Writing Tips for Economic Success
3+ Reasons Why You Must Use Numbered Lists in Your Writing
Big publishers have paid thousands of dollars for psychological studies to determine that creating content with number lists resonates with readers and causes them to share their finds with friends, family and coworkers. You can use their findings to improve your writing without hire psychologists and conducting studies.
You must use numbers in your headlines and lists in your writing since readers love them, per psychological studies
If you want your writing to grab the most readers’ attentions, you must use numbers in your writing.
This hypothesis come to me from observing more than 2,200 Medium articles during the 200+ days that I have been on this platform.
That assumes that I have read 11 articles every day that I have been a member here. I have read more, because I’m addicted to this platform. Therefore, I’m constantly studying it subconsciously. I decided to do some quick research into how to use this fascination with numbers and lists to our writing advantage.
We all love keeping an eye on statistics, so it figures that everyone loves a quantitative analysis story that explains our fascination with writing that incorporates stats and organizes information in easily understood formats.
So what can we do to understand the complexity of economies, cultures, politics and elections? We can take data. We can go out and measure whatever we can get our hands on. And it’s right there that the light snaps on and vaults me past in my old distaste for statistics.
— Adam Frank
Three Reasons Why Numbered Lists Work Wonders
№1: Lists and outlines make information easy to comprehend. Information is portioned in bite-sized nuggets. I always loved studying an outline written on flash cards since it broke complex ideas and subjects into easily comprehended and remembered thoughts.
№2: Numbered lists look great. I know I always love the way an outline looks. It is easier to digest than a long page of text. There is usually more negative space on the page to break up long lines of text. It is a more modern way of presenting information that multiple sentences providing the same information in long paragraphs.
№3: People love sharing lists. This is why all of the heavyweight writers and publications here and out in the wider internet love using lists and outlines. People see a list and immediately love sharing their new knowledge with their friends and co-workers.
See: “Top 3 Reasons Why Listicles Are So Popular and Effective” by Marine SEO.
Five Reasons Why People Love Sharing Listicles and Stories With Others
Larry Alton lists the 5 reasons why people love sharing information in his article, “Why Do People Share Content? A Look at the Psychology of Social Sharing.”
Alton writes that the New York Times Customer Insight Group found in its research that customers shared content for five reasons, listed below.
The Five Reasons Why People Share Content
№1: To reveal valuable and entertaining content to others. №2: To define themselves to others. №3: To grow and nourish relationships. №4: For self-fulfillment. №5: To get the word out about brands and causes they like or support.
Source: Larry Alton, “Why Do People Share Content? A Look at the Psychology of Social Sharing.”
Alton lists what people are sharing when they send links and content to friends and family. A lot of the content is personal, such as family photos and the like.
People also share information with each other, writes Alton.
Here are three items that people love sharing with each other that you can focus on when writing items that will attract attention and get people to share with other readers.
Three Items People Love Sharing That You Can Write
№1: Educational Content (How-To’s and Teaching) №2: Interesting Listicles №3: Infographics
Source: Larry Alton, “Why Do People Share Content? A Look at the Psychology of Social Sharing.”
In Summary
№1: Use numbers in your headlines and lists in your writing.
№2: Remember the 3 reasons why people love listicles:
- Comprehension,
- Aesthetics,
- Shareability.
№3: Be aware of the 5 reasons why people share content:
- Value / Entertainment
- Self-definition
- Grow relationships
- Self-fulfilment
- Spread word to others
№4: The 3 types of content you should write that people love sharing.
- How To’s / Educational
- Listicles
- Infographics
Chris Hedges, B.A. (Journalism / Political Science), J.D. is an editor at ILLUMINATION, The Bad Influence, and Red Curtain Erotica. Find out more about Chris here.
