Clickbaity vs Boring Subject Lines - What do you think? (1 Viewer)

[Joe Bryant]

I sent last night's Footballguys Daily Email Update Newsletter https://www.footballguys.com/updates?view=1332 with this subject line:

"Rico Dowdle or Chuba Hubbard?"

I chose that subject line because ... the main story was from our @FootballDiehard Bob Harris and it was about trying to forecast Dowdle and Hubbard.

In the intro, I wrote:

Y’all. Can we talk?

You probably saw the subject line: “Rico Dowdle or Chuba Hubbard?”

Snoozer, right?

I know what the marketing gurus would say: “More Clickbaity. Be Vague. Gotta juice the open rates.”

No thanks. That’s not us.

Twenty-five years ago, I made a promise to keep this thing simple with real football talk, real fantasy insight, and real connection. I don't think we need clickbait subject lines. If we keep bringing value, people open our emails. It’s not complicated.

So yeah, today’s main story is about Carolina’s backfield, and our own Bob Harris breaks it down in his weekly must-read feature: The Fantasy Notebook. Smart GMs have decisions to make. And Bob’s got you covered.

Beyond that, we’ve stacked up a ton of fresh content to help you win this week. And of course, Cecil Lammey has the News and Notes you need.

Thanks for being here. We’re in this together.

Let’s go,

J

My question for you, how much, if any, do you care about the subject line for an email newsletter and do you care if it's more clickbaity and vague vs something more boring but factual.

Examples:
Clickbaity and vague: The 3 RBs You Have To Grab!"
Boring but factual: "Rico Dowdle or Chuba Hubbard?"

Throw up a vote but also please elaborate in the thread.

 

[Joe Bryant]

I sent last night's Footballguys Daily Email Update Newsletter https://www.footballguys.com/updates?view=1332 with this subject line:

"Rico Dowdle or Chuba Hubbard?"

I chose that subject line because ... the main story was from our @FootballDiehard Bob Harris and it was about trying to forecast Dowdle and Hubbard.

In the intro, I wrote:

Y’all. Can we talk?

You probably saw the subject line: “Rico Dowdle or Chuba Hubbard?”

Snoozer, right?

I know what the marketing gurus would say: “More Clickbaity. Be Vague. Gotta juice the open rates.”

No thanks. That’s not us.

Twenty-five years ago, I made a promise to keep this thing simple with real football talk, real fantasy insight, and real connection. I don't think we need clickbait subject lines. If we keep bringing value, people open our emails. It’s not complicated.

So yeah, today’s main story is about Carolina’s backfield, and our own Bob Harris breaks it down in his weekly must-read feature: The Fantasy Notebook. Smart GMs have decisions to make. And Bob’s got you covered.

Beyond that, we’ve stacked up a ton of fresh content to help you win this week. And of course, Cecil Lammey has the News and Notes you need.

Thanks for being here. We’re in this together.

Let’s go,

J

My question for you, how much, if any, do you care about the subject line for an email newsletter and do you care if it's more clickbaity and vague vs something more boring but factual.

Examples:
Clickbaity and vague: The 3 RBs You Have To Grab!"
Boring but factual: "Rico Dowdle or Chuba Hubbard?"

Throw up a vote but also please elaborate in the thread.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Interesting topic, I've sorta grown numb to the clickbait, they do it across many topics not just sports
Maybe going the opposite way or finding a better way to get folks to click the story

I also think the company or outfit writing the column or headline matters a lot
When FBG sends me information they think is important then I trust FBG enough to know it's not clickbait

60% of the people at home on Sundays watching the NFL games play Fantasy Football, I'm sure you know this JB
Just keep doing what you do, I can't speak for the other Sharks but there is a trust factor over the many years with FBG

Clickbait isn't far off from commercials on TV, they'll do anything to make us watch them, buy their drugs, etc...

 

[Joe Bryant]

I'd also ask - for people who don't like the vague subject lines, why not?

I'll also say, a subject line isn't really clickbaity if the content delivers on the subject line.

If you have a subject line that is "3 RBs you must grab!" and when you open the email, the first thing is listing the 3 RBs, that's not clickbait.

BUT, you may be disappointed if the 3 RBs dont fit for your situation. That kind of thing.

 

[foxco]

Boring works for me, I just want practical info/advice, don't need hot takes, lots of "!" etc. Damn I'm old.

 

[Gally]

Needed an option of depends in the pole.

I dislike clickbait headlines when they are obviously way off base to what is actually being discussed or concluded. What I want from the headline is a quick blurb of what the article is about. The example given was perfect. It was an article about Dowdle vs Chuba and what is expected ROY.

Clickbait type are fine if the article actually matches the clickbait. If it doesn't then it's frustrating.

 

[Gally]

I'll also say, a subject line isn't really clickbaity if the content delivers on the subject line.

If this is your definition of clickbaity (content doesen't deliver on the subject line) then my answer is I dislike clickbait headlines.

 

[rzrback77]

I just want the truth, I think that I can handle the truth.


But it seems to be less and less of what is shared. I also tend to skip over all the vague so I strongly prefer boring and factual

 

[Joe Bryant]

Needed an option of depends in the pole.

I dislike clickbait headlines when they are obviously way off base to what is actually being discussed or concluded. What I want from the headline is a quick blurb of what the article is about. The example given was perfect. It was an article about Dowdle vs Chuba and what is expected ROY.

Clickbait type are fine if the article actually matches the clickbait. If it doesn't then it's frustrating.

Understood. That's why I included "Vague" in the options.

Marketing experts would say my subject line last night of Dowdle or Hubbard is bad. They'd say I reduce the potential open rates because if someone doesn't care about Dowdle or Hubbard, they wont open.

They would say do something more vague like, "Your season could depend on getting these 2 RBs right". Way more people will open. Including those who don't care, or have already decided about Dowdle and Hubbard.

So even if I delivered on the vague subject line by providing a Dowdle - Hubbard article, some people will feel frustrated as they maybe wouldn't have opened if they knew it was about the Carolina RBs.

But the marketer gets to and say, "we delivered on the headline"

 

[Ilov80s]

The worst ones I've seen now are on IG and it will be like a picture of Jalen Hurts and it will say "Shocking! Jalen Hurts only 3 inches" or something clearly meant to imply something sexual and then the caption is like "Jalent Hurts only 3 inches short of a touchdown on 4th quarter run". I see a lot of these for athletes and other famous people. So dumb. I block the accounts but other similar ones seem to pop up over and over.

 

[Joe Bryant]

The worst ones I've seen now are on IG and it will be like a picture of Jalen Hurts and it will say "Shocking! Jalen Hurts only 3 inches" or something clearly meant to imply something sexual and then the caption is like "Jalent Hurts only 3 inches short of a touchdown on 4th quarter run". I see a lot of these for athletes and other famous people. So dumb. I block the accounts but other similar ones seem to pop up over and over.

Yes. Stuff like that is terrible.

What I see though is much more subtle being vague to keep pulling you in.

 

[Ilov80s]

The worst ones I've seen now are on IG and it will be like a picture of Jalen Hurts and it will say "Shocking! Jalen Hurts only 3 inches" or something clearly meant to imply something sexual and then the caption is like "Jalent Hurts only 3 inches short of a touchdown on 4th quarter run". I see a lot of these for athletes and other famous people. So dumb. I block the accounts but other similar ones seem to pop up over and over.

Yes. Stuff like that is terrible.

What I see though is much more subtle being vague to keep pulling you in.

Oh yeah that’s like the worst of the worst example but it’s out there if it gets a lot of likes, follows, engagement it surely only drags other users closer to it’s direction- which stinks.

 

[Bri]

I don't really care most of the time; I'm opening it regardless.
Twitter beats everyone with news but what if your subscriber missed a key item?
Dowdle versus Chuba is good stuff. There's not always an intriguing question like that but that subject would grab me.

Fwiw
I have the FBG email marked as important (and always have Google in my ear) and Google read it to me. Actually commonly when some Sirius show is on commercial.

Gemini currently needs some tweak but for months (sorry Sirius marketing dept) I really loved this. I'd say next item and it jumped to the next news item and this old guy was too cool for school

 

[Stoneworker]

The title doesn't matter. Just the source

So in that vein I would prefer my sources to prioritize accuracy in their titles

There's basically zero chance that a "source" who uses a click bait-y title is going to have better/more timely info than known, credible authors

 

[Zow]

Copy and paste of what I stated in the other thread with some edits:

A couple of thoughts:

1. @Joe Bryant I actually opened the article because of the title. Why? I asked myself the exact question (Dowdle or Hubbard) as I'm trying to target RB depth for future draft picks in a keeper league where I have a strong team and I think I can get the lead back in CAR, which I think will provide a nice RB2 floor for the rest of the season. So I much preferred your title to something like, "Chuba back at full speed and ready to go EXTREME!!! on the league!!!111" because that doesn't really target my question as I'm equally interested in Dowdle - I just want to know who the FBG staff thinks I should target and not really who looks great or whatever. But, obviously, that article is written for a targeted audience, which I happen to be a part of, and you and your staff nailed it there.
2. Nothing worse than a catchy or inflammatory title (e.g. "All of the Epstein files have been exposed!!") where the article doesn't even discuss the topic raised in the title or the "answer" isn't all that interesting. See the good seltzer water example above.

 

[5-ish Finkle]

I assume #6 will shock me

 

[TheDirtyWord]

Really depends on your audience and who you are trying to appeal to as well as where you are in your brand journey.

The '3 RB's you have to grab' headline? Wouldn't appeal to me...but to someone who doesn't pay attention to the deep dark reaches of the waiver wire because they are busy with day-to-day but still want to do well in FF, perhaps. I'd also associate this headline with someone trying to build their brand in the space, and not one with a quarter century of brand capital.

The Rico/Chuba headline? First off...a deeper discussion and one with nuance. But also applicable to the group above, but at the same time assumptive in that FBG has earned the right for your consideration on the topic which is a topline one for the week.

My guess is you aren't asking the question rhetorically but to determine at least some directional path forward. From my POV, the FBG brand carries weight in this space. You don't survive this long without being successful and relevant so the WHO matters here. I'd lean into that...

 

[Pip's Invitation]

I object to the premise. The best headlines are neither clickbaity nor boring.

 

[Joe Bryant]

I object to the premise. The best headlines are neither clickbaity nor boring.

Object?

The question was if folks mind the vague or clickbaity type headlines compared to more normal more descriptive headline. Even boring.

Do you have an opinion there? Or a headline you'd prefer for the email where the main story was Dowdle or Hubbard?

 

[eighsse2]

I hate clickbait stuff. It may work at getting clicks but I would hope, as you said, that isn't the ultimate goal.

I especially hate headlines that are very trickily worded, to sound like something massive has happened. "Super Bowl Winning QB Arrested" and then you open it, and it's like, Ryan Griffin who was third or fourth string QB on the 2020 Buccaneers team, or something. (This is just a random made-up example.)

 

[Marauder]

Boring works for me. If I see a headline that looks like clickbait, I'll usually skip it.

In this case, I did read the Rico vs Chuba article. That's an interesting question. "3 RBs you have to grab" is not necessarily clickbait IMO if it is listing 3 RB's but I would have skipped it just because I expect it to be just like the dozens of other boring articles with that headline i've seen in recent weeks. A good headline will tell me something specific I'm going to get in this article that I won't find everywhere else.

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

I sent last night's Footballguys Daily Email Update Newsletter https://www.footballguys.com/updates?view=1332 with this subject line:

"Rico Dowdle or Chuba Hubbard?"

I chose that subject line because ... the main story was from our @FootballDiehard Bob Harris and it was about trying to forecast Dowdle and Hubbard.

In the intro, I wrote:

Y’all. Can we talk?

You probably saw the subject line: “Rico Dowdle or Chuba Hubbard?”

Snoozer, right?

I know what the marketing gurus would say: “More Clickbaity. Be Vague. Gotta juice the open rates.”

No thanks. That’s not us.

Twenty-five years ago, I made a promise to keep this thing simple with real football talk, real fantasy insight, and real connection. I don't think we need clickbait subject lines. If we keep bringing value, people open our emails. It’s not complicated.

So yeah, today’s main story is about Carolina’s backfield, and our own Bob Harris breaks it down in his weekly must-read feature: The Fantasy Notebook. Smart GMs have decisions to make. And Bob’s got you covered.

Beyond that, we’ve stacked up a ton of fresh content to help you win this week. And of course, Cecil Lammey has the News and Notes you need.

Thanks for being here. We’re in this together.

Let’s go,

J

My question for you, how much, if any, do you care about the subject line for an email newsletter and do you care if it's more clickbaity and vague vs something more boring but factual.

Examples:
Clickbaity and vague: The 3 RBs You Have To Grab!"
Boring but factual: "Rico Dowdle or Chuba Hubbard?"

Throw up a vote but also please elaborate in the thread.

Prefer the latter.

Can’t stand the “they solved all their problems with this one simple trick!”

I’ll take specifics every time.

 

[Gottabesweet]

Boring but factual. Every fantasy guy on Twitter uses the same gimmicky posts “THREE RBS YOU MUST ADD NOW” etc, they all copy eachother or just spam. I’d rather see “RICO vs Chubba” and why. Everyone is a fantasy analyst on Twitter these days and they all copy eachother.

 

[Pickle Rody]

I'm old. I prefer facts. Email subject lines from anyone that haven't already been sent to my spam folder, that clearly are "clickbaity", get ignored. I usually open most of the daily FBG emails regardless of the subject line to peruse the item list. If something interests me, I will scroll further. If not, it gets closed and I give it no further thought. So, while I do not care one bit for clickbait headlines, it does not matter to me what FBG uses for a subject line in daily email updates. I am usually ahead of those emails anyway as I check the weekly articles numerous times daily and have already read whichever article(s) the email update is promoting.

Hope this helps @Joe Bryant !

 

[Wigglytuff's Gruff]

I'd mind less about the title if the article got to the point and was concise.

The frustration isn't necessarily in the sensationalised title, its when there's 6 paragraphs of pointless noise to make you scroll past 30 more adverts to get to the meat of the piece.

'5 Rb's You Have To Grab!'

A paragraph telling you about how picking up and rb off the waiver can win your league, with no specific names.

A paragraph with previous examples of league winning rb's from yesteryear.

A paragraph detailing some injuries that have occurred in previous weeks.

A paragraph explaining what a running back actually is and how they help their team, with no specific names.

Another paragraph telling you how the following names could win you your leagues, again with no specifics.

Then, finally, a name gets dropped that.

That's the nonsense that needs to go in the bin for me.

 

[Proteus]

The only clickbaity subject lines I would object to in an email would be the kind you see on social media posts that are so hyperbolic that they are inaccurate or just flat out false.

Saw one recently that said something like "Rams Fans Fans Pick Up Pieces of their Shattered Lives After Receiving Devastating News"

Inside: Puka might miss a game .

 

[SeniorVBDStudent]

I answered zero problem with it...but keep in mind two answers can be true at the same time....hate it but have zero problem with it.

Hate it because I'm an old curmudgeon. Zero problem with it because its your business and what the unwashed masses think is irrelevant (again, curmudgeon).

 

[TheWinz]

You could be even more more factual than having the headline "Rico Dowdle or Chuba Hubbard?" You could tell us the answer in the headline, like "Rico Dowdle over Chuba Hubbard." That way the answer is in the title.

 

[Joe Bryant]

I'd mind less about the title if the article got to the point and was concise.

The frustration isn't necessarily in the sensationalised title, its when there's 6 paragraphs of pointless noise to make you scroll past 30 more adverts to get to the meat of the piece.

'5 Rb's You Have To Grab!'

A paragraph telling you about how picking up and rb off the waiver can win your league, with no specific names.

A paragraph with previous examples of league winning rb's from yesteryear.

A paragraph detailing some injuries that have occurred in previous weeks.

A paragraph explaining what a running back actually is and how they help their team, with no specific names.

Another paragraph telling you how the following names could win you your leagues, again with no specifics.

Then, finally, a name gets dropped that.

That's the nonsense that needs to go in the bin for me.

Absolutely.

The first couple of sentences have to make you want the read the next few sentences.

That's a good practice for most any writing, but especially online where the reader has a limitless supply of other interesting things to read, the author has to get to the point quickly.