TOP 10 TIPS ON WRITING A CAPTIVATING LIST POST

Who doesn’t love reading a top 10 list? Almost everyone does. It could be the list of the top 10 musicians in the music industry, the 10 richest men in Africa, top 10 features of the latest iPhone, whatever the topic, a top 10 list is definitely an attention grabber.

You might be wondering what’s so special about a top 10 list. Here are some of the reasons

• They are easy to scan through and allows the readers to jump to whatever section of the list they are most interested in.
• It makes it easy to understand complicated topics which can now be broken down into smaller sections for easy consumption.
• Whatever your niches, the format is very flexible, your to 10 lists can be in form of texts, images or videos which can be used to entertain, educate or inform your audience.

These are some of the reasons most businesses are creating more list content. Depending on your content there are many ways you can write your top 10 lists. Below are top 10 tips to on how you can write a captivating list post.

1. Select the right Topic

Your content should answer a question your readers are asking. In those sea of questions you can then select a subject or topics for your top 10 posts that will stand out among others. Some of the trending topics we see today includes, 10 ways to create Z, 10 tips on becoming Z, Top 10 things to know about Z, and so on. The possibilities are innumerable.

2. Write Attention grabbing Headlines

After you’ve decided on a topic to write on, you need a headline that will grab your readers attention. This is extremely important and very challenging at times. If your headline fails to attract your readers, no matter how great your content is, it won’t grab their attention for a long time. The best headlines are optimized for search, and a great top 10 list will attract a lot of shares.

3. Make your format in Bold Letters

Having a bold format will make your subheadlines very visible thereby increasing visibility. Just like I used in this article, each subheadline has a line to itself, in bold letters and a larger font style than the rest of the article. This will help lay more emphasis on each point being made and direct your readers to sections that interest them.

4. Arrange your Top 10 List

If you’re writing a list that involves step by step direction, you should always place the important tips first. But if it doesn’t you can decide on which tips goes first and which comes last. I’m saying this because people often scan through lists a lot, myself inclusive, so to grab your reader’s attention on the spot always put the most important tip first.

5. Avoid creating Sublists

Creating lists within your lists will look confusing and I organised to your readers. Always avoid this mistake, rather you can emphasise that point properly in that section without creating additional bullet points for it within that same list.

6. Always place your list at the top of your article

This simply means that your introduction should be kept short so as not to discourage your readers form reading the rest of your article. It is always best if your list is at the top of your article so as to grab the attention of your readers with short attention span.

7. Use Visuals

We as human are visual beings. We love to feast our eyes on appealing visuals and images. When applying this, whatever pictures you’ll be using should match the topics in your list. You could combine the pictures with your list or give a top 10 list of amazing pictures.

8. Be Consistent

Your lists will be easier to read if you follow a consistent format. For example, if you’re writing a list of 10 books that increase productivity and underneath the list you place a link to where they can be gotten, the same should also apply for each list in the 10 section of your list. This format will make it easy for your readers to know what to expect from the rest of your list.

9. Express your Opinion

Everyone has an opinion in any discussion. Your top 10 list is a way of expressing your opinion which can ignite a conversation in your comment section, especially when your audience relates extremely well with the post.

10. Remember to edit

After you’re done writing, check your work for spelling and grammatical errors. If you don’t have a professional editor, ask someone you trust to go through your post before publishing your content. Mistakes could hurt your reputation or even cost you a reader.

Writing lists are always easier than writing other types of articles as they’re easier to read and digest. But first make sure a list is suitable for your content.

I hope this list will guide you in creating your own top 10 lists. Do you any other tips for writing captivating top 10 lists? What format works best for you? Feel free to share them with us in the comments section below. 

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