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Q&A The art of clickbait captions

Clickbait isn't like news where you tell someone the headline so they'll click for more information. Eggplant linked to lower cancer rates. Clickbait is where they have to click just to find ...

posted 5y ago by Cyn‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Answer
#4: Attribution notice removed by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-20T00:40:44Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/45329
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T11:57:05Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/45329
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by (deleted user) · 2019-12-08T11:57:05Z (almost 5 years ago)
 **Clickbait isn't like news** where you tell someone the headline so they'll click for more information.

> Eggplant linked to lower cancer rates.

Clickbait is where they have to click just to find out the headline.

> This one vegetable stops cancer!

**There's no nuance in clickbait**. Not like medical articles where you use caution about overselling things.

**Never tell readers to "click here,"** because that should be what your headlines makes them think. If you have to tell them, you've lost.

**Clickbait creates promises.** Sometimes it is about making money, achieving fame, or curing disease. But other times it's a promise of great entertainment.

> Whale thanks her rescuer with this incredible move.

**The purpose of clickbait is eyeballs** (getting the visitor counts up), not to inform, or even to sell. And you do this in part by teasing something someone can't find out via the regular news.

Put this all together and you get lines like:

> 7 secrets of fame celebrities don't want you to know.

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2019-05-22T14:34:18Z (over 5 years ago)
Original score: 73