Make sure that its quality content. A great list post nixes the fluff and concretely explains each item in detail. 8) Best Practices: This list shares information that helps others improve their business. 154K followers View more on Instagram Comment Share Save 961 likes First, we need to understand why listicles are so effective. Sites like Buzzfeed have made this style of content incredibly popular, but it's been around for a long time. Are they nothing but clickbait? The biggest indicator of a lousy list post is one that contains a ton of fluff and no real, valuable takeaways for the reader. Typically, they have a short introduction, a series of list items relevant to the topic at hand, brief descriptions of each item, and, usually, images for each. 12 Minutes. In fact, this post about listicles is largely a list post itself. Easy to skim: Consistent formatting and pleasant spatial organization make it easy for readers to identify and extract the information they need. There is an almost unlimited number of ways in which you can use listicles to make your argument, explain a topic, sell a product, and so on, but I feel like thats enough to get the basic idea. Instead, we explained the tip in a moderate amount of detail, and then directed readers to the other post where they could find more in-depth information if they needed it: Don't be afraid to do this in your own listicles. This involved a formulaic approach to looking at a keywords competition, then crafting content which was better and having a set outreach plan. Its time to plan the meat of the article the list itself. This includes a variety of sub-categories such as family games, children's games and ice breakers that may be used at meetings and events.A game that is played verbally without any equipment or physical . listicles game examplesspecialized structures of banana. Use Short Paragraphs. The rule of thumb is: just be comprehensive. Archy Learning is an all-in-one gamification training software and elearning platform that you can use to create a global classroom, perfect for those who are training remote teams across the globe. Dont spam them if theyre not required, but try to break up the post so that you have around one image per page of text scrolling. Have you seen how every website has a bevy of top 15 X lists? Here's an example of what we mean: 3 Ways to Improve Your Social Media Marketing. top neighborhoods in San Diego for Millenials. They cater to the short attention span of todays blog readers. For shorter lists, I might write longer or multiple paragraphs for each item or create categories for information such as pricing, industry/niche, or subject for each. return function(){return ret}})();rp.bindMediaToggle=function(link){var finalMedia=link.media||"all";function enableStylesheet(){link.media=finalMedia} 1. 17 People Who Made Big, Big Mistakes On Social Media. The key here is to keep your examples general so that everyone can relate. By this point, all youll have left to do is add the finishing polish, publish, and promote the listicle. 10. Listicles can target core keywords while still hitting an array of related long-tail keywords. So, there you have it - my addition to the roster of ways to use listicles for marketing. Metacritic score: 76%. How To Write the Best Listicles: 5 Straightforward Tips Satisfying to read: The numbers inform the readers of the extent of the article and give them a sense of accomplishment as they progress. #1. Try searching Google for relevant images and videos. Google never really penalized listicles because they punished thin content, copied content, and valueless content. Listicles ruin the countdown format. By checking these results you can see both the type of information your audience is looking for when they look up the topic and what quantity and quality of information youll have to surpass to get significant traffic. Step Two: Make Your Pitch Timely. For example, a list of growth hacks you can take to boost your site ranking. /*! A list with 17 items draws more attention than a list with 20 items usually. When writing a listicle post, my first step is to open up all the lists in the top 10-20 Google search results. Now, you're well on your way to including more listicles in your content strategy. No wonder list posts have a terrible reputation. 2. [c]2017 Filament Group, Inc. MIT License */ In general, clickbait can be taken as something which uses its title to promise something unrealistic or plain doesnt follow up on what its title claims to do. If this is the case, consider pointing your readers to another place for more in-depth information. I'd likely share "13 Influencer Marketing Campaigns to Inspire and Get You Started With Your Own" on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook with colleagues or friends, since I'd imagine my followers would enjoy clicking through visual examples. There are long-form listicles, and short (quick) listicles, visual listicles (that are mostly images, each following a list item), and text-based listicles, etc. Listicles are great for surface-level topics, mid-level topics, and resources. However, they offer more value to your readers and will help you earn more money. Certain topics are evergreen, which means that audiences will always be interested in them, but most pop culture articles need to be written at specific times. Because many states regulate hunting, it's important for hunting enthusiasts to be more proactive. When youre ready to publish your post, submit it to social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, etc. Many readers love listicles. Listicles can make excellent bottom of funnel pieces of content. If you're writing a listicle and especially when you use a number in the title of your list post number your list items! Listicle Format Should Be Determined By The Advertising Objective Listicles are curated lists based on experience, research, quantifiable metrics or editorial opinions. Content Powered is a blog management company that helps scale companies by creating helpful blog posts. You 100% need a site dedicated to the format for the format to work. For example, we recently wrote a list post entitled, "Email Deliverability: 5 Quick & Effective Ways to Increase It". Shorts - they're basically business casual. The Listicle Dilemma. 10) Gift Guide: CNN published a list of 22 Gifts under $25.00. 1. Find affiliate links if youre writing a list post about a product or service. 3. It becomes a listicle primarily because its numbered items in an order. A listicle is simply data in the form of a list; an example would be " 8 Tips . Conservation. This makes listicles a simple kind of content to keep up to date for search ranking purposes. When I sat down and brainstormed this list, for example, it was just that a brainstormed list. In journalism and blogging, a listicle is an article that is structured as a list, which is often fleshed out with additional text relating to each item. Best of all, if readers are already familiar with some steps in the process, they can skip to sections most applicable to them. This can be anything you like and will largely depend on why youre writing the article. You could write a listicle which is nothing more than a title, five sub-headings for each list item, and a picture or gif below each. They can be shared and skimmed easily, and if even a single nugget of value triggers the users satisfaction, they can easily click to share it themselves. Want to talk about online marketing? . Have you ever read Buzzfeed? If not. Sometimes your list points will practically arrange themselves (e.g. What if there ends up being only 11 solid, valuable items that make up that list? This helps you figure out how long your list will be and thus how much writing each element will require. 4) Lists: If you create a listicle, you need to ensure a clear separation between each item in the list. While there arent any real set formats for your list article, the rough categories are: Each has a different appeal and its up to you to decide which best suits your goals with the article, along with what you can provide in terms of the angle you approach it from. To create a high-quality listicle, it's vital your content is consistent and parallel. This free game can be played on phones, laptops, tablets, and computers. 3 Kinds of List Article Formats. Lists are a perfect medium for giving value without any fluff. Use a combination of text and points to relate a personal experience. The angle needs to provide value that nobody else can; otherwise, your post could be easily eclipsed by someone taking what youve written, adding their own expertise, and not even having to reference you. Save time creating blog posts with these free templates. First, you need to choose your topic. document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Want some free consulting? Build your list. Irregular numbers are also more eye-catching than standard figures like 15 or 20. I just found your article, Writing a Listicle: The 11-step Guide and Why Theyre Awesome while researching for my latest article, thank you! Visit our, 400+ AI ChatGPT Prompts for Bloggers, Writers, and Content Creators, 11 Best ChatGPt Chrome Extensions for Bloggers (With Reviews), AIPRM: The Game-Changer for ChatGPT Prompt Templates, Originality AI Review: AI Content Detector Jan 2023, Affiliate Marketing For Beginners in 2023, 75 Podcast Topics: The Best Conversation Ideas, 11 Software Like BookBolt Alternatives for 2023, 8 Best Teleprompter Apps for Mac Devices in 2023, 7 of the Best Youtube Comments Search Chrome Extensions, How Much Do YouTubers Make? Listicles are a suitable format for a site, so long as theyre robust enough in terms of content that can be indexed and so long as they are relevant and full of value. An example is Best Practices for Writing Effective Press Releases. Why do people like listicles? Even if you cant locate it, its good to get into the habit of trying. W3Schools offers free online tutorials, references and exercises in all the major languages of the web. 1. However, you also need to ensure that your chosen images are relevant to the content. The reason was that they blew up to be so popular, so quickly, that it was all you would ever see on the site for months. Youve now got a solid plan, and its time to write your listicle. If you need help, check out our free SEO and keyword research process. Listicles are also great for targeting the long-tail of a keyword, as theyre easy to write and read. And while every point you make on your list might not be new to all your readers, if a reader walks away thinking, "Well, I already put numbers 3, 4, and 6, into practice, but I can't believe I've been missing out on numbers 1, 2, and 5!" Hi there, great article and Im happy to have found your website. List articles can take a complex topic and break them down into digestible chunks. A listicle is an article that is a list. When you sit down to start drafting your listicle, decide how granular you want to make your topic. Number one was a great starting point, and number 10 made the most sense last, since that's likely the last thing you'd tweak when writing a list post. Open Buzzfeed and scan the headlines. Do your research into the topic and keyword. Developer: 12 Minutes. If you search for your intended keyword and find most marketers are creating Ultimate Guides on the topic, you might decide it's better to avoid a listicle format. A good example of a mind sport is chess. Include hashtags in your posts so that people can find them easier. It has comforting structure. This is a great opportunity to use what youve learned about your competition and what you already know personally about the topic. There are many different ways to structure a listicle. A listicle is an article made of a list, usually with some kind of extra detail to each item. Every individual item on a listicle has, typically, 50-100 words worth of content. Most listicles (and articles in general) have lackluster conclusions which either summarize whats already been said or give a short sentence with vague comments. software, Theyre easy to skim for important information, Its easy to put down and come back where you left off, They can break complex topics down into digestible chunks, Each item written feels like an achievement, Lists are great for targeting core keywords, Smaller listicles can be adapted to suit long-tail keywords, Write from personal experience on the topic, Use an interesting example/case study to frame the information, Dig out obscure but useful statistics to shed new light on the topics importance, Give relevant content upgrades to encourage further action and provide extra value, Collect information from multiple sources to provide a summary, Use images and/or gifs to illustrate your points, A personal essay/experience-based listicle (X things I learned about Y), Advice from experience (X tips from 3 years of, Research roundup (a heavily sourced list of information), Reported list (more of an article turned into a list to make it scannable), Editorial-turned-list (a list being used to argue a specific point), 16 Amazing Recipes to Convert Your Friends to Veganism, Give unique examples of your topic to inspire experimentation, Tie everything back to your central argument and hammer the point home, Offer a content upgrade or have another call to action, Suggest activities or techniques to use what youve written about. Youve also seen normal lists and clickbait lists, and the line between the three of them is pretty blurry. Thanks for subscribing to the Process Street Blog! As for why they are so popular to produce, there are a few reasons (aside from their popularity with audiences): Listicles are easier to plan and write than traditional articles because they dont have to worry so much about the order of their points. It should also include valuable content that tells readers how to do each step. That is, as long as any claims you make are actually met within the body of the article. They promise a finite, quantifiable story, suggesting an "easy" reading experience. If an item is removed or changes enough that it doesnt belong on the list, it can easily be removed and a new one put in its place or the list number adjusted. To give you some ideas of unique angles, you could: The last method (collecting information) isnt the ideal way to frame a listicle as literally anyone can look up a few sources and provide a summary theres nothing unique about the information itself. Once again, this is easier to achieve with a list (where appropriate) because of how easy they are to write and update. Longer listicles are harder to write and take longer to produce. The first thing you need to know about writing a good listicle is that there are two kinds: short ones and long ones. . It lists a ton of tools 52 of them in specific categories. What do you think of listicles? The last tip in the list was "Check to see your emails' legality" and mentioned GDPR, which could be a blog post in itself in fact, it already is! You can even fluff it up with a little more formatting, like if the Qualaroo article added subsections for URL, Price, or other information to the description. Be unique! Players will explore Kentucky is a far too realistic simulation that allows them to create their own story. Its a multi-step process. Higher ranking for a keyword means your content it closer to being the first result for that term. Well, take a look at that post above. We might try to title it "Why Every Marketer Needs a CRM" instead of "3 Reasons Every Marketer Needs a CRM". The "Top Ten Best Ads of 2020" can be mostly visual, but it's still important you include advice your readers can use to create better ads for themselves. Then, we create articles that are 10x better to earn the top spot. I would be thrilled if you would include it in your articles (https://elitecustomessays.com/article-writing-writing-ideas/academic-work/), Best Regards, Listicles carry much controversy. Free and premium plans, Sales CRM software. Use the same header style to highlight your individual list items, and make sure it stands out. 6) Quotes: Quotes are another way to add personality to your listicle. hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(53, '648420ad-1760-40e2-994f-7833315a7b7d', {"useNewLoader":"true","region":"na1"}); Get expert marketing tips straight to your inbox, and become a better marketer. Listicles tell you what to expect. A listicle is easy to scan, and outlines specifically what a reader can learn in the post. Listicles; Listicles, a portmanteau of the words list and article, are short articles that list down samples, reasons, or factors about a specific subject. The truth is, they were, but also not really. else{w.loadCSS=loadCSS}}(typeof global!=="undefined"?global:this)). The game of ridiculously random lists! Wolf's Gaming Blog This is what comedian and writer for Parks and Recreation, Harris Wittels calls, 'false humility'.It allows the offender to boast his/her 'achievements' without any sense of shame or guilt. Not to mention that your audience may well have heard everything you have to say before and quickly bounce from your page. The closer you are to first place, the more people will read your content. It is a competitive game requiring a certain set of cognitive skills to succeed. Under no circumstances should you just take what the current top-ranking post has said and turn it into a list. Identify The Article Topic. Usually, they expand on each list item with additional information to make them more useful for readers. I typically do subheadings for the list items, an image representing the tip or tool, and a paragraph describing its value. As we mentioned before, listicles can easily become unwieldy. Heck, Im guilty of doing the same thing from time to time. Generally consisting of 5 or more items, a listicle format is a great way to get readers to engage with content and generate traffic. In some cases, you might turn a personal essay into a listicle this way. You can also use images as callouts. Lists by themselves can be pretty dull. 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