The Power of Lists

Lists are more than just an effective way to grab attention. They're also great at getting key points across quickly and increasing readership. Here are a few tips to help you use lists more effectively in your marketing:

Use abbreviated or partial lists on marketing pieces, such as postcards and email campaigns, and encourage readers to visit your website to learn more. Promote your company's competitive advantages with a "top 10 reasons" list. Popularity sells. Use a list to advertise your biggest selling products, such as "Our Top 5 Most Popular Products from 2012." Use a list to announce or introduce new products or services. Use a list as an alternative to long paragraphs of text, and enable readers to quickly scan your key points. For greater effectiveness, keep your lists brief, such as "10 Ways to..." or "15 Tips to..." Structure your list logically (largest to smallest, most to least popular, or simply your strongest tips first). If your list includes more than just a few words for each key point, consider using bold sub-headers with brief descriptions behind them. For "top 10" style lists, always number your entries, so readers can easily follow along. Be sure to include a source whenever appropriate, especially if your list contains hard facts or data.