
Those are fine and they usually do get colons, because they’re so obviously setting up that list.īut more subtle list intros still get colons too. The text before a list should end with a colon, not a period-even if that sentence isn’t using language that directly refers to the list and even if it’s a complete sentence by itself.Ī list intro that directly refers to the list might be something like, “Following, we will discuss:” or “You will need these ingredients:” It’s a painfully clear list set-up. There are few hard-and-fast rules to bullet point lists, but there are some generally accepted best practices. I’m going to assume you’re in, so let’s make sure, first, that we’re using bullet points correctly.
READ BITING THE BULLET ONLINE HOW TO
Are you obsessed yet? How to use bullet points correctly (grammar) One strategy that both draws readers in and then helps keep them?! Yes. And now you have to know more (even if you’re skeptical). A list of fascinations usually heads an ad spot, because of course you want all those things. – Increase your energy levels on as little as four hours of sleep!Įxtreme examples, but you get the idea. – Whiten your teeth without giving up coffee! – Melt that stubborn belly fat while you sleep! Scientists have discovered an all-natural extract that will: You’ve seen this in any ad that does something like: The same text gets more weight when structured as a bullet point list, as opposed to a simple sentence structure.įor example, bullet points are often deliberately used in copywriting to create “fascinations.” Fascinations are list items designed to hook your reader and pull them further into the content. Used well, bullet points can keep readers interested for the long-haul as well.

Any kind of text formatting is crucial for keeping readers engaged, but bullet points are one of the best. Paragraph after paragraph becomes tedious for users, who usually have half a dozen other tasks waiting for them at any given moment.

The greatest benefit of bullet points is their knack for breaking up long walls of text. How are you reading this article? How do you usually read online content (especially long content)? Did you start at the top and read one word at a time? Or did you do a quick scan first, jumping between headers and other pieces of formatted text? Probably the latter. The benefits of bullet points (Read: Why I’m obsessed and you should be too) In practice, the bullet point list is that delicious little break in the content that pulls key points or ideas into short, easy-to-ready lines. In practice, though, when we talk about, “writing bullet points,” we’re talking about writing the list, and the actual symbol that appears at the front of each line is pretty irrelevant.

A dash, or any other typography symbol, isn’t technically a bullet point.Why they (collectively) should be your BFF.Ī bullet point is a small black dot that introduces a line item in a list.If you write content that you want people to read (especially, but not exclusively, on the interweb), you should be obsessed with bullet points too. I love this for so many reasons, but mostly because yes, I am obsessed with bullet points.
