Jaclyn Gochoco
You're The Reason Clickbait Exists
I’ve been a content marketer for about a year now, and as a millennial, that means I
think I’m basically an expert. So let me share some of the jaw-droppingly shocking
secrets I’ve learned about the unsuspecting role that you, dear user, play in sponsored
advertising. Yes, you read that title right; because it turns out that you are the reason
why the majority of ads spamming your Facebook suck.
Yes, you have yourself to thank for that.
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Confused yet? Let me start with the boring stuff first; don’t worry, I’ll make it
quick. There are different kinds of sponsored advertisements. First, there are those
little posts that show up in your Facebook feed and look as if they almost belong
there. They may boldly claim, “The World Was Not Ready for Her Red Carpet
Look!” What could she have possibly worn that the world wasn’t ready for? You can’t
help but wonder. You may be skeptical, but just curious enough to *click* and
boom! Just like that, you gave that post the boost that it needed to reach all of your
friends and fill your unsuspecting screen with ads. Perhaps, if you’re lucky, a few red
carpet photos even peek through.
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Similarly, you just scrolled down to the bottom of your favorite new site and see some
recommended content. Great! This must be something you’re interested in, right? It
looks like it’s just another article on the page as you continue scrolling. The hottest
celebrity’s home is on sale? We’ll never believe what the inside of it looks like? Well,
you’ve just got to see it, don’t you? *Click* and the process repeats –– you get a little
content through a lot of ads and the website makes their dollar.
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Now, don’t get me wrong, your clicks are wonderful. They keep a roof over my head
and my fridge fully stocked. However, I don’t feel sorry for you at all when you comment
on these sponsored ads, claiming, “This is clickbait!” or complaining, “Why is this on my
feed? Who cares!” My friends, you are the reason these ads keep appearing in your
little online world.
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Every week, many different ads are uploaded into the world of sponsored
content. Some of these are great newsworthy articles, and some are just pieces of
content that will truly brighten your day in a world that certainly needs good
news. These are filled with witty and clever headlines –– ones that true fans and
scholars would really appreciate.
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Unfortunately, the ads that get clicked on are not these. The ones that get clicked are
drenched with jaw-droppingly awful “clickbait” titles promoting the latest Kardashian
nip-slip. These fly to the top of the sponsored content sites’ algorithm, while, you
guessed it, the creative, worthwhile pieces of content drift into the abyss of zero clicks.
So I leave you with a way to clean up the internet and improve both of our user
experience in the sponsored content world. Get rid of your ad blocker and keep clicking
on ads! These clicks are what keep publishers around to bring you entertainment and
brighten your day. Sometimes we don’t want to hear about the horrible election or last
night’s tragedy. Sometimes we just need 37 pictures of puppy bellies, and that’s
okay! Just remember to click smart and click clever. Give life to the good ads that make
you think and the ones you want to keep seeing, because these are the ones that
marketers want to keep writing.
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Maybe you won’t think twice about the next ad you see, but maybe, just maybe, the
next time you see an ad saying “15 Harry Potter Girls Who Turned Super Hot” in your
newsfeed, you’ll instead save your precious click for “The Harry Potter Actresses Who
Are Sirius-ly Changing the World.”
A Blog From Abroad
This weekend I learned I was uninformed. I was ignorant. I was wrong.
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I was 9 years old. I was getting ready for school just like any other morning. My mom was in Pennsylvania visiting my grandparents and was supposed to fly back that day. My grandfather had gotten very sick and my mom decided to change her flight for a week later. My older sister had a TV in her room that I could see from our shared Jack and Jill bathroom. She was watching the news and was very quiet. She wasn’t exactly a morning person so this was normal. I was brushing my teeth and saw the reflection of her TV in the mirror. There was a building on fire in New York. I went downstairs and ate my cereal. I was picked up by our carpool a few minutes later. I spent every morning in the gymnasium with the other students who had to come in early because they also had older siblings in the neighboring high school.
I remember seeing all of the teachers gathered by a TV and watching two buildings burn and seeing a ton of smoke. I went outside to play on the playground worrying whether or not I’d get a swing. I did not know what had happened until later that night and I did not understand what had happened until I was older.
Being a child in California, I didn’t really know what the Twin Towers were. I remember being terrified when I was told planes crashed on the east coast and I thought my mom was flying back that day. She wasn’t. I remember the first time I heard the word Muslim. I remember learning where the Middle East was on a map. I remember seeing men with their heads covered on the news everyday. I heard the words Koran and Allah. This was the first time I heard all of these words. Unfortunately, this was also the first time I learned the word Terrorism.
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