How to Write How-To Articles That Are Actually Helpful

How-to articles are so popular because they serve the basic need of most internet users: problem-solving. You can find step-by-step guides for just about anything you want to learn, packaged as a how-to article. So content marketers know that this is a type of content format worth using.

You want readers to leave your how-to article feeling understood and well-guided — and hopefully with a practical solution to their problem. Today, we’ll show you how to create such a how-to article and also share an AI marketing tool that will make the task faster and less energy-consuming.

How to write an actionable how-to article in 7 simple steps

Here’s our detailed recipe for creating a how-to article that’s actually worth reading.

1. Choose a topic

For how-to articles, you need to be knowledgeable about your chosen topic. You may not be a certified expert, but you should be able to do in-depth research to tell your reader something new and helpful. 

So, choose your topic carefully. A mix of keyword research and audience analysis should help you decide whether writing about a particular topic is a good fit for you in the first place.

When it comes to finding blog topics, there are several methods you can use to uncover ideas that will resonate with your audience. Here are a few strategies to consider:

1. Keyword Research: Start by conducting keyword research using tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs. Look for keywords related to your niche that have high search volume and low competition. These keywords can spark ideas for blog topics that are in demand.
2. Social Listening: Monitor conversations on social media platforms, forums, and Q&A sites to identify trending topics and common questions within your industry. By listening to what your audience is talking about, you can address their interests and pain points in your blog posts.
3. Competitor Analysis: Keep an eye on your competitors' content and see what topics they are covering. While you shouldn't copy their ideas, analyzing competitor content can inspire you to create unique and valuable blog posts that differentiate you in the market.
4. Customer Surveys and Feedback: Engage with your audience through surveys, polls, or feedback forms to understand their preferences, challenges, and interests. Use this information to tailor your blog content to meet the needs of your target audience effectively.

By combining these methods and staying attuned to industry trends, you can consistently generate engaging blog topics that capture the interest of your readers.

2. Step into the reader’s shoes

Thinking about search intent and the needs of your target audience will help you provide relevant information. Adding unnecessary preamble is one of the common mistakes content writers make with how-to articles.

For instance, if you’re writing an article about how to change a car tire, who would your audience be? Perhaps someone who is stranded, looking for a straightforward, detailed, easy-to-follow how-to article. 

You wouldn’t want to start your article by describing what a tire is or why tires go flat. Dive straight into the tutorial without unnecessary context. Your tone should be friendly and you would use short easy-to-understand sentences.

3. Draft an outline

Content outlines are crucial for how-to articles. While creating yours, walk through the process mentally. Write down all the important steps in chronological order. For example, if you’re writing an article about writing a book, it is only logical that research and writing would come before discussing publishing formats or book promotion.

Disorganized processes can make your article and guidance overwhelming, rather than helpful. So imagine that you were going through the process ahead of the reader. Make sure your rough draft contains information that prepares your reader, much like a tour guide would. 

Drafting an outline doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, it can be done in just 3 easy steps. We actually use this same process for drafting blog outlines here at Jasper!

1. Organize the key points in a logical order.
2. Determine if any sub-steps or additional details are necessary for each main point.
3. Consider the target audience and adjust the level of detail accordingly.

4. Fill in the blanks

This is the meat of your article. Fill out your outlined points by providing in-depth information about the subject matter. Use these tips to make your article stand out: 

Show more than one way to do it

If you’re writing about removing oil stains from clothing, for example, it would be most useful to share several ways to do so. Not everyone will have the same cleaning materials available. Plus, not every method will work for all users.

Include a list of supplies if necessary

If your reader is all set to work on their project when they find your article, you’re doing them a huge favor by reiterating what they’ll need. That way, they can double-check before they start. No one wants to be halfway through when they realize they’ll need to make a trip to the hardware store or install new software before they can move to the next step.

Use action verbs to describe steps

Part of being straightforward is using action words to tell readers what to do. Steps beginning with “Run an internet speed test by…” tend to be more effective than “You should try to run an internet speed test…” Get straight to the point and help readers feel more in charge of the process by telling them what to do — that’s why they’re here!

Talk to the reader 

Pay attention to the way you address the reader. Using “you” throughout your text engages the reader, making them feel like you’re talking to them and you understand their challenges. This works better than referring to your readers as “they” or “people.”

Use a writing assistant

If you’re drowning under your load of articles and it’s affecting the quality of your work, it’s okay to get some help. Using an efficient AI writing assistant is an effective and inexpensive (less costly than a human writer) way to scale your content marketing business while maintaining high-quality content. 

We recommend Jasper, a top AI writer with a variety of writing templates for copywriting, social media marketing, and content marketing. Jasper’s Long-Form Assistant — our favorite template for writing long-form articles — will surely save you a lot of time.

Let’s walk you through creating an article using this template. Say we want to write about how to make soy candles at home.

First, we create a new document in Jasper and select the “Create a blog post” workflow, seen in the screenshot below.

Next, we choose from the 4 blog templates. In this case, we’re writing a how-to article, so we’ll select the Instructional Post template.

At this point, it really just boils down to inputting key information about the blog. Jasper will ask you for a topic, target audience and an outline of the blog. If you haven’t written a blog outline just yet, you can use our AI to generate one for you!

Finally, click on the ‘Generate now’ button and Jasper will create a how-to article tailored for your target audience in a matter of seconds!

It’s really easy — much easier than starting from scratch and brainstorming all the moving parts on your own. The steps we’ve mentioned so far took us under 5 minutes!

You could write the entire article in 20 minutes and spend around another 20 minutes tweaking and formatting. Think of all you could accomplish if it only took 40 minutes to an hour to write and publish one blog article.

Images for visual guidance

Images are super important for how-to articles, especially if you’re writing an article about a complicated topic. Whether they’re graphics, screenshots, or real pictures, don’t miss a chance to explain concepts more clearly to your audience.

You could also use an AI art generator like Jasper Art to create unique visuals that align with the branding, tone and style of your blog. For example, if you were writing a blog about storage options for board game collectors, you could create visuals of board game shelves and customized boxes on a whim. It’s a great alternative to using generic stock photos when you don’t have access or the resources to original photography.

Add key tips and callouts

Spice up your article with areas of blockquotes and bolded tips you don’t want readers to miss. These could be words of caution, expert recommendations, or do’s and don’ts to keep in mind.

You can also use bullet points or numbered lists to break up long paragraphs and make your content more visually appealing. Remember, people have a short attention span when browsing the internet, so it’s important to keep your content engaging and easy to digest.

Another helpful tip is to add relevant links throughout your article. This not only adds credibility to your content by citing reputable sources, but it also allows readers to further explore topics that interest them. Plus, including internal links within your own blog can increase website traffic and improve SEO.

5. Finish with a resounding conclusion

To close out your detailed article, we advise writing a brief roundup of the main steps wherever possible. This could be as a list of bullet points or even as a paragraph. 

For example, to conclude our candle-making how-to article, we could remind readers of any key points, safety tips, and best practices as well as three of the most important steps to get right during the process. This helps the reader remember the main points even after closing the article — more value for them, and of course, more appreciation for your article!

6. Ready to publish

After proofreading your article, it’s time to decide on a headline. You can format your headline in a number of ways. Some go-to styles for how-to articles are:

• How to [Do a Certain Thing]
• [Number] Easy Tips/Ways to [Do a Certain Thing]
• The Best Way to [Do a Certain Thing]
• Your Ultimate Guide to [Doing a Certain Thing]
• Here’s What You Should Know About [Doing a Certain Thing]

Finally, link to related articles. Most readers looking for how-to articles have set aside a chunk of time to learn about a certain topic. Ensure that they remain on your site for as long as possible by providing plenty of good content to explore.

4 how-to article examples and why they work

We love to show our tips in action because it makes them easier to apply. Here are five how-to article examples doing all the right things. We’ve highlighted specific reasons why these posts work for us and what you can learn from them.

Shopify: How to get reviews for your Shopify apps

This Shopify article uses callouts beautifully to highlight important tips. 

It also shares do’s and don’ts as part of the steps. This way, critical points don’t get lost in all the text.

Ahrefs: How to implement the 4 Ps of marketing

Ahrefs is known for creating highly actionable how-to articles. Besides using simple language, they also add videos to explain tricky concepts, which users appreciate.

We love this conclusion for repeating main points and showing users what to take away from the article. 

Semrush: How to set up a WordPress Sitemap

For some how-to articles, a lengthy intro is pointless. However, for complex subjects like this one, newbies may need a more in-depth intro defining key terms. We love how this article does it.

Remember what we said about using screenshots? These are invaluable, particularly when writing about technical things. Many people have zero tech capabilities but are forced to figure stuff out on their own. This post holds your hand through the process.

Zapier: How to turn off Smart Compose

Our last example does something simple, but necessary by bolding important points to ensure that readers follow the guide closely and successfully. 

The easiest way to write how-to articles

Understanding the basics of writing how-to articles is important. You need to meet your audience at their point of need, write detailed step-by-step guidance and additional tips to keep them on track. But it’s hard to do all the work on your own.

Jasper’s Long-Form Assistant takes the guesswork out of your writing and helps you free up your time for other important aspects of your business. We’ve shown you how it works, but there’s nothing like trying it out yourself. Jasper also provides resources to make using the AI easier.

Sign up for Jasper today and get started on your next how-to article!