For decades, Cracked was the Pepsi to MAD Magazine’s Coke. Each entity was a comedic print publication aimed at teens. It goes without saying that the humor in each was juvenile. As print gave way to digital media, each publication struggled. In 2007 after many years of decline, and several attempted relaunches, Cracked published its last print issue. This was not, however, the end of the story. In 2005, Cracked.com was launched and has since become a powerhouse in content production, recently launching a partnership with top social site Pinterest to distribute content on their “Pin Picks” portal.
How Has Cracked Become So Successful?
Really Good Listicles. How many views do your listicles get normally? A few thousand? Many of Cracked’s articles get over a million unique views. Why? Because they’re actually really interesting. Here’s a recently published Listicle called “7 Thing You Learn Surviving an Atomic Blast.” Doesn’t that sound a hundred times more compelling than “15 Things No One Knows About People from Idaho?” Listicles can be great content, but oftentimes, content-producers who make them don’t put in the effort to make them great.
A Strong, Genuine Voice. The article writers on Cracked write in a voice that is human, honest, and sometimes full of swear-words. Even some of the really heady articles on the site are written in a down-to-earth style that is approachable, easy to read, and compelling.
Exclusive Video Content. Cracked produces 10 different web-series that are exclusive to the site. 30% of their overall content is video. Video content is what makes the web go round and Cracked has staked out a claim as a top producer of video.
It’s Genuinely Funny. Cracked doesn’t have as many visitors as other comedy sites like FunnyOrDie but it does keep its users engaged. Cracked users spend on average, 9 times as much time on the site as FunnyOrDie’s users do on that site. Why? Because their content is awesome. It’s funny. It’s educational. It’s everything most content aspires to be.
