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By Mona Mangat
One of the most important parts of a content marketing strategy is offering fun-to-read, informative and interesting content that make your readers excited to click and find out more. However, the title of your content can have a huge impact on how successful it is at generating interest and motivating your readers to take action.
A listicle or list article is one of the most effective formats for an article or blog post. A listicle is enticing, because it promises upfront to condense any subject matter into a manageable number of bullet points or steps that a reader can use and implement.
The listicle is a favorite for good reason: it works. The main reason for this is that it has the power to grab the reader’s attention simply from the power of its headline.
This kind of content often lends itself well to evergreen topics and tips that are very popular. Readers love easy headlines that are also quickly consumable. Lists that offer a number of reasons, secrets, types or ways to do something will capture an audience’s attention, because they make a very clear promise about what’s in store for the reader. They also entice the reader to click, but you’ll have to deliver quality content if you want to keep the reader engaged. Listicles can do that effectively, time and time again —plus, they’re usually very easy to build in your favorite blogging or marketing automation software.
These types of posts are perfect for building your authority in a certain field or demonstrating mastery in a specific area of expertise. When it comes to business blogging, it’s key to show what you know and put it in a format that’s easy to consume. Ask us how we can create weekly, SEO-friendly blog content (including listicles!) for you or look at the examples below to learn more.
Here are seven examples of great listicle headline titles to get you started. Adjust any of these examples to your topic of interest, and see how quickly traffic comes to you.
1. Do You Recognize the 7 Early Warning Signs of Heart Disease?
Readers love getting the inside scoop or a ‘heads up’ about potential future problems and how to recognize or avoid them. Use this type of headline to demonstrate expertise and share helpful information that can prevent a problem or issue.
2. 10 Ways to Lower the High Costs of Groceries
A simple list of recommendations goes a long way toward engaging readers. This format can easily be used for evergreen content or to cover hot topics that are on your readers’ minds when they need specific, concise direction from an expert. Down-to-earth simple easy-to-apply advice will make readers realize that you not only know what you’re talking about, but that you also know how to communicate it practically.
3. Five Familiar Financial Troubles
The power of commiseration is far-reaching and builds loyalty with your readers. By making your reader feel that their problem is everyone’s problem and that you “get” them and their needs, you’ll immediately gain their trust.
4. Six Types of Eaters — Which Group Are You In?
Give the reader a chance to self-identify themselves by providing them categories into which they will likely fall. The power of using the word “you” when addressing readers is huge, but readers love it even more when they can find out more about them themselves and analyze their own behavior using bite-sized categories.
5. How to Give Your Children Extra Vitamin C — These 3 Delicious Ways
The “how to” headline mixed in with a list is almost always effective because it outlines information in a straightforward, organized and powerful way that a reader can use.
6. Free eBook Tells You 12 Secrets to a Better Marriage in 30 Days
This title is intriguing to readers for two reasons: first, it uses the word “free” and second, it follows a very succuessful formula of telling the reader exactly waht they’ll get in very quantifiable terms–a specific number of secrets (which is a power word that users love) and the number of days in which they’ll see results. “Free” is also a power word and needs to be used sparingly. It doesn’t work in all industries and can sometimes hurt you, so definitely don’t overuse the word “free” in your titles!
7. 52 Reasons Why It Would Have Paid You to Take Up Our Offer Few Months Ago
A really absurd number with a bold headline works wonders because it implies to users that they will get a lot of value out of investing their time to read a short article. This headline is also effective because it points out the danger of not paying attention earlier, as well as not wasting more time and missing out now. Readers hate to feel like they’ve missed out on something.
Listicles can be one of the most effective types of content out there, so try to incorporate a few of these title formats into your blog during the next few weeks.
Don’t have time to come up with listicle ideas, write blog posts or plan content? Contact us to learn how we can help you get better results.
