5 Reasons Lists Do Well on LinkedIn
When you signed on to LinkedIn today what did you see in your feed? Here's a sample from mine:
1. 5 things your interviewer won't tell you
2. The 5 worst things a creative can say
3. 18 trusted advisors you should follow on social media
4. How to leave work guilt free and on time: the 4 types of finish lines
5. 3 ways to standup and be heard on a competitive team
Have you noticed a pattern here? Welcome to the Internet of lists.
Why do we love lists so much? There are a few explanations.
1. Human brains like to compartmentalize things. As soon as we read something, our brain starts categorizing it to make sense of it in a logical fashion. In fact it's really hard not to do that. Lists deliver the information to you already categorized so you can retain it and retrieve it better.
2. Lists are easy on our brain. When we encounter a list, we instantly know that it's easier to process and therefore can obtain the knowledge much faster than the paragraph-style in-depth reporting. It's kind of like fast food for the brain. Actually we're even lazier than that with our information than with food. We love information already digested. After all if someone has done all the research why not just summarize them in a nicely laid out bulleted list. We can acquire the information much faster in our fast-paced lives.
3. We like to know how long it will take to complete a task. That's why video games have progress bars, browsers have progress indicators, and so do online quizzes. A quick scan of a bulleted list will tell us approximately how long it will take us to absorb the information.
4. We're visual creatures. The bullets and the numbers standout on a page of words. Our eyes are automatically drawn to them. That's why people who read paperbacks can retain information better than people reading ebooks because the act of flipping through an otherwise ocean of paragraphs triggers another part of the brain that helps us locate things.
5. Lists are intriguing. Studies have shown that article titles with ambiguous and intriguing information offer better click through rate. A title suggesting a list apparently offer just enough intrigue and ambiguity for the brain to guarantee that the list format of article writing will live on until the end of days.
The above bullet points are summarized from https://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/a-list-of-reasons-why-our-brains-love-lists for your quick mental digestion and absorption. But just remember that lists come with obvious limitations such as incomplete information and over simplification. So please continue to read those books to supplement your lists.
About Me:
I'm a software development team manager working for a GIS company that creates beautiful mapping, weather and precision agriculture web products. I'm also the creator of moonotes.com a cloud bookmarking tool. When I get stuck in traffic or on an airplane, I like to brainstorm about writing materials or fun projects and jot them down on my iPhone. The above post was written while flying from Atlanta to Washington, DC.