Ten mistakes to avoid when writing a listicle
Listicles are good for readers because they increase the white space on the page.
Listicles are good for writers because you don’t have to think.
Despite their ease of production, digestion and excretion, there are some common mistakes people make when writing a listicle. Read on to learn these two things:
- What the ten listicle mistakes to avoid are.
- A little bit more information about each mistake under its heading.
ONE: Promising too many items in the title
It’s easy enough to say you’re going to list 17 things to do with your nipples, but you have to be able to follow through. If items 14 to 17 vary only in the colour of the pegs, you have failed.
TWO: Counting wrong
Don’t say there will be six reasons and then only list four. Readers hate reading and will probably rejoice if the list ends early, but for the sake of professionalism get your numbering right.
THREE: Padding the list with things that should be common sense
Sometimes I feel swamped with tasks and make a list for myself, only to find that I actually have just three things I really need to do and one of them is ‘Calm down you’re actually not that busy and important’.
So I get it. A shorter than expected list can be sad. Even so, do not be tempted to add unnecessary things to the list just to make it longer. A lot of people are writing ‘One thing’ articles now, and that’s fine.
FOUR: Getting your nouns confused
I’ve lost track of the times I’ve started reading a listicle titled ‘Here are the Eight Worst New Years Resolutions’, only to find that half the items are actually Toileting Tips. Keep those two lists separate.
FIVE: Get rid of toxic stuff
Be they in the form of relatives or lead paint, you don’t need these in your life. There are numbers you can call, and you should.
FIVE: Writing your list in Wingdings
It’s a fun font, but hardly anyone can read it.
SIX: Writing your list in Wingdings 2
The companion to Wingdings, Wingdings 2 is actually no easier for people to read.
SEVEN: Writing your listicle in Wingdings 3
I think you see what I’m doing here.
Coming Next Week: The one thing you need to know about tassels