At first when you read a word like “shocked” I may have just captured your attention but then suddenly, due to the persuasive and emotionally invocative words I use , you will feel compelled to waste another 2 minutes 55 seconds of your life to watch a completely forgettable video.
By E.F Nicholson
I read an article that the guys and gals over at unworthy, the viral Mc Happy videos channel, spend 50 minutes on each headline .As they have worked out having a title that pushes peoples emotional buttons is a far better way of getting clicks and getting their users watch their content, thus somehow making them more money (and let’s not forget a video channel that just uses other people content and is all about inspiring people, is in fact all about making lots of money)
Recently whilst browsing the pages of the other another content site, built on the sweat of other peoples work, the Huffington post, I started seeing the same “Wow” attention grabbing type headlines. The thing about the method is that it works but can only work for so long .As the nature of compelling and shocking news or events , is what makes them that way is how uncommon they are .They stand out and describing them as so is valid use of descriptive language. Yet if every article or video title I read aims to hit me in this “I must watch this to be shocked, surprised, inspired” spot, it soon turns to written background noise .
I once had a friend that would describe everything as “totally amazing”, she would buy bunch of bananas, and these bananas were “totally amazing”, she would wake up and tell me she had a “totally amazing sleep”. I foresaw a problem one day if she ever got abducted by aliens and given the secret to the universe, how would she come back and describe it “totally, totally amazing” ?
It also irritates me as I can’t help think that its assuming people are no longer capable of working out the merits of something just on saying what it is. We have to be enticed, drawn in and lured in to make that magical click!! Also another reason for these use of this tactic will age quickly is whatever content is they are trying to get you to watch, it rarely matches up to the fantastical headline that’s pulled you in. So hope my title adequately delivered on its promise of something utterly and completely forgettable.
Things that matter 
And then your post is followed by four adverts: iPhone sold for £19?; 3 steps to changing your financial life; Over 40? You’re at risk of a heart attack; etc. Hmm. Good photo though, and the content isn’t a waste of time either so thank you for that!
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Thanks for that.Sorry, are you saying in my blog there is 4 adverts ? When I look from my end I don’t see any? I had no idea, maybe its some part of the wordpress theme. Thanks for bringing that to my attention :)As i have written in our note from the editors that we won’t take advertising and if we are who is paying for that.
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Hey Patrick , just went and got the upgrade to “ad free wordpress” .These ads would have looked even worse under my article “advertising is cultural malware” would have then seemed “Advertising is cultural malware except when i am making money from it” thanks for the heads up
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No worries. I like what you are trying to do here.
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