Since Infobarrel .com features nearly a thousand how to articles and how to guides, I figured it would probably be a good idea to go over the basics on how to write a successful how to guide.





1. The Topic

2. Opening Paragraph

3. Materials Required

4. Warnings/Tips

5.Numbered Steps

6. References/Resources

7. Conclusion

The first thing you should do when writing a how to guide, is decide what topic you want to write about. Try to write about topics you know people will search for, this will increase your chance of your article getting natural traffic from Google. Also, try to make your topic similar to what you would type in when looking something up in Google. If you are writing a guide that teaches you how to brush your teeth, your title should be 'How to Brush your Teeth'.Next, you will want to create your opening paragraph. The opening paragraph should be clear and concise and tell the reader exactly what your how to article should help them accomplish. In this paragraph you should set the reader's expectations. Make sure you don't promise them the world if your guide can't deliver.In order to not waste your reader's time, the next paragraph should outline all the materials needed to perform your guide. It is annoying for the reader if they get half way through your guide and realize they don't have something needed to complete the project because you forgot to list it.If there is anything hazardous about performing your guide, you should give your reader a heads up in the paragraph following the required materials. This is also a great place to outline a few basic tips or things to look out for while following your guide.Next is the meat and potatoes of your article; the steps. Outline each step with a number to make your guide easier to follow. Make each step short and easy to understand. Don't assume the reader has any background in what they are doing and cover every last tiny step.If you have taken information from books, websites or other sources, make sure you credit them before the article is complete. References are always great to support any arguments from reader's who disagree with your methods.Finally, wrap your how to article up with a conclusion that talks about the final product. There should be no confusion about what the reader just accomplished; they should leave with a solid understanding of whatever it was you were trying to teach.That is it folks! Stick to these simple steps and your how to articles and how to guides will be helpful and provide value to the reader.