Which one of the following two are you more likely to choose to read?
A. 10 effective exercises to reduce belly fat
B. How can you reduce belly fat?
The first one, right? What made you choose the first one?
The number in the first headline tells you that it is scannable content and by the pre-determined number, you know how much there is to read.
It is said that the average attention span of a human is a mere 8 seconds. It is more likely that a user will pick an easy read as opposed to denser content.
Listicles are not only easy content for readers, but also for writers. It takes little effort on the part of a writer in terms of focus and ideation. Most often dry subjects can be made reader-friendly using the listicle format. It is quite in vogue among content marketers to increase traffic. (Psst: it is useful to kickstart your SEO).
If you are a writer, aspiring to learn different types of content writing, a listicle is the easiest option for you to begin with. Let me tell you in a simple way how you can write a listicle.
Key takeaways for you
- The listicle is a type of short-form writing that has gained popularity among busy online readers who prefer skimmable content.
- It is a framework that makes complicated subjects easier and ranges from entertaining to informative content.
- People love listicles because they are easy to read, satisfy the brain’s craving for organisation, and bullet points are more accessible to absorb and remember than paragraphs.
- To write a listicle, follow these steps:
- Choose a sensible topic that can be curated in numerical order.
- Make the content unique and comprehensive, avoiding fluff.
- Decide on a number for the items in the list and add supporting media (images, gifs, videos).
- Prepare a headline that is a clickbait to your content.
- Use a clear format for each item in the list, with a description of its own.
What are Listicles?
Listicle – a portmanteau of list and article, is short-form writing that gained fame among busy online readers who prefer to skim through articles on the go. It is a framework to make complicated subjects easier.
The article is structured around a list of items, each with a description of its own. They range from entertaining to informative content. Sites like Buzzfeed and Huffington Post thrive on them. Buzzfeed got so famous with listicles that they even sold a game called “The Game of ridiculously random lists.”
The fun ones would be something like – 7 K-dramas you must Watch in 2021, Top 10 greatest Buzzfeed Lists of all time (it’s a listicle of listicles), 25 ways to tell you are a Kid of the 90s.
There are high-value ones like – 6 Tips on how to write a listicle, 7 best books on writing to inspire you how to write, Top 10 Digital Marketing Companies in Bangalore.
Why do people love Listicles?
You might have already figured it by now that:
1. They are irresistible. People know that they don’t take long to read. They would not mind scrolling through for a quick read.
2. Simplicity and order satisfy your OCD as our brain craves organization on a sub-conscious level. But OCD or not, it is oddly comforting to see neatly organized content.
3. Bullet points are more accessible to absorb and remember than paragraphs.
4. Readers get an overview at first glance. They know what to expect before they get in reading and how much is left.
How to Write a Listicle
I would first broadly classify the methodology into two steps: Preparation and Format.
A. Preparation to write a Listicle
Before you start writing, you need to have a blueprint in mind on how you will approach a particular type of content. You are not just creating content but curating it.
1. Choose a sensible topic
Before deciding on a topic, you need to ensure that it has the potential to be a listicle. Not all topics are suitable to repurpose into a listicle. As the name suggests, it is a list. You need to be able to curate the content in numerical order. The clearest indicator to identify it would be topics that contain words like “best,” “top,” “tips,” “list,” “ideas,” “hacks,” “steps,” etc.
2. Make it unique/comprehensive
Say no to fluff. Listicles are fun and easy to read, but there are easily too many low-value listicles out there. You can think of content that is not purely entertaining but educative. It should be something that adds value to the readers and provides the information they are looking for, so they will not need to go elsewhere for more. Your list needs to be the best.
3. Decide on a Number
You would know a fixed number if it is an exhaustive list. If there are too many, systematically sub-categorize them. You can have sub-listicles within a listicle – a listicle-ception. Try not to make it too long if you can avoid it. Five qualitative options are better than a hundred.
Whether the number is small or big does not matter much as long as you give substantial, comprehensive content.
4. Hierarchy
It is to bring order to your list. It may be alphabetical, chronological, popularity, difficulty, or price of things in case of a list of products.
5. Add supporting media: No one likes a massive wall of text. It is not just kids that want pictures in their books. Images, gifs, or videos that support your content give visual satisfaction to your reader.
With this preparation, you are good to get started with the writing. All you need now is the framework.
B. The Format
1. Headline
Needless to say, your headline needs to be the clickbait to your blog. Build curiosity. Promise something attractive in your headline, and deliver it in your content. Since this is about writing a listicle, make sure the headline specifies the number of sub-topics you are offering. People get into their comfort zone when they see a number.
2. Introduction
After you have baited your reader to your blog, now is the crucial part of holding on to their attention. You can achieve this by using the Attention-Reason-Benefit (ARB) Formula:
· Narrate a story, state an astonishing statistic, or a thought-provoking analogy to grab their ATTENTION.
· Give them the REASON, why you are writing the article.
· Tell them how they are going to BENEFIT from your article.
Write like you are talking to one single person, one reader alone. Engage your readers in such a way that each line urges them to read the following line.
3. The List
Now you are at the central segment of your content.
· Arrange your list following any hierarchy.
· Treat each sub-heading like a heading.
· Describe each pointer with a minimum of 100 words’ description.
· Structure your information to form a similar pattern to each segment. Make it look good with consistency.
· Add supporting media to each list item
4. Conclusion
Wind up your content with a neat conclusion. Try not to end things abruptly. After all the efforts throughout the content, it would be good closure for you and the reader to drive the point home. Sign off with a trailing thought or a question.
Wrapping up
Thousands of listicles are published every year across social media, which are not really of high value. They may even be famous. But that is no reason why you should not bring value to your audience.
Just because listicles are easy, do not be lazy. Roll your sleeves and put together some excellent content for your readers.
