Today your challenge in the 31 Day project that we’re running here at Problogger is focused around writing a post and is to write a ‘list post’.
Today’s Teaching:
Using ‘lists’ has always been a popular and effective technique among bloggers wanting to write content that gets spread from one person to the next. Just look at pages like the front page of Digg, TweetMeme and Delicious and you’ll see that many of the ‘hottest’ content on the web at any given time are written in this style.
Check out this screen shot of Delicious from yesterday:
You can see there that every post in the most popular page of Delcious at this point was a list of some type.
8 Reasons Why List Posts are Powerful for Bloggers
‘List posts’ are popular because:
1. Lists are Scannable – online readers are notoriously lazy and tend to scan content rather than read it word for word. A list helps communicate a number of points quickly and easily and helps readers to know if a post contains information that interests them and which they should actually read more of.
2. Lists keep posts succinct – there is something about a list that keeps you as a blogger from rambling. Each point has a start and end whereas with an essay style of writing points often bleed into one another.
3. Lists look ‘neat’ – I don’t know about you but when I surf onto a site that is full of messily formatted text – I don’t tend to stick around for too long. Lists on the other hand can be quite visually pleasing and more likely to stimulate someone to start reading.
4. Lists can be comprehensive – while some might argue that lists ‘dumb down’ ideas and concepts – when written well they can actually be just as comprehensive as any other style of writing.
5. Lists are persuasive – if you want to mount a case for something quickly presenting numerous arguments in a list can be quite convincing. Again – it’s about identifiable points that together go to forming a convincing argument.
6. Lists can add to the ease of writing – I like writing in lists because they break down my thoughts into bite sized pieces which is good not only for readers but me as a writer as I consider how to express myself.
7. Lists go Viral – lists can start epidemics of ideas. For the above reasons (and others – bloggers and those on social media seem to love sharing lists and as a result they have the ability to spread quickly through out the web (and beyond)
8. Lists break down the complicated – one reason I find list posts to be powerful is that they can be great for breaking down complex ideas or tasks. I know on my photography blog that many of our photoshop tutorials work best when our authors present their instructions as ‘steps’ – meaning a procedure that can at first seem overwhelming becomes a list of bite sized tasks.
Warning: don’t go over the top with ‘list posts’. They can be incredibly powerful but on many blogs readers can become frustrated with them if that is all you do.
Your Task for Today – Write a List Post:
Today your task is to write a ‘list post’ on your blog. You may not choose to publish it today if you already have something lined up – but aim to publish it in the next day or two if you can.
3 Types of ‘List Posts’
There are a variety of ways of incorporating lists into your blog. Depending upon the topic and style of blog you’re building some of these options might be appropriate for you:
- The post as a list – in this case there’s nothing in the post except for the list. The title of your post introduces the topic and then the list speaks for itself. The list can be quite barebones – short and to the point. However readers often like them because of their bluntness and the way that they tell it like it is. Example: 21 Ways to Write Posts that are Guarantees to Grow Your Blog.
- Extended lists – this is how I generally approach ‘list posts’. I’ll show you a couple of examples below but in a sense this type of post is not dissimilar to an essay or article but the main points are broken down into a numbered list format. Generally there is a heading for each section (highlighted in bold or heading tags) with a paragraph or two under each one. Example: 10 Ways to Take Stunning Portraits.
- Lists Within Posts – the post you’re reading right now probably illustrates this type well. In this post there are two lists that present ideas in the midst of other content. In a sense the list becomes a way of breaking up your text. I find that often these posts do quite well as other bloggers looking for a quote to share with their readers will many times grab your list.
Some bloggers do at times get a little ‘anti list’ and suggest it is an overused technique and a lazy way to write – but this need not always be the case. There’s nothing to stop a blogger developing a list post that is in depth and on topic for almost any blog.
List posts will not suit everyone’s style and probably are harder to use with some blog topics than others but they are a useful style of post to have in your tool belt for when the opportunity arises.
Highly Recommended Reading: If you’re after a little extra reading on the topic of writing list posts check out this excellent and practical guest post from late last year on ProBlogger with 10 steps to writing the perfect list post.
Examples of List Posts
I know some of our participants will find today’s task easier than others. Some of you have successfully written a lot of list posts while others have not. Some have topics where these types of posts ‘fit’ better than others. I hope that in the following examples (both from my blogs and others) that you’ll find a little inspiration that might help you to discover a type of post that might work with your blog.
- 21 Tips for Amateur Wedding Photographers – a general post listing a lot of ‘tips’. None of the tips go too deep but each could actually be expanded into a post of there own at some point.
- Popular Digital Cameras and Gear – this is actually a series of 4 lists of products that are popular among my readers. The lists rank popular products from highest to lowest – something readers have really appreciated.
- 20 Types of Pages that Every Blogger should Consider – note the technique of using a small picture for each point on the list in this example. I’ve used this a number of times and it seems to work well at drawing readers eyes to points. I first learned the power of this technique in a post I wrote back in 2005 called 18 Lessons I’ve Learned as about Blogging.
- 10 Twitter Tools that Help you Work Smarter – a list of resources/tools (these can be very popular with readers) note the amount of retweets that this post has had on Twitter – lists can go viral!
- 10 High Fliers on Twitter – lists of people are another classic type of post that often does well. They tend to cause debate, discussion and a few vanity link ins from those on the list.
- The Logo Design Process from Start to Finish – an example of a list that really is a step by step process.
- Top 25 fictional ads in sci-fi movies – a little ‘different’ but a good example.
Also: also check out this long list of ‘list posts’ written in a group writing project by readers of ProBlogger. This list of posts has hundreds of examples (some good and some not so good) on hundreds of topics. Hopefully some of them will give a little inspiration).
Share Your New List Posts
It’s time to go away and write your list post. Once you’ve done it – do come back here and leave the link and title in comments below. My hope in this is that participants will get a little traffic but also that you’ll inspire one another with your posts and give a much more comprehensive list than I’ve come up with above of great list posts. I’m looking forward with what you come up with!
Want More?This task is a sample of one of the tasks in the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog Workbook – a downloadable resource designed to reinvigorate and revitalize blogs. Join over 14,000 other bloggers and Get your Copy Today. |
Update: You can also join the discussion over at the forum, and see what others have done for this task! Day 2 – Write a List Post
Interestingly enough, I wrote a list post last week. Here it is:
25 Reasons Sex is Better After 50
My intention was to use a list post tied to a controversial topic-sex- to offer ideas and get some reader feedback. Haven’t checked my stats yet, but I expect a small bump based on the comments here.
Darren, you must be chest-deep in good karma! Thanks
(Correction to Link Error)
Darren,
I already had a post lined up for today, but I thought this would be a good chance to show off a list post I created a few weeks back that is seeing some good results and still generating daily responses to the free offer inside.
It’s called 5 Tips for a Slam-Dunk Listing Presentation and it’s for real estate agents trying to improve their ability to list homes for sale.
The list includes a free offer and I’ve had over 7,000 hits on the post through this blog and a similar post on Active Rain.
Enjoy
5 Reasons I Shouldn’t Blog
http://thewritingplace.wordpress.com/2009/04/07/5-reasons-i-shouldnt-blog/
Darren, Thanks a lot of taking time out of your busy schedule to help us. In these 2 days tutorial I hv gained so much that I feel by the end of the 31 days time I will be able to start sharing my knowledge with my fellows. These tuts are excellent. Thanks again.
I have not yet received my post ,, neither it has gone to spam… please can u help me … thanks
I don’t really like list posts, as a reader, though I can’t deny how helpful they can be.
I was originally going to do a mocking list post about the reasons why I hate list posts, however considering yesterday’s exercise, I figured it was a little counter-intuitive.
So instead, I’ve posted a list of misconceptions about artificial intelligence.
http://www.timgittos.com/correcting-5-misconceptions-about-ai
These are misconceptions I once held, however have cleared them up through my research. I might be wrong, and it might be a naiive analysis, but life’s too short to be worried about looking stupid on the internet, I guess.
The thing with lists, is less tiring to read, from a reader’s perspective. Or at least it gives the illusion of being easier on the mind. It’s also fun to write, from the writer’s perspective.
8 Things Women Think Of When They Hear The Word Chocolate
http://www.womwon.com/node/103
Darren,
I decided to use my Work at Home Grandmother’s blog for this one, and posted “7 Successful Work at Home Grandmothers” at http://workathomegrandmoms.com/7-successful-work-at-home-grandmothers/
I’m always looking for success stories to share.
Thanks for another great assignment!
Claudia
first time I heard about list post I can catch it what it is about. Now with problogger explaination I had understand it. Thanks darren.
This is my list post. It is simple. Top things I do in my blog.
http://fazreen.com/top-things-i-do-in-my-blog/
My top 10 tips to prepare you for any dinner party –
http://averyfoodlydiary.blogspot.com/2009/04/10-tips-to-prepare-you-for-any-dinner.html
Please let me know what you think! [And check out my elevator pitch while you’re at it :)]
I created a list post on some favorite free applications. Things that I use on a regular basis and suggest. It could have been a longer list but I decided to keep it at 10 items, combining some tools in the last item.
http://www.owenwebs.com/index.php/2009/04/07/free-programs-you-need/
List posts work well if the focus of your blog allows for it.
My blog focuses solely on tutorials, techniques and articles. Originally I had thought of setting my site up as daily lists of general links to illustration based resources (think of FARK.com’s set-up – a link to the site + category + brief description) – now I mix the posts up between that style of link posts and a collection of links to a specific topic (ie Drawing with a WACOM tablet, or Illustrator Shortcuts, etc)
I haven’t been blogging enough to saturate my blog with a majority of original content. But its one of my current goals in the next few months.
I am not a big fan of writing list posts, since my site is mainly based on observational humor. Essays and short quips do much better for my style of writing.
I gave it a shot anyhow. It’s a little off the beaten path for what I normally write about, but it works.
http://unpaidentertainer.com/?p=191
I have found that lists are very easy to read and are straight forward. As a blog reader, I like these posts the most.
Here is my list post. 5 Ways to Save Money on Organic Produce at
http://eves-journey.blogspot.com/2009/04/5-things-you-can-do-to-save-money-on.html
Not my main blog, but another that I’m trying to use these tips on. A “Today’s Top Five” post has become a staple for me there.
Today’s Post:
Top Five Superheroes – http://bit.ly/2tdU
Darren! This is fantastic! I have been using the list tactic early on as a ‘filler’ post once a week so I could give my mind a break. Little did I know how fun those posts would actually be to write! Thanks so much for the great tips. I look forward to the next 29 days!
http://itsabeautyfilledlife.blogspot.com/search/label/Top%20Ten%20Tuesday
I wrote today’s post with this list idea in mind – llst within a post:
http://www.biblemoneymatters.com/2009/04/adusting-your-paycheck-tax-withholding-to-keep-more-money-in-your-bank-account.html
Wait. My Elevator Pitch post IS a list post. Uh..once you get to the list part, that is. Well, it was a LONG elevator ride!
http://she-lives.typepad.com/she_lives/2009/04/elevator-pitch.html
Does this mean I get a day off?
Been loving the series so far …
Here is my attempt at a list post on my 2010 World Cup blog …
Now how do I get some traffic on Digg and Delicious?!? :)
http://roadto2010final.blogspot.com/2009/04/top-10-african-youngsters-at-2010-world.html
Let me know what you think. Thanks!!!!
List posts ROCK. The brain just loves ’em. Once people get past the idea that the idea is passe, and realize that humans absorb information in a certain way, list posts are fun again. (Well, I like them, at least!)
Here’s 9 Mistakes to Avoid in Choosing the Perfect Domain Name:
http://greatadaptations.org/9-mistakes-to-avoid-in-choosing-the-perfect-domain-name/
Cheers ’til tomorrow, and thanks to Darren,
Suzanna Stinnett
Brain-Friendly Guide to online communication
Darren,
Your 31DBBB is just the kick in the ass I needed to get my blog going again. I, like so many others, have spent so much time getting things “just right” that I haven’t really gotten on with the blogging.
Ironically the most popular post on my blog by far is a list post. The traffic and links that this post generates is crazy compared to the few other post I wrote.
Thanks Darren.
Oh and I wrote my elevator pitch yesterday. I decided that it would fit nicely on my About Page.
Woo hooo List Post is working for me straight away. around 30 users came to that post from reddit.com
I can see the result from day two!!!!!
Thanks Darren for all this help
Sjay
Can’t believe I had already written my list post to publish later today, so it was great to see this 2nd challenge .
Here’s my list post http://tinyurl.com/dloyyd.
I look forward to the next challenge
List post.. I’m on it.
Had planned to do a post on childhood obesity today. Will tweak it into a list of tips for helping kids to eat right. Let’s see how it does.
Exciting!
That was great! I write lists for my blog quite often, but didn’t think this one would turn into possibly one of my new favorite blog posts: Nearly 100 Journal Ideas – http://larriecampbell.wordpress.com/2009/04/07/day-2-nearly-100-journal-ideas/
I posted mine, have had it in my mind a while. It is slightly out of my niche but for a reason which I will write about soon.
http://successcircuit.com/top-5-craziest-marketing-stunts/
Very short though :(
Here’s my list post:
7 Secrets to Prosperity Consciousness
http://www.richbeyondwords.com/2009/04/07/7-secrets-about-prosperity-consciousness/
This fieldwork is easy for me. I began writing lists almost 20 years ago and now have over 350 notebooks for of them. I still write at least 5 to 10 a week in my list journals. Love the challenge.
Wherever I go I can find something to create a list about. For example, when I go to Starbucks to write or read and relax. I look at anything, a machine they have, what their staff is doing, their products and create a list about it in some way. Many times I can get five, even ten lists from one item/thing/or observation.
When I first began doing this it was a real challenge. My brain didn’t work that well at the process. But soon into the process, about three or four weeks, and my brain didn’t want to stop.
So I kept up the process. I was able to think outside the box in a much better way every time.
It’s like the exercise of describing a pencil we’re given to improve our writing.
It’s a fun exercise to do.
How this helps me…I need to get all the huge amount of lists I have organized. So today, I’ve crafted a system to begin the processing of all the older notebooks without causing any stress in my life using different a few computer apps.
I’m seeing, just by starting with one notebook, how valuable all these lists that I have. Thus, I’m even considering hiring someone to get them into the computer for me.
First, I need to make sure my process works.
Thanks for the reminder and helping me think of taking this higher.
Worth read !
But List Posts are boring at the end…
Wow, in writing this post I have a month and a half of content. Thank you for these lessons, I really feel like I’m improving. I hope this list is what you are looking for:
http://habitationintention.blogspot.com/2009/04/top-37-reasons-for-space-habitation.html
Thanks for the opportunity. I borrowed from another list post which was published today and which seemed directly relevant. I then added my own little list on top to make it relevant for my goals. Check it out:
http://nielsteunis.com/commandments-for-online-fundraising.htm
Darren thank you for today’s assignment. It really challenged me to think differently as a new blogger. I have never done a “list” post before but had seen them all over the net. I liked them, but never really thought to do one. At first I thought it was going to be challenging for me, but once I thought it through and made my list, everything just seemed to flow. I look forward to doing more of these types of posts in the future.
“10 Tips to Master the Law of Attraction”
http://lotusessence.com/2009/04/07/10-tips-to-master-the-law-of-attraction/
I think list posts are great and fun. It was time to update my “startup entrepreneur” category weekly post so here is mine…
http://yourfocus.wordpress.com/?p=179
I’ve attempted a list post before and it was successful, both in the number of comments I rec’d but also in being a popular post.
I created a new list post today that is also timely and solves a problem:
10 Unique Uses for Hard Boiled Eggs
http://www.eatingoutloud.com/2009/04/10-unique-uses-for-hard-boiled-eggs.html
Check it out — if anyone finds it helpful, please bookmark it on your favorite service!
Managed to get this one done at lunch today. Here’s my list post titled ’10 Unusual Places to Shoot’:
http://www.shutterphoto.net/2009/04/07/10-unusual-places-to-shoot/
Just got my e-mail before the end of day so quickly wrote this post up before home! I love doing list posts as they nice to write and easy to read. Hope you like this effort!
http://www.polr.co.uk/online-marketing/index.php/top-10-tips-to-consider-for-your-e-commerce-cart/
ok, here it is! day 2 task completed! I tried to stick to your guidelines, and they really helped!
Here Comes the Savings…10 Ways to Attend a Wedding on a Budget!
http://www.seecents.com/2009/04/here-comes-savings10-ways-to-attend.html
I am liking this series so far, and I am not a big fan of lists, but lately I have been thinking about doing more of them, as they are easy to write, and they will engage the readers more, here is my post for the project.
http://briantiede.org/blog/2009/04/07/5-iphone-apps-i-use-everyday/
Wrote this post for other developers to explore the power of Doctrine Orm:
10 Doctrine gotchas
http://ossigeno.sourceforge.net/blog/content/article/10-doctrine-gotchas
Seven InfoTools beyond Search:
http://www.tools2think.org/infotools/?p=5
If you are a business and need to track specific information on the web about your industry, competition, trends etc. some of these tools are invaluable.
From a high level search and job trends to low level of tracking specific changes to web pages these tools help you simplify your life.
I wrote my post! It is “12 Ways to Make Money Online”. You can see it at http://independentbeginnings.com/2009/04/ways-to-make-money-online/
My list post is a bit larger than many I have seen but that follows from the nature of the post. My site is a resource for gamers and this post lists all of the currently available adventures:
http://www.table0.com/aventures/available-4th-edition-lfr-modules/
My list is ‘How To Blog – 6 Easy Steps’
http://wordpress2go.com
My blog covers books and writing, so my list post is “My Top 20 Editing Checklist,” and will post on April 11th at http://wordvessel.blogspot.com.
Spring is in the air, but there’s still snow on the ground here in New Hampshire. Thanks for motivating all of us with the 31 days project. Here’s a list of what you can do if you’re in New Hampshire and looking for something to do this spring.
http://www.nh-adventures.com/
Some of my most successful posts are lists. If you add an explanation, or a little flavor and personality with each point I don’t think it is lazy.
I actually had a “list post” scheduled for today It was written by a guest blogger, but I think it is a good example. 6 Ways to Focus Your Day – http://www.roundpeg.biz/2009/04/6-ways-to-focus-your-day/
My “list post” post “10 Mistakes Business Owners Make When Writing a Business Plan” will run later this week. The post is done, but the title needs a little work.
Since my blog is mainly a job listing site, I by default do a lot of list posts. I do agree that they do get picked up better and bring in more traffic then some of my “traditional” posts.
7 Green Careers from Home
http://greengigs.blogspot.com/2009/02/7-green-careers-from-home.html
I am one of those awful readers who definitely is guilty of just skimming posts to see if it is something that I want to read later. List posts are more likely to get read than other long posts.
My list post is about titled “Focus Techniques” and has 8 tricks and techniques to help writers focus more on their work and less on distractions.
http://writerathome.com/focus-techniques
10 Ways for Garden Centers & Landscapers to Improve their Google rankings
http://webgarden.ca/Blog/ways-for-garden-centers-and-landscapers-to-improve-your-websites-google-rankings/
Here’s mine:
4 Magazines, 5 Recipes From Each, And A Bonus
http://megan-deliciousdishings.blogspot.com/2009/04/4-magazines-5-recipes-from-each-and.html