7 Powerful Reasons You Need To Write Listicles
#6 they are shareable
The first-ever listicle was written by God and distributed by Moses.
Yes, listicles, the things we both love and hate all started with the Ten Commandments. Although if God had followed the advice of market research — that odd numbers perform better then even numbers, as they are regarded as more authentic — it would have been the Eleven Commandments.
And the Eleventh Commandment would have been- Thou Shall Write Lists To Get Views.
A listicle is defined as “a piece of writing or other content presented wholly or partly in the form of a list.” In the internet era where Buzzfeed and Facebook provide so much content, the listicle rules supreme. In fact, Buzzfeed has created a multi-million dollar business out of producing listicles.
I have seen it myself, with my own writing. My marketing articles offering research and insight into brand development, campaigns or strategy don’t capture even half the views of the marketing listicles I write. The 9 Worst Ads or the 13 Worst Website Names of all time, appeal to readers and attract eyeballs. It forces me to chase the views — yes I am a view whore — and create as many lists as possible, even though I prefer writing the more in-depth articles. In the end, I do a balance of both which satisfies my desire to be read and my desire to be creative and insightful.
So why do listicles perform well? In a clear sense of irony, let’s go through seven reasons (note that odd number, God) why they work.
“We like lists because we don’t want to die,” Umberto Eco, Italian novelist
1. They are easily digestible
In a time-poor society where consumers are flooded with content, we know when we see a listicle, it can be easily consumed.
Whether we are reading on our phones, or a quick coffee break at work, we take comfort knowing that a listicle will provide a few minutes of easy escape. We can jump in and out of quickly without the need to commit time. The data will be captured and presented in a format that doesn’t require any work from the reader — it’s an easy reading experience. We can even start in the middle or at the end of the list if we choose.
There are no links to click or decisions about where to scroll the mouse to on the article. It’s all simple. A list collates information from various sources and does all the work for us.
A five-minute break is the perfect opportunity to read 11 Reasons Why You Need to Break Up With Your Dog.
2. They suit our brains
Lists tap into the brain’s preferred way of receiving and organizing information at a subconscious level; from an information-processing standpoint, they gain our attention. Information is usually processed spatially — perfect for the design of a list.
Think of the time you use lists in your own life. A to-do list for work or a shopping list when you go to the store. The sense of accomplishment as you work down a list and tick things off.
A 2006 study, found that we read in an F pattern. Initially we read horizontally across the top of the page, then down the line and horizontally again. The final movement is down the left side vertically — these three moves are in the shape of the letter F.
Lists suit this F pattern perfectly. Our eyes subconsciously scan the distinct design of listings, even before our brain kicks into gear.
This favours lists over chunks of continuous text, because, with each of these three movements, we see something distinct and more straightforward for the mind to process. So, in other words, our eyes love the shape of lists before our brain has even begun to process them.
In short, listicles provide a structure that offers a mental reprieve for our brain.
3. They sound authoritative
The headlines immediately convey authority. Numbers add authority to articles and help sway decisions. Figures lend weight to arguments.
An article — How You Can Eat Healthier and Lose Weight doesn’t compare to 7 Healthy Eating Tips That Will Shed Kilos. The listicle not only encourages readers to click but sounds like it has genuine reliable information.
We will assume we will learn or improve or benefit from following the advice in a listicle. They often subconsciously trigger our feelings of FOMO. If we don’t read, are we missing vital information that can vastly improve our lives?
We just have to read or we will lose out.
“A list is just a scaffolding for a story … a way of organizing information, I mean, The Odyssey is 24 chapters. You could call that 24 Chapters About Odysseus. That’s, like, a really great list. Really top notch. Really, really viral. Super viral.” Jack Shepherd, Editorial Director, Buzzfeed
4. They have good headlines
Listicle headlines capture our attention immediately.
In 2009, researchers at the University of Athens studied readers’ responses to headlines across a variety of publications and content types. In their findings, readers preferred headlines that were both creative and uninformative — exactly like listicles.
A good listicle headline will pull readers in to find the answer to a solution or learn a new fact. It arouses curiosity — the reader wants to find out the answers. Even for topics that a reader wouldn’t usually be interested in, the listicle headline can pull you in.
Often I have found myself reading listicles like 7 Ways Megan Markle Eats Tempeh, even though I have no interest in Megan Markle. Or tempeh.
5. They provide easy knowledge
Going to New York City and want to find out the best bars to visit? A quick Google search will provide a never-ending amount of lists — the 7 Best Bars in the City That Never Sleeps, 9 Great NYC cocktails, 8 Places You Must Visit in NYC, 5 Pubs with the Best NYC Skyline Views and the list (so to speak) will go on.
No need to purchase a guidebook or search through travel forums. There is always a list that you can find. It also helps the reader become more knowledgeable. Now you can act authoritatively on the best bars in New York, having just read through a few lists.
The ease of knowledge caters to our laziness. When given the choice of searching through thousands of Google results or just clicking one article called The 9 Best Way to Start An Email, it's the listicle that will win. It is lazy, but it is efficient.
It is also a jumping-on point for a topic, providing a broad overview. If the reader is really interested they can delve deeper into any of the points listed.
6. They are shareable
We live in an age of sharing content. Social media is full of posts sharing memes, photos, videos and of course lists.
If you want to share a news item or an article, the chances are it will be a list. Very few will want to read a lengthy editorial that you’ve linked to on Twitter. But a list — that’s something your followers will click on.
Sharing also give us social currency. If we read the list of New York bars and share it, it makes us look hipper, more knowledgable.
“There’s a lot of ME in social MEdia,” says author Brian Solis. “And there’s a great big I in TwItter.” Everyone loves to talk about themselves, but this rarely results in engagement or genuine interaction. But when you deliver relevant, valuable, useful content, then it results in interest and social reach.
Again from personal experience, when I share articles — either my own or authors I like, the listicles get far more retweets, comments and shares than more detailed writing or essays.
In terms of sharability, listicles rule supreme.
7. There is no seven
But I needed an odd number for my listicle. To sound more authentic.
I do have a quote, though.
“People are attracted to lists because we live in an era of overstimulation, and lists help us in organising what is otherwise overwhelming,” David Wallechinsky, American historian and author of the bestseller, The Book of Lists
The Takeaway
While many people hate on listicles, their popularity is undeniable. They provide ease and comfort to our brains and provide an easy to receive, process and share information.
They are here to stay, and as marketers or writers or content producers, we need to embrace them. I have included them as part of my product, and I am OK with it. They are fun to write and fun to read.
As long as they are adding some form of value and entertainment and not just used for pure clickbait, the listicle can be a valuable piece of content.