Drive Reach and Referrals Without Clickbait

People expect the stories in their feed to be meaningful to them. When the headline of a story is missing information, people tend to find that misleading, sensational and spammy.

For example, the headline below “You'll Never Believe Who Tripped and Fell on the Red Carpet...” withholds information required to understand what the content of the article is, forcing the reader into clicking on the link to get the answer.

Instead of relying on missing information to drive click-through, try using text prompts and calls-to-action in your posts to encourage engagement. Consider how accurate and informative the headline is before sharing the article to your audience so people can decide how they want to spend their time with your post.

People have told us that stories with clear, accurate headlines are the ones that resonate most. When the headline of a story includes misleading information, people tend to find that disingenuous and spammy.

The headline below “This Pen Never Ever Runs Out of Ink! Get It While It Lasts!” exaggerates the article to create misleading expectations for the reader. When the reader clicks on this link, the content is about a disposable pen, and the headline has mislead the reader.

Instead of relying on misleading headlines to intrigue the reader, share articles with accurate headlines that don't exaggerate or sensationalize the topic and add your own voice to help drive genuine conversation around the content.

Sharing links is a great way to engage your audience in relevant and timely stories from other sources. But when you share posts with clickbait headlines that withhold information from or mislead readers, you force them to click to find out the answer and people have told us they don't like these types of stories. This behavior will also result in decreased post distribution for your Page.

The headline below “You'll Be SHOCKED By How Shredded His Abs Are After Eating This Superfood” both withholds information and misleads expectations for the reader. Instead of sharing clickbait content, catch your audience's attention by sharing non-clickbait content that your audience cares about and driving the conversation with your personal voice.

Individuals looking to engage their audience on Facebook can also mix it up by posting a variety of formats beyond links—like photos and videos— across different types of content—think exclusives, sneak peeks, milestones, and behind-the-scenes posts that can’t be found anywhere else. In addition, replying personally to people who comment on your posts to that you're listening and further builds your personal voice through great content.