Why You Shouldn't Click This Link

Published on December 31, 2007  

David Meerman Scott's Web Ink Now blog has a post entitled "Do not read this post." If you're anything like us, the first thing you'll read is that post. Immediately. You'll learn that Scott—who wrote The New Rules of Marketing and PR—has good evidence to believe "negative" online headlines generate more clicks than their "positive" counterparts. His top list of negative words that whet a reader's interest include "worst," "not," "don't" and "only."

He also explains how to put an intriguing negative spin on a headline:

• "How to increase productivity and drive revenue" can become "How to destabilize productivity, deter customers and diminish revenue."
• "Check out our online media room," meanwhile, works better as "Our online media room—for journalists and analysts only."

"The Web allows us to try new things and implement new ideas quickly, get people to check out it live, and then make changes ... on the fly," writes Scott. "Try a 'negative' link and if that Web page doesn't work for you, you can just delete it." Some caveats, however:

• Use the technique sparingly; too much negativity will backfire.
• The landing page should make it clear you're having fun, not being an actual Scrooge.
• Deliver content that fulfills the promise of your tease.

The Po!nt: Using a negative headline is a great way to grab a reader's attention. But, concludes Scott, "Don't let people think that you really are being negative or exclusionary."

Source: Web Ink Now. Read the entire post here.

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