Create Content Curiosity without Clickbait

LinkedIn gurus don’t want you to know this one secret 👀

Wondering how to generate leads on LinkedIn? If so, then you’re probably also wondering what type of content works best on LinkedIn. I’ll tell you right now…it’s not clickbait content, not if your aim on LinkedIn is to generate leads. Vanity metrics? Sure, go crazy with clickbait but it’s going to push you further and further away from your ideal prospects.

What people get wrong about content creation on LinkedIn is that they think clickbait content and content that creates curiosity are the same thing. When you boil it down to basics…

Clickbait = sensationalised or even misleading headlines - that often leave out key information or exaggerate claims - to attract clicks.

Curiosity = inspiring a strong desire in people to know or learn more.

The last thing your LinkedIn content should be doing is leaving out information or misleading your prospects. It will tarnish any potential relationships and make you a profile to avoid on the platform. 

Of course, this doesn’t erase the reality that you have mere seconds to catch people’s attention on LinkedIn. So, how do you do that without making false claims or promises?

Hook them in…

The only thing that clickbait content and content that creates curiosity have in common is that their success mostly comes down to the headline of the post. On LinkedIn, you have three to five lines (depending on if your post includes an asset) before the “see more” option - you need to make these lines count.

Going down the clickbait route with the headline of your post is easy - throw a few exaggerated words or outlandish claims in there and you’re done. But, the engagement you’ll get on these posts is going to be a lot of people complaining about your failure to deliver.

To stop your posts from crossing over into clickbait territory, there are a few things you need to consider, questions you need to answer to write a successful, curiosity-inspiring headline…

• What challenges are your audience struggling with?

• What drives your audience to do what they do?

• What would help your audience achieve this better/quicker?

What you have to remember is that most of your prospects on LinkedIn won’t be aware of your service, so even promotions or discounts aren’t guaranteed to stop them from scrolling. The only thing that is going to appeal to them, the only thing that’s going to spark their curiosity is something that applies directly to them.

Starting your posts with a few lines addressing a particular pain point or a significant statistic you know is currently affecting your prospects is going to create this curiosity. Offering them value in the form of “[x] number of tools for [specific outcome]” is going to create curiosity - but only if you’re following through on this headline in the rest of your post. 

Successful Social Selling relationships are built on trust and you’ll never have this trust if you're using false promises (clickbait) in your LinkedIn content. If you’re still struggling to determine the difference between clickbait and curiosity in your posts, always bring it back to your audience. If the headline you're writing isn’t teasing the value the rest of the post has for them, then all you’re doing is giving them empty clickbait and robbing yourself of a potential sale.

Want to learn more about creating client-winning content? Gain access to ContentLab 2.0 to learn the strategy, structure and creation tactics to post compelling content without losing all your time.