Quietly List-Making 101
So, you’ve made a Quietly list. You checked it twice. But how do you know if your list is actually nice or not?
When it comes to consuming list-form content, readers have a preference for lists that are short and sweet, visually appealing, and link to external sources. In other words, keep things light, clear, and compelling.
For best practices on creating a quality list, here are the 10 Commandments of List-Making, compiled by Quietly’s own Carlin Leung:
The 10 Commandments of List-Making
By Carlin Leung
List form information just works. Even the 10 commandments were in list form (mind blow). Follow these 10 rules to be a rock star list-making pro.
-
Thou shalt keep it short
By Carlin Leung
Studies have shown that lists with 5-7 items perform the best. Keep it short!Pro tip: Odd numbers are more effective for lists.
-
Thou shalt be visual
By Carlin Leung
Pics: use 'em! There's a reason why we love picture books, & it's not the words…Pro tip: Use high quality images so your lists look crisp—there's nothing more off-putting than low quality images.
-
Thou shalt link to more information
By Carlin Leung
Lists are short & sweet, but it doesn't mean that's all there is to your content—link list items to more info & further engage readers.Pro Tip: Use lists to summarize & promote long form material.
-
Thou shalt create interesting headlines
By Carlin Leung
Our average attention span is about 6 seconds. Make your headlines interesting so people will want to read on.Pro Tip: "How to" & "Top x" lists encourage engagement and perform better.
-
Thou shalt curate
By Carlin Leung
The whole point in making a list is to compile—pick out information that's relevant to your readers.Pro Tip: If you have a few items in your list that don't quite fit in, make a 2nd list!
-
Organize thy list
By Carlin Leung
Make sure your items flow well from one to the other—Lists captivate readers because of their visual fluency.Pro Tip: Making an ordered list? Save your #1 for last to keep your readers curious.
-
Honor thy audience
By Carlin Leung
Remember, you're writing content for your audience, not for yourself. Make sure their needs and wants are satisfied.Pro tip: Look at what content your readers consume the most & cater to them.
-
Thou shalt not steal
By Carlin Leung
Don't take what's not yours, whether that be images or content. If you love an idea, give credit where it's due: use the save function.Pro tip: Search Flickr for commercial-use licensed images.
-
Thou shalt proofread
By Carlin Leung
Your content is professional & well-written—so should your lists! Take a minute & double check your grammar & spelling.Pro Tip: Use a browser that automatically spell checks as you go to save time.
-
Thou shalt keep it light
By Carlin Leung
Lists are meant to be fun! Try out different types of content in list form and see how it plays out.Pro tip: Try converting a short story into list form, and see how well you can summarize!