To Clickbait, or Not?
What's in a title?
Clickbait: (noun) 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. (Merriam Webster)
I’ve always fancied myself as clever. So of course I think I’m pretty good at coming up with titles. But more often than not, I don’t choose the title that I think will necessarily get the most clicks or reads. I typically use the one that prompted the essay in the first place. And when it comes to fiction, I just seem to know it.
But when I was titling last week’s essay, I was tempted to go in a different direction. Which of course sent me down a rabbit hole, and subsequently inspired this essay.
Why not use a Clickbaity title? Am I just over thinking this whole thing?
So I asked some writer friends of their opinion.
I also asked non-writer friends what they thought.
Why not this title?
Is a Clickbaity title really a turn-off? Or is it just yet another example of us as artists not wanting to promote ourselves? What could be the disadvantages of using one title over the other, and vice-versa?
It’s crazy y’all — none of my writer friends have been able to answer this question! It’s almost as if we’re standing too close. Which is exactly what’s peeked my curiosity. Do we, as artists overthink the whole thing?
So I decided to do a little experiment. I tried the Title Test Function offered by Substack. It’s on the final page before you publish 🤔 I bet you’ve noticed it too.
And then last night I had a breakthrough reading Good Boy Records’ article, Opinions Are Like Assholes!
Guess what? Readers ain’t thinking about that stuff at all. They see a title, and it either grabs them or it doesn’t. They ain’t dissecting its validity. They ain’t saying, “Boy, MJ was sure trying a little bit too hard with that one, huh.”
As it turns out, only my non-writer friends were able to look at and answer my question objectively. And every one of them had the same answer. The point of the title is to get someone to read your article. Period. So then the question becomes one of virtues, I guess.
I had so many questions about this whole process! And some were answered, but some were not. And in the end I’m still left wondering if the best title won. But I’m certainly not surprised at the outcome. The experiment went just as I thought it would. I always knew that the juicer title would win.
I set the experiment to test 50% of my blog subscribers. That should have been 102 out of 204. So half of the half were supposed to get each title, right? That’s 51 for each title. Then, why the weird “Sent” numbers?
Was it just to email readers?
Did each title build “Sends” as opens were tallied?
Could Substack have been pushing the second title?
And yes, I’m probably being over critical. That second title, the one that won, isn’t really a clickbait title, because it does fit. Heck it’s a quote from the essay’s opening statement!
But the question becomes one of intention. Is that how I want to attract readers? And are those the type of readers I want?
I’ve been very fortunate so far, and have had very little negativity on anything I’ve published. But, I’ve also been very careful about things such as this. And I don’t do anything here purely based on numbers.
Now I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t track the stats. What I’m saying, is that’s never been the sole goal. Sharing the light of love and compassion with others, shining my light is the main goal.
Do I want more Readers? Yes of course, but not in exchange for leaving anyone feeling questionable about the intent of my title choice.
So I think I’ll just aire on the side of caution. I don’t think I’ll be going the clickbait route anytime soon. At least, not if I’d consider it a “dubious” title. Because even if most readers say it doesn’t matter to them, it matters to me.
One more thing — let me make it clear that I do not see the word feminist as a negative connotation. It’s just that by rule, I typically refrain from drawing any distinction between any of us. I don’t like claiming to be anything but human. And in that way, your brother and friend. So that’s why the hesitance over the title. If I’d have ever really considered it clickbaity, there’d never have been a question. 🙏
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