Clickbait or Catchy Hook? How To Write Headlines That DON’T Suck 😩

Summary

In this video, Alex from The Copy Posse tackles the fine line between clickbait and catchy hooks in online content. He defines clickbait as sensationalized, misleading headlines that lead to irrelevant or valueless content, damaging brand loyalty. Alex emphasizes the importance of delivering on the promise of a headline, contrasting it with deceptive tactics that may attract clicks but lose trust. Through various examples, he educates viewers on how to discern between clickbait and genuine, valuable content, advocating for authentic and compelling copywriting to build a solid brand and audience engagement.

Takeaways

• 😕 Clickbait is a controversial topic that can mislead or manipulate readers, often associated with sensational headlines that don't deliver on their promises.
• 📖 The Oxford English Dictionary defines clickbait as content designed to attract attention and encourage clicks, but this definition is considered outdated by the speaker.
• 🤔 The speaker argues that clickbait has evolved into misleading headlines that lead to irrelevant or valueless content, damaging to brand loyalty and trust.
• 🎯 The Copy Posse's definition of clickbait includes sensationalized, vague, or outright false headlines that deceive readers.
• 🔗 Clickbait can attract first-time visitors but is detrimental to building a long-term relationship with the audience.
• 📚 The golden rule for marketers is to always deliver on the promise made in the headline or hook.
• 🤓 A catchy hook is different from clickbait as it provides value, whether it's entertainment, education, or inspiration, and does not mislead the reader.
• 🚫 Clickbait often uses dishonest and misleading tactics, such as fake endorsements or stolen testimonials, which can be harmful to a brand.
• 🏠 An example of a catchy hook is a headline that promises a surprising or unusual story and delivers on that promise without bait and switch.
• 📉 The speaker uses several examples to illustrate the difference between clickbait and catchy hooks, highlighting the importance of providing value and not misleading the audience.
• 📝 The video script encourages copywriters and marketers to focus on building a solid brand and engaging the audience with authentic and compelling content.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video script?

The main topic of the video script is the distinction between clickbait and catchy hooks in content writing, particularly in headlines.

What does the speaker, Alex, aim to address in the video?

Alex aims to address the misuse of clickbait in the internet era and educate viewers on how to differentiate between clickbait and effective, catchy hooks that provide value.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, what is the definition of clickbait?

The Oxford English Dictionary defines clickbait as content whose main purpose is to attract attention and encourage visitors to click on a link to a particular webpage.

What is Alex's opinion on the Oxford English Dictionary's definition of clickbait?

Alex believes that the definition is outdated and contributes to the confusion surrounding the term clickbait, as it does not differentiate between attention-grabbing content that provides value and that which is misleading.

What are the negative effects of clickbait on a brand according to the video?

Clickbait can be harmful to a brand as it sabotages brand loyalty. If visitors feel misled after clicking on a headline, they are likely to lose trust in the brand forever.

What is the Copy Posse golden rule mentioned in the video?

The Copy Posse golden rule is to always deliver on what is promised in the headline or hook, ensuring that the content matches the visitor's expectations.

How does the video script differentiate between clickbait and a catchy hook?

The script differentiates by stating that clickbait creates a disconnect between the headline and content, leads to no value, and is often dishonest and misleading, while a catchy hook delivers on its promise, provides value, and is not misleading.

What is the example given in the script for a click-worthy headline that is not clickbait?

The example given is a headline about a 'Super-Easy Green Onion Hack' that genuinely delivers a useful tip on regrowing green onions, thus providing value and not misleading the reader.

What are the three criteria mentioned in the script to determine if a headline is clickbait or a catchy hook?

The three criteria are: 1) Does the headline create a disconnect between itself and the content? 2) Does the content provide value? 3) Is the headline honest and straightforward, or is it misleading?

What is the purpose of the game show 'Clickbait or Catchy Hook?' featured in the video?

The purpose of the game show is to provide examples of various headlines and analyze whether they are clickbait or catchy hooks, thereby educating viewers on how to discern between the two.

What advice does Alex give to copywriters and marketers regarding clickbait?

Alex advises copywriters and marketers to avoid using clickbait and instead focus on building their brand long-term by connecting with their audience and providing valuable content.

Outlines

00:00

😤 The Perils of Clickbait in the Age of Misleading Headlines

In the first paragraph, Alex introduces the concept of clickbait and its prevalence in the digital age, particularly on platforms like Facebook and blogs. He challenges the viewer to distinguish between catchy hooks and clickbait, defining the latter as sensationalized, vague, or misleading content that often leads to irrelevant or valueless material. Alex emphasizes the importance of delivering on the promise made in a headline to maintain customer trust and loyalty, and he outlines the negative impact of clickbait on brand reputation. He encourages marketers to use authentic and compelling copy to engage their audience and build a solid brand.

05:02

🕵️‍♂️ Debunking Clickbait: A Guide for Copywriters

The second paragraph delves into the nuances of clickbait versus catchy hooks, providing criteria to identify the former. Alex uses various examples from the internet to illustrate his points. He critiques a story about a couple adopting triplets and the misleading journey to the reveal, labeling it as clickbait due to its misleading nature and poor user experience. He contrasts this with a headline from MindBodyGreen that delivers on its promise, thus being a catchy hook. Alex also exposes a fraudulent diet pill advertisement and a 'banned video' headline, both of which are clickbait. He concludes with a positive example from Bored Panda, which delivers on its headline's promise without resorting to clickbait tactics.

10:02

📚 Final Thoughts on Crafting Authentic Headlines

In the final paragraph, Alex wraps up the video with a call to action for copywriters to avoid clickbait and to focus on creating genuine, relevant, and catchy hooks. He invites viewers to share their experiences with clickbait headlines in the comments section and promotes further learning through his tutorial videos on headline writing. Alex signs off with a reminder of his next video and a playful musical outro.

Keywords

💡Clickbait

Clickbait refers to sensational or misleading content designed to attract clicks and drive traffic to a particular webpage. In the video, it is discussed as a controversial practice that can mislead readers but is often mistaken for catchy hooks. The video distinguishes clickbait by its tendency to be vague, irrelevant, or outright deceptive, which is harmful to brand loyalty.

💡Copywriting

Copywriting is the process of writing persuasive content, often for advertising or marketing purposes. The video emphasizes the importance of ethical copywriting, where the content should deliver on the promises made in the headline or hook, contrasting it with the deceptive nature of clickbait.

💡Catchy Hook

A catchy hook in copywriting is a phrase or statement designed to grab the reader's attention and entice them to engage with the content. The video script illustrates the difference between a catchy hook and clickbait, stating that a hook should provide value and be relevant to the content, unlike clickbait which often misleads.

💡Misleading

Misleading, in the context of the video, describes content that gives a false impression or is dishonest about what the reader will find. The video criticizes clickbait for being intentionally misleading, which can result in a loss of trust from the audience.

💡Value

Value, in the video, refers to the useful or beneficial content that readers receive after clicking on a headline or hook. The script argues that while clickbait may attract attention, it often fails to provide value, unlike a well-crafted hook that should educate, entertain, or inspire.

💡Relevance

Relevance is the degree to which the content matches the expectations set by the headline. The video discusses how a catchy hook is relevant to the content it introduces, whereas clickbait often creates a disconnect between the headline and the actual content.

💡Hype

Hype in the video script refers to the excessive promotion or publicity that builds anticipation, often to an unrealistic level. It is used to describe clickbait headlines that promise extraordinary outcomes, which are typically unfulfilled, thus deceiving the audience.

💡Brand Loyalty

Brand loyalty is the faithfulness of customers to a particular brand, often due to trust and satisfaction. The video warns that using clickbait can erode brand loyalty because it can make customers feel deceived, which is detrimental to long-term brand success.

💡Authenticity

Authenticity in the video is presented as a key aspect of good copywriting, where the content should be genuine and true to the brand's message. It contrasts with clickbait, which is often fake or exaggerated, and thus lacks authenticity.

💡Trust

Trust is the confidence that readers have in the content and the brand behind it. The video emphasizes that trust is crucial for a brand's success and that clickbait can quickly destroy it by making readers feel deceived.

💡Content Marketing

Content marketing is a strategy that involves creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and engage a clearly defined audience. The video touches on the importance of content marketing done right, where the content should be compelling and truthful to build a solid brand.

Highlights

Introduction to the issue of misleading headlines on the internet in the 2020s.

Alex introduces the concept of 'Clickbait or Catchy Hook' to differentiate between effective and deceptive content.

Definition of clickbait according to the Oxford English Dictionary, focusing on attention-grabbing content.

Critique of the outdated definition of clickbait and its misuse in modern marketing.

The Copy Posse's definition of clickbait as sensationalized, vague, or misleading headlines leading to irrelevant content.

The harmful effects of clickbait on brand loyalty and the importance of delivering on the promise of a headline.

The golden rule of copywriting: always deliver on the promise made in the headline.

How to engage audiences with authentic and compelling copy, avoiding the pitfalls of clickbait.

Three ways to determine if a headline is clickbait or a catchy hook: disconnect, value provision, and honesty.

Examples of headlines that are clickbait, including BuzzFeed, Bored Panda, and Upworthy, and their potential missteps.

The importance of providing relevant content that matches the headline to avoid bait and switch tactics.

Analysis of a 'Green Onion Hack' headline as an example of a click-worthy, value-delivering catchy hook.

A game show segment 'Clickbait or Catchy Hook?' to illustrate the differences between deceptive and effective headlines.

Critique of a misleading 'Couple adopts triplets' headline that leads to a long, ad-filled article.

Praise for MindBodyGreen's 'Chocolate Collagen Powder' headline that delivers on its promise with educational content.

Exposure of a fake endorsement scam in a 'Doctor stunned' diet pill advertisement.

The 'Video will soon be banned' headline as a clear example of clickbait with no substance.

A positive example of a 'Weird Reality' house listing that provides a detailed, satisfying experience matching the headline.

Advice for copywriters and marketers to avoid clickbait and focus on building a brand with valuable content.

Invitation for viewers to share their experiences with clickbait headlines and to explore more on headline writing.

Transcripts

Have you ever been scrolling through Facebook

or reading a blog post and you see a headline

that you just have to click,

only to find out later that you've been completely misled,

manipulated or downright duped?

Ah yes, welcome to the internet in the 2020s.

So how do you as a copywriter, know if your content

is cringe worthy or click worthy?

Keep watching.

(upbeat music)

Hey guys it's Alex, and welcome to the First Edition

of Clickbait or Catchy Hook.

Where I go up against the entire internet to call out

some content that I think is just downright douchy.

Yes, I am talking about clickbait.

Now you don't have to be a copywriter or a marketer

to know what clickbait is.

Typically we think of clickbait as hyperbolic,

sensational or unbelievable content

that makes us desperately wanna click

to satisfy our curiosity.

It often looks something like this, or this, or this,

or this,

or this, or this (chuckles).

But are all of these examples really considered clickbait?

What if they're just really catchy hooks?

What's the difference?

Well, first let's consider the Oxford English Dictionary's

definition of clickbait.

They define it as content whose main purpose

is to attract attention and encourage visitors

to click on a link to a particular webpage.

Hmm, to that I say,

isn't that the point of great copywriting,

to get attention and encourage visitors

to visit your website?

It's for this reason that I think this definition

is just a wee bit outdated,

and no wonder people are confused.

The truth is, a lot of marketers out there today

have widely misused and abused the convenance

of great copywriting, which is why in my opinion,

clickbait has been reduced to an intentionally

sensationalized, vague, or misleading headline

that leads to content that's irrelevant,

provides no value whatsoever, or just straight out lies.

Yeah you know, real fake news (chuckles).

That is the copy posse definition of clickbait today.

And as a marketer, I can assure you that while clickbait

will get you loads of clicks,

it is immensely harmful to your brand

and sabotages brand loyalty.

Yes of course you need to capture visitors attention

with a catchy hook,

but if they feel duped in any way after clicking,

you've likely lost that customer forever.

Clickbait may attract first time readers

but it usually stops there.

The Copy Posse golden rule is to always deliver on what you say

in your hook or headline.

You can still get mad clicks by peeking curiosity,

but if someone feels baited,

you will lose their trust for life.

So if you wanna learn more about how to build a solid brand

and engage your audience with authentic and compelling copy,

I have dozens of videos and guides to get you started.

So go ahead and subscribe to my channel,

below and ring that bell to be notified

when my next copywriting tutorial goes live.

And now, how do you as a copywriter know if your headline

is clickbait or a catchy hook?

Well, there are a few ways to know.

One, clickbait creates a disconnect

between the headline and the content,

while a catchy hook gives people what they came for.

Two, Clickbait leads to no value whatsoever,

and uses unbelievable and pointless hype,

while catchy hooks lead to value in some form,

whether it would be entertainment, education or inspiration.

And three, clickbait tends to be dishonest and misleading.

Really a straight out bait and switch,

while a catchy hook still opens a loop

but doesn't use misleading or misdirected statements.

So for example, you may throw BuzzFeed, or Bored Panda,

or Upworthy under the bus and write them off

as clickbaity content sites,

and yeah, perhaps they've missed the mark

on a few of their headlines in the past.

But let's face it, most of the time you are getting

exactly what the headline says in their article.

If you click on the headline,

'This Super-Easy Green Onion Hack Is Blowing My Mind,'

guess what, you're gonna get a Green Onion Hack

so good that you'll seriously wonder

how you didn't know about it sooner.

And by the way, because I know you'll be wondering,

the hack is to basically chop off the bottoms with the roots

and put them in water so that they regrow.

That's crazy (chuckles).

Click worthy headline, relevant content,

value delivered, bam, that is one catchy hook,

no bait and switch there.

All right, so let's dive into some more examples,

brought to you by the internet.

It's time for a little game show called,

Clickbait or Catchy Hook?

So let's begin with the first contestant,

headline number one, The Surprising Reveal.

'Couple adopts triplets, a week later the doctor reveals

something nobody expected.

Hm, it's an interesting story,

you don't often hear about couples that adopt

three babies at a time, and you're left wondering

if what the doctor revealed was something bad,

something good, or something just shocking altogether.

It definitely makes you curious, so you click the link

to find an article that takes 18 freaking pages

for you to find out what the doctor revealed,

and that was that the wife was actually pregnant with twins

at the time of the adoption.

Sure, the story was relevant to the headline

and delivered a pretty good and surprising ending,

but dragging you across almost 20 ad infested pages

with confusing design and tricky navigation buttons

to finally deliver some sort of value, lame (chuckles).

Although it is a really story, yes, I fact checked.

I'm gonna have to call this one clickbait.

All right, moving onto headline number two,

Contradicting Beliefs.

'How this supplement satisfied my sweet tooth

and gave me glowing skin.'

This content headline comes from

a reputable site, MindBodyGreen.

In this headline example, we're given the impression

that there's something out there that exists,

that fulfills our candy craving and gives us great skin

at the same time!

Hmm, too good to be true?

Clickbait or catchy hook?

Well while it may seem too good to be true at first,

upon clicking the link, you are taken to an educational

article where they introduce you to the benefits

of a chocolate collagen powder,

complete with a chocolate collagen brownie recipe.

Fair enough, nothing misleading about that

and it actually provided great value.

So nice work MindBodyGreen, that was a catchy hook.

All right, headline number three,

The Hypey Benefit.

'Doctor stunned: This melts belly fat like crazy, do this.'

What's kind of crazy is that it seems like anyone

can just throw around the word doctor these days

to inject a false sense of authority in their copywriting.

Because who's gonna have the time

to research and fact check, right?

Especially when it comes from an obviously

super legit source like Smart Life Reports.

In this ad you see a bottle filled with cucumber

and what looks like chia seeds.

Could there be a third ingredient?

Is it some little know elixir recipe

that triggers a biochemical process that burns fat?

Let's take a look.

Oh, it's an article about a diet pill.

One that claims to have helped a woman

loose 25 pound in one month.

Okay first of all, that's nearly impossible.

You'd have to either starve yourself

or contract some sort of serious illness

to loose that much weight that fast.

Secondly, who believes this is actually possible,

simply by taking a pill?

Unless you're brand new to the internet,

it is pretty clear that almost everything on this page

is a douchy marketing ploy, including the probably fake

or stolen testimonials.

When you take two seconds

to actually investigate this diet pill,

you very quickly find out that they've been illegally

using a real doctors name and a fake endorsement

promoting their product, along with a bunch of reviews

calling this product a scam.

The verdict, not only is this clickbait,

but it is a major scam.

So guys, no matter what, always do your research

and never be one of those copywriters.

All right, headline number four, The Fake FOMO.

'This video will soon be banned, watch before it's deleted.'

Should we even dive into this one?

It is so obviously clickbait you guys.

But for the sake of the game show,

we're gonna indulge anyway,

in the name of learning a lesson the painful way.

I am counting on it that none of you will actually believe

that this headline would lead you to any sort of legitimate,

trustworthy or valuable content, all right (chuckles)?

So the funniest thing about this ad is that is says

nothing of the subject matter of the content.

But, let's break it down.

We have a fancy car and a young woman

practically throwing herself on it.

So really, this could only be one of two things.

Either it's a shocking investigative story

about an underground syndicate involving the super rich,

or it's the money-making scheme.

Yep, it's the money-making scheme.

Obviously this is clickbait.

All right, headline number five, The Weird Reality.

'Someone found this $159,900 house listing

that looks modest at first,

but gets weird fast when you look inside.'

We all love a bit of novelty to peek our curiosity

every now and then, and this very specific headline

for a post on board Panda ticks all the boxes.

A house that looks ordinary on the outside,

but promises the extraordinary on the inside.

And the description entices you further with a comparison

to Alice in Wonderland and time-traveling wizards.

Too good to be true?

Let's see, the link takes you

to an extensive photo gallery of the hidden backyard,

and the unexpected interior decor

that gives you a very, very detailed tour

of an eclectic and unusual home.

So you get all the images on one page

with no obstruction from annoying ads,

or misleading information.

It's easy to navigate and as you scroll down

to the very end, it's safe to say

that you've got exactly what you came for.

Which in my book makes this contestant a catchy hook,

I will click that link every single time,

and I will not be sorry about it (chuckles).

All right guys, I hope those examples gave you a quick idea

on the difference between clickbait

and a genuine, relevant and catchy hook.

The bottom line is guys, don't ever resort to using

cheesy, douchy clickbait, not in your headlines,

not in your subject lines, not in your social media posts.

Be the copywriter and marketer that actually cares

about building your brand long-term,

connecting with your audience

and giving them something of value.

So what was the best or worst clickbait headline

you've ever come across, write them below.

And if you wanna know more about the heart and science

of writing great headlines, you can watch my tutorial

on my Hot Headline Formula right here.

Or, check out this video

to learn 10 Copy Posse approved hooks.

All right guys, that's all for this week,

I will see you next week with a brand new video.

Until then, I'm Alex, chow for now.

(upbeat music)

♪ Ta te ran dan. ♪