Comments on: What Every Blogger Should be Aware of Before Writing List Posts

By: Kari Rippetoe

Kari Rippetoe — Fri, 30 May 2008 16:52:30 +0000

I agree with Bob that there's definitely a correct way to do a list post; however, they can be short and meaty/funny/clever/informative if done right (think the grandfather of all lists - Letterman's Top Ten List. I would think that takes some writing chops and a brain cell or two to come up with).

By: Goal Setting College

Goal Setting College — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 05:32:36 +0000

I understand where Sonia's coming from. Sad to say, I do agree with her that despite list posts has its limitations, these are the same articles that bring in the most traffic to my site as well. I also attest to her point that good well thought out list posts can take quite a while to do thorough research. I used 3 full days too to review close to 2800 posters, 1000 inspirational quotes to come up with my best motivational posters/ thoughtful quotes lists. But the effort's well warranted.

To balance things off a little, it definitely makes sense to elaborate the thoughts or insights that was hashed in list posts or have a healthy ratio of such articles in your mix. Pretty much like what Skellie and Leo are doing. I'm still learning, too!

Cheers,
Ellesse

By: Sonia Simone

Sonia Simone — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 12:45:37 +0000

I tend to avoid list posts on my blog, but the posts I've made that have seen vastly more traffic than any others are things like "10 Commandments of social media," "5 editor's secrets to writing like a pro" and "50 things your customer wish you knew." It's kind of spooky. I can see how bloggers get addicted--who doesn't love their stuff being linked and chatted up?

The last one has been interesting--I think I will use a bunch of the 50 points (maybe all 50, who knows) to riff on new posts, then keep linking them back to the original post. It's a way to draw people into the blog and then give them more to do. I have noticed that traffic from that "50 things" post has been very, very sticky--people go to the greatest hits page and start clicking around. Then again, it took me 3 days to pull together, so it definitely was not a quickie to have something to write that day.

Unlike Michael, I don't think they're evil But I do agree that they need to be done in moderation. This is a great unpacking of the pitfalls. (I've got to cruise by Leo's joint again and study his technique, thanks for the pointer.)

By: Khalid Saleh

Khalid Saleh — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 04:53:44 +0000

Ritu, you make excellent and valid points. Although lists encourage bad behavior at times, they do work. To some extent it depends on the type of list you are writing. When I wrote 152 of dos and dont's of business blogging, each item was few words. My other popular item, 31 quick tips to understand online conversion had paragraphs under each item.

When I look at our blog over the last few days, list posts had a lot of traffic and generated comments. In depth posts generate less comments and less traffic. I do think that the comments on non-list posts are more thoughtful most of the time.

stumbled for great content!

By: Michael Martine

Michael Martine — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 04:34:00 +0000

I've been ranting against list posts because people are just doing them and they're not even thinking or striving to go beyond the status quo, which is boring. People are just using this as a crutch because they can't be bothered with something more original. Once you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

Great post, Ritu!

By: Ritu

Ritu — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:56:41 +0000

@Jason: " Everything is good in moderation " comes to mind when it comes to list posts as well. It's all about determining the purpose of a post and how we want to convey our message. If it's a short, quick peek into the subject, a list post is great otherwise it might not prove to be as benefecial, both for the reader and the blogger. Thanks for taking the time to read and comment on this post.

@Alex: " I recently started using a second paragraph for every list item (you can do this by pressing ctrl-enter a couple of times in wordpress) and use the second paragraph to give a solution, a reason, or anything else to add more meat. " That is an excellent technique. Thanks for sharing and for the stumble.

@Cecilia: I agree that list posts can be a great way to provide information and share views. My main problem with list posts are the way they are being used lately on blogs. Most of the times they are one sentence which don't really elaborate the subject in hand, making the readers wonder in dark what the blogger really means.

@Jon: Glad you liked the comparison. Did you subscribe?

@Carole: Yup! The old school writing simply rocks but then again we can't really hide the modern techniques as well. Got to use them but in moderation.

@Bob: Like you said list posts are great when used correctly. " Having said that, I think a list is an invaluable tool - when used correctly. I prefer to do exactly what you did here - provide a list, but give a paragraph or two about each list point. " That's it right there

@Keith: Thanks for stopping by and sharing your views and knowledge. I will be checking in on your blog regularly as you have years worth of knowledge and experience when it comes to writing.

By: Keith Johnson

Keith Johnson — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 23:41:51 +0000

Great post Ritu! Indeed, we must be mindful of the article we are writing and whether or not we really need to include a "numerical" or "list" approach to the subject. Sometimes, we can also subdivide a post or article into smaller paragraphs, so that we don't have to use the classical list approach. Well done, and many thanks for the great post!

By: Bob Younce at the Writing Journey

Bob Younce at the Writing Journey — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 23:07:50 +0000

Insightful post, as always Ritu.

Having said that, I think a list is an invaluable tool - when used correctly. I prefer to do exactly what you did here - provide a list, but give a paragraph or two about each list point.

Is that because I'm long-winded? Maybe. I don't think it's a particularly revolutionary idea, though. Preachers have been doing "3-point sermons" for centuries.

By: Carole Gold

Carole Gold — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 19:57:57 +0000

Ritu~

As I am of the "old school" that thinks writing should be just that....writing not list making...and that's exactly what I do on my blog...I am heartened to see someone speak to it. Great job!

By: Jon Phillips

Jon Phillips — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:35:01 +0000

Good points Ritu! I really like the food/blogging comparison
Some bloggers specialize in lists ('742 ways to market yourself using facebook' anyone?). Lists are awesome if what you want is to make the frontpage on del.icio.us. I much prefer meatier posts and I like to read people's opinions, but I always find myself bookmarking these lists posts.

List posts: I bookmark
Meaty posts with great discussion, great writing style: I subscribe to the RSS feed

By: Cecilia Sherrard

Cecilia Sherrard — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:25:11 +0000

Brings attention to a subject few think about. I use lists to break up the monotony of my blog and writing theme. I see major faults with the example list post you provided as you're right, it doesn't convey the meaning or explanation of the statement. I think list posts are only beneficial if centered briefly inside a post to hit target points or as a complete post; if each bullet point/number has the explanation included...

If the first one on the list is the most interesting, readers tend to stick around to read the rest of your list. I have a couple on my blog right now including my latest and it's nice to get emails with the subject being one of the numbers on the list...It offers a variety of topics to discuss wrapped in one post.

By: Alex Shalman

Alex Shalman — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:05:37 +0000

I think you make some valid points in this article Ritu. There are certain techniques that I personally use when making lists that can make them be more in depth. I recently started using a second paragraph for every list item (you can do this by pressing ctrl-enter a couple of times in wordpress) and use the second paragraph to give a solution, a reason, or anything else to add more meat.

This works because the main point of lists is scanning ability and if someone thinks one of your points are very interested, or ridiculous, they'll read closer and see what your points and counterpoints are.

*Stumbled for good point*

By: Jason Drohn

Jason Drohn — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 17:51:49 +0000

Very nice post. You are absolutely right - List posts are a weapon in a writer's arsenal. Lists are great for getting through an enormous amount of content in a fairly quick amount of time, but they can be a hindrance as well. Think of them as using bold and underline in copy. Use them too much and they lose their effectiveness. But use them sparingly, and they jump off the page.