This is Day 2 of 31 Days to Build a Better Blog, a group project 50+ other bloggers are doing together in an effort to help each other become better bloggers. You can read more about it and still sign-up to participate here.
What an awesome first day we had in this series yesterday. I am blown away! To see my observations from yesterday check out 6 Things I Learned from Day 1 of #31DBBB.
Today’s lesson is about the list posts. If you’ve been reading blogs for any length of time, you know list posts are very popular. In fact, we have done our fair share of list posts here at Christian Web Trends. Here are some examples…
Top 5 List Posts on Christian Web Trends
- 20 Ways to Share Your Faith Online
- Top 10 Signs Your Church Website Needs a Redesign –
- The 10 Commandments of Social Networking
- 12 Ways to Ensure Easter Attendees Don’t Come Back to Your Church Next Week
- 10 Things I Learned from the Online Church Blog Series
The lesson gives several reasons list posts are so popular. They are easy to write. They’re easy to read. They break the main point up into clearly identifiable bite-size nuggets. In fact, you could make the case that list posts are the Chicken Nuggets of blogging. (Would you like some dipping sauce with that?)
Personally, I have my own theory for why list posts are so popular…
Geeks like numbers.
But that’s just one number-loving geek’s theory. (Full discloser: I was on the math team in high school)
Assignment
The assignment for today is to write a list post for your blog. If you’d like some more advice about writing list posts, check out 10 Steps to the Perfect List Post
Discussion
- Do you agree that list posts are both easier to write and easier to read? Why or why not?
- Of all the tips you’ve read about list posts, which do you think are the most important?
- If you did the assignment and wrote a list post, include a link your comment.
The Extra Mile
A few other things you can do to take your blog, other bloggers, and this project even further today…
- Reply & give other bloggers feedback on their list post
- Go back to 31DBBB – Day 1: The Elevator Pitch & check out the elevator pitches.
- Tweet, share, & bookmark this post. (You could win a $25 gift card!)
- Ask & answer questions about blogging but unrelated to elevator pitches in the forums.
303 Comments
Hi All!
I thought that this would be an easy assignment for me, but it was harder then I thought. In the end I think I did ok. My post is suppose to have photos and I hope to get to the today. I am doing a lot of catchup on 31DBBB and my own daily goals for my blog at the moment.
http://knowyourstory.net/2010/05/04/day-4-of-my-o…
Thanks!
Hi All!
I thought creating a list post was going to be easy for me, but I had to re-write it a couple of times. I think it turned out ok. I still need to go back and add photos.
http://knowyourstory.net/2010/05/04/day-4-of-my-o…
Hi All!
I thought creating a list post was going to be easy for me, but I had to re-write it a couple of times. I think it turned out ok. I still need to go back and add photos.
http://knowyourstory.net/2010/05/04/day-4-of-my-o…
Hi All!
I thought that this would be an easy assignment for me, but it was harder then I thought. In the end I think I did ok. My post is suppose to have photos and I hope to get to the today. I am doing a lot of catchup on 31DBBB and my own daily goals for my blog at the moment.
http://knowyourstory.net/2010/05/04/day-4-of-my-o…
Thanks!
Yes, I do agree list posts are easier to read and write. Years ago while in business before ministry, I remember reading articles on human reading behavior and how writing short 1-2 sentence paragraphs and including lots of white space will improve the readability and amount someone will read of your document.
Ever since, I have noticed that I do that same thing. Too many words to close together and my eyes stop reading. I look for what I can glean out of what I'm reading then move on quickly.
Even the reasons for using lists post I stopped reading each item after number 5 and just read the list item and maybe the first line under it.
Do you do the same? Am I just weird or were those articles I read so long ago off track?
As for the most important items I read in that post, I'd say the instructions on "catchy" titles, consistency in formatting and material were the most helpful for me.
Though I had not read this lesson before, my most recent blog post included a list, though I did not expand on each item as I would for this assignment. Here is the link:http://divingdeepintograce.blogspot.com/
Now on to day 3!
Yes, I do agree list posts are easier to read and write. Years ago while in business before ministry, I remember reading articles on human reading behavior and how writing short 1-2 sentence paragraphs and including lots of white space will improve the readability and amount someone will read of your document.
Ever since, I have noticed that I do that same thing. Too many words to close together and my eyes stop reading. I look for what I can glean out of what I'm reading then move on quickly.
Even the reasons for using lists post I stopped reading each item after number 5 and just read the list item and maybe the first line under it.
Do you do the same? Am I just weird or were those articles I read so long ago off track?
As for the most important items I read in that post, I'd say the instructions on "catchy" titles, consistency in formatting and material were the most helpful for me.
Though I had not read this lesson before, my most recent blog post included a list, though I did not expand on each item as I would for this assignment. Here is the link:http://divingdeepintograce.blogspot.com/
Now on to day 3!
Yes, I do agree list posts are easier to read and write. Years ago while in business before ministry, I remember reading articles on human reading behavior and how writing short 1-2 sentence paragraphs and including lots of white space will improve the readability and amount someone will read of your document.
Ever since, I have noticed that I do that same thing. Too many words to close together and my eyes stop reading. I look for what I can glean out of what I'm reading then move on quickly.
Even the reasons for using lists post I stopped reading each item after number 5 and just read the list item and maybe the first line under it.
Do you do the same? Am I just weird or were those articles I read so long ago off track?
As for the most important items I read in that post, I'd say the instructions on "catchy" titles, consistency in formatting and material were the most helpful for me.
Though I had not read this lesson before, my most recent blog post included a list, though I did not expand on each item as I would for this assignment. Here is the link:http://divingdeepintograce.blogspot.com/
Now on to day 3!
Yes, I do agree list posts are easier to read and write. Years ago while in business before ministry, I remember reading articles on human reading behavior and how writing short 1-2 sentence paragraphs and including lots of white space will improve the readability and amount someone will read of your document.
Ever since, I have noticed that I do that same thing. Too many words to close together and my eyes stop reading. I look for what I can glean out of what I'm reading then move on quickly.
Even the reasons for using lists post I stopped reading each item after number 5 and just read the list item and maybe the first line under it.
Do you do the same? Am I just weird or were those articles I read so long ago off track?
As for the most important items I read in that post, I'd say the instructions on "catchy" titles, consistency in formatting and material were the most helpful for me.
Though I had not read this lesson before, my most recent blog post included a list, though I did not expand on each item as I would for this assignment. Here is the link:http://divingdeepintograce.blogspot.com/
Now on to day 3!
Yes, I do agree list posts are easier to read and write. Years ago while in business before ministry, I remember reading articles on human reading behavior and how writing short 1-2 sentence paragraphs and including lots of white space will improve the readability and amount someone will read of your document.
Ever since, I have noticed that I do that same thing. Too many words to close together and my eyes stop reading. I look for what I can glean out of what I'm reading then move on quickly.
Even the reasons for using lists post I stopped reading each item after number 5 and just read the list item and maybe the first line under it.
Do you do the same? Am I just weird or were those articles I read so long ago off track?
As for the most important items I read in that post, I'd say the instructions on "catchy" titles, consistency in formatting and material were the most helpful for me.
Though I had not read this lesson before, my most recent blog post included a list, though I did not expand on each item as I would for this assignment. Here is the link:http://divingdeepintograce.blogspot.com/
Now on to day 3!
Hi All!
I thought creating a list post was going to be easy for me, but I had to re-write it a couple of times. I think it turned out ok. I still need to go back and add photos.
http://knowyourstory.net/2010/05/04/day-4-of-my-o…