Hey community,
You know, there is a lot of advice out there about the best way to stand out from the crowd, the best way to get ahead of the game, and the best way to write a viral article.
The advice is so abundant that, if you try to incorporate them all, you might get overwhelmed.
I know this because I’ve experienced it myself and it was counterproductive. So I decided to focus on improving my writing skill first before worrying about SEO, tricking some algorithms, and so on.
That said, three weeks ago, when I saw a notification on my phone about an article claiming to reveal the secret of 99% viral articles, I couldn’t get its title out of my head, though I was very busy with a coding task that day till midnight.
The next morning, I couldn’t help but click on the headline to check it. As you may have already guessed, the content didn't quite live up to my expectation.
Though it shed light on the problem of plagiarism and the lack of originality in content, a point that definitely deserves attention, it was just a critique of the overuse of the "99%" trick as a reader-baiting tactic.
But then, who among us hasn't been lured by the glossy mirage of clickbait at least once?
So, you might be wondering, why did I click on the headline when I knew the bait-and-switch game all too well?
There are two reasons behind my action. Firstly, I already know the writer of the article and respect him, which made me curious to check his thoughts about the subject.
More importantly, I got caught up in a marketing plot.
My brain was in fact drawn to a little trick, making me think that there was something super exclusive in that story because of its title: “99% of Viral Medium Articles Use This Technique to Get Ahead of The Game.“
There are psychological concepts that can explain why the tactic of such a title is effective and can draw in readers and potentially lead to more clicks.
“99%” is a catchy and engaging power word. It implies that the information is exclusive or not widely known. This will let you think you will be in the top 1% if you read the content.
The scarcity principle suggests that people value things that are limited or rare. Additionally, according to the social proof concept, we tend to conform to the behavior or ideas of others — in this case, “99% of Viral Medium Articles.”
Though in the mentioned post, Anupam Chugh has criticized the formulaic, clickbaity content that overuses the phrase “99%“, he has, in fact, proven the theory of scarcity principle and social proof concept.
Today his article, published on April 19, 2023, got over 3.6K claps and 57 responses from readers.
Though this marketing strategy looks convincing, I still believe in the importance of maintaining a level of integrity and evaluating experience-driven content. This is truly critical to building trust with our audience and empowering self-confidence and self-respect.
So what do think about the topic?
I’m curious to know. Tell about it in the comment section.
Final Thought
As our conversation on this "99%" saga winds down, I have one last golden nugget to share with you.
If you’re keen to break away from the pack and do your own dance, you might want to check out this article from Michael Simmons:
While most people fight to learn “in-demand” skills, smart people are learning rare skills instead
Its Arabic version is available here:
بينما يكافح معظم الناس لتعلم المهارات “المطلوبة”، يتعلم الأشخاص الأذكياء مهارات نادرة بدلاً من ذلك
Thanks for reading, and till next time, have a nice weekend!
Rakia
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