For both regular users and brands, foursquare’s lists can be a great way to show off their expertise on a particular subject. Unfortunately, it’s easy for those lists to get lost among all the other lists that are being created on foursquare.

Luckily, creating lists that stand out from the pack isn’t too hard. Here are five tips for creating lists that get noticed:

1. Pictures, Pictures, Pictures: Foursquare’s list discovery page is almost entirely photo driven. Without good photos attached to your lists, they don’t stand out at all. Photos also help people to get a better understanding for the places on your list without having to do too much reading. Be sure to select a photo for each venue and an overall photo (at the top) to represent your entire list.
2. Include Tips: A long list of places just doesn’t mean much. Add a tip to each location on your list. Whether it’s something to eat, something to see or just a nice place to sit and people-watch, the tips are what really make a list great.
3. Be Creative: The last thing the world needs is another list of MLB stadiums (currently at 22 and counting). Come up with a unique list that shows off your expertise. The ones that stand out are creative, like the History of Tupac on foursquare or the Gone With the Wind list.
4. Highlight local spots: Nothing makes me skip right past a list faster than seeing one populated with a bunch of McDonald’s or Taco Bells. I know those exist in every town in American; I don’t need a list to tell me that. Most users would prefer to find a list that highlights unique local spots instead of the tired national chains. This isn’t to say that including a chain restaurant or two is terrible, but the majority of spots on a good list should be local.
5. Stay away from foursquare’s generic names: Foursquare has done a great job of giving you ideas to get your lists started, but you shouldn’t go with their default names. Every time I see a list titled “My Favorite Places in Ohio,” I skip right by it because there are so many of those lists and most of them are filled with crap that’s of no use to me or anyone else.

A bonus pro tip: when you’re adding spots to a list from the venue page, search results or elsewhere on foursquare, there’s a handy, but hard-to-find link directly to your list so you can go there to add tips and photos (see #1 and #2 above). After you save a spot, look at the top of the box of lists. It will say “Added to list,” where the word “list” is a link directly to your list.

Do you have another tips for creating great lists? What are some of your favorite lists you’ve found on foursquare? Let us know about them in the comments.

Related posts:

1. Curated lists come to foursquare — and they look awesome
2. Curated to-do lists would be valuable for individuals and brands
3. Foursquare v3.5 for iPhone makes lists mobile