According to the University of Chicago Magazine, “The true essence of the list form is consecutive order, taking a mass of stuff and finding a way to break it into pieces and lay it out in a line. The number of items on the list can be a nice round ten, an arbitrary 36, or an intimidating 97. The items themselves can be quotations, complaints, stories, names or pictures, and there are a number of classic subgenres: the “best of” list, the “worst of” list, the “helpful hints” list, the “mistakes you might be making” list, the “reasons why” list.”
And for online publishers or out-of-home CTV screens in airports, doctors’ offices or bars, the consumer appeal of video listicles leads to increased engagement and better ad performance.
Here’s a quick listicle about why listicles work!
They drive traffic: Whether video or text, listicles tend to attract high levels of traffic due to their shareability and ease of consumption. According to Newstex, “For years, content publishers and online marketers have used ranked lists to drive traffic to their websites. This increased traffic can lead to higher page views, which are crucial for ad revenue.” The more visitors a site has, the more opportunities there are to display ads or affiliate links and generate income.
With this in mind, VideoElephant has added Ranker.com as one of its featured content partners, which offers publishers access to crowdsourced polls and lists on entertainment, brands, sports, food, and culture. Here’s an example. Ranker is unique in a sea of more traditional video content partners. Says VideoElephant’s Victoria Vitarelli, Head of Marketing, “Ranker provides topical "infotainment" content that is a nice diversion from the world of politics and news that dominates, and something advertisers can count on. Publishers need something unique that’s also engaging.”They’re shareable: Lists are also attractive because their catchy headlines and visually appealing formats make them highly shareable via social media. In the case of Ranker, they’re also formatted vertically for mobile use. All of those shares and incoming links not only drive traffic to the original list on the publisher's site, but they also increase the authority of the publisher's site, which can elevate its SERPs. Long story short, lists get page views that publishers need to generate advertising revenue.
They’re SEO friendly: From a search perspective, listicles are often “rewarded” by improved search performance because they are well-structured and easy to read. In turn, digestible subheadings (like "10 Reasons Why...") can improve the article's SEO performance by making it more likely to appear in search engine results, and the likelihood of readers clicking through to the end is usually pretty good.
They’re easy to create: Repurposed content or old lists can be updated to create new listicles.
They’re ad-friendly: Listicles lend themselves to all kinds of advertising, notably native ads, integrated seamlessly into the content. Advertisers can sponsor listicles that align with their brand, such as "Top 10 Travel Destinations Sponsored by Travel Brand X” making the ad feel more like part of the content rather than an intrusive interruption.
They generate data: As expected, publishers will also use listicles to gather data on reader preferences and behavior. For example, tracking which list items readers click on most can provide insights into what products or services resonate with the audience, helping businesses refine their advertising strategies.
Overall, listicles offer a versatile, engaging, and effective way to drive traffic, increase ad revenue, and promote products or services in a way that feels natural and relevant to the audience.
