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There are many different types of blog posts. A list blog post simply orders items in a list. It can also be known as a listicle post. It is the very first type of blog post that I wrote and is certainly a good way to get writing for beginners. In this guide, I will show you how to plan and format your own list blog posts and give you tips on what to include.
What is a list post?
A list post is written around an ordered list of items. They are great for sharing tips and information in a concise way, which makes them easy to read. They can be written by yourself as the blogger or they can be written in collaboration with other people. The list could be about absolutely anything and they are a really useful way of sharing tips and information.
Planning your post
When planning your list post, think about the overall content that you want to cover as well as the items on the list and how many you want to include. For each item, you want to be able to write enough to make the post engaging but not too much that the reader becomes disengaged and stops reading. Think about what’s important for the reader and what they would find interesting.
What is the purpose of your list?
It’s important to consider what problem you are solving for your readers. Are you helping someone find different places to visit in Scotland? Are you providing gift suggestions for different age groups? Are you sharing insider tips or hacks on how to do something?
Knowing how you are helping your readers will inform the content of your list and make it more useful. This will build trust and credibility with your readers.
Remember your strategic goal
To increase the popularity of your blog post you need to get it shared on social media. People love to share and comment on this type of post, especially when they have found them to be very useful. If you include an email form at the end of your post, it can become a lead generation tool.
Writing your list post
Once you have a basic idea of what you are writing about and why there are a few core elements you need to include to make it a successful blog post.
An attention-grabbing heading
Headlines are really important for any type of blog post and lists are no exception. You always want the number of items on your list in the heading along with your main keyword for good SEO.
Hook the reader
Start with a sentence or paragraph that explains the list and why you’re writing it. This is important as it gets the readers to keep reading. You want them hooked from the first sentence or they’ll just scroll right on by.
Organise your list
Some lists can be random in their order but others will benefit from being organised logically. For example, if you are writing about 50 new toys released this year, you could group them by category or age range. If there’s no clear logical way to organise your list or you don’t want to seem like you are favouring one entry over another you could order your items alphabetically.
Useful and in-depth content
How in-depth you go with each item on your list depends upon the purpose and style of the list. You want to be sure that the list is useful and that the reader gets some benefit from it. Consider how long each item on the list is going to be. As you write your list, you could also add affiliate links such as to an Amazon product for a toy you discuss or for a free trial of the software that you mentioned.
Finish with a call to action
A call to action tells the reader what to do next. Is it to buy a product or subscribe? Do you want them to leave their email address so they can be notified when the next list is released? Asking your readers to make a comment below the post or share with a friend can also be a useful call to action to add.
Editing your post
The final step is to edit the post and check the formatting. There is a couple of useful practices to consider.
Make it scannable
With so much content on the internet, everyone scans blog posts to help them find the information that they need. Make sure your post is easy to scan. That means using good heading structure and numbered or bulleted points where possible.
Use a good heading structure
If the list is longer than one paragraph, it can be helpful to use headings. This way readers know what they’re reading about and they can quickly go to the section that they need.
Now that you have read all of the tips above, it’s time for you to harness the power of the listicle. Get started writing your own high quality, informative and shareable lists today.