Have you fallen into the allure of grabbing attention and generating TRP? No wonder. You are not alone. Both individuals and businesses in the digitised media world are searching for an easy solution to create TRP. It requires grabbing the attention of viewers. A click can help them exist in competition.
The fear of losing Pushed them to produce Clickbait Content. They come with sensational headlines that promise something life-changing. However, these deliver rarely. They can generate curiosity initially, inviting clicks. Regretfully, these often cross the line of sobriety and sincerity to become Clickbaitosaurus.
Wondering whether your content belongs to this category? The article would help you identify clickbait content. Besides, there are tips to create engaging, gimmick-free articles. These can resonate with your audience. Read on to know more:
What Is Clickbait Content?
Clickbait itself is a form of content. The creators design these to gather clicks on the search engine result pages. They are also found on Social Media Platforms. Usually, they take the form of texts or thumbnails.
The content designer in this type of content allure users to click on a link. They stress upon generating the users’ curiosity. The creators depend heavily on sensational, deceptive, or misleading headlines.
Their primary goal is to increase the number of website visits. It helps increase advertising revenue. In most cases, the content does not deliver its promises. Thus, these generate frustration in the users’ minds. The pieces of content thereby yield a negative user experience.
Clickbaitosaurus – Its Origin
We can explain the rise of Clickbaitosaurus in two segments – Rise of Clickbait and Arrival of Clickbaitosaurus.
Let us start with the first:
Rise Of Clickbait
Clickbait, the tricky article formation style, started with simple, catchy headlines. Several websites used the trick to draw the attention of curious readers. In the beginning, the headlines did not appear harmful. Rather, audiences enjoyed their essences.
The situation, however, changed with the beginning of intense competition between businesses. Website owners started instructing their content generators to make their content more enticing. The creators thus started to introduce deceitful materials in the headlines and content.
Both the content and headlines started to compromise with reality for clicks. It actually had paved the way for Clickbaitosaurus.
Reaching The Clickbaitosaurus
The arrival of Social Media platforms and the monetisation of online content have paced the arrival of Clickbaitosaurus. For instance, Facebook and Twitter stress upon creating headlines to grab people’s attention. Websites also had to find ways to maximise their revenue.
More visits to the webpages can become a dependable source of earning money. Introducing sensationalism in the headlines and making fake promises in the content has thus become the trend. These give rise to Clickbaitosaurus – content that hardly cares for matters.
Clickbaitosaurus – Its Fundamentals
You can identify Clickbaitosaurus content quite effortlessly. Here are its fundamental traits:
- Loud Headlines Filled with Emotion: Blasting title is the life of clickbait. Instead of websites, titles like ‘ Simple Tricks to Change Your Life Forever’ run on Social Media pages more.
- Misleading Images: Images with misleading information create annoyance in viewers. I have witnessed several thumbnails where the image shows something mind-blowing.
When I searched for details, it showed something utterly irrelevant. Now, I check the resource before clicking on these thumbnails.
- Suspense Videos: Clickbaitosaurus content creators want to keep the viewers on the pages longer. Thus, they create suspense by delaying the central theme. The site earns more revenue, though the viewers did not get what they wanted.
- Repetitive Videos: The clickbait videos often use repetitive, emotional, and hyperbolic tricks. These tricks work instantly. When the video ends, the viewer feels frustrated. This is a good example of making fake undertakings.
How Can We Recognise Clickbait Content?
There are several tactics to identify Clickbaitosaurus content. The best way is to be acquainted with its features. Let us drive deep into these:
Striking Headlines
The creators of Clickbaitosaurus content use very catchy headlines in their articles. These types of headlines work to generate traffic on website pages. However, some of these headlines feature promises that are simply unbelievable. Sensible people thus choose to refrain from clicking on them.
Use Of Fabricated Languages
Clickbait uses fallacious terms in its content. Besides, their content also contains all-caps phrases. They usually call for attention and urge people to click on the website page. A like or comment can help them stay ahead in the competition.
Catchy Yet Unfruitful Thumbnails
Clickbaitosaurus content developers often use imposing images. Users find no connection between these elements with the original pieces.
Unmatched Content
The content in these deceptive articles often has no connection with their graceful headlines.
Deceptive Promises
The headlines and body of content often contain captivating promises. You can guess its forging nature by the way the promises are made.
High Bounce Rates
Deceptive content suffers from high bounce rates. It indicates that the people are driving away from the site after being disappointed from its fake promises. The site also loses its position in the SERP pages.
Difference Between Clickbait And Effective Headlines
- The main distinction between clickbait and effective headlines is their ability to grab attention.
Effective headlines provide readers with useful information. Users thus feel the urge to continue reading and know about the thing to the maximum level.
Clickbait headlines make unrealistic promises. Sensible people stay away from sites revealing such titles.
- Clickbait headlines are optimally catchy by nature. They ignite curiosity initially, but non-fulfilled promises leave readers utterly disappointed.
Genuine content stresses creating well-crafted headlines. Besides sparking interest in the readers, the creators maintain honesty in the process. Sincerity and dedication attract people’s attention.
Influences On Youtube And Other Social Media Audiences
Youtube
Clickbaitosaurus videos are a safe abode on the YouTube platform. Catchy yet fictitious videos showing shocking faces attract significant attention on this platform. Several sensational headlines are used to prevent viewers from scrolling.
Suspense Videos also fill the website pages. Instead of going into the essence, the creator drags these for 10 minutes or longer. The only intention is to restrain you on the page for a considerable period. You will not find anything to help you learn something or get amusement.
Social Media
Engaging people on a Social Media platform is even easier. However, sensible persons can easily spot Clickbaitosaurus content pieces. Yet, they are also found to share headlines like ‘The Video is banned in 37 countries.’
TikTok and Facebook offer rewards for better engagement. Creators are thus more inclined to post Clickbaitosaurus content. They expect these pieces to attract more likes and shares.
My Opinion:
Fictitious content can fetch clicks for the time being. However, creators lose their goodwill once the viewers realise that the content has tricked them. They do not come back afterwards.
However, most people are simply unaware of these tricks. So, they continue their activities on these platforms. The creators also enjoy their engagement and continue earning revenues and rewards.
Reasons People Are Still Held Up By Clickbaitosaurus Tactics
Various digital content has been published describing the dangers of Clickbaitosaurus content. Despite this, we have seen people falling into its trap quite frequently. The probable reasons could be:
Curiosity Gap
The catchy titles that clickbait content creators choose are purely based on human psychology. We have a curious mind. When a title hints at something we might think in our subconscious minds, we feel inclined to know more.
Psychologists call it the ‘Curiosity Gap.’ You may feel missing an important thing. So, you click on the provided link to complete the story.
Fear Of Missing Out
Several tricky things appear on YouTube and various Social Media platforms. I have seen Indicators stating “Your IQ level is 140 if you can answer 9 of 30”.
Curious minds love challenges. The sensitive headline would prompt them to answer the queries. So, they will get stuck on the video for a considerable time. Time may be more if the video offers a Q&A section. Your fear of missing out helps the creator earn a good amount of money through you.
Mental Distraction
In the current fast-scrolling age, people hate to take time for analytical study. Once asked, they click promptly. This sort of wild temperament often leads them to the ocean of frustration.
Impact On Online Trust
To many, Clickbaitosaurus content may appear simple, humdrum-inviting nonsense. But their existence causes serious damage to our trust in online content. Follow the breakdown to know about the damages:
- In the first place, people click on content and follow the formalities as the originators require. Things become highly frustrating when they do not deliver. It makes people stop trusting headlines, however honest they may be.
- Mistrust brings serious damage to genuine creators and authentic sites. Viewers leave angry comments. Often, they unsubscribe from the sites and stop visiting them.
- Worse, fake news and scams form the base of clickbait content. News of a medical cure, celebrity rumour, or political scam spreads much faster. Adventurous people like dramatic titles. However, misleading information creates confusion and causes harm to the visitors.
How They Controlled the Damage
Reputed platforms like Google and YouTube have taken several initiatives to free their sites from clickbait content.
- They have instructed their quality-inspecting team to check every content before posting. It is a good measure to prove their accountability. Once people find the relevance of the content with its headline, their confidence will come back.
- The operators have asked their teams to erase low-quality content from their spaces. Instead, it has asked them to check the sources before posting content.
Aftermath Of Using Much Clickbait In Content
Using clickbait in content can produce instant clicks and increase traffic. However, it leaves serious consequences. By using the misleading information in the pieces, readers do not get what they expect. They leave the platform discontented and annoyed.
This type of content leaves other impetus too. Some of these are:
- Unmatched content breeds distrust. If the readers realise they are being trapped, they leave the site not to return. This incident affects the platform’s goodwill.
- Search Engines take note of bounce rates and engagement metrics. If users leave the site fast after the first click, they demote the site from the ranking.
- Absolute dependence on tactful titles and factless content is sure to dilute its quality. This element would never foster a genuine relationship with the readers. Instead, you would generate superficial terms with them. An attention-grabbing tactic would dominate your relationship with them.
The essence:
Unjustified reliance on irrelevant content diminishes brand goodwill. These play with readers’ satisfaction and induce them to leave the site. The creators compromise with the fundamental intent of content for a few clicks.
Tips To Write Clickbait-Free Content (Non-Clickbaitosaurus)
You can use several simple tricks to free your content from becoming clickbait. Here are the essentials:
- Start with the Headline or Title. Instead of adding loud words, use soft, simple, and sophisticated terms in the article. An impulsive title attracts traffic to the content.
- Be sincere in developing content. Put your attention on providing solutions or insights. Avoid generating a fuzz.
- Use Data, case studies, and expert opinions in it. They increase the strength of the content.
Besides, they also support your claims and increase its trustworthiness. Authenticity builds trust and makes the readers stay on an article.
- Practice the art of storytelling. This helps to captivate readers to a much greater extent.
- Try to put an interrogation mark at the beginning or end of your article. Alternatively, you can throw a situation and ask readers to comment on it.
This would take the form of a challenge. More readers will pay attention when the queries are based on real-life situations of facts.
- In-depth research and methodical thinking are the two essentials of well-crafted content. Thorough research on the topic would help you generate a thoughtful article. Readers would find more quality than quantity in this.
The Future Of Clickbaitosaurus
Clickbaitosaurus content may face extinction due to the threat of evolving digital ecosystems on it. Search engines are now taking appropriate initiatives that help identify shallow, nonsensical, and irrelevant content.
Audiences these days are craving authenticity and value in the content they study. They have already learnt to identify and avert deceptive articles, videos, etc.
Reputable brands have also started investing in ethical storytelling and long-form content. It helps them develop audience-centric approaches. It is time to rectify and restructure yourself. Afrain from relying on clickbait. Instead, start believing in real-life content.
Conclusion
From the article, one thing should be clear to you. Once the dominating clickbait content is now on the verge of extinction.
The article has explained the tactics that will help you recognise Clickbaitosaurus content. Besides, we have included tips to write legible and valid content. These tips will help you find readable articles. The content might be of good use if you are among the promising content creators.
Faqs
Q1. Is Clickbait The Same As Clickbaitosaurus?
Ans: These two sound similar, but they are not the same. Clickbait is a harmful tactic for developing content. Clickbaitosaurus uses those tactics to generate outdated and harmful pieces.
Q2. Does Google Penalise Clickbait Content? Why?
Ans: Google maintains a standard for content on its platform. Misleading headlines and irrelevant content do not meet the standard. Thus, clickbait content pieces face penalties from Google.
Q3. Do You Think Clickbait Can Create Effective Headlines?
Ans: I do not agree. Clickbait headlines are oriented to generate short-time traffic. They create trust issues in the long run. It leads to customer dissatisfaction. Relying on clickbait headlines would thus be risky.
Q4. Are All Clickbaitosaurus Content Nonsensical?
Ans: No. A lot of Clickbaitosaurus content commensurate with their headlines. Customers also like those as they get what they expect.
Q5. What Do We Learn From Understanding Clickbaitosaurus?
Ans: Learning about Clickbaitosaurus helps us understand the importance to protect ourselves from misleading content. The learning helps us recognize the tricks used in clickbait content. We can thus make best decisions to handle online affairs.
