From ‘Top 5’ to ‘Top 20’, these ‘Top *inserts number here*’ lists are becoming more and more popular within online news outlets. News is so accessible and stories need to be short, snappy and concise. This format is so popular because it's easily consumable content, appealing to both journalists and readers.

Lists can cover a variety of different subjects, for example ‘16 Things We Noticed While Watching Episode 4 of The Apprentice’ recently made its way onto the home page of the Metro.co.uk who boast over 8 million Monthly Unique Visitors because of their unique writing style. To contrast this – Money guru Martin Lewis of MoneySavingNetwork.co.uk recently wrote ‘20 Things You Must Know to Boost Your Credit Score’ for the Telegraph. From serious to light-hearted to humorous – this style of article is suitable for a growing number of topics.

To demonstrate why this format is so successful, we’ve compiled a ‘Top 5 Reasons That Top 5 Lists Work So Well’...

1. Short & snappy According to the Guardian, over half (55%) of UK adults access their news content online. If you’re scrolling through a news article on your smart phone, chances are you don’t want heaps of text to plough through because our attention spans are becoming increasingly shorter. Journalists and PRs have to adapt to this.

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2. Good for Social Media Because we’re such a tech savvy bunch news sites will tweet most of their stories, as social networks are predominantly becoming a major news sources. People are more likely to click on a ‘Top 10...’ because they know that it isn’t going to be a big commitment to sit and read the whole article, especially as this can be summarised in 140 characters.

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3. Pictures, pictures, pictures This sort of article is typically quite visual. Images are often used to accompany each point. Websites like Metro and BuzzFeed also love to put in gifs, vines and videos – particularly for comedic affect within their articles. This makes them more fun and interactive.

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4. They’re versatile No publication would veto this format – from Mail Online, Guardian, Telegraph and The i, to lifestyle websites like Cosmopolitan, Glamour, and GQ. This format enables us to secure valuable online coverage with content we are proud of. They are especially well received by journalists on a strict deadline, as they are easy to adapt and edit.

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5. More content needed If we think back to a time of no internet (the horror!) and newspapers were our only source of worldly events, ‘4 Sure Signs You’re Stuck in a Life Rut’ probably wouldn’t have graced the pages of the Guardian. With high demand for news content, a ‘Top 10...’ can be a crafty follow on from a previous news story. For example, it was recently in the press that processed meat is linked to cancer, a couple of days later The Independent uploaded ‘5 Reasons a Vegetarian Diet is Good For You’ – this creates more clicks and online traffic for websites and more coverage for clients. Win win!

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An awareness campaign aims to increase the knowledge of an issues that effects consumers, by clearing up any misconceptions whilst also helping people to understand the facts.

To give them timely media relevance, awareness campaigns often run in line with a media platform, for example Celiac Awareness Week or National Picnic Week. Brands and charities can utilise these platforms by communicating with the public to gain coverage for their particular niche.

We often work on campaigns like this in IMN. Sometimes the subjects covered can be extremely emotive, and touch upon sensitive subjects – in particular when working with charities. Case studies are more than often used to support the brands messages, as they can share their experiences and add a personal touch. This really hits home with listeners and readers from our experience, and makes a good talking point.

Awareness campaigns are often some of the most successful. They cover relatable topics and focus on subjects that can affect large numbers of people, from serious topics like heart disease to alternative subjects like online security for families. Although these topics can affect everyone; people don’t always have a vast knowledge of them so that's where you, the brand, comes in!

Recently, we teamed up with Medtronic in line with World Stroke Day. Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in the world, with approximately 152,000 occurrences in the UK each year – making it a widely spoken about topic by radio presenters. This particular campaign aimed to raise awareness for a new treatment for Stroke victims, which has recently become available across the UK. We gained amazing radio coverage nationwide, including an hour long phone-in programme on BBC Asian Network. This coverage involved interviews with interventional Neuroradiologist Dr. Patankar, eight year old Saad Ali who had suffered a Stroke at the age of five, along with an emotional phone-in from people who had been affected by strokes within their family. This is a perfect example of how effective awareness campaigns are on the radio.

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It isn’t just on the radio that awareness campaigns work well – they also lend themselves perfectly to news websites. Back in May this year, we worked with the charity Young Epilepsy for an online campaign, in line with National Epilepsy Week. Their aim was to focus on the struggles faced by teenagers with Epilepsy. There were two amazing case studies, including a DJ and a London school girl – both of whom suffered from the debilitating disorder. This gained amazing coverage on the Mirror online, the Standard Online and the Huffington Post. The Huffington Post chose a different angle – ‘What Should You Do If Someone Is Having an Epileptic Seizure’, showing how these campaigns can be effectively altered and edited to meet thee needs of the reader.

Standard Online Example Coverage

Mirror Online Example Coverage

Huffington Post Example Coverage

Awareness campaigns are an effective way to increase the public’s level of understanding, but also to convey a message from a brand or charity. Combined with a suitable media platform – it’s the perfect match for everyone!

Get in touch with a member of The Relations Group team on [email protected] or 020 7158 0000 if you have any upcoming awareness campaigns.