Chumbox

Chumbox

Clickbait advertisements often found in chumboxes

A chumbox is a form of online advertising that typically appears at the bottom of web pages. These advertisements are designed to attract clicks by using sensationalist headlines and images, often referred to as clickbait. The term "chumbox" is derived from "chum," a type of bait used by fishermen to attract fish, and "box," referring to the boxed format of these ads.

Characteristics

Chumboxes are characterized by their use of provocative and eye-catching headlines, often accompanied by equally attention-grabbing images. The content of these ads is usually unrelated to the main content of the page on which they appear. Instead, they are designed to entice users to click through to external websites, which may host additional advertisements or sponsored content.

Design and Placement

Chumboxes are typically placed at the bottom of articles or web pages, in a grid-like format. This placement is strategic, as it targets users who have finished reading the main content and are more likely to click on additional links. The design of chumboxes often mimics the look and feel of the host website to blend in seamlessly and avoid being immediately recognized as advertisements.

Business Model

The business model behind chumboxes involves partnerships between content recommendation companies and publishers. Companies such as Outbrain and Taboola are well-known providers of chumbox services. They pay publishers to display chumboxes on their sites, and in turn, they earn revenue from advertisers who pay for clicks on their ads.

Revenue Generation

Revenue is generated on a cost-per-click (CPC) basis, meaning advertisers pay each time a user clicks on an ad. This model incentivizes the creation of highly clickable content, often leading to the use of sensationalist or misleading headlines.

Criticism

Chumboxes have been criticized for promoting low-quality or misleading content. The sensationalist nature of the headlines can lead to the spread of misinformation, as users may be directed to sites with dubious or unreliable information. Additionally, the content linked through chumboxes is often of little value, focusing more on generating clicks than providing informative or educational material.

Related Pages

• Clickbait
• Online advertising
• Native advertising
• Content marketing