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How to Write a List Post That Readers Like, Love and Share

by Henneke | 47 enchanting opinions, add yours? :)

How to Write a Listicle
Wow.

I’m amazed.

Did you know that…

… the word listicle gets 5,400 searches on Google each month?

That’s what Google’s Keyword Planner suggests.

How could we take something named listicle serious? It reminds me of popsicles.

But the truth is: list posts work.

Here are some facts:

  • In 2013, 9 out of the 10 most popular posts on e-Consultancy, the UK’s premier internet marketing blog, were list posts (source)
  • In the same year, 6 out of 14 of the most republished Lifehacker posts were list posts (source)
  • The most shared Copyblogger post in 2013 was a list post, too (this one)

Why do list posts work?

Digits attract reader’s attention.

A number like 10 stands out, while the word ten blends in. Perhaps numbers stand out because they represent facts. Or maybe we like numbered lists because we love being organized.

Have a look at LinkedIn or Faceboo. Which opening lines grab your attention? Do they contain numbers?

List posts might have a bad name, but that’s only because many list posts contain shallow and regurgitated information. Often they’re articles quickly thrown together without regard for the reader and without communicating a big idea. They don’t help us. They don’t teach us anything. They’re written solely to produce another piece of content. They’re dull and tedious to read.

So how do you write an engaging post? And escape mediocrity?

Writing a good list post starts with deciding how you want to help your readers. What’s your key message?

For instance, 37 Tips for Writing Emails that Get Opened, Read, and Clicked explains why treating your subscribers as human beings, as friends is the key to successful email marketing.

Don’t write list posts because they’re quick to write. Instead, write them because they’re the best format for communicating your idea and helping your readers.

Follow the 4 steps below to write a list post your readers will love reading and sharing.

Step 1. Define your big idea

What is your topic?

And what message do you want to communicate to your reader?

Start with writing down a how-to headline as a working title. A how-to headline forces you to consider how you want to help your readers. For instance, my post 13 Ways to Move Forward When Self-Doubt Sabotages Your Business Progress started simply as How to Cope With Self-Doubt as Online Entrepreneur.

Knowing how you want to help your readers elevates your blog post from a random list of mediocre ideas to a memorable post.

How will readers benefit from reading your list post?

Step 2. Have fun with brainstorming

You can use mind mapping software, but I prefer scribbling ideas on a piece of paper. Being away from my computer sparks creativity–a computer is for productivity, a sheet of paper for scribbling, drawing, and having fun.

Write down as many ideas as you can. Don’t vet them immediately as this may hamper the creative process. Go for quantity rather than quality.

Once you can’t think of any further ideas, cross out the most obvious ideas because you risk boring your readers with common sense ideas. You may find you’ve generated 50+ ideas, but you’ll use only 20.

A shorter list with valuable ideas is more shareable than a long list with obvious tips.

Step 3. Select your post format

List posts can take different forms.

Long lists posts tend to be checklists. They don’t provide detailed information, but link to more in-depth resources. 58 Ways to Create Persuasive Content Your Audience Will Love, for instance, provides a checklist for writing seductive content.

Shorter list posts provide more guidance for each tip. They can be “random” lists–where the order of the tips doesn’t matter; or they can be a step-by-step guide.

Think about the purpose of your post. Are you providing a comprehensive checklist? A step-by-step plan? Or a short selection of more in-depth suggestions?

Step 4. Write and edit your list post

Don’t forget that a list post is more than a simple list:

  • Captivate your readers with a seductive opening paragraph
  • If your list contains more than 20 items, consider grouping them by topic, and create subheads to make readers curious and keep them reading on
  • Add questions in your content to re-engage your readers. Questions interrupt the tediousness of reading tip after tip after tip after tip
  • Consider a few bullet points as they add extra white space, break up a dull format, and make readers feel they’re gliding quickly through your content
  • Inspire your readers to take action with your closing paragraph

How does your post look? Does your post invite people to read? And keep them glued to your tips?

Your formatting needs to add interest, and interrupt a dreary flow. Your tips need to surprise now and then, and seduce your reader to keep reading on.

Beware of monotony.

The truth about list posts

Don’t write a list post because you think it gets more shares.

Don’t write a list post because you think it’ll be quick and easy.

Don’t write one when you’re bored with lists. Because you’ll surely bore your readers to tears.

Write a list post when it’s the best format for sharing your tips with your readers.

Enjoy the challenge of turning a tedious list into sparkling content.

And enchant your readers.

Recommended reading on blog writing:

How to write with clarity
3 visual thinking skills for bloggers
How to write a good blog post super-fast

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Comments

  1. Komal says

    April 8, 2021 at 2:29 pm

    Hey Henneke,

    This is a great read, everybody talks about writing list posts but nobody talks about how to ace them.

    As loved as they are I believe they can be just as easily ignored because readers scan articles to see if the article is worth their time and attention or not. So it is very important to actually make them impressive and worth their while.

    Thank you for writing this, Cheers!

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      April 9, 2021 at 8:43 am

      I’m glad you enjoyed this, Komal. Happy blogging!

      Reply
  2. Nurit petri says

    August 16, 2020 at 4:48 am

    Your articles are so inspiring. Thank you for sharing such valuable content. I stumbled across your site and I’m loving it 🙂 I will buy your book about copywriting. I am a real estate broker and I am starting a blog about buying new construction homes. I really like the concept of lists and I am excited to create a blog using lists. I do have a question though. If you were in real estate and just starting a blog, how would it look like? I don’t want my website to be another home search site. I’d like to add how to’s and lists. I’d also like to create videos of me interviewing other professionals like title and escrow officers. And include tips for designing, home decorating, and diy projects. I am worried that I might be going in too many different directions. What do you think ?

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      August 16, 2020 at 12:33 pm

      I like all your ideas and I imagine house buyers and sellers would be interested in such tips. Just go for it and experiment and see what reaction you get.

      Reply
  3. Harpreet Kumar says

    March 29, 2019 at 12:02 pm

    Hello Henneke,

    By reading this post, got some great ideas to write better listicle article on the planet.

    Really helpful article you have written.

    Looking more forward to you.

    Harpreet Kumar

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      March 29, 2019 at 7:16 pm

      Great. Happy blogging, Harpreet!

      Reply
  4. Josh Acol says

    September 9, 2018 at 3:30 am

    Thanks much for the awesome tips Henneke. I have just learned new things about list posting, and just inspired me to be serious about my writing dream, i.e., to be a successful blogger. Although, am always imagining how to be one. ?
    Hoping to read more about your posts. I loved reading your articles, really, am captivated by your style. Its kind of, seductive, and at the same time, delicious. Tge reader feels hungry for more as one reads until the end.

    Much grateful,
    Josh?❤

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      September 11, 2018 at 7:08 am

      Thank you for your lovely compliment, Josh. I am glad you found my blog. Happy writing!

      Reply
  5. Ashley Andrews says

    October 21, 2014 at 8:50 am

    Such a brilliant article, Henneke! You’re absolutely right about the fact that numbers attract more people – even on social media, we tend to pay more attention to posts that feature numbers and statistics.

    Thanks so much for the tips and keep up the good work!
    Ashley

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      October 21, 2014 at 9:46 am

      Thank you, Ashley. Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Adedoyin Jaiyesimi says

    October 17, 2014 at 5:49 pm

    Great post once again. Thank you for this. I like the way you give advice that is very practical and easy to implement. I manage the content for an education-related blog and I have been looking for ways to spice up the content. I will try adding some listicles in the editorial calendar. I would also like to add the adding fun images make listicles more interesting for readers.

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      October 17, 2014 at 7:11 pm

      Yep, that’s a great point – images can really help make list posts more interesting and keep readers engaged. Thank you for stopping by, Adedoyin.

      Reply
  7. Caroline says

    October 15, 2014 at 6:10 am

    PS. You’ve changed your header image on the Blog? Very enchanting!

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      October 15, 2014 at 10:52 am

      I’ve been playing with the illustration format and size. Is that what you mean? (there was also a glitch on my home page yesterday, but that’s probably not what you’re referring, too?)

      Reply
  8. Caroline says

    October 15, 2014 at 6:09 am

    Ah Curtis! Flattery will get you everywhere.

    I have a love/hate relationship with list posts. On one hand I do know that people share them. But I’m not convinced many people read them all.

    For me, if I see a big number I can shy away because (perhaps stupidly?) when I read a post one of the reasons for doing so is to learn something and implement it. If I have 57 ideas to implement well… so I’m like Eric preferring the junkier list posts. (Chunkier will do too but I rather like the word junkier) 😀

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      October 15, 2014 at 10:50 am

      Yep, you make a good point and I tend to agree – perhaps people read the headline, glance at a few subheads and then decide to share the post without reading anything.

      That’s why I feel writing a good list post is perhaps harder work than writing another type of post. The opening paragraph has to be so good that people want to read your tips, and then your subheads have to be so good that people want to keep reading. And then your final paragraph needs to ensure people do something with your list, too…

      I like the word junkier, too. Perhaps I can use it in a headline some time and dedicate the post to Eric 🙂

      Reply
    • Curtis says

      October 16, 2014 at 1:29 am

      Caroline. 🙂 You sound like a fun lady! Thanks for saying, “Hi.”

      Reply
      • Curtis says

        October 16, 2014 at 2:36 am

        Actually, I didn’t post “October Winds,” my sweet bride did. We blog at the same place and I did write, ” Her Voice.” Does that count as shameless promotion?

        Reply
        • Henneke says

          October 16, 2014 at 11:45 am

          That’s fine – you’re free to link to any of your last blog posts, whether you’ve written it or not 🙂

          Reply
        • Caroline says

          October 16, 2014 at 4:40 pm

          See Curtis – flattery did get you everywhere. Very nice to meet you too! 🙂

          Reply
  9. Curtis says

    October 15, 2014 at 4:25 am

    Henneke. Interesting post on list posts.

    Distilled thought. That, at least for me is what I expect when I read the words
    offered up as a list post.

    Here comes some distilled thought now. I found them in your post.

    1. “Knowing how you want to help your readers elevates your blog post from a random list of mediocre ideas to a memorable post.”
    2. “A shorter list with valuable ideas is more shareable than a long list with obvious tips.”

    How I recognize distilled thought. One question. Can the statement I read be expanded into a paragraph? If “yes,” the point is distilled thought. If “no” little thought, less reflection and maybe no research produced the statement.

    Distilled thought requires heavy duty thinking. Else the point has no base to stand on and only serves to increase our bounce rate.

    P.S. I can only imagine how many list posts you digested to produce this post. It was packed with distilled thought. As always, it was enchanting. 🙂

    Cheers.

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      October 15, 2014 at 10:41 am

      I like the phrase “distilled thought”. I might steal it and use it sometime. May I?

      Both sentences you mention were added while I was editing the post, because I felt my post was lacking some “sound bites” as I call them.

      I wrote my first list post early 2012, and studied quite a few to understand the format. Since then I’ve written and read quite a few list posts. Whenever I read something, I also pay attention to what I can learn from it – how to improve my writing or how NOT to write something. No dedicated research required – ideas just evolve over time.

      And, of course, comments and questions further sharpen my ideas – that’s why I love the enchanting community here 🙂

      Good to see you again!

      Reply
      • Curtis says

        October 16, 2014 at 1:09 am

        Henneke,

        Re: “distilled thought.” I’m glad it works for you. Please, feel free to use it.

        Dedicated research = when I hunt for stuff. The gathering, reflecting, mulling over process you described is the one I like the best. The ideas find me.

        The pay off. The process facilitates your voice. Also, I’ve noticed that dots connect that dedicated research never seems to see. Dedicated research seems more linear than the more random gathering around a core idea. The first leads to something that reads like a report. The second leads to insight and a fresh way of saying things. Even if it doesn’t sell, I think distilled thought fascinates the reader and encourages their ideas.

        Cheers

        Reply
  10. Andrew M. Warner says

    October 14, 2014 at 10:46 pm

    Really great post here, Henneke.

    “If your list contains more than 20 items, consider grouping them by topic, and create subheads to make readers curious and keep them reading on” I love this tip and the majority of the time, that’s what I see happening.

    I also like the fact that the majority of the time you come up with list posts, they start from “How To” ideas. From the example that you gave, I can definitely see the benefit of doing it that way.

    “Write a list post when it’s the best format for sharing your tips with your readers.” That’s probably the best advice I got from this. There have been times I’ve meant to create a list post and it just didn’t work out because it just wasn’t going to work for the message I wanted portrayed for that post.

    Really sound advice there.

    Thanks for this post. Hope you have a great week.

    – Andrew

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      October 15, 2014 at 10:36 am

      Yes, starting with the “how-to” is a good discipline for any type of post, not just list posts. Because it forces you to think about the benefit of your post for your readers. I always start with a how-to, then write my post, and then play around with the headline again. Writing a headline first also helps me stay focused and reduces the risk of posts that go in all sorts of directions.

      Like you, I’ve sometimes thought I was going to write a list post, but discovered a better way to write it. The writing process is wonderful, isn’t it?

      Thank you for stopping by again, Andrew. I appreciate it 🙂

      Reply
  11. Aaron Orendorff says

    October 14, 2014 at 10:46 pm

    You are the queen of list posts. Whenever you break 50, I feel a shiver. 😉

    Actually, I totally took a page outta your listicle book and put together this beast for Copyblogger that they had me cut down to 58 or so (it’s coming out on the 22nd).

    I absolutely used your previous lists posts as inspiration. Not so much for the content of the list, but especially for modeling the introduction and conclusion.

    Have you found the perfect number yet? I mean, for generating clicks and traffic. Do people love long lists or short lists?

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      October 15, 2014 at 10:25 am

      You’re free to swipe my list format 🙂

      I don’t think there’s a perfect number. A higher number tends to get more shares, but as some other commenters have suggested, when the number is too high, then people might think that it’s too much to read. My early list posts were around the 50, but when I write a long list post now, I tend to end up somewhere between 25 and 40 – this allows a nice balance between the listed points and subheads with intros to give readers time to breathe 🙂

      I also try to avoid rounded numbers. I don’t have proof, but I feel 39 is more intriguing than 40, 27 is more interesting than 30. Rounded numbers feel too forced, too perfect. But that might be just me?

      Also, it depends on the blog – KISSmetrics readers, for instance, seem to like meatier (chunkier!) list posts, while Copyblogger readers seem to like the posts with a lot of soundbites.

      I look forward to your list post beast. 🙂 Will you email me a link so I don’t miss it?

      Reply
  12. Kitty Kilian says

    October 14, 2014 at 4:41 pm

    You might have turned this post into a list, at least!

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      October 14, 2014 at 10:04 pm

      Haha, yes! I did list 4 steps 😉

      Reply
      • Kitty Kilian says

        October 15, 2014 at 7:50 am

        No no no, you and I know 4 is not a list.
        We start at 10.

        Reply
  13. Marti says

    October 14, 2014 at 4:32 pm

    Thanks Henneke,

    I like your posts because they are wonderfully written and contain usable information. I have a draft post that contains a short list. I’m now inspired to finish the draft and get my new blog up and going.

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      October 14, 2014 at 10:04 pm

      Great. That sounds good!

      Thank you for stopping by, Marti

      Reply
  14. Craig J Todd says

    October 14, 2014 at 4:26 pm

    Thanks Henneke for another interesting article.

    We do seem to be hard-wired to find lists accessible.

    I also think that as we are increasingly bombarded with online information, lists immediately stand out as something we know will be quick and easy to read.

    For example, I suspect that on longer lists, many people simple read the individual list headings.

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      October 14, 2014 at 10:06 pm

      Yes, you might be right regarding longer lists – most people probably just scan them. But they do tend to get more social shares than shorter lists (but that doesn’t mean at all that people have read it!).

      Good to see you again, Craig 🙂

      Reply
  15. Dave LeBlanc says

    October 14, 2014 at 3:26 pm

    Thanks. Good to keep the essential things in mind at all times, right? I booked marked this page and the Copyblogger page to help me out.

    Dave LeBlanc

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      October 14, 2014 at 7:21 pm

      Great! Thank you for stopping by, Dave.

      Reply
  16. Eric Silva says

    October 14, 2014 at 2:39 pm

    Great post Henneke,

    I also enjoy writing things on paper or flash cards (especially when I’m at Starbucks :). It gets my creative juices flowing. I personally tend to enjoy smaller list posts with junkier information.

    Hope you had a great weekend!
    Eric

    Reply
    • Marie Renn says

      October 14, 2014 at 4:58 pm

      “I personally tend to enjoy smaller list posts with junkier information.”

      Eric, could we see an example of “junkier” information? Just curious… wondering if it would have more appeal to cool kids. 🙂

      Reply
      • Eric Silva says

        October 14, 2014 at 6:02 pm

        Hey Marie,

        I was just referring to “Shorter list posts provide more guidance for each tip. They can be “random” lists–where the order of the tips doesn’t matter; or they can be a step-by-step guide.” and just agreeing with that.

        Just lists posts that have more detail for each number or bullet point. HaHa cool kids!

        Reply
        • Henneke says

          October 14, 2014 at 7:21 pm

          I think you mean chunkier rather than junkier 🙂

          I don’t have a clear preference for a particular type of list post – it’s nice to write a mix. But I can see the benefits of shorter lists with more detailed information – they’re often more engaging.

          Reply
          • Eric Silva says

            October 14, 2014 at 7:25 pm

            HaHa, wow I feel like a 3rd grader and a dork. I’m not that bad a speller I swear 🙁

            Reply
            • Henneke says

              October 14, 2014 at 10:04 pm

              Don’t worry! I make mistakes like that all the time. Fortunately, I usually catch them on a second or third reading. I was just wondering what you were trying to say. 🙂

              Reply
          • Marie Renn says

            October 14, 2014 at 11:17 pm

            There should be ‘like’ buttons on comment posts… junkier, or chunkier… they both work for me. 🙂 Thx for the discussion – both of you. 🙂

            Reply
  17. Lauren Rader says

    October 14, 2014 at 2:20 pm

    I’m about to start my creativity/art blog which will be a list blog. I’ve thought a long time about writing a blog for people excited by creativity and this feels do-able and fun to me. Thanks for the helpful tips! Lauren

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      October 14, 2014 at 7:17 pm

      Sounds good, Lauren. Creativity is definitely a topic that lots of people are interested in!

      Thank you for stopping by.

      Reply
  18. Kelly says

    October 14, 2014 at 12:07 pm

    Thanks for the reminders Henneke. Insightful as usual.

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      October 14, 2014 at 7:16 pm

      Glad to hear that, Kelly. Thank you for stopping by 🙂

      Reply

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