The Power of List Post: 4 Psychological Hooks That Keep People Reading and Sharing Lists
People love lists, which is way some many article writers create them. But, what is the psychology behind a list post that keeps readers engaged?
Have you ever wondered what made Buzzfeed so damn successful?
The answer is quite simple: list posts.
People love lists. As a result, list posts drive the most traffic, which is why everywhere you look on the internet you will find a numbered list. That way so many article writers struggle to come up with viral list ideas. That’s also why this article is created as a list post.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at the psychology behind why people love reading and sharing lists.
1. You Get What You Need Fast
If the topic is relatively on point and practical, then you’ve got yourself a winner. People prefer to find out how to remove the stains from their shirts from an easy to read list post than from a Dostoevsky-like article. It’s all about spatially organizing the information in a way that is reader-friendly.
You must be careful about some things, though. Try not to make the points connected to each other, since readers might lose the thread of your writing. Also, be careful about the number of subheadings — you don’t want to load your article with too many points?
2. You Don’t Have the Time
There is a tremendous amount of information out there, and not enough time to process it all. So naturally, people go for the more condensed information. List posts promise stories that are finite, whose length have been quantified in advance. In the storm of information screaming for your attention, the human brain usually goes for the easy prey — numbered lists.
3. Your Brain Likes to Play Games
Humans like to try and predict things — it’s in our nature. This is why the lottery is so successful, even though you are more likely to become the next US president than winning the jack pot. Savvy article writers use this natural tendency in their advantage. So, if, for example a list is titled “Who are the stars who had babies in 2015?” then the knowledge and “chance” areas in your brain suddenly light up with pleasure. The dopamine levels are through the roof and the urge to click on that post is irresistible.
4. Unlike Misery, a List Has an End.
There is no ambiguity in when, if and how it will end. One thing that all people hate is the sense of insecurity, or uncertainty. So control given to us is a blessing, even if it’s in the shape of a list given to you by the blessing of an article writer.
Lists are so powerful that even God used them to bring order to chaos. For what it’s worth, a handful of smart article writers took the same example and started creating numbered posts like this one.
The bottom line is that, with all the influx of information out there, a list post is exactly what the brain needs. It’s straightforward, finite and stirs up curiosity.
Why do you find lists so compelling?
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