--- title: Here’s what you need to know description: I’ve been known to experiment with clickbait headlines from time to time. However, I try to avoid them as much as I can because it’s so difficult to have content that’s as compelling as the headline implies. image: https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/NYT%20Heres%20what%20you%20need.jpg --- [Skip to main content](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/heres-what-you-need-to-know#maincontent) [ «  View All Posts ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog) # Here’s what you need to know March 21st, 2019 1 min read By [David Meerman Scott](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott) ![NYT Heres what you need](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/NYT%20Heres%20what%20you%20need.jpg?width=713&height=490&name=NYT%20Heres%20what%20you%20need.jpg) Over the past decade, [clickbait](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clickbait) headlines have proliferated on all sorts of Web content. They have shown up on blogs with increasing frequency “The 5 social media marketing secrets to drive your business now” and they appear on sponsored content on media sites all the time “7 heart-warming photos of babies that you won’t believe”. Now I’m seeing clickbait headlines on the websites of mainstream media sites including the *Washington Post* and *New York Times*, frequently including a phrase similar to “**Here’s what you need to know**”. ![WaPo Heres what you need](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/WaPo%20Heres%20what%20you%20need.jpg?width=450&name=WaPo%20Heres%20what%20you%20need.jpg)I’ve been known to experiment with clickbait headlines from time to time. However, I try to avoid them as much as possible because it’s so difficult to have content that’s as compelling as the headline implies. When you bait and switch too often, people will lose trust in you. For much more on how the news business has changed in the past several decades, I can recommend [*Merchants of Truth: The Business of News and the Fight for Facts*](https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1501123203/freshspotpubl-20) by Jill Abramson. Oh, and one more thing (courtesy of USA Today sponsored ad content this morning): [If Your Indoor Cat Vomits (Do This Every Day)](https://ultimatecathealth.com/extending_your_cats_lifespan_190320A.php?n=tba) [![New Call-to-action](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/413105/e5b62938-97f3-40a1-9bc9-f10843b48ec1.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/413105/e5b62938-97f3-40a1-9bc9-f10843b48ec1) [ David Meerman Scott ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott) David Meerman Scott is a business growth strategist, advisor to clever entrepreneurs who are building emerging companies, and the international bestselling author of a dozen books published in 30 languages. David’s high-energy keynote presentations, masterclasses, and virtual events educate, energize, and inspire. Connect: [mailto:david@freshspot.com](mailto:david@freshspot.com) Topics: [ Social Media ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/social-media) [ Worst Practices ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/worst-practices) [ Book Reviews ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/book-reviews) [ Marketing ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/marketing) [ Advertising ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/advertising) Don't forget to share this post: ## Related Articles [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Artemis%20earthset.jpg?width=5568&height=3712&name=Artemis%20earthset.jpg) ### Nasa’s Artemis II Lunar Mission: A PR Triumph for the USA April 11th, 2026|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/nasas-artemis-ii-lunar-mission-a-pr-triumph-for-the-usa) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Moltbook.jpg?width=1536&height=1024&name=Moltbook.jpg) ### Moltbook: A Social Network for AI Agents Where Humans Can Only Watch February 3rd, 2026|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/moltbook-a-social-network-for-ai-agents-where-humans-can-only-watch) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202025-10-29%20at%2010.27.19%20AM.png?width=835&height=466&name=Screenshot%202025-10-29%20at%2010.27.19%20AM.png) ### Don’t Fly Wizzness Class Video from Dave Carroll October 29th, 2025|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/dont-fly-wizzness-class-video-from-dave-carroll) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Chef%20Todd%20Edwards.jpg?width=1500&height=1010&name=Chef%20Todd%20Edwards.jpg) ### Pulling Back the Curtain to Show What Happens Behind-the-Scenes October 15th, 2025|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/pulling-back-the-curtain-to-show-what-happens-behind-the-scenes) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/DMS%20BM%20hybrid%202004.jpg?width=1432&height=966&name=DMS%20BM%20hybrid%202004.jpg) ### The Fandom Playbook: My New Book and Companion AI Chatbot September 24th, 2025|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/the-fandom-playbook-my-new-book-and-companion-ai-chatbot) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Stefano%20Paciotti.jpg?width=1500&height=1084&name=Stefano%20Paciotti.jpg) ### The Ham Whisperer of Rome: How Stefano’s Honest Videos Won the World’s Heart June 24th, 2025|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/the-ham-whisperer-of-rome-how-stefanos-honest-videos-won-the-worlds-heart) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/LinkedIn%20comments.jpg?width=1114&height=737&name=LinkedIn%20comments.jpg) ### Comments Are the Key to LinkedIn Engagement January 29th, 2025|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/comments-are-the-key-to-linkedin-engagement) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Kolkata%20Chai%20Ani%20and%20Ayan.jpg?width=1236&height=858&name=Kolkata%20Chai%20Ani%20and%20Ayan.jpg) ### Brewing Authenticity: How Kolkata Chai Co. 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