The Shocking Secret to Writing Good Content – You’ll Never Believe What You’re About to Read!

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Except that you probably should.

Author: Caolan Hunter, Pressboard contributor, NYC

As our curiosity grows, and we are increasingly connected, it is natural for consumers to reach out for something new and different. Our expectation from brands and editorial content is that it shows us something in a new light. We’ve become scavengers, able to find out the information we need at the click of a button, so the content we consume needs to have a genuine differentiator to what we’ve seen or heard before.

This has caused some of us creatives to get a little bit more creative than we maybe should have, in the hope that we attract that elusive new audience. I’m talking about clickbait. You’ve probably heard the term bandied around, but do you actually know what it is? Our omniscient friend, Wikipedia, tells us that clickbait is the act of “relying on sensationalist headlines to attract click-throughs.” So, where’s the problem? The rise of clickbait surely doesn’t mark the first time a company has been a bit sensationalist to grab attention. However, it does mark a new era of consciously not meeting consumer expectations.

My mother was positively vitriolic when we discussed the topic. It turns out that the post she clicked on today titled “Discover Holly Willoughby’s Deep Dark Secret,” actually didn’t reveal any secrets whatsoever. In fact, she wasn’t 100% sure that it was even about Holly Willoughby.

What great brands and brand experiences do is build trust, usually over time, helping consumers to connect in an emotional way with a product or service. In a hyper saturated market, companies need these relationships to set themselves apart, so that there is a feeling beyond their facts. By utilizing clickbait and similar methods, we lose this trust. As much as we might be getting some eyeballs on a page or a product, we can be assured that the viewer is never coming back. It is important to keep the end goal in sight, whether it is a purchase or a pleasant customer experience. Failing to meet consumer expectations throughout this process only encourages people to have those needs met elsewhere.

So what goes in to a good headline? According to Columbia University’s Dr. Merlin R. Mann, your headline must:

• Be correct
• Connect to ordinary readers
• Attract attention
• Set the tone of the article

I’m not insinuating that you’re going to catch a captive audience with a boring, functional headline. But, as Dr. Mann has detailed, it is the connection between the ability to attract attention and match the tone of the content that follows that not only brings the reader in, but keeps them there and keeps them interested. Through Facebook’s own research, we have seen that 80% of the time people preferred headlines that helped them decide if they wanted to read the full article before they had to click through.

Buzzfeed’s Ben Smith has recently released the company’s stand on clickbait, saying that the ever popular site has no desire to trick its readers, citing that “the best way to ensure your readers won’t choose to share a story or a post is to trick them.” Buzzfeed’s headlines are still tantalizing to the reader. They are funny, astute, and they make you want to read on. The value then is completely matched by the content of each post, directly living up to the promise that was made in the headline. “The 19 Most Important Jawlines of 2014” delivers on its dangerously sharp promise, and “13 Things That Happen to Vegetarians on Thanksgiving” does examine the less meaty side of the holidays. I got what I paid for, and isn’t that what every consumer wants?

The key to creating a great introduction to content is to skillfully present the facts of what is to follow while showing the audience that they will be interested. Not only did I understand what I was about to see, but I genuinely wanted to know what constituted an “important jawline,” and to uncover the experiences of a vegetarian on the Turkey-est day of the year.

In a busy newsroom, the need to attract readers can be all consuming. Sometimes you have to get a story out and you have to be creative with the content you have in an attempt to make an interesting piece. This is where brands have great luxuries. There is, in most cases, a reason and the time to pursue a writer, a great content creator, or an awesome idea that fits with our ethos or our latest product release. Just remember that no one likes to be tricked, so always make sure your your content delivers on your headline’s promise.

Caolan Hunter
Pressboard contributor, NYC

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Hope you enjoyed the read.
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