Some days, it appears as though top 10 lists are ubiquitous online. Every web page seems to feature these types of lists and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to determine which ones are of quality.
Still, there is no other format of article with as much potential for social traction. Lists are an excellent way to increase social media shares and encourage potential customers to talk about a business.
Here are 10 reasons why top 10 lists still work for small business blogs and websites.
- Deliver a promise and build trust
How many times has someone clicked on an article because of a snappy headline only to be left frustrated by the lack of good content? Top 10 lists give a promise to the viewer about what they’ll find, which helps to build trust among readers. So long as quality top 10 lists are delivered, a business will be able to build a community of like-minded readers or, in this case, customers.
- User-generated content
Local businesses often fail to harness the passion of their customers in the online world. Top 10 lists, combined with an easy-to-use comment form, can lead to loads of user-generated content.
Lists present readers with the author’s opinion so it is only right that those readers should be able to share their own. Whether they agree or disagree, every reader comment is valuable with regard to building a community.
- Deliver information fast
FAQ pages on a website should be full of fantastic information but do they quickly and efficiently deliver the information that potential customers are seeking? Top 10 lists can be used to rectify this. Think along the lines of, “Top 10 reasons to choose platinum” or “10 killer reasons why X jeweller is for you”.
Lists don’t always have to be aimed at a wider audience. If there is any aspect of a company, product or service that could be clearer, put it into a list.
- Scannable content
All content should be scannable online. Internet users simply don’t read huge paragraphs of text and instead skim through pages in search of headings and keywords. Top 10 lists are great because they are formatted in this way naturally, meaning readers will be able to find the information they want in an instant.
- Organisation
Humans like to organise. The more organised the information, the easier it is to digest. Lists are well-organised articles that have all of their information laid out in a straight-forward format.
- Lists are easy to read
Blog posts need to be as easy on the eye as possible as there are only a few seconds to grab the attention of readers. Lists are great at keeping attention as they are simple to read and scroll through, although some websites ruin this by having users load a new page for each of the 10 points. Avoid this at all costs.
- Lists are painless to write
Top 10 lists are, in general, easy to produce for writers. This means businesses can keep up with writing regularly and focus on delivering good content rather than meeting deadlines. In order to be effective, the lists still need to contain quality content so it’s best not to mistake easy writing for lazy writing.
- Establishing expertise
There is a huge opportunity to establish expertise with lists. Use lists to demonstrate leadership and to help readers out. “Top 10 ways to care for silver jewellery” and “10 unique ways to style a new necklace” are examples of useful information that will benefit audiences.
- Adjectives grab attention
Adjectives are descriptive words that grab the attention of readers and drag them deeper into articles. Headlines such as “10 helpful tips” and “10 stellar tips” are prime examples of adjectives at work.
When these articles are shared, every potential reader sees a catchy and intriguing headline that begs to be clicked.
- Lists are share-worthy
People are only going to share blog posts if they are worthy of it, which means blog posts need to be valuable, evoke emotion and connect with the viewer.
Combining the elements above will ensure share-worthy pieces of content. Remember, the aim of the game with a top 10 list is to get as many shares as possible.