Have you ever complimented someone with the hopes that they would do the same back? Well, this motivation or tactic is rooted in the psychological principle of reciprocity.
Essentially, it is devised to make individuals feel compelled to return the favor or gesture after receiving something of value. Simply put, if you make someone feel good, they should make you want to feel good in return too.
However, in the context of ego bait, this may or may not always be genuine. Link bait, share bait, click bait are all similar terms. They all involve sensationalizing or creating content with the sole purpose of getting others to link to it or share it.
What is Ego Bait?
In the realm of digital marketing, an ego bait involves mentioning a person, typically someone notable, in a positive way in a blog post or whilst conducting an interview in hopes that they would then promote your digital content.
This type of linking is hardly about SEO as it is a highly personalized comment or creation of content that recognizes and boost’s the other person’s expertise, accomplishments or ego to specifically attract their attention and engagement.
Once the attention of an influential figure is obtained, it is hoped that they would boost your ego in return by increasing the visibility of your site by mentioning it or linking back to it. This in turn improves your content’s authority.
Why is it Important?
There are several reasons why ego bait is an important or effective digital marketing tactic.
Improves brand awareness
An ego bait improves your content’s visibility and reach. When someone notable mentions your content and shares it, it reaches a new and wider audience. Chances are, it will pique their curiosity and compel them to check out your content, improving your brand awareness and traffic. Likewise, it also enhances your brand’s credibility when an influencer chooses to endorse your product.
Builds Relationships
A successful ego bait strategy can help you foster a long-term relationship with a key figure in your industry. When you recognize their expertise in a specific field, it creates a connection based on mutual respect and admiration. This in turn can lead to opportunities for future collaborations, partnerships, and networking opportunities.
Improve SEO
By creating content that acknowledges the achievements or expertise of others, you naturally enhance the quality and relevance of your content.
First, such high-quality, well-researched content is preferred by search engines and ranks better. Second, when you feature prominent thought leaders in your content, they are often inclined to link back to your content. The backlinks obtained can significantly boost your site’s domain authority and search engine rankings.
Examples of Ego Bait Content
There are various types of ego bait content that a digital marketer can use to target an authoritative figure in a specified industry. It is important to have a target audience in mind to determine the most appropriate type of ego bait. Some of the most popular types of ego bait content include:
- Listicle: Individuals or brands/products featured on a listicle are likely to share the content with their network or on their social media. Due to the structured and easily digestible format of listicles, it may improve readership and engagement of the content.
- Expert Roundups: This typically features contributions from a range of well-known individuals within an industry and are deemed experts. By acknowledging their expertise, you provide them with the opportunity to share the content with their audience.
- Award Nominations: Digital marketers can leverage award nominations to create compelling content. This may include announcement posts, interviews, profile highlights or videos that showcase an individual’s/brand’s work. Nominees and supporters are likely to share the news with their audience on websites, social media and other platforms.
- Top Lists: Blog posts such as ‘Top 15 Digital Marketing Influencers You Need to Pay Attention To’ can draw significant attention to both the featured influencers and publishing website. This post introduces the influencers to a new audience who may not be familiar with them, increasing their visibility which in turn compels them to share it on their socials.
- Collaborative Content: By leveraging the influence and network of multiple individuals or entities involved in the collaboration, it increases the reach and visibility of the content. Through association with recognized experts and influencers, it improves your content’s credibility and authority not just in the eyes of your audience but also search engines.
Ego Bait Best Practices
Keen on creating ego bait content? Here’s a list of popular best practices to take into account:
- Focus on authenticity: Create content that is real and sincere. Tailor it to align with the interests of the individuals you are featuring but ensure that it meets the expectations of your audience as well.
- Prioritize personalization: Skip generalizing your content. Instead, content that is well-researched and highly specific is able to resonate better with the individual you’re featuring and their unique contributions to the industry.
- Utilize multi-channel promotion: Promote your ego bait content across multiple channels including social media, newsletters, and forums. This improves your reach and encourages influencers featured to share it on multiple platforms as well.
- Monitor and analyze: Keep track of the performance of the ego bait content. If it’s not doing well, consider tweaking it to meet the expectations of the desired audience.
- Create value-driven content: Don’t create meaningless content. Invest in producing well-researched and written pieces that not only appeal to the ego bait but also enhance your brand’s reputation and authority.
When executed well, ego bait content can be a powerful weapon for your digital marketing efforts. It acts as a magnet for engagement and amplifies your brand’s reach through the influence and networks of recognized individuals.