This One Weird Trick Will Increase Library Program Attendance!
March 17th, 2017
One of the things I truly hate, hate, is clickbait. I find myself specifically not clicking on things that sound clickbaity, just because I feel insulted by something thinking I can be manipulated. (That'll teach 'em.)
Especially though when it is totally unnecessary. A recent Lifehacker article entitled "This Secret Trick Will Save You From Getting Lost In Central Park Forever" could have just as easily, and less annoyingly, been titled, "How To Use Central Park Lampposts To Avoid Getting Lost." I still would have clicked and read, and would have felt less dirty about it.
Of course these show up as links all over the internet, but I've also seen a trend on YouTube to name videos with clickbait titles too. One of the channels I used to watch, Wranglestar, has become terrible for this, and I've all but stopped watching him because of it. Recently though, he published a video explaining why he uses clickbait video titles. It was interesting, and the tl;dw version is that he found it to be the only way to make money on YouTube anymore: regular titles don't get clicked, which means videos don't get watched, which means no monetized ad revenues for him.
If it is that effective, maybe libraries ought to pay attention. So, just as a "funny thing to think about but I would never do for real" project, here are a few of our library programs re-titled as clickbait:
- These Are The Five Books Your Child MUST Be Read Before They Eat Their Next Lunch!
- This Secret Group Meets Every Month - What Do They Know That You Don't?!
- If Your Baby Isn't Doing This It May Never Learn To Walk!
- Find Out The Best Foods For Winter!
- Is Your Teen Getting The Training They Need to Succeed? These Kids Are!
- Learn The One Weird Health Trick That Will Save Your Life!
- This One Small Group Decides How Your Tax Dollars Are Spent!
- These People Are Probably Investigating Your Past - Find Out Why!
- Why Is The Library Staff Not Working On This One Day In April?!
- This Woman Says You've Been Gardening WRONG!
- Discover The Secret Meaning Behind This Life-Changing Artwork!
- Who Is This Group Of "Friends" And What Are You Missing By Not Being One Of Them?!
Now those would totally boost our attendance numbers.
March 17th, 2017 at 5:01 pm
OMG-these are HILARIOUS! Thanks for making me laugh straight through the last 2 minutes of my work day.
March 18th, 2017 at 7:46 am
@Becky: ha! You’re welcome. I’ll be looking forward now to the next events calendar for Cambridge!
March 18th, 2017 at 12:31 pm
Love it! Thank you – funny and a great idea!
March 18th, 2017 at 5:32 pm
@Adrianne: you’re welcome – thanks for the comment, and I’m glad you enjoyed it!
March 20th, 2017 at 8:47 pm
We have actually been doing this for real programs… hehe
Sample titles: You Won’t Believe What They Did in the Library (program about fake news)
Off the Grid with your Grand(Kid) (how to get kids off the Internet)
I Heart You and Computers, Too! (Valentine’s Day craft that you can find on Pinterest)
March 21st, 2017 at 10:08 am
@Cari: ha, that is awesome. Have you noticed any uptick in attendance, or get any comments on the names?
March 22nd, 2017 at 12:17 pm
I realize your post is very tongue in cheek, but as a blogger who also works as a social media manager for my county library I can tell you that click bait does work. When I use click bait to promote my blog posts, I get any where from 10 to 50 times the click through on my posts than I normally do. It’s just a matter of finding the interest and piqueing it.
March 23rd, 2017 at 2:58 pm
@Amy: mostly, yes, but really only kind of. The YouTube video I liked to was fascinating – I mean, I was always sure clickbait worked or else it wouldn’t be so wide-spread, but it was interesting to hear a real person explain that he switched because it was so much more effective. Especially since he said he didn’t care that his regular viewers were irritated by it, because the views he got from clickbait titles outweighed the views he got from his actual fans.
So yes, I think there’s a lot of lessons libraries can take from this. Would you mind sharing some of the titles you’ve used – I’m curious to read some that are effective without being totally “You Must Read This Or Die Horribly!” over the top.
March 24th, 2017 at 4:26 pm
These are SOOO good!