Say you want to learn about sleep. You see two articles: 1. "Theory and practice of effective sleep" 2. "Seven insights about sleep" Are you drawn to the second? I am. Of course, I hate myself for this because I've internalized the idea that lists are cheap and low-class. But I'm drawn to lists all the same.
Most advertising writers disdain lists, but not direct-response writers, because direct-response results are measureable.