What’s in a name?
The ability to attract attention, for one thing.
This morning I was reviewing the 150-odd (some odder than others) videos on my YouTube channel.
Most of them stem from public-relations outreach I’ve provided for clients, such as Downtown Oak Park’s mass dog wedding (a Guinness World Record attempt) in November 2008, I Do, Doggone It!
Continuing a pattern that emerged immediately after I uploaded those pooch-related videos nearly five months ago, the one with “Same-Sex Dog Marriages” in the title has easily outdistanced the other seven I Do, Doggone It! videos.
As of this morning, the same-sex clip (featuring my rather hoarse voice after a frenetic day of PR madness) had 1,318 views. By comparison, some of the other bow-vow clips, with not-so-provocative titles, are under 200 views, though a few are approaching 1,000.
Channeling Your Attention-Grabbing Side
Sure, sure, this is certainly in the “clickbait” category, an often-abused and cynical approach to drawing attention. For example, here’s one attention-grabbing title that may be in my YouTube channeling future: “AIG Bernie Madoff Rush Limbaugh Same-Sex Pro-Life Bailout Plan.”
I should note, however, that the video would truly need to touch on all of the above-mentioned elements, perhaps a tongue-in-cheek first-person commentary that ties them all together (with extra-durable rope).
Provocatively named videos really ought to reflect the actual content of the video itself. Otherwise, you run a great risk in breeding resentment, which is typically not a very helpful PR tactic.
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In media relations, throw ’em an occasional curve ball
Be a person, not a bot: don’t cheapen your social media network with garbage-like invites
