Beth Collier, a communication, creativity, & leadership consultant, told Bored Panda in an interview via email that there is so much competition for attention these days, and editors and writers have to be creative with their headlines to grab attention.
Having said that, Beth argues that they should also remember their journalistic responsibilities and the impact their words can have.
“The goal of a headline is to get attention and make a reader curious enough to read the story. But it's also frustrating to see the lengths people will go to in order to get clicks,” the communication expert explained.
Beth argues that a headline should draw the reader in, but it should also be relevant and accurate to what the story is about. “That takes creativity.”
We also asked Beth if she thinks that audiences are aware of clickbait headlines. “I believe most readers know clickbait is happening (and which writers or publications are guilty of the practice),” she said.
“There's a reason editors use clickbait: it works. A headline like 'You'll never believe what happened!' is designed to grab attention, and our curiosity often drives us to click.”
“That said, you'll often have a frustrated reader (who will leave the article, and may not return to your publication) if you get a reputation for using clickbait,” Beth explained.
Most importantly, headlines should be clear and concise, and headlines that ignite some type of curiosity in us will attract readers, Beth argues.
“Headlines like ‘The Shameful Secret at the Heart of My War Reporting’, ‘Why Do I Feel More Anxious at Night?’ and ‘Is Pilates as Good as Everyone Says?’ (all taken from today's New York Times) work because they play on a reader's curiosity.”
And since we all like to be entertained, humorous headlines are likely to get more readers, too.
