If clickbait were a sport, then YouTubers would be the Olympic gold medalists. Especially those like Mr. Beast and Derek Muller, who recently made a video about how Derek making video titles more “clickbait-y” resulted in significantly more impressions and views.
Here are some of his ‘clickbait’ renames
- “Asteroids: Earth’s Biggest Threat” to “These Are The Asteroids To Worry About”
- “Strange applications of the magnus effect” and changing it to “Basketball dropped from dam”
- “The Collatz Conjecture” to “The Simplest Math Problem No One Can Solve”, which resulted in an increase in both short and long-term views.
- “Why the Neutron Is the Hero of Nuclear Physics” to “Why Einstein Thought Nuclear Weapons Impossible”
Don’t overdo clickbait
Most of Derek’s video titles are on the edge of what’s truthful, but they’re still true. That’s the fine line you shouldn’t cross with clickbait. Losing credibility with viewers isn’t the best path.
It’s not instinct, it’s science
Even Mr. Beast creates 3 thumbnails for each video he creates (not knowing which one will work upfront). He does the same with titles. He tests, tests, and tests again.
Clickbait will continue to be something that most people despise, but we foresee that it will be used by everyone, even large corporations. The mainstream media is well-known in this regard even for the many that haven’t developed large YouTube or social media followings.
Why?
It’s all about views and clicks. The media business is mostly a way to deliver ads. If they can capture your attention, that’s the thing that matters.
