I’m participating in Darren Rowse’s 31 Days to Build a Better Blog month, mostly because I’m left feeling insecure with our whole two regular readers. For the record, if you haven’t signed up, you probably should, because it seems to be genuinely helpful to building a half-way decent blog, and I’m a firm believer that if you work on something regularly for thirty days, obsessing constantly, you’ll have a good product by the end.
Day 1 involved building an elevator pitch which I’m going to somehow incorporate into the non-existant about us page on this blog, as I think we came up with a pretty damn good one.
Day 2 is titled “Write a List Post.” My initial thought was “Oh, sweet Jesus, unsubscribe now!”
Forgive me for ranting (yet again), but I have a couple things I need to get off my chest.
Note now that I do not think list posts are inherently bad. I think there are many valid reasons for writing one and the advantages are there. I just think they’re a bit overdone.
Without further ado, these are my 8 reasons to not right a list post.
1. You’re not thinking about it
This is what most people tend to do when they write a list post, using an abused formula: Top + [Number] + [Strong Hyperbole (e.g. Deadly, Super, Totally Retarded)] + What you’re summarizing + (optional) Of [current year].
Examples off the top of my head:
- Top 100 Deadly Social Media Tools of 2007
- 20 Incredibly Stupid Moves a Business Can Make in 2008
- 99 Obvious Reasons Why I Hate List Posts
- etc.
A formula, like a list post, is not inherently a Bad Thing. However, when not thought out, it is a deadly, totally stupid, insane (etc.) thing. Much like pointing a loaded gun on yourself, at one point, you’re going to shoot yourself in the foot.
2. You’re not genuinely helpful
This is what happens to 98% (made it up, but it’s close) of the list posts I read:
- Scan the title. Still interesting? Move on.
- Read the bolded parts of the intro. Still have my attention? Move on.
- Scan the list for software I already know/quotes I’ve already heard/a picture that seems relatively cool compared to the rest of the BS the post is filled with/etc. Probably not interesting anymore, but for the sake of argument:
- Leave a comment saying, “Yeah, I’ve heard of [GIMP/'Long is the road that out of darkness leads up to light'/Ophelia by John Everett Millais]. Thanks for the great list. Keep ‘em coming.”
Then I hit the stumble button and hope I don’t come across another list post. The point is that I, and most bloggers, are productive people, and like to feel that we’ve not wasted our time on something. If you have a list of provocative quotes that changed the face of the world, then go for it. If you have a list of 10 programs that everybody and his grandmother has heard of, don’t end the title with “You Need To Know About.” Please.
3. You’re alienating your audience
While list posts are an excellent tool for getting a lot of traffic (nobody’s going to argue that), they’re also a great, easy way to completely rid yourself of any subscribers you may have at the time. If you go from genuinely helpful to social media whore overnight, and continue that trend too long or too frequently, you’re going to lose your subscribers. If you have to write a list, include some semblance of value for your regular readers, or you’re going to lose them (if you happen to lose them, feel free to send them our way).
4. I’ve read this before
A reader shouldn’t feel like he or she has read this post a million times elsewhere. Such is the problem with software posts. If we already know about it, stop.
5. I know this already
Similarly, a reader should have to actually think about the content at hand and be learning something new (this is just like the “being useful” problem).
This is definitely the pitfall I’m hitting on this post. You all know this already. But for whatever reason, you’re still doing it! Stop!
6. You’re trying to summarize a complicated problem into “10 Easy Steps You Can Do Today!”
One of the best things about such posts is that they tend to inspire action. It’s one at a time. This is how goals are broken down by millionaires: turn it into a list of next actions that take just a moment to complete. It’s one of the best ways to motivate yourself.
Unfortunately, there are problems not meant to be solved or explained in 10 steps. This is why The Simple Dollar broke down “fixing your finances” into 30 days, each with its own step, explanation, actions, and motivator. It’s a complicated process and it takes time. If you make it 10 easy steps, it’s either going to have to be a very superficial problem or a very superficial fix for a complicated problem. If you must solve a problem, please, provide yourself ample time and opportunity to do so.
7. You’re doing it just to linkwhore
If the only reason you have for writing a post is to generate traffic, and you’re not trying to actually help, provide good content, or inspire people, don’t publish it. Hold on to the post until it actually helps somebody.
8. You’re doing it wrong
This isn’t so much a problem, but rather a summary: If you’re breaking more than one of these rules, writing fluff with the intent to generate traffic while using a formula, then you’re doing it wrong.
So, again, forgive me for complaining, but I fear hitting the stumble button with all the trite content I’m discovering these days. Please, for the love of puppies, stop producing useless content.
