Content With Purpose?

I saw a reaction video the other day on Instagram, critiquing an article on PopSugar – and beauty journos at large. “Breaking news!” the dermatologist-cum-content creator mocked of its headline: ‘Experts Say Quiet Luxury Skin is the Next Major Face Trend’.

“Beauty editors, we need to stop creating trends just for articles, specifically for trendy or shock headlines,” were his opening words – a point amplified by his caption, “I’m begging!”, as well as his followers’ comments in concurrence. Ouch.

As he – and we – know, aligning with trending search terms (i.e. ‘quiet luxury’) gains reach while grabby headlines (like ‘Major Trend’) court clicks. But although his take on the full article perplexed me a little (that there is no justification of the trend towards healthy, wealthy-looking skin, despite a fellow dermatologist and facialist stating there was) the overall call for content with purpose struck me.

This was something that became a mission statement at Hearst a few years back, and I always thought it a valid one. Producing ‘content with purpose’ that’s clicky – without being clickbait – isn’t easy though, especially since TikTok has risen as a cultural juggernaut with ‘trends’ generated hourly. You might feel similar pressures when pitching? Some emails I receive with sensationalised subject lines would suggest so.

So, I guess in the quest for relevance we can all be mindful not to fuel bandwagon behaviour with hooks that may result in a non-story story. As ever, the access PRs provide to reputable expertise (as no doubt they did in the PopSugar story!) is invaluable. And, regardless, pitches free from misleading or exaggerated claims, but with an awareness of context and nuance, continue to be much appreciated. We can’t please everyone, but we can prioritise integrity.