Hot Takes, Typos, and Total Chaos: The Secret Tactics Driving Online Engagement

Taylor Swift is overrated. Pineapple definitely belongs on pizza. And Threads is home to the best content on the internet. 

Are any of these statements true? Just the pineapple part — but truth is optional when you’re chasing replies. 

Welcome to the world of underhanded engagement tactics, where creators don’t just play the algorithm; they weaponize it. 

The Art of Using Controversy as Clickbait

Underhanded engagement tactics are deliberate, often subtle psychological tricks that creators use to spark replies, reactions, and algorithmic lift. Unlike traditional hooks, these ploys lean into provocation, error, or misinformation to trigger interaction. They’re not always malicious, but they’re rarely innocent.

Why do these tactics work so well? As humans, our brains are wired to react more strongly to things that challenge us than to things that affirm us. Meanwhile, the platforms we post and scroll on are wired to reward any reaction, especially outrage.

A 2024 Tulane University study coined this the “confrontation effect,” finding that people are more likely to engage with posts that challenge their beliefs than ones they agree with. The researchers, who studied Facebook and X/Twitter user behavior during politically charged events like the 2020 U.S. election, found that users frequently responded with comments and shares not because they liked the content, but because they were mad at it.

This doesn't just play out in politics. These same psychological mechanics are employed by brands, influencers, and content creators — often in ways so subtle you might not even realize you're falling for them.

Case in point: typo marketing, a strategy that intentionally uses spelling errors to drive engagement.

You Had Me at Hodwy

Beloved Texas convenience store chain Buc-ees made waves in 2023 when a billboard on I-35 went up with a glaring typo:

Buc-ee’s hasn’t confirmed or denied whether this typo was intentional, but considering the billboard only has five words total, the writing is on the wall (er, sign?). 

Soon after it went up, users began posting pictures of the billboard all over the internet. Buc-ee’s took note of the buzz, and before long, they were rolling out hodwy merch — which, if you’re familiar with Buc-ee’s culture, is a big deal. 

But typos aren’t the only way to raise some eyebrows. Sometimes, all it takes is foundation. 

A lot of it.

Full Coverage, Full Comments

Meredith Duxbury is best known for her GRWM TikToks, but her methods don’t align with what you’d expect from the average beauty influencer. Duxbury's typical makeup routine involves applying an excessive amount of liquid foundation — and I truly mean excessive. 

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Is she doing this intentionally to drive viewers insane? No, she’s just doing her makeup her way, which happens to defy viewers’ expectations. And for as many critical comments (“You don't need that much!" and "She's rubbing it in like moisturizer…”), there’s an equal amount of praise for the flawless finish she’s able to achieve.

Just like with the Buc-ee’s billboard, the intent of her atypical makeup routine doesn’t matter; the reactions and online discourse took off whether that was her goal or not. Duxbury’s videos inspired the #foundationchallenge, a viral makeup trend where users layer on heavy foundation (often 10+ pumps) and blend it to perfection. The hashtag quickly took off, with thousands of TikTokers joining in. 

Her follower count soared: first to 1 million, then 7 million, and now, her following is over 18 million strong.

Reelin’ in The Replies with Rage Bait

You might remember Katie Notopoulos, a journalist known for her reporting on tech and internet culture, for a little experiment she ran on Threads last year.

Notopoulos intentionally crafted a series of slightly inflammatory or ridiculous posts — not false, not hateful, just designed to provoke. Topics included tipping culture, parenting opinions, and social etiquette. Threads’ reply-weighted algorithm rewarded the attention her posts got, regardless of how anyone felt about the content itself.

One of her most viral posts was a joke suggesting she wasn't going to buy school supplies for her kid:

In context, it was clearly satirical. But outside of Threads, where the post was screenshotted and shared on Instagram and Facebook, many users took it at face value and got mad. The post triggered thousands of comments and debates, proving the point of the experiment: provocation works, even if it’s subtle, and even if it’s fake.

“I successfully baited people into replying to me,” Notopoulos wrote in Business Insider. “But it didn’t feel good. I can’t recommend it.”

The post was eventually featured in multiple media outlets and discussed on other platforms, highlighting how even a light joke can drive real discourse when taken out of context. 

How to Bait the Algorithm (Without Becoming a Villain)

So you want to poke the bear. Or at least, give it a gentle prod — just enough to elicit some comments, views, and offline debates.

Welcome to the delicate art of baiting the algorithm without losing your audience.

Underhanded engagement tactics work because they’re subtle, sneaky, and just provocative enough to spark a response. But that slipperiness is exactly what makes them risky. If your bait is too obvious, too aggressive, or just completely irrelevant to your audience, it can backfire fast.

There’s a Fine Line Between Clicks and Crisis

Back in 2021, around International Women's Day, Burger King UK posted a now-infamous tweet: “Women belong in the kitchen.”

The intent was to spotlight the gender gap in professional kitchens, but it didn’t matter. The backlash was immediate and massive. The tweet racked up thousands of quote tweets and headlines, not because people engaged with the message, but because they were enraged by it.

Let this serve as a reminder of the delicate balance that needs to be struck when leaning into provocative marketing strategies.

The Dos and Don’ts of Discreet Baiting

If you're going to flirt with controversy, do it carefully and with purpose. Here’s how to keep things clever, not catastrophic:

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Want to learn more about what not to do online? Check out Social Strategy / What Not To Do