6 tips for crafting list articles, blog post

Why use lists?

• Lists get attention.
• Lists reach nonreaders.
• Lists are easier to understand.
• Lists get remembered.
• They get shared.

See also

humans process information spatially

Lists get shared about 70% more often than the average article,

6 tip template to create listings

1. List lists.
2. Don’t drop the bullet.
3. Show the parts.
4. Show the whole
5. Introduce the list.
6. Make the list parallel and tighten it.

Bonus tip: Don’t overdo lists. Lists are so effective is that they stand out. List everything, and you might as well list nothing.

Example:

Original text:

When preparing any fresh produce, begin with clean hands. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water before and after preparation. Cut away any damaged or bruised areas on fresh fruits and vegetables before preparing and/or eating. Throw away any produce that looks rotten. Wash all produce thoroughly under running water before preparing and/or eating, including produce grown at home or bought from a grocery store or farmers’ market. Washing fruits and vegetables with soap, detergent or commercial produce wash is not recommended.Even if you do not plan to eat the skin, it is still important to wash produce first so dirt and bacteria are not transferred from the surface when peeling or cutting produce.Scrub firm produce, such as melons and cucumbers, with a clean produce brush.After washing, dry produce with a clean cloth towel or paper towel to further reduce bacteria that may be present on the surface.

6 steps applied:

How to wash produce

To make sure your produce is free of pesticides and bacteria:

• Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water before and after washing fruit.
• Cut away damaged or bruised areas. Throw away any produce that looks rotten.
• Wash produce under running water — even if you don’t plan to eat the skin — and regardless of whether you grew it at home, bought it at a grocery store or picked it up at the farmer’s market. Do not wash produce with soap, detergent or commercial produce wash.
• Scrub firm produce, such as melons and cucumbers, with a clean produce brush.
• Dry produce with a clean cloth towel or paper towel to further reduce bacteria on your work surface.