Summary

Jeff Herring advocates for the effectiveness and profitability of listicles in content creation, despite some criticism, emphasizing their ease of creation, repurposing, and potential as a foundation for digital products.

Abstract

In an article titled "Do You Have the Testicles to Create Listicles?" Jeff Herring defends the use of listicles as a valuable content format. He argues that listicles are easy to create, can be built from partial ideas, and each item often contains enough material for a full article or digital product. Herring points out that listicles can be easily repurposed for different platforms or edited to fit space constraints. He challenges readers to embrace listicles for their audience engagement and profitability, despite the negative sentiment they sometimes receive. Herring also promotes his free daily-ish mini-newsletter and offers access to his Article Idea Vault, inviting readers to subscribe to his content on Medium.

Opinions

Courage in content creation is not tied to gender, and listicles require a certain boldness to utilize effectively.
Listicles are criticized by some as a low-quality content format, yet they remain popular and useful.
Going against the grain and using listicles can be more profitable and beneficial for both content creators and their audiences.
Each item in a listicle can serve as a foundation for more in-depth content or digital products, such as modules in a mini-course.
The ease of creating and repurposing listicles makes them a versatile tool for content marketers and writers.
Herring encourages content creators to have the "guts" to do what is profitable, helpful to the audience, and works well, regardless of prevailing opinions.

Profitable Listicle Tips

Do You Have the Testicles to Create Listicles?

Courage is not gender based…

Not too long ago we did a brief article training on listicles. You can still find that training here.

Then recently I read an article saying that listicles are the scourge of the internet. You wanna know the funny part?

This author then listed all the reasons listicles are the scourge of the internet. Ha ha ha!

I mean…

This is a great example of this principle: when many are going one way (damning listicles) do you have the courage to double down on something that works very well?

There’s a great difference and a great profit to be made by going against the grain.

Here are 5 reasons why listicles serve your audience and you very well

They are very easy to create. This list of why to serve your audience with listicles is easy to create.
As partial ideas around a niche topic come to you, add them to the list until you have enough to create a listicle.
Most listicle items have the seeds for at least an entire article.
Listicles are very easily repurposed. Let’s say an editor wants to use your article, but it’s too long. The editor can then use part of the article and still be helpful.
Many listicle items have the seeds for your next digital product.

For example: Take 3 listicle items and convert them into 3 modules.

Another example: This 5 item listicle could easily become a 5 module mini-course.

Most listicle items have the seeds for at least a digital product

The question becomes do you have the guts to:

Do what works for you
Do what’s helpful to your audience
Do what’s profitable

There’s a great difference and a great profit to be made by going against the grain.

Get my free daily-ish mini-newsletter and free access to my Article Idea Vault when you visit here.

About Jeff Herring

“I Traded My Couch for a Mouse”

How a Counseling Psychologist Became One of the Good Guys Online

medium.com

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