Writing ‘how to’ articles help to make your customers’ lives easier, while also generating leads and sales. So today, find out how to write a ‘how to’ article.
‘How to’ articles are the content marketing strategy du jour, as they simultaneously show of your expertise while helping your customer and engaging them with your brand. Here’s how to create a ‘how to’ article of your own.
Decide on your topic
This is the easy part! Pick a product or service that you offer, and then decide on one aspect of that product/service that you can break down and explain to your prospects and customers. It might be something that your customers regularly ask for help with.
‘How to’ article framework
Heading
Just write ‘How to’ followed by whatever it is you are going to explain. For example:
- How to make beaded jewellery
- How to change a tap washer
- How to quit smoking
To make the headline more compelling, add a sizzling adjective or a persuasive point:
- How to make exquisite beaded jewellery
- How to change a tap washer in less than five minutes
- How to quit smoking without gaining weight
Want more articles like this? Check out the business writing section.
Teaser paragraph
The teaser paragraph is a short, enticing summary that encourages people to read the entire how-to article. Tell the reader what they will learn from reading your article without actually giving away the answers, just as I did with the teaser for this article.
Body
The body of the article includes your ‘how to’ explanation. It’s a good idea to use subheadings or bullet points so that readers are able to scan over your article if they’re busy, and still come away with something valuable.
Conclusion
The conclusion is an interesting wrap up of your article that also reinforces the overall message.
Call to action
If you’d like to encourage comments, then write a question at the end of your article. Try to ensure that your question is general enough to encourage as many comments as possible. On Flying Solo articles, the call to action questions are in bold and italicised at the bottom of each article.
One way, not the only way
There are many ways to write a ‘how to’ article, this is just one of them. Having said that, this framework works well for new writers or people who don’t have a lot of time to write content.
You can do it!
So what are you waiting for? Decide on your topic and follow this simple framework to start writing your own sales-increasing ‘how to’ articles. Your customers will love you for it!
If you penned a ‘how to’ article, what would you write about? And/or do you have any tips on how to write a ‘how to’ article?
