No, I’m not going to try to sell you sour lemons!  These list title ideas are the best of the best.  Use them…. or change them around and make your own lemonade using the same formula for success!

Lists are popular in many areas of writing especially as content in the blogosphere.  That’s because lists are usually easy to read and digest.  Every business blogger uses them and sometimes we just get stuck on trying to find a new way to use this old (but still very proven) title type.

There are several ways to mix it up a bit.  As long as you keep focus on the fact that a winning “list” title is one that announces a number of reasons, secrets, types, or ways of something, you’re sure to do fine.

With that in mind, let’s take a quick look at four ways to formulate “list” headlines that keep your readers interested.  Take these starters and remix them for your blog articles when you’re looking to boost readership.

1. Answer the Scary Questions

Use a number with a “scare phrase” to answer a problem and be sure to format your title as a question.  A “scare phrase” is one that creates a sense of urgency or danger.  Words like “warning signs”, “problem”, “mistakes”, “hazards” all encourage the reader to investigate a little further to make sure they aren’t running head first into such issues.

People love to get a “heads up” on potential problems and they are looking to you (or at least you hope they will) to answer their everyday woes.  Here’s a few examples of how to use this formula:

• Know the 7 Biggest Mistakes Made by New Digi-Scrappers?
• Can You Get Past the 3 Worst Lighting Problems Photographers Face?

2. Fix the Stated Problem

State the problem in your list title along with a “Fix It” phrase.  A “fix it” phrase triggers a belief that reading the article will lead to a good outcome.  Words like “cure”, “beat”, “fix”, ”gain”, “get control of”, would all work well.

• Four Ways to Beat the High Cost of Graphics Software
• 10 Answers to the Client’s “Why Do You Charge So Much” Question

This one is a guaranteed winner as long as you deliver.  Make sure each listed item does, in fact, fix the problem you’ve mentioned in the title.  If you do, people will acknowledge that you know what you’re talking about, and hopefully they will link from their site back to yours.

3. Reader Focused Lists

There’s a great deal of power in a title that let’s the reader self-identify with a category, style, or person.  Titles that lead the reader to compare themselves with someone they look up to, also have a certain stickiness to them.  Try a few titles like these:

• Six Scrapbooking Styles - Which is Yours?
• Four Questions the Professionals Ask Before Buying a Digital Camera

4. Numbered How To Lists

This one is a no-brainer and really needs no explanation.  Here’s a couple to get your thoughts going in the write direction:

• How to Create an Entire Scrapbook Using Our Templates - 3 Fabulous Examples
• Check out These 4 Tips on How to Use Overlays in your Layouts

As Brian Clark of Copyblogger will tell you, “a how to headline mixed in with a list — almost isn’t even fair.”

Meet Their Expectations

Wouldn’t be a shame if you spent all that time creating just the right title and then failed to meet the readers expectations? Make sure every article is filled with quality content, that delivers your promised list and you’ll have a satisfied reader.  These types of blog articles work great for demonstrating to the viewer that you are an authority on the subject. But only if you meet the expectation of the title.

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