Two AI Writers and a human weigh in.
Should a content creator ever use clickbait titles to attract readers and boost clicks?
Is there any real benefit in doing so?
I asked two AI writers to give their “opinion” on the topic, and here is what they had to say about the controversial strategy.
Clickbait: “a sensationalized headline or piece of text on the internet designed to entice people to follow a link to an article on another web page.” — Dictionary.com
Chatsonic from Writesonic said:
- Clickbait titles can be effective in drawing readers in, but there is a fine line between attracting readers to quality content and deceiving them.
- Clickbait titles may bring in more readers initially, but they may end up leaving quickly if they don’t get the content they were expecting.
- Clickbait is not a sustainable approach to content marketing, and it can damage the reputation of the author.
- The best way to write titles is to focus on delivering quality content that readers are interested in and accurately reflecting the content in the title.
Rytr said:
- Personally, I think clickbait titles can be good in some scenarios.
- They can be effective in generating curiosity and getting people to click on the content.
- However, they can also be deceptive and misleading if used incorrectly.
- Clickbait titles should always be used in combination with informative and accurate content, so that readers don’t feel tricked into clicking on something that isn’t actually true or relevant to them.
- Clickbait titles can be helpful tools in getting people to engage with content, but they should always be used responsibly.
I liked the balanced view included in both “answers”.
They retrieved core information about a controversial content writing strategy and any beginner blogger could easily grasp the pros and cons of the method by simply using AI-powered software to get writing advice.
I am impressed with the way AI can provide good information in bite-size format. It’s a lot of fun to test its capabilities and I’m spending a good amount of time doing exactly that, not going to lie.
My take on clickbait titles is close to that expressed by the AIs, but as a human, I would add the internal conflict that arises from considering the ethical use of the method.
- Sometimes, the content writer may feel that even legitimate titles may seem too good to be true for a potential reader and then one may decide to tone down the enthusiasm conveyed by a headline.
- This may lead to lost chances — writing titles that are rather on the boring/factual side and staying away from any creative formulations that may be perceived as misleading.
- The person may have doubts when carving the title, the AI would do it in a second without “second thought”.
- Pro tip: get the AI Writer to offer you several optimized titles. Then use your moral compass to make the choice that fits you and your brand best.
This was a good experiment, in my view.
I had issues accessing ChatGPT but so far, Writesonic and Rytr are my favorite AI-powered writers. Their free and paid versions are accessible and provide a lot of value.
Just like in the case of clickbait titles, using AI writers must be done responsibly.
Some ways in which I am going to use them regard the documentation, grammar-checking/text improvement, and SEO optimization departments.
Can’t hurt to free up more time to do those things that no software can do in the realm of content creation. At least for now…
P.S. Rytr’s use of “personally” cracked me up.