Warning: Incoming Rant. Please note – List posts do still work great, but they can be done wrong…

Ever read something like this? “10 Reasons Why Facebook Will Be Worth A Trabillion Dollars” or “6 Things THEY Didn’t Tell You About Blogging” I’m unimpressed. Yes my friends, the list post sucks (most of the time) and in true ironic fashion here are 101 reasons to tell you why they suck:

101 Reasons Why Most List Posts Suck:


1. List posts as link bait are so 2006

Get more creative and do infographics instead. Oh wait – those are so 2010. My suggestion? Vinfolistographics: That’s video information list graphic posts (you heard it here first folks).

2. Your list post is simply a bow slapped on top of the turd of information you’ve collected about a subject that’s already been discussed elsewhere on the web

Seriously why should I read your list post about the “6 Things They Didn’t Tell You About Blogging” when all I “learn” is that blogging is hard work?

3. The topics in your list contain vague information and never any real world examples

Put some effort into your list post and try using some real world examples or data. For example, one of the most popular posts on this blog remains the Top 7 Tips I Used To Make $41,438.42 With Amazon Associates In 2009 because I provide actionable advice based on data I actually collected.

4 – 101. Over half of the topics discussed on your list post are thrown in simply so that you can use a larger number like 101 instead of 4

Yes, I only have 4 reasons why list posts suck and although it would have been funny for you to try and see me come up with 101 reasons why list posts suck, I think I can just end my Friday joke/rant here.

List posts can be a great way to generate traffic, but only when used correctly. I urge you to trim the fat off your list posts and really put some thought into the content you create for them otherwise you won’t get as much of an impact that you were seeking.

/List Post Rant Over

Don’t you think that some of the list posts people publish on their blogs are a little ridiculous?

Next Week: I have some cool stuff planned for next week including the next installment on my series of how to make a profitable info product (see part 1 and part 2 here) as well as an update to my Amazon earnings along with some new tips – stick around.