Table of Contents
“You might hate it. Think it’s lazy and overused. Yet while the web is clogged with list posts, they continue to work.”
— Dean Evans, The Good Content Company
Listicles are articles or posts formatted as a list, typically featuring a number of points or items. They are popular in online media but not an online creation, often covers a wide range of topics, from practical advice and tips to entertainment and informative content.
They are known for their easy readability and the ability to convey information in a concise and scannable format.
Some Examples like, “Top 10 Destinations to Visit This Summer” or “5 Ways to Improve Your Resume.”
Having a Numerical representation denoting quantity is a very important construct of a listicle.
They say, an average human consumes 300 feet worth of relevant/ irrelevant data online & of course a typical focus span of ours lasts not more than 8 secs, some even less.
As a Content creator, the goal is to keep your audience hooked with beautiful and relevant write ups that’s effortless to understand and consume.
Understand how to write good content here https://neerajhq.com/content-7-steps-unlock-the-potential-of-write-ups/
How would you do that???
Answer for some…
LISTICLES.
What is a Listicle
To explain very simply, They are any Content pieces/Articles in the form of a List.
To further Broaden its importance …
- People love to feast on them as even a layman can appreciate its simplicity and enjoy what it serves.
- It gives a uniform structure to the unlimited data chaos we experience online.
- Here we not just satisfy the Content demand or the Content creation aspect but also we CURATE content which is a completely different CUT OF FISH.
Get the Point…
So,
Now,
Effective Listicles in 5 easy steps
As said before, Listicles are not an online creation but through the Print aka Magazines.
The predominant selling spots for Magazines were and probably still are its Stalls.
The customers walking by would look at these Physical Published Master Pieces and through its visible content decide whether to buy it or not.
The Bright and Smart minds of the Print Industry wanted to keep their audience hooked so they came up with a genius idea of creating articles in the form of a list and place them as their Front.
These colorful fronts were not just interesting but also appealed to masses in general, of course depending upon its topic.
Easy to examine and quick to devour.
It became a global rage and people wanted more of it.
It could cater to any Industry, Brand or Individual.
Fashion, Technology, Education, Automobile, FMCG etc… all used extensively the power of Listicles and achieved their social, professional & monetary goals.
REMEMBER ….
In School,
When the teacher used to stress on describing your answers in Points or Point Wise, as my stocky, dark, sleeveless wearing, always in a frown Teacher used to say.
Oh! Some images you never forget.
Anyways what was I saying..
Yeah, Listicles
Hmm
Elements of Listicles
We have already affirmed that Listicles are an important content source for delivering clean and easy to take in content.
But there are some key principles that you have to remember while creating them for your audience (Specific or General).
1. Choose your Topic Wisely :
Your Topic represents the essence of your content. Its the first thing your audience see. Make sure its relevant
More so in Listicles, your topic needs to start with headings like Top, Tips, Best, List etc. and should also have a Number.
Examples – 5 Best Holiday Destinations in the Monsoon, Top 10 Smartphones under 30K, 5 Tips for better future investing, List of 5 global fusion recipes.
Understood…
2. Make In Depth Topic Research your best Friend
Research like a pro.
Don’t write on a topic till you understand it.
A lot of writers make this mistake, use AI or write content on someone else’s experiences and opinions.
An in depth broad study allows you write a meaningful and through content piece.
So,
Make sure ..
You do do your Topic research comprehensively.
3. Decide on the Number of Items
As a Listicle writer, you decide how many items to show on your List.
Remember the 8 second human attention span rule.
People loose interest if your list is too long.
A word of advise
If your topic has many items
Then
Sub Divide or Sub Categorize.
As in…
If the topic is vast,, divide it into smaller categories.
Example : Top 10 Android Smartphones in India under 50K (Topic)
Sub Divide : Top 5 Samsung Smartphones under 50K or 10 Best OPPO Smartphones under 50K.
ITS YOUR CHOICE.
4. Show Hierarchy
Content should be easily understandable.
As a content writer, its your job to make it happen for your readers.
Hierarchy allows you to form a structure.
Alphabetically, Chronologically, Popularity, Difficulty, color, price etc.
Some of the many ways to show Hierarchy.
It makes your audience aware of the content sequence.
5. Elevate with Media Support
Supporting Media breaks the text monotony in your Listicles.
Media like Images, Videos, GIF’s, Infographics, Logos, make your write ups relatable, colorful & gives it a better broader view.
Conclusion
Making the people aware of what u have to say is just Half the Battle.
Your audience responds positively or negatively depending upon the content you offer and how easy it is to connect with.
In a world full of Facts and Figures, Listicles provide a pecking order to your content and makes it easy to absorb.
Remember, Not all topics can be converted into a Listicle, make sure you understand and read the elements given above before you start to write one.
So,
MAKE YOUR LISTCLES INTERESTING and never forget to add a NUMERICAL.
Let me know of your experience in writing a Listicle.