The Negative effects of "Click Bait"

Click Bait (Noun) 

An eye catching link on a website which encourages people to read on

In the traditional print world, this practice would be likened to a Newspaper leading with a headline and picture that in reality has nothing to do with the stories that are of public interest at the given moment.  In Television, this practice was actually showcased in a episode of The Simpsons where a paper boy, following a performance by the B-Sharps on the roof of Moe's Tavern shouts out

"Extra Extra, B-Sharps perform on rooftop" (or something along this line)

This prompts a bystander to purchase a copy of the paper only to find that the story itself is not even printed in it.

When working with Online content this practice can give a Web Site high numbers of clicks, which can translate to being able to promote a site to advertisers, but what is the cost to the business itself?

People are becoming very unforgiving with the practice of Click Bait, in fact just in the past couple weeks of the time of publishing this post a Canadian website, owned by a group called Open Media, published to their website and their facebook page a image and story link showcasing a half quote from a Mobile Service Provider's Vice President.  The reaction was actually a backlash by the followers for this group as the users felt that the group sunk to lows people associate with the Mobile Service Provider.

A reaction from your viewership and user base can actually cause a Web Site more harm than good as, while the  Web Site can sell their level of clicks to potential sponsors, what happens when they lose their creditability with the public that built them up in the first place.  Something to consider when looking at the content for your Web Site.