Why Upworthy's Signature Headlines Are Only Half The Story

It isn't about clickbait, emotion, or hits. It's about becoming a go-to content provider for Facebook and Twitter.

A year and a half after its launch, it seems as though Upworthy is legitimately onto something. On a superficial level, the reason seems obvious: The company's distinct headline style, which is both widely parodied and imitated, is working like gangbusters--the company is rapidly closing in on traffic giants like BuzzFeed and Gawker. But below the surface is a story of social networks and the algorithms they tinker with, and how tweaks to the formula can upend even the best laid plans for reaching massive amounts of people online.

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