--- title: What Exactly is Engagement Bait? description: Meta's ongoing quest to end all engagement bait on its platforms means you've got to learn what exactly it is and how to avoid it in your social posts. image: https://blog.aimcollab.com/hubfs/10-Dec-20-2025-07-16-31-3760-PM.png --- [Social Media Marketing](https://blog.aimcollab.com/tag/social-media-marketing) # What Exactly is Engagement Bait? [![](https://blog.aimcollab.com/hs-fs/hubfs/EG%20headshot.png?width=50&height=50&name=EG%20headshot.png)](https://blog.aimcollab.com/author/emily-goodwin) [Emily Goodwin](https://blog.aimcollab.com/author/emily-goodwin) Jul 19, 2023, 7:31:00 AM By now, we're familiar with clickbait and why it's bad for content creators, unless of course that's what you want to be known for.  But what about engagement bait? A recent episode of [*Today in Digital Marketing*](https://todayindigital.com/episodes/) highlighted Facebook's ongoing quest to rid its platform of it, including its new ability to detect engagement and clickbait embedded into video content.   Let's break down what exactly constitutes engagement bait so you know how to avoid it in your posts.   **What is Engagement Bait?** Engagement bait is when you put some pressure on users to engage with your posts. It seems harmless enough, but some [social media](https://blog.aimcollab.com/social-media-marketing-in-2023) giants, like Meta, have a big problem with it.   Social media giant [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/business/help/259911614709806?id=208060977200861)  defines engagement bait as a practice that prods people into engaging with your posts, either through liking, commenting, or sharing.   **Why Engagement Bait is Bad** Although you want people to engage with your posts, it's wise to not resort to engagement bait to [boost your Facebook engagement](https://blog.aimcollab.com/3-easy-ways-to-boost-your-facebook-post-engagement). Facebook's algorithm has been updated to catch engagement bait, and when your post receives this flag, your content will actually be pushed further down the algorithm.   That means fewer people will see your post to begin with, and even fewer will engage with it.   Since [Instagram](https://blog.aimcollab.com/3-easy-ways-to-boost-your-engagement-rate-on-instagram) is owned by the same company, it's likely only a matter of time before engagement bait on the platform also starts to get flagged and pushed further down in the algorithm.   ![1-4](https://2941629.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/2941629/hubfs/1-4.png?width=1200&length=1200&name=1-4.png) **1** An optional caption for the image that will be added to the gallery. Enter any descriptive text for this image that you would like visitors to be able to read. ![2-3](https://2941629.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/2941629/hubfs/2-3.png?width=1200&length=1200&name=2-3.png) **2** An optional caption for the image that will be added to the gallery. Enter any descriptive text for this image that you would like visitors to be able to read. ![3](https://2941629.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/2941629/hubfs/3.png?width=1200&length=1200&name=3.png) **3** An optional caption for the image that will be added to the gallery. Enter any descriptive text for this image that you would like visitors to be able to read. ![4-1](https://2941629.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/2941629/hubfs/4-1.png?width=1200&length=1200&name=4-1.png) **4** An optional caption for the image that will be added to the gallery. Enter any descriptive text for this image that you would like visitors to be able to read. ![5-1](https://2941629.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/2941629/hubfs/5-1.png?width=1200&length=1200&name=5-1.png) **5** An optional caption for the image that will be added to the gallery. Enter any descriptive text for this image that you would like visitors to be able to read.     **Conclusion** It's going to be hard breaking the cycle of writing "Let us know in the comments" or "Save this for later" at the end of your captions. We're so used to it, but as Meta changes its rules of what's allowed on its platforms, we have to change to keep up with it. That means no more engagement bait for us.   Not all hope is lost for wrapping up your captions though. There are lots of resources out there that can give your CTAs that aren't engagement bait, including the options we outlined in the carousel above! ###### Topics - [Content](https://blog.aimcollab.com/tag/content) - [Social Media Marketing](https://blog.aimcollab.com/tag/social-media-marketing) - [Advertising](https://blog.aimcollab.com/tag/advertising) - [Marketing Strategy](https://blog.aimcollab.com/tag/marketing-strategy) - [Fusion Marketing](https://blog.aimcollab.com/tag/fusion-marketing) - [Branding](https://blog.aimcollab.com/tag/branding) - [Strategy](https://blog.aimcollab.com/tag/strategy) - [Marketing Tools](https://blog.aimcollab.com/tag/marketing-tools) - [Scalable Systems](https://blog.aimcollab.com/tag/scalable-systems) - [Neon Supply](https://blog.aimcollab.com/tag/neon-supply) - [Graphic Design](https://blog.aimcollab.com/tag/graphic-design) - [SEO](https://blog.aimcollab.com/tag/seo) - [Consulting](https://blog.aimcollab.com/tag/consulting) - [Most Popular](https://blog.aimcollab.com/tag/most-popular) - [Relationship Marketing](https://blog.aimcollab.com/tag/relationship-marketing) - [TikTok](https://blog.aimcollab.com/tag/tiktok) - [Inbound Marketing](https://blog.aimcollab.com/tag/inbound-marketing) - [Instagram](https://blog.aimcollab.com/tag/instagram) - [Market & Consumer Research](https://blog.aimcollab.com/tag/market-consumer-research) - [Leadership](https://blog.aimcollab.com/tag/leadership) - [Facebook](https://blog.aimcollab.com/tag/facebook) - [LinkedIn](https://blog.aimcollab.com/tag/linkedin) - [Snapchat](https://blog.aimcollab.com/tag/snapchat) - [Talent Development](https://blog.aimcollab.com/tag/talent-development) - [Data & Analytics](https://blog.aimcollab.com/tag/data-analytics) - [Events](https://blog.aimcollab.com/tag/events) - [Featured](https://blog.aimcollab.com/tag/featured) - [Performance Measures](https://blog.aimcollab.com/tag/performance-measures) - [Pinterest](https://blog.aimcollab.com/tag/pinterest) - [Revenue](https://blog.aimcollab.com/tag/revenue) - [Software](https://blog.aimcollab.com/tag/software) - [Technology](https://blog.aimcollab.com/tag/technology) ###### Popular Post - [How Starbucks' Red Cup Became a Holiday Marketing Icon](https://blog.aimcollab.com/how-starbucks-red-cup-became-holiday-marketing-icon) - [The moment I realized most companies don’t actually have a client acquisition system.](https://blog.aimcollab.com/the-moment-i-realized-most-companies-dont-actually-have-a-client-acquisition-system) - [Most Popular Social Media Platforms in Mexico](https://blog.aimcollab.com/most-popular-social-media-platforms-in-mexico) - [The Most Popular Social Media Platforms for Gen X](https://blog.aimcollab.com/the-most-popular-social-media-platforms-for-gen-x) - [The Most Popular Social Media Platforms for Generation Alpha](https://blog.aimcollab.com/the-most-popular-social-media-platforms-for-generation-alpha) ###### Subscribe Previous Post ###### [Making a Marketer (Not a Murderer): Finding a Marketing Best Friend](https://blog.aimcollab.com/making-a-marketer-not-a-murderer-finding-a-marketing-best-friend) Next Post ###### [3 Steps to Make Marketing Designs That Pop](https://blog.aimcollab.com/3-tips-to-make-graphics-that-pop) ### Similar Blog Posts [![](https://blog.aimcollab.com/hs-fs/hubfs/2-Dec-20-2025-04-55-55-7516-AM.png?width=352&name=2-Dec-20-2025-04-55-55-7516-AM.png)](https://blog.aimcollab.com/the-social-media-landscape-is-shifting) ##### [Step Aside Followers, Views Are In Right Now.](https://blog.aimcollab.com/the-social-media-landscape-is-shifting) [![](https://blog.aimcollab.com/hs-fs/hubfs/16-Dec-20-2025-05-05-36-4775-AM.png?width=352&name=16-Dec-20-2025-05-05-36-4775-AM.png)](https://blog.aimcollab.com/social-media-tips-for-real-estate-agents) ##### [Social Media Tips for Real Estate Agents](https://blog.aimcollab.com/social-media-tips-for-real-estate-agents) [![](https://blog.aimcollab.com/hs-fs/hubfs/11-Dec-20-2025-05-02-23-9893-AM.png?width=352&name=11-Dec-20-2025-05-02-23-9893-AM.png)](https://blog.aimcollab.com/social-media-tips-for-photographers-how-to-stand-out-online) ##### [Social Media Tips for Photographers: How to Stand Out Online](https://blog.aimcollab.com/social-media-tips-for-photographers-how-to-stand-out-online) [![Banner no padding](https://blog.aimcollab.com/hubfs/The%20Basketball%20Commission/Images/Banner%20no%20padding.png)](https://makewebbetter-7479797.hs-sites.com/en/austin) A growing movement of basketball organizations reshaping the landscape for athletes, teams, and basketball minds.  - - - - - ###### Get In Touch 859.303.4079  info@kbchoops.com Lexington, KY Copyright © 2023 The Basketball Commission. All Rights Reserved. [Privacy Policy |](https://www.hubspot.com) [Terms & Condition](https://www.hubspot.com) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Emily Goodwin", "url" : "https://blog.aimcollab.com/author/emily-goodwin" }, "dateModified" : "2025-12-22T18:19:21.787Z", "datePublished" : "2023-07-19T11:31:00.000Z", "headline" : "What Exactly is Engagement Bait?", "image" : [ "https://blog.aimcollab.com/hubfs/10-Dec-20-2025-07-16-31-3760-PM.png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.aimcollab.com/what-exactly-is-engagement-bait", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.aimcollab.com/hubfs/AIM/Logos/AIM%20logo%20004.png" }, "name" : "Tournkey" } } ```