具有讽刺意味的是,我目前正在写关于……操作指南的操作指南。
幸运的是,多年来我在为 HubSpot 编写操作指南方面有相当多的经验——我最喜欢的一些包括如何进行有说服力的演讲,如何制定内容策略:从头到尾的指南及如何写提案请求.
在这里,我们将探索在制作操作指南时使用的正确结构以及如何编写全面的操作指南。 我们还将查看一些令人印象深刻的操作指南示例,以获取灵感。 让我们开始吧。
Benefits of Creating a How-To Guide
How-to guides are valuable opportunities to reach new audiences with useful, high-quality content. For both B2B and B2C businesses, how-to guides are often necessary for a healthy lead generation strategy.
For instance, consider how many people search “How to [fill in the blank]” on Google each day:
这些搜索查询展示了人们转向互联网的主要原因之一:学习如何做某事。
如果您的企业可以通过信息丰富、相关的问题答案来吸引这些消费者,这些用户将开始将您的品牌视为该主题的权威。
Down the road, those 同 readers you first attracted with a how-to guide could become customers and loyal brand advocates who spread the word about your products or services.
Suffice to say: How-to guides are worth adding to your content arsenal.
How to Make a How-To Guide
1. Conduct research to ensure your guide is the most comprehensive piece on the topic.
Depending on the topic, you want to write something that caters to the specific audience you’re targeting. For instance, if you’re writing a how-to guide targeted toward mechanics, there are certain terms and descriptions you can forgo, as you assume a mechanic is already well versed in this.
However, if you were targeting the average vehicle owner, your content will have to be jargon-free and descriptive enough to resonate with that audience.
As such, it’s important that your first step in how to make a how-to guide is making sure your content is comprehensive. Here’s how to do it:
- 进行关键词研究 to see what people want to learn.
- 使用 Arel=”noopener”目标=”_blank”hrefs, SEMrush, or another SEO tool to identify similar keywords and queries. This can help you create a well-rounded piece that will answer all your readers’ questions, and help you rank on Google.
- 看看你的竞争对手,看看他们是如何编写指南的。
For instance, let’s say you’re writing a blog post, “How to Make an Omelette.” Upon conducting research, you findSimply Recipe’s post is at the top of Google.
Diving into the post, you’ll see Simply Recipe has covered sections including “French Verses American Omelettes,” “The Best Pan for Making Omelettes,” and even “Ideas for Omelette Fillings.”
If you want to create your own how-to guide on omelettes, then, you’ll want to cover all – if not more – of the sections Simply Recipe has in its post.
Even if you know a topic incredibly well, research isn’t a step you should skip. In fact, knowing a topic well can make it 更多 difficult to write a how-to guide on the topic, as you might make assumptions about what should be covered.
For that reason, rely on your research to ensure you’re including all relevant information.
2. Understand your target audience’s concerns and challenges.
For this step, leverage online community forums like Quora的 or internal, historical data to identify the concerns or challenges your target audience might have. That information will help you identify content to include in your guide.
If you’re writing “How to Create a Content Marketing Strategy,” for instance, you could follow these steps:
- 首先查看对“什么是内容营销?” on Quora. These user-generated responses can help you identify common themes, misconceptions, or confusion around content marketing.
- Reach out to your research marketing team to identify common pain points or questions they’ve seen in surveys or focus groups regarding “content marketing.” For instance, you might find that most of your audience says content marketing is a priority for them — but they don’t know how to do it on a budget.
Conducting qualitative research like this arms you with the information necessary to ensure your how-to guide addresses all relevant concerns on a given topic.
3. Structure your steps in the correct order for your reader, and when possible, use screenshots.
Your readers will 从您的页面跳出 if it’s too difficult for them to quickly find the answer to their question. With this in mind, deliver it as quickly as possible — and in the right order.
Many readers will use your how-to guide as a list of instructions. For instance, if you’re writing, “How to Take a Screenshot on a Mac,” you’ll want to write down each specific action necessary to take a screenshot. When possible, use visuals like GIFs, images, screenshots, and videos to supplement your instructions.
For less tactical, more ambiguous topics, use bullet points and examples for easy readability and understanding
4. Tell the reader why it matters.
编写操作指南的最后一步是问自己:“为什么我的读者需要或想知道这个?”
了解主题背后的高级目的可以鼓励您以同理心写作。 此外,它将帮助您创建准确满足读者期望和需求的内容。
例如,当写“如何为您的企业创建 Facebook 群组,” I took some time to identify that readers might search this topic if a) they are seeking out new ways to connect with customers or want to create a stronger sense of brand community, or b) they want to raise awareness about their products or services.
结果,我写道:
“如果您有兴趣联系您的客户或相互引导,您想要促进围绕您的品牌的社区意识,或者您希望展示您的品牌作为行业思想领袖,那么一个小组是个好主意. 然而,如果你想用它来提高对你的产品或服务的认识,或者只是用它来发布公司公告,那么创建一个群组并不是一个好主意。”
在上面的示例中,您可以看到我针对具有不同目的的几个不同读者群,以帮助读者确定此操作指南是否甚至可以帮助他们实现自己的目标。
最终,了解您的操作指南背后的目的对于确保您针对手头主题的所有不同组成部分或角度至关重要。
How to Write a How-To Guide
Once you’re ready to start writing your how-to guide, you might wonder if your tone or writing style should differ, compared to other types of posts.
简而言之:是的,它应该。
When people search “How to …” they’re often in a rush to find the information they need, which means it’s critical you write in short, concise sentences to provide an answer quickly.
Additionally, how-to guides need to offer tactical, actionable advice on a topic so readers can begin implementing the steps immediately.
There’s a world of difference between readers who search “What is an RFP?”, and those who search “How to write an RFP.”
While the former group is looking for a definition of RFPs and maybe an example or two, the latter group likely already has a fair understanding of RFPs and needs to create one ASAP.
When writing a how-to guide, here are some best practices to keep in mind:
- 写出步骤时使用动词。 Say, “Write a company background” rather than “Your RFP should start with a brief background on your company.”
- Use numbered lists, headers, and bullet points to break up the text and make your content as easy to skim as possible.
- Use both screenshots and written text for readers who can’t load the image on their screen or don’t understand what you’re trying to tell them from the image itself.
- Link out to other relevant blog posts, pillar pages, or ebooks so readers can find follow-up information on certain topics mentioned in your how-to guide.
- 提供例子 to show your readers what you mean.
- Write with empathy, acknowledging it can be frustrating when learning or refining a new skill.
How-to guides often attract a wide range of readers, all with varying levels of expertise.
“How to Create a YouTube Channel,” for instance, likely attracts YouTube beginners who are simply interested in creating a channel to watch and comment on friends’ posts.
However, it probably 还 attracts professional marketers who need to create a channel for their business to attract and convert leads.
With such a diverse audience, it’s critical you write clearly, but not condescendingly, to ensure you retain readers regardless of skill level or background experience.
编写教程与编写操作指南的方式有区别吗?
教程和指南通常可互换使用,以定义解释如何完成特定任务的内容。 虽然有些人认为一个比另一个更具描述性,但您会发现它因品牌而异。
也许最显着的区别是操作指南和用户手册之间的区别。 操作指南通常是漏斗顶部的内容,旨在吸引用户并产生潜在客户。
用户手册通常是为已经购买了产品或服务并需要有关如何使用它的分步说明的人创建的。
一个属于营销材料,另一个则更多地与产品相关。
How-To Guide Examples
1. The Recipe How-To Guide
McCormick’s “How to recipe guide on french toast” is neatly organized so readers can quickly determine a) how long the recipe will take, b) the ingredients they’ll need, and c) how to find the recipe.
If a reader already knows the ingredients necessary for french toast, they can click on “Instructions” to get started right away.
Alternatively, say a reader prefers viewing instructions rather than reading, they can click on “Watch How-To Video.” This offers a good variety for visitors who consume content differently.
总结: as you’re structuring your own how-to guide, consider how you can best organize it so readers can jump straight to what they need. In addition, account for the medium that your target audience will prefer.
2. The B2B How-To Guide
Atlassian’s “How to Write the Perfect 90-Day Plan” provides important contextual details to the 90-day plan, including “What is a 90-day plan?” and “What should be included in a 90-day plan?” The piece is well-researched and written with empathy.
Best of all, the guide provides a downloadable 90-day plan PDF, so readers can immediately download and use Atlassian’s plan with their own team.
总结:考虑您可以在内部创建并提供给读者下载的电子书、PDF、图表、Canva 设计或 Google 表格。 读者会喜欢立即应用所学知识的选项。
3. The B2C How-To Guide
这个 ”How to Become a Freelancer” guide from FlexJobs does a good job providing relevant links and data to create a comprehensive overview of what freelancing is.
此外,该帖子还使用动作动词来激发读者的灵感。
Under “How to Start a Freelance Business.” you’ll see tips such as “Do Your Homework,” “Create a Brand,” and “Plan Ahead.” The language used in this post goes a long way toward encouraging readers to get started immediately.
总结:使用动作动词和简洁的语言来吸引读者。 如果可能,在列出步骤时以动词而不是名词开头。
4. The Product-Related How-To Guide
This article by How-To Geek, titled “How to Find Data in Google Sheets with VLOOKUP,” isn’t necessarily the most 有趣 主题。
However, the brand effectively keeps the content engaging with empathetic statements like, “VLOOKUP might sound confusing, but it’s pretty simple once you understand how it works.”
Additionally, How-To Geek includes useful, original images to demonstrate each tip they’re describing.
These images don’t have to be state-of-the-art visuals created by a professional design team, either — as this post proves, a few simple screenshots go a long way toward helping readers understand a complex topic.
总结: When possible, create your own visuals/screenshots to walk readers through each step-by-step instruction.
5. The Lifestyle How-To Guide
I recently saw this post in Medium titled, “11 种快速消除生活压力的方法设立的区域办事处外,我们在美国也开设了办事处,以便我们为当地客户提供更多的支持。“
I clicked on it expecting a few quick, easy tips for stopping stress. Instead, I was engrossed in the first section of the post, “The Effects of Stress in Your Life.”
虽然我之前提到过从快速回答搜索者的操作问题开始的重要性,但该规则也有例外。
In this case, it’s important readers understand the 为什么 前 形成一种.
总结: 玩弄结构。 考虑一下你的读者需要知道什么才能让帖子的其余部分对他们有意义。 例如,您可以从一个部分开始,“什么是 XYZ?” 和“为什么 XYZ 很重要”,然后再深入“如何做 XYZ”。 通过这种方式,您的读者可以全神贯注地了解这些技巧如何以某种小(或大)方式改善他们的生活。
编者按:这篇文章最初发表于 2021 年 XNUMX 月。为了保持新鲜度和准确性,它已经更新。
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