4) Outline the article step by step

This sounds like a no-brainer, but unsatisfied readers who learned nothing from a how-to article tend to rant about it on chat forums. You don’t want that to happen to you.

Separate the tasks into manageable steps that are easy to follow. You want your readers to focus on one step at a time. If they have trouble following one step, chances are they will not be able to follow the preceding steps. If you’re writing on how to install a new Windows operating system, your outline will look like this:

Insert the disk or flash drive

Restart your PC

On the startup screen, press and hold Del or F2 to enter the BIOS page

Locate the “Boot Order”

Select the location from which you want to start your computer

Move your selected location to the top of the list

Save your settings and exit the BIOS

Restart your PC and follow the on-screen prompts

5) The details are in the steps

This is where you provide a detailed description of how to perform a particular step. You don’t have to use jargon. The important thing is to describe each step in layman’s fashion.

For example, here’s an easy step by step instruction on how to use a chopstick courtesy of web-japan.org:

First, hold the upper chopstick like a pencil, about one-third of the way from its top.

Next, place the second chopstick against your ring finger, holding it with the base of the thumb. It should be pointing the same way as the first chopstick.

Move the upper chopstick with your thumb, index, and middle fingers. Grab food between the lower and upper chopsticks.

6) Do it yourself

The best way to test the effectiveness of your how-to piece is to test yourself. A DIY article requires hands-on work, so if you’re giving instructions on how to replace a doorknob, you’ll have to try replacing a doorknob yourself.  You need the hands-on experience to better connect with your readers.

Moreover, you can provide an instructional video or photographs of your hands-on experience as an actual guide during the different stages of the process.

7) Be concise

Have you ever given oral instructions on how to do something? You tried your best to come up with an easy, step by step process, but along the way, your speech was filled with pauses, gap fillers, and crutch words. In a written how-to piece, make sure that all the instructions fit in and connect to the next process. Reread your article and cut away any ramblings and redundancy that can get in the way of clarity.

Remember what Strunk and White said in The Elements of Style? Good writing should have no unnecessary words in the same manner that a car should have no unnecessary parts. So make it specific and thorough. Your objective is to make sure that your reader learns how to install a new operating system on their computer, behave properly on a date, or shop for the right holiday gift.

8) Read and Revise

Read your first draft aloud and see if all the steps follow one another flawlessly. You can solicit the help of a friend in reading it. Ask him or her if there are any steps missing or if there is any other information that must be included in your how-to piece. Proofread as if your life depends on it before giving your article the go signal.