How A Dallas Bookstore Promotes Reading With Clickbait

Facebook and great books would seem to be at opposite ends of the literary spectrum. But Wild Detectives in Dallas found a way to meet modern readers where they are – on social media.

By Laura RiceMarch 30, 2017 1:49 pm

Andrés de la Casa-Huertas, brand director for the Wild Detectives Bookstore in Dallas has harnessed the power of click bait to promote the store’s social media channels and it’s paying off.

The store’s ‘Lit Bait,’ as he calls it, takes the plots of classic novels and turns them into click-friendly headlines. When a user clicks on the link, they’re directed to the store’s website and a description of the book.

“Literature and culture in general, always has the feeling that it’s talking down to people or people don’t feel included in it” de la Casa-Huertas says. “In reality, it’s actually the other way around. We make the culture. The culture is there for everybody to reach out to and enjoy. It was kind of like using a different channel that people are more used to to get to the same outcome.”

What you’ll hear in this segment:

– Examples of lit bait

– How much The Wild Detectives Bookstore’s social web traffic has grown

– How long de la Casa-Huertas plans to keep creating lit bait
Written by Emma Whalen.