Client attraction. Business growth. Pretty profits.
Don’t Tell Me List Posts Are Worth Jack
Have you read advice not to write list posts?
That list posts have little value?
List posts lack the oomph readers seek?
Do you agree with these sentiments?
Well, all of the above suggestions are wrong and here is why…
Recently I wrote a blog post with 29 tips to revamp your blog as a way to celebrate my 29th birthday. It quite honestly surprised me with the response it got. It’s now the most commented on post I’ve written.
My second most popular post is also a list post. 9 Ridiculous Reasons Your Guest Post Submission Failed (And 3 That Weren’t Your Fault) received 46 comments, 26 tweets and 7 likes.
Also, take the example of Corbett Barr from Think Traffic. Corbett launched his site with the post ’17 Traffic Building Tips From Some Of The World’s Most Popular Bloggers.’
110 comments, 96 tweets, 60 likes, 13 +1s. Not too shabby for a first post in my world (and probably your world too!)
Or try Marc and Angel Chernoff’s ’30 Things To Stop Doing To Yourself’ on for size.
A mere 407 comments, 608k likes (yep K stands for 1,000s), 25.3k tweets, 5.9K +1s and 3.9k shares on LinkedIn. Frankly, until I saw this post these were figures I would never have even dreamed of.
What is it about list posts that works so well?
List Posts Are Easy To Read
If you are writing for clients you can assume they are extremely busy. In fact, regardless of who you are writing for you can assume they have 43 different things competing for their attention at this very moment.
You want your post to be the easy ‘go to’ option.
List posts ensure your content is easily scannable meaning readers can pick out the important parts fast. Perfect for super busy potential clients!
List Posts Can Be Actionable
You can write list posts so it’s simple for readers to pick and choose the tips they want to implement immediately. Readers love quick wins!
List Posts Are Easy To Write
Do you struggle to write posts at times? Get a little lost while flicking between Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, the footy scores, yelling at the kids to stop biting each other, and generally trying to stay sane?
My gorgeous girlfriend Marissa Roberts from Beautifully Organised is a business owners, full time employee, wife, mum of two and blogger. How much spare time do you think Marissa has?
Marissa always follows the list post format when blogging. One blog topic then four key points or tips around it. It ensures Marissa is super-efficient when writing and her readers love her posts because they are also business-owning mums with no time on their hands.
Lists posts help you brainstorm your outline and write the draft at the same time. Yes, you should use your key ideas as headings in your list.
Two birds with one stone right there. Love it.
List Posts Are Focused
List post headlines promise specific information so if the niche matches the reader’s needs; the reader is highly likely to click through.
Not convinced?
Imagine you are new to blogging and want to grow your traffic via guest posting. Would this heading capture your attention?
9 Ridiculous Reasons Your Guest Post Submission Failed (And 3 That Weren’t Your Fault)
I’d hope so. Otherwise, please leave suggestions in the comments…
List Posts Can Be Ironic
Ok, so technically most posts aren’t ironic…
But what I do find ironic is that most of the people who writing that list posts are lame usually use a list post to convey their reasons.
Does that mean they are trying to write a lame post about being lame?
That idea I find highly amusing.
Do You Value List Posts?
Can you see value is publishing list posts? Are your list posts popular compared with other post formats?
If you’ve written a list post I’d love you to share the link in the comments!
I am a fan of list posts. They get right to the meat of the post. It’s always great to move right to the action items. That’s what everyone is looking for anyway. You want to know how the post applies to you and what you can take away from it. List posts are perfect for that. I have written several. Here’s one: http://tinyurl.com/nt3wsx5
Hey there Camesha!
Lovely to have you stop by and comment. Thanks for sharing your link too – we can benefit from a list of tips to increase our happiness!
Cheers,
Caylie
Hi Caylie, when I first started reading this post, I must confess I didn’t know what a List Post was. It was only towards the end with the examples that I understood 🙂
You’ve inspired me to incorporate lists into my blogs. I’m guessing that my opt-in eBook would be considered a list (4 Quick Tips for Getting Unstuck), but I’m yet to write a list post.
On second thoughts, I think I have one — an alternativee “about” page called “I can juggle + 27 other random facts about me”.
Anyway, you’ve inspired me to write more …
‘I can juggle + 27 other random facts’ is definitely a list post Erin (and a really fun one). Be sure to keep them coming. 🙂
When you post a list, use a number in a headline. It immediately hooks your reader’s interest.
Numbers reach directly into our unconscious and say, “this message is important”. And according to the experts, numbers as figures/digits (i.e. “5″) work better on the Web than numbers that are spelled-out as words (i.e. “five”).
Read even more at http://www.writedirection.com/5-reasons-numbers-in-headlines-work
Thanks for sharing Debra! I have previously read your post and loved it (I just thought my headline was a bit of fun, although it probably cost me readers).
Humans are essentially action takers. It’s in our DNA, we have to take action to survive. When we use a title including ‘7 steps to . . ‘ we are sending the message that we’ve made information easy for the ready and there will be some action involved, rather than an opportunity to read someone’s opinion or musings. If we learn, we grow – present headings with an element of learning and we’ll jump on it if the topic is on our radar! For some reason odd numbers seem to work better too!
You’re absolutely right about odd numbers Marina! As for being clear and concise, it’s a winner every time.