You cannot scroll through a major website or new program without seeing one. Arguably made popular by Buzzfeed
, listicles are a journalistic or blogging tool with a lot of impact. Starting with a title that tells you there is a list of information (listicle is a portmanteau of “list” and “article”) within.
- “Three ways 18 year-olds are rocking the November election”
- “Six visual techniques for compelling landing pages”
- “The nine sketchy things no one knows about Mount Rainier”
There is an opening paragraph, then the list of items. Each item may have as little as one line of content or several paragraphs. How long is predicated on several things:
- Your audience – Some forums want it short and to the point. Some will look for fewer bullets and more detail
- Your style – Write your way. If you’re known for short pithy sayings, use that to your advantage
- The topic – Deeply technical areas merit a bit more attention. However, don’t drag it on. If you are an expert, you can say it in a few sentence (more on this later). If you really need to write more, consider a different format for the article
Why use this format? It draws immediate attention
and generates a call to action.
Attention generates eyeballs and revenue, whether direct or indirect. Why? People are drawn to numbers that indicate quantitative hard data (“Five Weather Patterns Recorded in Florida Every Fall”) or qualitative data, generally from sources we know/trust/respect (“Rachel Ray’s Four Favorite Thanksgiving Appetizers”). People are most likely to act upon short bites of practical and pragmatic information
1. Demonstrate your “Command of Data”
Einstein wrote, “If you can't explain it to a six-year-old, you don't understand it yourself.” Using lists shouldn’t imply simple or less relevant content. They should be used to demonstrate that you understand a topic well enough to break it down, (“Three parts of a good fiction story”) and can explain it in relatable, everyday terms. Even for highly technical subjects there are steps, an order of precedence or just a relatable number (“Nine Tips for Taking Indoor Photos”, “Four Steps You Must do to Complete Your Internal Audit”).
This is your opportunity to demonstrate to the world your expertise, passion and most importantly your capability. Anyone can write or re-write or over complicate an article.
- Organize
– This shows depth of understanding. Creating a compelling and understandable structure or taxonomy illustrates how well you know a topic
- Be to the point
- Make it actionable/action-oriented
. Briefly describe some technique for putting your point into action. If it requires some foundational skill/knowledge (“Readers are assumed to have a basic background in Azure cloud architecture”) say so.
Do you need to say it all in one article? Perhaps or could this be an ongoing series or a teaser for something behind a paywall? That’s your decision
2. Be “all in” with your headline/title
Your title is the only reason people will read your article unless you have an established fan base. It’s the first thing they see. Whether you’re pitching an idea or self-publishing you need to state the one thing
people will take away from the article. Make it clear and compelling. Numbers add credibility. You clicked on this headline, so there’s your first proof point.
If you’re a great writer or a muse, you know this and spout engaging headlines without effort. If not:
- Start with a placeholder title
- Write your article
- Your title takes about 10% - 15% of the effort of writing the article. Give yourself the luxury of time to create an engaging opener. You only get one shot
per article.
Crafting that sweet title:
1. What’s the one
thing people will take away?
2. Is it relatable to everyone? “Better RFC Writing Styles for the IETF” is going to be passed over by 99.9999999% of the world. Make it work out of context
3. Numbers are compelling. Adding the right number will draw in an audience, after all that’s what listicles are all about
4. A promise made, is a promise kept. What are you promising in title and do you keep it?
5. Less is more. Is every word necessary?
An article entitled “27 Things You Should Do Every Morning” will likely raise eyebrows and be passed over. Why?
1. The number must credible or incredible. 27 things, assuming each takes only two minutes is nearly an hour of time gone. Incredible invites a closer look (“999 ways to make your morning toast”, “1,001 ways to screw up your webserver”)
2. Every morning? In today’s world, we have a much more varied routine. In this headline we’re also including weekends, generally people’s routines vary over the weekend
3. It’s not very specific.
Try it as “Three Things Great Bloggers Do.”
Add a picture that tells the entire story within the image. Many listicles have pictures (using animated gifs) for each bullet.
3. Keep notes
Writing takes time. Start with your list and develop the article around. As an adult, there are lots of things you do well. Pick a subject area and start to organize. There is no need for it to be perfect the first time. Edit, edit, edit till you get it down to a manageable pitch. Direct and focused tells people you are an expert.
Many authors will tell you, “There’s no good writing, just great editing.”
Lists can become addicting. I once showed an artist, a most unlikely of list makers, this simple technique. On the one-year anniversary she sent me pictures of three page lists of tasks and activities.
4. The Phrase that Pays
Way back in the early morning of the modern Internet (1997), RFCs (Request For Comments) were used to define how certain words were used in standards documents. The controlling body, the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) still exists and is quite active.
The RFC Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate Requirement Levels”
is the set of words used to signify requirements. “Should, Should Not, Must, May, Optional” all have specific context. Using them in your lists titles or headlines to generate impact.
Other trigger words include “Best, Worst, First, Last.” Remember point four when creating your title. Keep that promise. Your readers will come back for more.
