A listicle is a write-up that is organized as a list. The term listicle is made up of two words- list and article. It is intended not just to educate but also to entertain the readers.
Listicles not only ensure that the content marketing strategy is engaging, but with critical long-tail keywords and good content, they also have a high chance of your target audience buying from your brand.
Content creators and marketers use listicles to present information in bite-sized chunks using listicles. Not only does this make listicles more enjoyable to read, but it also ensures that the readers get the information they came looking for.
Therefore, for content creators and marketers, it becomes easier to create short content that is enjoyable and informative simultaneously.
If we have learned anything from Buzzfeed listicles, it is that they have a number in their title, which is mostly the number of items in the list. Odd numbers in a listicle article’s headline are more appealing because they create visual interest.
As marketers found out that the human brain loves pointers and lists, listicles became the most engaging format of content marketing.
Digitally speaking, listicles also pique the interests of readers who have a short attention span (because there is a ton of content on the internet). They make it easier for the audience to quickly scan, skim through, and absorb small bits of good information.
Take a glance at the following listicle examples and see if the headings pique your interest:
- 10 Easy Tips To Write Effective High-Quality Content
- 7 Reasons to Hire Content Marketing Agency Right Now
- 5 Blogging Trends for SaaS Companies in 2022
The articles mentioned above are excellent examples of listicles. They are not just actionable and engaging but also specific. Moreover, they convey to the readers exactly what they will get when they read the listicles.
The promising titles are enthralling for the readers, and they click them expecting positive outcomes. Although clickbait listicles have a terrible reputation for being false, there are also list articles that provide high-quality, good-value content.
Now that you know that it is no secret that listicles are one of the most popular types of content on the internet, the question is why? What is it about listicles that make them so irresistible?
Keep reading as we will explore and discuss reasons why listicles are still ruling the internet.
Benefits of Using Listicles in Your Content Strategy
Easily Capture the Attention of the Audience Using Listicles
Listicles promise the target audience that it is not going to be any heavy reading. Therefore, people easily click on listicles, especially the quick drifters who scroll past social media posts faster than the page can load them.
Listicles are also easy to consume.
Let’s face it: in our fast-paced, constantly-connected world, we do not have a lot of time to spare. As a result, your target audience is also always on the lookout for content that we can consume quickly and easily without having to commit a lot of time or energy.
Listicles are the perfect solution to that – they are concise, straightforward, and require very little effort to digest.
Catchy Headlines Work Well as Clickbait
Listicles have catchy headlines that ensure that readers can skim and scan through the content, consume the information shared, and engage with the content piece. Therefore, more often than not, listicles work as an excellent clickbait content format.
However, brands and content creators must not use listicles just because they are excellent clickbait, they should also ascertain that the content and information being shared in the listicle provides value to the reader.
Listicles with catchy headlines also tend to have a low bounce rate since the target audience can glance at, understand the essence of the article in no time and remember the pointers that they feel are useful to them.
Another reason why listicles are so popular is that they are visually appealing. With their catchy headlines and eye-catching graphics, listicles are designed to grab our attention – and they usually succeed!
Moreover, if you provide high-quality listicles on trending topics regularly, it is sure to increase your website traffic and, ultimately, your SERPs.
Listicles Have a Tendency to Go Viral Instantly
Listicles are liked and thus shared by many people across the internet. Therefore, they have the tendency to go viral easily. Furthermore, because they are so easy to consume, listicles are also easy to share with others.
They evoke strong emotions. A good listicle will evoke strong emotions in its readers – whether it is laughter, anger, happiness, or sadness. And when something makes us strongly feel something, we are more likely to remember it (and share it with others).
Another reason that listicles tend to go instantly viral is that they are relatable. Whether we are reading about things we love or things we hate, we can all find something to relate to in a good listicle.
That is part of what makes them so addictive – we know that we will be able to see ourselves in the content, which makes us want to keep reading (and sharing).
And we are more likely to share a listicle that we have read and enjoyed than a longer article because we know that our friends and followers will be able to read it quickly and efficiently as well.
Trending Topics That the Audience Does Not Want to Miss
Listicles are created on trending topics– on topics that the world is talking about and topics that are making a wave. Thus, people tend to read and connect to listicles because they do not want to miss out on exciting and trending content pieces.
Therefore, when creating a listicle as a part of your digital content marketing strategy, you are fulfilling two significant requirements- creating trending content that is also engaging.
Moreover, people these days also do not want to miss content that is thought-provoking, and listicles fulfill that. A well-written listicle will make us think – not just about the topic at hand but also about the more significant implications of what we are reading.
A good listicle will challenge us to see things in a new light and perhaps even change our opinions on certain issues.
Reading Listicles Provides an Immediate Sense of Achievement
Listicles can be read, understood, and consumed quickly. Even a 1000-word listicle can share its essence in two minutes. And when readers consume that much information in such less time, they feel a sense of achievement embracing.
This just leaves them wanting to read and consume more of your content.
In fact, when the listicles are informative and solve the reader’s problem, the readers feel that they have learned something from the listicle. This makes them trust your brand.
Create Engaging and High-Quality Content with One Digital Land
As you just read, there are quite a few reasons why listicles have become so popular on the internet. And while some might argue that they are not “real” content formats, the fact remains that they are an extremely effective way to communicate with a target audience.
If you are looking for a way to engage with your customers or followers, a BuzzFeed-style listicle might just be what you need! And if you are new to the listicle-creation format, One Digital Land can help you understand this trend better and utilize it to get better growth and higher results.
See how One Digital land can help you create high-quality listicles here!