List posts make great linkbait. A worthy list will offer fun links, how-to’s, best of’s, and other ideas to entertain and inform. In addition to offering an enjoyable read, the goal of the list is to get others to discuss and debate its items, and link back to you.

More benefits of writing list posts

List posts do more than offer good linkbait, however. They make your posts look neater and more pleasing to the eye. Readers with short attention spans can scan lists and stop only those items appealing to them.

Personally, I find lists to be an easy way to break up the writing. Many times I want to write about a particular topic but don’t know where to start.
By breaking it up into a list, I’m making it easier on myself. Rather than write a big article on one thing I can write one paragraph on a variety of topics.

Writing a list isn’t difficult, here are a few tips to get you started.

* Make it fun- When people are reading lists of facts, they can become bored quickly if its not entertaining. A long list of technical facts is fine, but try to inject a little humor and personality. Your goal is to make a viral post – one bloggers will link to or pass on to others.
* Don’t make it too complete – A list post should stimulate discussion. Readers love to point out items they feel you left off or debate items they feel shouldn’t be there. Use numbers that aren’t so round such as 7 or 12 or 42. It will encourage others to add their own items to the list.
* Be prepared to defend your list- Once the traffic is flowing, people will start to pick apart your lists. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, Discussion helps to build up community.
* Don’t be afraid to throw in a little controversy- As written above, debate and discussion are good for community. If you want your post to be popular, if you want other bloggers to discuss your post, a little controversy goes a long way. That isn’t to say you need to start an argument for argument sake, but if don’t be afraid of stirring the pot if you feel it will help your cause. Besides, who doesn’t love a friendly debate?

List post are a great way to combat blogger’s block. There are ideas for lists all around you! The best part about this is how lists stimulate ideas for other posts. In fact, once you start, the ideas don’t stop coming!

Bookmark It

Hide Sites