You won't BELIEVE what experts say about good content!

Actually, you will. Because that headline has nothing to do with what this article is about. But it has everything to do with something called clickbait.

Clickbait is the most talked-about social media gimmick going. It's a tactic headline writers use to get people to click on a link regardless of whether or not that headline has anything to do with the story.

It's one of the many ways to get content to stand out from the information overload that is the internet. And when we say there's a lot of content online, we're not kidding. Every day two million blog posts, 294 billion emails and over 800 thousand hours of video are created.

With that much choice, it's no wonder sneaky tricks are getting used. But there’s a price. According to journalism lecturer Charles King from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, it will cost you your audience.

"Without good content on your blog, website, or social media platform, visitors will quickly bounce out of there and be on their way on to the next site, with little chance of ever returning," he says.

While it seem a whole lot easier to write a clickbait headline than produce good content, it’s actually easier than it sounds. All you need is a solid plan that identifies your content goals and matches your words with your expected outcomes.

"If your goal is to create high-quality and thought leadership-driving content, then consider raising your game rather than opting for tactics," says King.

"Strive to create content that’s original, engaging, valuable and compelling. While this will take time and expertise, it will stand out from the mostly mundane ocean of so-called ‘content’ that exists online."

Good content also needs to be packaged well. Don’t skimp on including high-quality images, vibrant video and social media posts that attract the target audience.

"Without extraordinary social media content, nobody will consider sharing, re-tweeting, or liking what you have produced," says King. "That means you will never be able to build your brand or your online reputation."