Thank you, David Letterman.

The Top 10 list rules the web — or at least, Buzzfeed. The number of Buzzfeed listicles with the numeral 10 in the headline outranked the next most popular numeral (15) by 142%, according to research by Noah Veltman and Brian Abelson, two Knight-Mozilla fellows. Fiddle around with their addictive “listogram” for details.

But just because Buzzfeed writers like the number 10 doesn’t make that the best number for your listicle. So how many items should you include? Here are eight thoughts about that:

1. Consider including more items.

Abelson found a slight correlation between Buzzfeed list length and the number of tweets the list gets: The longer the list, the more tweets.

But don’t forget: Tweeting doesn’t mean reading.

“We’ve found effectively no correlation between social shares and people actually reading,” writes Tony Haile, CEO of Chartbeat, which measures traffic for sites like Upworthy.

2. But don’t include too many.

Hundreds of items might overwhelm potential readers. “6 steps to 6-pack abs”? Maybe. 66 steps? Forget it!

And no matter what the headline says, there really aren’t “99 Things You Need To Know About Franz Ferdinand Before The 100th Anniversary Of His Assassination.”

3. And don’t include too few.

When it comes to lists, remember what you learned at Three Dog Night camp:

One is the loneliest number. Two can be as bad as one. It’s the loneliest number since the number one

Why?

• One item is an item. So no “Top 1 Reason Why ‘The X-Factor’ Is Going To Be Better Than ‘The Voice’.”
• Two items are a couple. So no “2 Excellent Parodies Of Amanda Palmer’s ‘A Poem For Dzhokhar’.”
• It takes three items to make a list. “3 Classy Ways To Get Drunk On St. Patrick’s Day“? Sure!

Besides, posts with headlines promoting seven or more items outperformed those with six or fewer, according to an internal study of HubSpot’s blog. While HubSpot still posts pieces with six or fewer items, writes Pamela Vaughan, HubSpot’s lead blog strategist, the inbound marketing experts don’t promote that quantity in the headline.

4. Embrace your oddness.

Oddly, odd numbers on magazine coverlines sell better than even ones, according to Folio:. Bloggers have taken note.

“It’s long been a superstition in the business — for years — that an odd number will do better than an even number,” BuzzFeed’s Jack Shepherd told the folks at Neiman Lab.

So 7 Steps may be more effective than 10 Tips.

5. Or maybe 10 is the magic number?

Lists with 10 items received the most social shares, according to research by BuzzSumo. The provider of content marketing analytics itself analyzed the number of shares of more than 100 million articles.

Top 10 lists had four times the number of social shares — 10,621 on average — than the second most popular list number: 23.

Runners up: 16 and 24.

6. Steer clear of 20.

“Yeah, I think probably people shy away from 20,” Shepherd told Nieman Labs. “Twenty feels real weird.”

7. But do use a number.

Numbers sell, because they indicate quantity and value in the information.

“Honestly,” Shepherd said, “I’ve often made posts where the post didn’t need a number, and then I’ll throw a number into the headline — just because people like that more.”

We know, Mr. Shepherd. We know.

8. Or don’t.

The best length for your list: the number of items your research turns up.

The post How long to make listicles appeared first on Wylie Communications, Inc..

“How do you find time for social media?” my speakers’ network e-zine asked subscribers.

“I don’t have time to not use social media,” I wrote back.

That’s because the people I follow on social media (heart emojis to @ShelHoltz, @BillSpaniel, @mar_de_palabras and others who surprise and delight me every day) serve as sort of a virtual research team. They scour the web, finding valuable information — new studies, quotes, resources and insights — so I don’t have to.

That is, they’re “informers” — the 20% of Twitter users who tweet information, ideas and insights — not “meformers.”

Not surprisingly, informers have nearly three times as many followers as meformers, according to a study by Rutgers University professors Mor Naaman and Jeffrey Boase.

Here’s how to be an informer, not a meformer:

1. Share helpful information.

Why do people share? According to a study by Chadwick Martin Bailey:

1. Because I find it interesting/entertaining: 72%
2. Because I think it will be helpful to recipients: 58%
3. To get a laugh: 58%

Want your status updates to travel the world instead of staying home on the couch? Make them helpful to your social media network.

2. Write service stories.

What kind of information do people retweet? News and how-tos (PDF), according to research by Dan Zarrella, viral marketing scientist for HubSpot.

Here’s how often six kinds of information get shared on Twitter:

1. News: about 78%
2. How-to information: about 58%
3. Entertainment: about 53%
4. Opinion: 50%
5. Products: about 45%
6. Small talk: about 12%

Please note: News is what CNN and the BBC report. It’s not your urgent updates about your Widget 2.6.3.1.

That leaves how-to information, or service stories, as our best bet for content.

Want more retweets? Pack blog posts and status updates with tips and techniques.

3. Tweet like H&R Block.

That’s what H&R Block does. The company’s Twitter feed offers tax tips and help on demand. Sample tweets:

“IRS urges you to perform a Paycheck Checkup today to make sure your tax withholding is right for you.  http://thndr.me/87pU7v”

“Have a question or problem while doing your taxes online? We have tax pros standing by to call or chat. If you’re really stuck, they can even share your screen to help you through it. Expert help, if and when you need it with H&R Block online. http://bit.ly/2AprdFm”

“More people file free with H&R Block Online. Find out if you’re one of them: http://bit.ly/OnlineTaxFilingHRB”

This how-to approach earned H&R Block a place on Time magazine’s list of top 10 corporate Twitter feeds.

4. Post novel ideas.

Stop posting the same old thing. Fresh ideas — even fresh words — move further and faster on social media.

For this study, Zarrella counted how many times each word appeared in his sample set of 10 million tweets:

• Each word in a regular tweet was found 89.19 other times in the sample.
• Each word in a retweet was found only 16.37 other times.

Want to get retweeted? Share something different. You might even coin your own word.

5. Share tips & techniques.

Take a tip from Whole Foods Market: Give your social media network news they can use. The all-organic market tweets recipes and how-to stories about cooking:

“Check out our foolproof three-step method to cutting a mango. Plus, get tropical ideas for ceviche, grilling and desserts. http://bit.ly/2VE1m5f  #Mangoes #MakesMeWhole”

“We got an all-access pass to @Joan_Nathan’s kitchen while she helped us create our Passover dinner menu. Check it out: http://bit.ly/2UQItiW  #Passover #MakesMeWhole”

“This melon guide is big summer vibes. Check it out: http://bit.ly/2vxeEF8  #Melons #MakesMeWhole”

“Our wine experts pair the top 12 wines with summer. Reds, whites and bubbles for all occasions. Read their suggestions now. http://bit.ly/2YTbg47”

Whole Foods’ recipes and service stories have made it one of the most followed brands on Twitter, with 1.9 million followers. No wonder Whole Foods landed on Time magazine’s list of top 10 corporate Twitter feeds.

6. Transform news and events into insights.

Alan Weiss is the consultant’s consultant. His social media status updates rock.

Instead of blah-blahing about what he ate for dinner or bragging that he’s tweeting from the Imperial Suite at the Park Hyatt-Vendôme, he spins news items and everyday events into insights and ideas:

“If you want a referral, don’t ask someone to ‘represent’ you and never send materials. Here’s the line to request: ‘Joan, I’d like to introduce Tom who’s done outstanding work and I think the two of you would benefit significantly from knowing each other.’”

“Use observed behavior and evidence, not ad hominem attack and assumption. ‘You’re late by 15 minutes each time we schedule critical calls on which you’re needed,’ is better than ‘You’re clearly not a team player.’”

“If you don’t know the size of your prospect’s business, or their major competition, or if they’re independent or a subsidiary, don’t show up. Or did you pass all your tests in school without studying? If so, I guess you’re just gifted….”

How can you take a tip from Weiss and transform news and everyday events into insights and ideas?

Are you an informer? Or a meformer?

The post How to write status updates that go viral? appeared first on Wylie Communications, Inc..