Whether its advice, facts or memes of cats, these are the most popular and shared articles around. Why? Because people love lists. They’re easily digestible, fast to read, and perfect for reading on commutes, lunch breaks and waiting for the photocopier. Some of them even provide useful advice. Less intensive and more enjoyable than their plodding paragraphical counterparts, when done right, ‘top tips’ lists are the chocolate hobnobs in a world of dry digestive articles.

Here are our top tips on how to create chunky list articles that readers will want to dunk in their tea and cram into their mouths in threes and fours... or just read, whatever.

1. Keep it light and enjoyable. No one wants a biscuit that soaks up half their cuppa or makes their jaw ache. Some of the best ‘top tips’ lists are the funny ones, although we’re not all blessed with Buzzfeed wit, so get an impartial colleague to check that it’s actually funny before you launch it into the scathing ether of the unforgiving internet.

2. Find a theme and stick to it like chocolate to a biscuit. This will keep it cohesive and intriguing, as the reader wonders ‘How many more times are they going to ram this allegory down my throat?’ (Many, is the answer.)

3. Don’t forget why you’re writing it – which service or product are you hoping to promote through this? Your copywriting services perhaps? Mention it at least once, and include a link. The reader expects these sorts of plugs, and might even accidentally click on the link…

4. Get into bed with your reader. Let you know you understand them, their business needs, what makes them tick, what kind of biscuits they like. How can you add to their knowledge? How can you make their job easier?

5. Tell the reader something new – if they’re researching for a project, they may have six other similar articles open. This means you need to search past page one of Google for inspiration, scour social media outlets and obscure news-sites, and pick out interesting details. Veer away from the same old tips people are blithely jotting down, or your reader won’t get past tip five before snapping shut your window and trying a different biscuit brand.

6. Promote other content publishers by linking to (relevant and supportive) content. Link-building is good for both SEO and also reciprocal linking – if a writer is Google Analytics savvy and notices traffic coming from your website, they may return the favour. It’ll be like a big biscuit-dunking traffic-driving link-orgy.

7. Keep it short – no more than 10-12 points unless it’s image heavy and text-light. Machines have made people lazy, we won’t even scroll unless we really want to. With this in mind, don’t lose momentum as you write your tips – the last biscuit in a packet should be just as crunchy and chocolatey as the first.

 

By Mary Stringer, Marketing Consultant at Resonates.

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