Clickbait headlines have recently become a monstrous beast thanks to websites like Upworthy and BuzzFeed. However, clickbait goes back to at least the nineteenth century when newspapers were fighting for more circulation, the same way social media sites compete for visitors and views today.

Clickbait is a type of content that aims to specifically attract as many clicks as possible. It draws your attention, but it also tends to skimp on the quality for the sake of being sensational.

Clickbait can be news stories, blog posts, interviews, infographics, videos – pretty much anything with a headline. To put it simply, classic clickbait consists of a clever title that captures your attention, makes you instantly curious, and makes you intrigued enough to get you to click – but when you finally get to the real content you’re ultimately disappointed. It doesn’t live up to its promise.

There are some good reasons why you might want to use clickbait in particular ways, but there are also good arguments against it. If you’re thinking of using clickbait video titles and content but aren’t sure how they’ll affect your videos or channel, we’ve collected some of the clear advantages and disadvantages of using them right here.

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