true purpose of the content. When enough people are exposed to the ads, there will be a percentage of us who become buyers of the products being marketed. Again, we know this clickbait model works well enough because, if it didn't, it wouldn't exist. It's a product of Darwinian capitalism.

How Much Money Does YouTube Pay Per View?

Techniques often seen on YouTube:

• Lots of vivid graphics

• Lots of cutesy/busy graphics

• Colored frames around the thumbnail to catch your eye

• Clickbait titles - something presented as provocative which turns out to be very underwhelming

• Inflammatory language in descriptions

• Intense, up close pictures

If you click, they make money