best listicles

How to Write a Listicles Post – Quick Tips

How to write a listicles post? Long-form content is growing less and less common thanks to the appearance of the listicle. But, believe it or not, this form of writing that mixes list and article format has been around since long before the advent of the internet. Some specialists traced the form back to the 11th century when a woman named SeiShonagon in Japan created a book of poetry and observations in list form.

Despite where or when listicles began, there’s no denying their popularity today. But why is writing content in a list format more engaging than elegant and well-written prose? Check out these six reasons to find out.

listicles examples
listicles examples

How to Write a Listicles Post? 

They Have Catchy Headlines

A good listicle never falls away from the information in the title. This is what pulls so many people in and forces them to read through the section to find the answer that the title posed.

One 2009 study that looked at how readers reacted to newspaper headlines found that people always liked creative and uninformative headlines — just like those of listicles and clickbait. These headlines were ideal because they piqued the readers’ interest just sufficient to read more. A good listicle always uses a title that makes readers great to find a new solution, fact, or reason for a problem or situation. Even if you have no particular interest in a topic, a listicle curates that interest and satisfies your desire to learn more.

They Help Us Deal with Information Overload

There’s more data than ever floating around in the world. With thousands of new pieces being posted every day, there’s no way even the most voracious consumer could get to it all. Therefore, your brain is drawn to content that’s easy and organized — such as a listicle.

While listicles aren’t a replacement for in-depth journalism or reports, they can support you learn more about the essential parts of difficult or tedious topics without having to dive into a thousand-word feature article. You’ll get the information you require without being bogged down. A listicle that covers the same points as a blog post will take less time to study, and you’ll have a better possibility of remembering key facts.

They Accommodate Our Special Processing

Listicles are easy to read quickly, which is essential for the increasingly fast pace of the modern world. What makes them simple to read is that they take into account our preference for processing information spatially. Our minds crave organization, even if it’s on an unconscious level. This is much obvious when you think about how much people categorize things in their lives. From size to color to shape, it’s difficult to look at an object and not immediately start placing it in a category.

The human brain works this way to support people understand and then recall that information later. Therefore, reading things that are organized into shortlists rather than long paragraphs is far more intuitive. Each piece of information is categorized so that xanax where can i buy your brain doesn’t have to work overtime to figure out where it fits into the bigger picture.

They Are More Pleasing to Read

Nothing will be capable to replace a beautifully written piece of content. However, listicles can be just as impressive in their way. A 2011 study done by two psychologists saw that listicles can help us eliminate the paradox of choice that so often confines our decision-making. When you have to overthink about processing certain information, it ruins the experience.

The best frame of a listicle is that it has an identifiable start, middle, and end. The introduction proves what the content is about, the predetermined numbered items give us the info you crave without leading you on, and the conclusion finishes off the ideas. Instead of wondering when an article will be completed, you’ll know exactly how much you have left in a listicle because the points are numbered. Once you reach the end, you’ll get a positive sense of accomplishing something.

They Help Us Remember

Changes to the modern world are affecting the way humans remember information. A lot of information was conveyed orally in the past, meaning that there was no chance to go back and reread it. People had to remember it right away.

Today, anything can be immediately looked up with a Google search. Because of that, specialists believe that humans have limited focus when it comes to memory. In general, people can remember four things at a time. However, except you do something with these four things to cement them in your brain, you’ll quickly forget them.

Listicles do just that. Often, the points return or build on each other, helping you replay the information, so it sticks in your head.

They’re Easy to Share

When you read a prominent piece of content, you want to share it with friends and family so they can read it too. However, if you post a lengthy editorial on a heavy subject, you’re probably not going to get many interactions. People don’t have the time or attention to reach something so in-depth. Plus, they’re being bombarded with so many posts from other people that there’s a low possibility your content will stand out.

If you post a listicle on the same subject, you’re much more suitable to get comments and shares. Your friends on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social networks will notice the eye-catching headline, get a good idea of how long the article is from the number listed, and be more willing to take the plunge.

If your aim is to reach as many people as possible with your content, you might want to consider switching to the listicle format. In contrast, articles and editorials are ideal for in-depth thought pieces, listicles reign supreme for most other subjects. Whether you’re discussing the top seven steps to cook pasta or the five best new cars on the market, listicles are probably the most exciting and eye-catching way to do it.

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