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Do you know why the content of the best 10 or 7 lessons often gets the most clicks?

It’s because listicles are people’s favorite for quick learning. If you love watching or reading top 10, best 7, and the like, you are one of the many listicle lovers.

A listicle is any form of content built around a list. They help itemize your ideas, making your content easy to skim and digest.

Whether for content marketing, social media, blog, video, or other content forms, listicles help you easily pass on your message.

In this post, we will reveal why listicles work and how to write them for maximum engagement.

Summary

• Why Listicles Work So Well
• Types of Listicles You Could Create
• How to Write a Listicle That Attracts and Engages
• Conclusion

Why Listicles Work So Well

Many people find listicles appealing because of the following:

• Easy to Scan

They are easy to read because readers can grasp the content quickly.  Similarly, listicles are great for short attention spans and mobile users. This is particularly important because of the shorter attention span.

• Listicles Show Clear Value

The numbers in the topics tell what to expect from the content. Consider these topics:

• 10 Easy Ways to Grow Your Audience

• How to Grow Your Audience

The listicle title is more eye-catching, right?

• Listicles Create Intrigue

They create curiosity, making readers anticipate the message in your content.

A post titled 15 Copywriting Tips You Never Heard Before builds curiosity, driving clicks to know the details of the content.

• They’re SEO-friendly

Listicles are SEO friendly because of their structure, making it easier for search engines to crawl. 

They are suitable for timestamps for YouTube videos, helping with retention. Listicles also keep engaging viewers and keep them swiping on your carousels.

In addition, featured snippets and AI results often pull content from listicles.

• Listicles Are Versatile

They work for all niche types and content formats. Whether in tech, beauty, or for tutorials, reviews, or storytelling, listicles are always suitable.

Types of Listicles You Could Create

Creating listicles is more than just numbers. Here are some types of listicles you can make.

Tips or How-To Lists

These offer tactics and actionable advice that solve problems, teach skills, or help understand a topic.

Examples

•  “10 Tips to Write Captivating YouTube Description”
• “10 Tips to Develop A Content Strategy for Your Skincare Brand”
• “7 Smart Ways to Be More Effective While Managing a Small Business”
• “12 Tips for Writing Compelling Headlines”

Resources or Tools

These listicles introduce helpful products, services, or any aid for more efficiency.

Examples

•  “7 Free Tools Every Content Creator Should Know”
• “12 Content Creation Tools Every Beauty Formulator Should Try”
• “Top 6 Bookkeeping Tools for Managing an Online Business”
• “25 Free Stock Photo Sites to Bookmark”

Mistakes or Myths

These highlight false beliefs, common errors, and misconceptions and provide clarity and accurate information.

Example

• “8 Proofreading Mistakes You Might Be Making”
• “5 Mistakes First-Time Home Buyers Make (and How to Avoid Them)”
• “10 Natural Haircare Myths That Are Harming Your Hair”
• “7 Myths You Wrongly Believe About Viral Social Media Posts” 

Product Roundups or Recommendations

These listicles provide a curated selection of products and services and highlight benefits, features, and drawbacks.

Examples

• “Top 5 Content Marketing Platforms for Beginners”
• “5 Must-Have Lipid Oils for Pregnancy Safe Skincare”
• “Best Budget Bluetooth Mic for Content Creators”
• “15 Books Every New Copywriter Should Read”

Step-by-step Guides

Step-by-step listicles provide a comprehensive breakdown of how to accomplish a task.

Examples

• “6 Steps to Create a Social Content Calendar That Works”
• “Grow Your Email List in 5 Easy Steps with Free Tools”
• “Step by Step Keyword Research for Video Content”
• “Create your First DIY Body Butter in these 6 Steps”

Opinion or Ranking Lists

These present an evaluation or ranking of items, providing insights that can often influence opinions.

Examples

• “My Top 10 Favorite Tourist Spots in Asia”
• “The 6 Most Profitable Crops to Grow in 2025”
• “My 10 Best Podcasts on Branding and Business “
• “These 7 Social Media Platforms Changed My Life”

Here’s how you can use listicles to make your content more appealing and attractive.

1. Choose a Relevant Topic Your Audience Wants

First, whether as a listicle or not, your content has to be relevant to your target audience.  You can find what they care about by conducting keyword research or filtering through the questions they ask.

Then create a listicle that answers their desires or solves a problem. For example, “Struggling with Low Watch Time, Try These 6 Social Media Formats.”

2. Make Your Title Strong and Specific

Include numbers and keywords in your headlines to make them more attractive. Add benefit to show your audience what they stand to gain from the content, where possible.

For example, this topic, “7 Proven Ways to Improve Your Email Open Rates,” clearly shows its benefits.

3. Make Your Introduction Engaging

While titles can stop scrolling, your introduction will determine if your content will be viewed.  You have to use your first few lines to hook your viewers.

To make it engaging, provide a surprising fact or begin with a relatable problem. However, avoid too many words, keep your introduction short, and gently lead into your list.

4.  Organize Your List Logically

Organize your list by category, importance, easiest to hardest, etc., to make it easier to follow. However, there might be topics where this will not be applicable.

Also, number properly and maintain consistency with your numbering format.

5.  Make Every Point Valuable

The quality of your listicle will determine how valuable your audience finds your content. Just like other forms of content, value and structure impact relevance and comprehension. 

Use subheadings for each point, make the sentences and paragraphs short, and add examples where necessary.

6. Use Visuals to Break Up Text and Increase Appeal

Add Images, infographics, or other visuals to improve content understanding and retention. They break up walls of text, improve your content appeal, and boost comprehension.

Don’t miss our detailed post on using visuals to enhance content.

7.  Always End With a Strong Conclusion and Clear CTA

I made this error early on in my content writing career. It’s easy to think that listicles begin and end where the numbers stop, but that is not so.

Like every content, your listicle must end with a conclusion and a call to action. Summarize your message into key takeaways and encourage your audience to take the next step you want.  It could be to share, comment, or subscribe.  

Check out our post on how to write effective CTA.

Conclusion

Listicles are high-impact and versatile; they make your content easy to read and understand. They are also eye-catching and easily grab attention. However, you need to create content that answers your audience’s queries before listing them.

Then make each point value-packed and easy to read for your posts, videos, podcasts, or emails.

Now you know why listicles work and how to write them for maximum engagement.

What’s your favorite listicle idea?