Guides and how-to articles are some types of social media pulling articles, perfect linkbaiting contents and they are the articles that get a lot of attention and participation from readers. Many bloggers are starting to write these articles as the results that they can bring are proven.

What should a good guide and how-to article looks like? What elements that it should consists of and how should it be written? Yes, this is another blogging tips on contents. If you are on your way to produce yet another how-to article, wait till you finish reading this blogging tips from me.

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Gathering Ideas For The Next How-To Article

Helpfulness for you, your readers and your blog

If you have trouble figuring out a how-to article idea, try to think what your blog needs. If you want to boost the number of RSS feed subscribers  for example, you can try to write on how your readers can subscribe to them as a what is RSS post can increase the number of RSS subscribers.

A simple feature on your blog, such as the social media buttons and registration steps to sign up for an monetization method can be explained thoroughly in a how-to article. This actually can trigger the curiosity of your readers to click on the social media buttons or your affiliate links and try out your instructions.

"What your readers need?" is a question that you need to answer to get a how-to article idea. Readers will come back to you because you provide guides that help them and they will want more. Writing something that your readers already knew or does not add value to their knowledge will be seen as rubbish in their eyes.

Same how-to article do sell

A how-to topic might have been written before, somewhere. I am sure you have seen at least ten "What is RSS?" articles but the numbers is increasing. Why? How-to articles serve different purposes, they can be a social media puller, a guide for your reader base or simply a guide that are pitching for a good keyword ranking position on search engines.

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With this reason, they can always be reproduce as they serve different readers and with so many new Internet users everyday, I am sure some beginners need some old and simple how-to articles. To write a how-to article, try to surf around blogs within your niche and you should be able to find some. Read through and you can always successfully write one yourself.

Hands-on approach

All how-to and guide articles will be better if the writer has go through the process him/herself. I knew when I pointed out in the previous point that how-to articles can be referenced from other sites, some with good rewriting skills might think that writing it will be a piece of cake.

If you have gone through the whole process yourself, you might find some steps that are vital but not pointed out in other how-to articles since they serve different user base. Also, going through the process will also give you the experience so that the parts that requires attention can be told to your readers.

Writing Style For How-To Articles

Short sentences and avoid unnecessary elaboration

Some bloggers, when they write, they write in a manner where they keep on elaborating on the same point (like what I am doing with this article). Well, when you are writing how-to articles, you don’t need to do so. Make every sentences of yours contribute directly to purpose of the article, not a particular point.

Numbered steps

A how-to article is always better with the presence of numbers to mark the sequence. Numbers will let readers remember which step they are currently at. This also ensure that they don’t miss out any steps that might lead to serious consequences.

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Write in commanding manner rather than descriptive

How-to articles mostly comprise of instructions and it should be in a commanding tone rather than the common descriptive. Apart from the need to avoid from unneeded elaboration, a straightforward commanding tone will not lead your readers to confusion which is normally the case when a descriptive tone is used.

Enhancements For How-To Articles

Attention grabbing titles

No one will read a common how-to article. If they won’t why not make them at least click on it and start scanning a few lines before quitting? Write a killer how-to article that gets attention so that readers will be baited to click it! Sometimes your articles have more to offer compared to other articles which revolve on the same thing but because the title used is plain and common, no one will be tempted to click and start reading!

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Images are better than words in guiding

It might be hard to find suitable words for a particular step and some steps might need 3 or 4 paragraphs for you to transmit the steps clearly to your readers. This can be solved with an image with arrows shooting around or if it is something mechanical, your own hands can be placed in the image to show clearly what to grab and twist.

Videos

Videos are becoming more and more popular because they are highly interactive. If possible, try to produce your how-to article in the form of a video. If you are shy, just don’t show your face, hire a presenter or even invite your friends to do it with you.

What is great about videos is that it will be never boring if I wanted to learn something. This is completely different with learning from writings. When you read a lot, even if it is something that you have interests in, you will be tired and bored faster compared to video watching.

FAQ and Troubleshooting

Ruchir from TechnoMoney gave me this idea on having a FAQ section with his comment on my article, Ask Your Blogging Questions At The Right Place. When writing a how-to article, always try to add in a section right after your article to cover on issues that your readers will normally face if they follow the steps pointed out in your article.

Readers don’t normally read your comments and it is likely that some will ask you the same question over and over again. With a FAQ and troubleshooting section after your how-to article will save you all this fuss and focus more on other questions about your guide.

Support

Even if you have a FAQ section, you should always be responsible of what you have done - posting the how-to article. Your readers will expect you to help them out if they find problems with your stuffs.

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This is just like a theme designer of a plugin creator. When their masterpieces have problems in running or their users have doubts on the usage, they will always help. Giving support for something that you have written will keep readers returning and of course, planting a good impression of you in their hearts.

Anymore Tips On Writing How-To Articles?

The above will be my tips on how to produce a quality how-to articles. As a reader and sometimes, blogger at the same time, what do you expect from how-to articles written by others and by you?

Do you think how-to articles is one of the way to get high traffic or it is just a post to fill up a blog’s schedule?

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