Definition of listicle: an article consisting of a series of items presented as a list Even in the well-worn format of the listicle, Ono infuses her characteristic verve into this list of 25 facts about herself. 10-length listicles were the most popular because BuzzFeed sells the 10-length listicle to partner brands like Starbucks, Nordstrom and Topman; 11-21 length articles are far more popular than under 10-length articles; The most popular lengths after 10 was 15 and then 12.

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Effective content marketing strategy should contain fourtypes of content: attraction, authority, affinity, and action. Over time, thesefour types of content fulfill their individual purposes, providing a brand witha new audience, leads, community, and loyalty.

Listicles are a form of writing in which the content ispresented either wholly or partly in the form of a list. Because of theirpopularity among readers, they are highly sharable and effective at drivingtraffic to a website or landing page. Listicles do no heavy lifting in terms ofdepth of information, which is why they reside in the attraction contentcategory. Once the listicle brings traffic to the website, more substantiveinformation (authority content) about the product, service, or subject on thewebsite, is required to capture and convert visitors.

Listicles help marketers reach new audiences in a sweepingsort of way and are a good choice to use when launching a new website orproduct and your brand needs a heavy dose of incoming attention.

History of Listicles

Most people believe listicles to be a fairly recentphenomenon, but they have been around for a long time. Just think of the TenCommandments as the listicle of all listicles. It’s still being shared andfollowed after all this time.

Sei Shonagon, poet and lady-in-waiting to the Empress Teishiin 10th century Japan was an avid listicle writer. She created a book of poetryin list form called The Pillow Book. The Pillow Book is a collection ofobservations on life in the Heian Court. It covers subjects like “Things ThatQuicken the Heart,” “Awkward Things,” and “Things Later Regretted.”

Martin Luther penned a list of propositions for an academic disputation in 1517 entitled “The Ninety-Five Theses” during his tenure as professor of moral theology at the University of Wittenberg, Germany. Nailed to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, it contained the 95 revolutionary opinions that would mark the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.

The Listicle Dilemma

Listicles carry much controversy. Some love them. Some hatethem. Humorously enough, there are many published listicles on reasons to loveor hate them—“179 Reasons to Hate Listicle Articles” & “Five Reasons WhyMillennials Love Listicles” are examples for each side of the debate.Regardless on which side someone falls, there is intrigue to both titleslisted. First, 179 is a large number and you must wonder how anyone can hatelisticles so much as to arrive at that many reasons. Next, why only fivereasons for millennials? What does that say about millennials?

Whether someone likes or dislikes listicles, there are someundisputable truths about them. They’re formulaic. They’re predictable. Peoplewant answers and listicles provide them. And, they’re so darn clickable!

Five Reasons Why Listicles Work

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1. They fulfill a promise to give the reader a finite, concise, and quantified amount of information on a topic, creating an easy reading experience. The numbered headlines make the content seem much less intimidating and more easily digestible. The reader understands that this article is not going to inundate them with words, facts, and deep thinking.
2. They are short and sweet to cater to our dwindling attention spans, which is purported to be shorter than a goldfish, according to Microsoft. As content marketers search for ways to engage with readers on their terms, listicles serve to break up content into bite-sized pieces.
3. They add a framework to the content that helps set expectations and puts the reader at ease. It sets us down a linear path. The human brain likes patterns and the numbered pattern of a listicle is predictable and subconsciously calming to readers.
4. They help us feel accomplished because each number that the reader finishes feels like a milestone has been successfully met.
5. They provide curated content specifically for the reader. The reader no longer must search out and read 10 separate articles on a topic when the writer has conveniently done that for them in one tidy listicle.

Three Reasons Why ListiclesDon’t Work

1. They’vebeen done to death and many readers are just plain sick of them.
2. Many arenot of greatquality andare a waste of time for readers. Because listicles are viewed as easy to write,many unskilled people post them merely as clickbait. These listicles tend tohave no redeeming information.
3. They arefrowned upon by many journalists as dumbed-down content that can beeasily skimmed and discarded.

The list of why listicles don’t work should be quiteinformative to any content creator simply because the points made outline whatto avoid in listicle writing. From a content marketing point of view, thereasons to use well-written listicles in your content marketing plan include:

• They’re easy to plan and write.
• They are ideal for targeting core keywords.
• Smaller listicles are well-suited for long-tailkeywords.
• The list can be broken down into individualsocial media posts.
• They accomplish the goal of driving traffic.

Seven Steps to Writing anEffective Listicle

1. Choosethe type of listicle you want to write:
   1. Experience-based—101 Tips from a FrequentTraveler
   1. Research-based—10 Ways to Avoid Identity Theft
   1. Editorial-based—Seven Reasons to ChooseBlueberry Muffins Over Raspberry Muffins
   1. Curated List—Five Best Movies of 2019
2. ChooseYour Topic: Write about something that’s relevant to your brand anddisplays the brand’s personality and expertise.
3. SelectYour Keyword: Find a relevant keyword that will provide you withenough traffic but with as low a difficulty rating as possible to make gaininga higher rank easier.
4. SearchYour Competition: Put your keyword into Google to see what ranks high.It’s important to see what type of information is already published tounderstand what your competition is creating and for what your audience islooking.
5. Choose aUnique Angle: Take what you’ve learned from studying the competitionand come up with something that goes beyond or in a new direction, so yourlisticle adds value for the reader.
6. Createthe List of Points: Start with something surprising as a hook. An oddnumber of points is more desirable because readers perceive that the contentwas created out of available information instead of filler information addedjust to create balance. Decide if you’re making a straightforward list or acountdown.
7. Developthe Support Material for Each Point: Include support material whereveryou can to help add credibility to your points. Adding substance will take yourlisticle out of the realm of clickbait.

In the Beginning and at the End

Choosing a title that is both intriguing and doesn’toversell is critical. University ofAthens researchers studied reader responses to U.S. and U.K.newspapers and surprisingly found that people preferred headlines that wereboth creative and uninformative. They cited successful headlines like “TheSmell of Corruption, The Scent of Truth,” and “Face to Faith” as examples. It’sbest to stay away from unrealistic claims like “Five Secrets to Finding EternalHappiness” and make sure the claims you make in your title are actually metwithin the body of your article.

Most listicles contain no additional content at the tailend. Though most of the value in your listicle will come from the list itself,adding a short conclusion that does more than summarize adds value. Use yourconclusion to suggest a next step, offer a product trial, or a longer piece ofcontent that offers in-depth detail and greater information.

The Last Word on Listicles

Many listicles, while they may bring a lot of traffic toyour website, may not bring as many qualified leads as you’d like. In the end,the listicle is simply a template. The responsibility for the quality of theinformation you put within the template resides with the writer. If you wantyour listicle to be read, get clicks, and move readers to an action beyond theinitial click, your listicle has to be worthy and not just clickbait. There hasto be enough substance and relevance to your piece. As in any content youcreate and publish, don’t just write about what most people already know.

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Buck the opinion of journalists who think listicles are forlazy writers by not being lazy. Use a listicle only when, as a content creator,you determine it’s the right format for the topic at hand. Then make it aformidable, insightful, thought-provoking list. A worthy endeavor for bothwriter and reader.

Listicles Examples

Listicles are being used by professionals and amateursalike. It’s up to professional content marketers to separate themselves fromthe pack by generating quality work. Never forget that every piece of contentmust have value.

Listicles Game Review

In a New Yorkerarticle, author Maria Konnikova equates the listicle tosipping green juice instead of eating a bundle of kale. If this is the case,make your green juice the best by delivering nutrition and satisfaction.