Study: ‘Will make you’ most engaging Facebook headline phrase
Want an irresistible lead-in? Use numbers, ask questions and pull heartstrings, according to Buzzsumo’s analysis of 100 million Facebook and Twitter headlines.
Buzzsumo just released an analysis of 100 million Facebook and Twitter headlines published between March and May 2017. The goal was to discover which words or phrases are garnering the most interaction online. What they found “will make you” stunned with disbelief.
The phrase that drove the most engagement on Facebook—by a startling margin—was “will make you.” Apparently, we are all utterly defenseless against headlines that employ nefariously clickable phrasing such as “10 hedgehogs that will make you squeal with delight,” or “These 5 photos of mushrooms will make you feel better about the world.”
Buzzsumo also found that emotional wording is an enduringly hot headline trigger. They offer examples like:
Exercise caution with overwrought language, however, as Facebook is actively cracking down on sensationalist, “clickbait”headlines that stretch the truth.
Tantalizing cliffhangers are also infinitely clickable. For example:
Become a Ragan Insider member to read this article and all other archived content.
Sign up today
Already a member? Log in here.
Learn more about Ragan Insider.
