We live in a world of clickbait. Headlines that are designed to make you curious and click on them, even if the content is not what you wanted or expected. We all know this and we see it everywhere online: “You won’t believe which celebrity just got married!” “The one weird trick that will give you perfect skin!” These headlines seem to be everywhere these days, but do they work? Do they make people want to read your article?
In this blog post, we’re going to take a look at 8 examples of headlines from some popular websites like Buzzfeed and Huffington Post as well as some lesser known sites. We’ll take a look at the type of headline they used, why it works and how you can learn from them.
8 Examples of Clickbait Headlines That Work:
1) You’ll Never Believe What This Woman Found in Her Shoe – LifeBuzz
“You won’t believe which celebrity just got married!” It’s a shocking and surprising headline. The reader is curious to find out who this person was and what happened (and of course, they want the answer to be “you won’t believe it”). Plus, if you’re wondering about it too then there must be something interesting going on.
The type of content that works for this site are stories that will make people laugh or feel happy. They also have lots of fun quizzes so headlines like these fit well with their audience because it feels relatable while being exciting at the same time. Real life experiences can work really well online as long as they keep people engaged.
2) This Dog’s Reaction to Getting His Ball Back is Priceless – Buzzfeed
This headline works because it gives you a glimpse into what the article will be about (a dog and his ball) but doesn’t give too much away. It also uses an over-used word in headlines like “priceless” which makes people curious enough to want to know more.
A type of content that would work well for this type of site are funny videos or animal stories (which they often link back to on social media). This particular example caught people’s attention when shared on their Facebook page, so it must have worked really well!
3) Woman Discovers She’s Been Pregnant for Six Years – The Sun
This headline is a little bit different as it’s not about something happy or funny, but rather a shocking discovery. It still works though because it’s a true story and people love to read real life stories (especially if they’re unbelievable). This site often uses headlines like this one in order to get people to click on their articles.
The type of content that works well for them are tabloid stories so anything that is scandalous or outrageous. They also have sections for celebrity news, crime and health which all use similar types of headlines.
4) What This Man Did Will Restore Your Faith in Humanity – Collective Evolution
This headline works really well because it’s positive and inspirational. The reader will likely be thinking “I need some faith restored” or something along those lines, so the article must have good content that is worth reading. Plus, people love to see acts of kindness online because it gives them hope for humanity (and makes them feel good).
The type of content on this site are articles about personal development, health & wellness and spirituality/religion which all make use of similar types of headlines.
5) You’ll Never Guess What Happened When I Tried to Cut My Own Hair – Huffington Post
This headline is another one that uses the element of surprise. In this case, it’s not a good thing that happened – the person tried to cut their own hair and it turned out disastrous! But people will still want to know what happened so they can laugh (or cringe). This site often publishes content like listicles, personal essays and opinion pieces.
How you can learn from this: If your article has a shocking or surprising twist, then using a headline like this could work well. Be sure to make the title intriguing enough so that people want to read more, but don’t give away too much information.
6) This Sleep Deprived Mom’s Confession is Going Viral – Scary Mommy
This headline works because it’s honest and relatable. Most parents can probably relate to feeling exhausted, so this headline speaks to them on a personal level. The site often publishes content that is funny or provides parenting advice, so using a title like this one is a good fit.
How you can learn from this: If your article is about something relatable, then using a headline like this could work well for you. People love to read articles that make them feel not alone, so be sure to focus on the benefits of reading your piece.
7) Bet You Can’t Watch This Video Without Crying – BuzzFeed
This headline works because it’s sad (and people like to cry). It also uses the word “bet” which makes it sound more challenging. People will want to know if they can watch something without crying, so this type of content is perfect for sites that publish listicles or funny/sad videos.
8) I’m Drunk and High on the Morning of My Wedding: Here’s What I Wish Someone Had Told Me – YourTango
This headline works because it’s honest. The person is being vulnerable in order to get people to read their article, so they must have good advice for others. This site often publishes content about relationships & sex which makes use of similar types of headlines.
How you can learn from this: If your article has a shocking or surprising twist, then using a headline like this could work well. Be sure to make the title intriguing enough so that people want to read more, but don’t give away too much information.
Conclusion: There are lots of headlines that might sound tempting, but the truth is often not as exciting. When you see a headline that looks too good to be true, it probably is. This type of clickbait can lead to disappointment and frustration when readers don’t get what they were promised in the article itself. If you want your audience to feel satisfied with how an article turned out, make sure there’s enough information in the body text to keep them engaged until the end.
