Rage baiting on social media is a strategy that many content creators have used to increase their revenue. The technique involves creating content meant to provoke negative reactions, drawing in viewers who engage with the content out of anger and frustration. Despite the negative connotations, rage baiting is a genius marketing tactic and a clever way to draw in engagement.
Content creator Jojo Siwa is known for her controversial and polarizing videos that have amassed a large following. A significant amount of Siwa’s audience engages with the content not because they enjoy it, but because they feel compelled to express their disapproval. In one of Siwa’s new songs “Guilty Pleasure,” she is seen wearing a bizarre costume covered in teddy bears. At her concerts, the singer takes shots out of her shoes. In interviews, the singer says things like, “I’m a bad girl,” all to get a negative reaction. These actions anger people, propelling them to further feed into her content and as of 2024, according to celebritynetworth.com Siwa has amassed a net worth of $20 million. Despite most of her engagement being negative, it all contributes to her success.
Brooklyn XOX aka Brooklyn Webb was a big name in 2021 because of her music, which had many angry listeners. Her song “My Crown” was awful and meant to be that way. At the time, most of her content was promoting this song, as Webb reacted to negative comments and further triggered the internet. The video’s comments read, “You go girl and take your song with you,” or ‘’I’m better than everyone else’ Please humble yourself rn…” Even after its release, she made more content about the song, gaining more attention from haters. According to famousbirthdays.com her net worth sprung from $22.3K to $134K that same year.
The genius of rage-baiting lies in its ability to exploit the algorithms of social media platforms. These algorithms prioritize content that generates high levels of engagement, regardless of whether the engagement is positive or negative. By understanding and manipulating this system, creators like Jojo Siwa and Brooklyn XOX can turn outrage into profit. It’s a testament to the power of human psychology and the intricacies of social media dynamics. As a Rolling Stone article shares, “Rage Bait isn’t just commenting online anymore, it’s taking over the internet – and changing the way we view content.”
While rage baiting may seem manipulative or ethically questionable, it is undeniably effective for revenue. By drawing in viewers who engage with their content out of anger, creators can significantly boost their visibility and income. This strategy highlights the complex relationship between content creators and their audiences. Rage bait reveals the often-overlooked genius behind what some might dismiss as mere internet drama.