All aspects of content marketing & SEO rely on one premise – that the content you write is not just great but based on the right subject matter and published in the right place at the right time. There are many types of content that are being used to achieve just that, but one very underrated format type has to be ‘listicles’.

Listicles are powerful things in the content marketing world, and have been at the very forefront of activities for the savviest companies for a few years now. But why exactly do they work, what are the benefits of introducing listicles to your on-site blog or off-site content, and how can you ensure your listicle is effective, influential and full of content that people actually want to read? We answer this and more right here…

Why listicles work

Our brains love lists – that’s a fact. As humans, we process information spatially, and remember it more easily if it is written in numbered or bulleted points. Lists are everywhere in our everyday lives so can we blame them for infiltrating the net?

Lists have become the bread and butter of so many sites to date, with BuzzFeed and Listverse just two of the platforms providing do-overs of the humble list format across so many different subjects.

Lists give readers more ways to interact, with even the most complicated information, engaging reader directly and inviting them to connect the dots. Lists are digestible for all readers, regardless of their interests or age range, and provide a table of contents style for scanning or something more thorough for those that wish to read the full piece.

The power of the listicle

There are many benefits that go hand-in-hand with the use of listicles in content marketing. Not only do listicles give readers exactly what they want with headlines that are to-the-point and body content that is filed neatly under appropriate, easily digestible numbered or bulleted subheads, they’re perfect fits for our super short attention spans. The average human attention span has decreased in recent years, falling from 12 seconds to eight seconds in just five years. It’s even shorter than the average goldfish attention span, which currently stands at 9 seconds!

Listicles not only appeal to our brains, they have had proven results for content marketers. The use of listicles has led to greater traffic and lower bounce rates for many companies, as well as a quick and easy marketing solution for content creators.

Our list of top tips

Here’s our own mini-list for creating a listicle that your target audience really wants to read:

1. Don’t be afraid of the humble ‘how-to’

How-tos are still very popular and equally as effective. After all, how many times have you Googled how to do something? Create your own industry specific how-tos and watch targeted traffic flow in.

2. Aim to be the most interesting

Whether you are broaching an evergreen topic or want to focus on something more topical, making your listicle and its subject matter as interesting as possible is vital. Aim to be the best, most interesting and most popular when pinpointing topics for your audience.

3. Use personal experiences

Taking a more personalised approach is another way of defining your experience when covering the topics that are important to your industry and audience. The listicle is a great way to present these stories.

4. Incorporate videos to add further interest

Listicles don’t have to be plain text. Jazz up your offering with videos and provide entertaining snippets that keep visitors reading, or should we say, watching.

5. Add influencers to the mix

Influencer marketing is becoming increasingly more important, so why not throw in a few mentions to widen your reach further.

Want more content marketing tips? We’re full of them; check out our blog and social media channels for the latest.