I Found 9 Expert Tips for Creating a Guide (+ Examples)

A guide is educational content that provides step-by-step instructions for a process from start to finish. This can be a video or written guide that provides best practices, examples of ideal results or trends, and insights on key themes.

Great guidance brings many benefits to businesses. You can use them internally to train employees Standardize processes or as part of your content marketing. In this article we will focus on the latter.

Why creating a guide is important

Today people have more access to information than ever before.

They expect to find everything they need with just a few clicks on their smartphone, and companies are no exception to this expectation.

Here are some of the biggest benefits it brings to businesses.

Advantages of instructions

They support and empower customers.

People want to be able to do things themselves (make a purchase, set up a product, learn a skill, etc.) without asking for advice. Actually, 44% of B2B customers are opting for self-service channels, according to a report from Heretto.

This is one of the areas where well-crafted guidance can be helpful.

Guides can help customers troubleshoot problems themselves and answer frequently asked questions. For example, I recently found it this guide from Apple super helpful when trading in an old iPhone.

By providing these resources, customers don’t have to wait in line for a live chat or phone call or sit around frustrated. They can simply visit your website and access the information they need when they need it.

They offer 24/7 access to help.

Your customer service and technical support representatives may not be available 24/7, especially if you are a small business. Fortunately, guides can help even if this is not the case. Customers don’t have to wait and can solve their problems faster.

You save your support team time.

In my experience, having guidance available also helps your support team focus on the issues that really need their attention.

Instead of answering simple questions like “How do I set up my new computer?” or “How do I use the automation tool?” You can send along a guide that will hopefully help, and then move on to solving more difficult, user-specific problems.

Some of these guides can even be used to promote sales, but that’s another topic to cover. Find out more about it here.

You inform your audience.

How-tos are also a valuable way to reach new audiences with applicable, high-quality content. Think about how many people search “How to…” on Google every day:

These search queries alone show how great the possibilities are to reach an audience with “how-tos”.

If your business can reach your consumers with informative and relevant answers to their questions, these users will begin to view your brand as an authority in the field.

You provide them with valuable knowledge and help build their trust in your brand. Later, these readers could become customers and loyal brand ambassadors who spread the word about your products or services.

Challenges of instructions

Of course, how-to guides offer brands a wealth of opportunity, but they are not without their challenges. Here are some possible disadvantages to consider.

They must be detailed and specific.

One look at the bookshelf next to my desk and I have angry flashbacks to how vague and incomplete the assembly instructions were. I’m sure many of us have had similar experiences. So don’t leave it up to your brand to cause this.

When creating instructions, be as specific and detailed as possible. Add visual descriptions or, better yet, images or examples so people can follow along. Depending on the topic, you may even want to prefer a video instead of text.

The more specific you can be with your instructions in a guide, the more effective it is likely to be. This is all part of a good customer experience.

Creating them can be time-consuming.

Because great guides have to be so thorough, they can be extremely time-consuming to create. If your team wants to create one, make sure they allocate enough time and resources.

They must be easily accessible.

A guide is only valuable if it can be easily found by your audience and used when needed. This means you need to publish and promote it effectively.

Will you include a link or QR code in related materials? Will there be a how-to section on your website? Create a plan to get your guides to the people who need them.

Popular ways to share your guide include:

They can quickly become outdated.

Finally, instructions can quickly become outdated, especially if they relate to technology or software. I can’t tell you how many social media guides I’ve written that become outdated within a few months as apps are updated and best practices evolve.

Investing in guidance ensures your team is ready to make necessary updates when needed.

Now that you know what you need to consider when creating a guide, let’s break down the individual steps.

note: If you still need help, you can find HubSpot’s Creator Guide here. It’s a new tool that offers a quick and easy-to-use solution for creating guides. The Guide Creator is ideal for documenting your company’s products, systems and processes – and it’s free.

How to create a guide

1. Identify your topic.
2. Understand your target audience.
3. Research your topic thoroughly.
4. Create a step-by-step outline.
5. Add valuable images, videos and descriptions.
6. Review your outline and research from the reader’s perspective.
7. Test the process.
8. Link to other resources.

1. Identify your topic.

Start with online community forums like Quora or feedback from your community to find out what biggest concerns or challenges your audience might have.

This information will help you determine what content to include in your guide.

For example, if you’re writing “How to Create a Content Marketing Strategy,” you might do the following:

• First, look at the answers to “What is Content Marketing?” on Quora and other online forums. These user-generated answers can help you identify common topics, misunderstandings, or confusion surrounding content marketing.
• Reach out to your network to learn about common content marketing issues. For example, you may find that most of your audiences say content marketing is their priority – but they don’t know how to make it happen on a limited budget.

This research will provide you with the information you need to create a guide that addresses relevant concerns about your topic. The following video is an example of a content marketing guide that addresses specific audience pain points.

2. Understand your target audience.

Who is reading this guide? Are you a new customer or user? Are you a beginner in the subject? Your audience and their goals determine everything else about your guide. Therefore, make sure you fully understand the target audience. It is their behavior that you must emulate and influence.

Reviewing your buyer persona with your topic in mind is a good place to start.

3. Research your topic thoroughly.

Even if you are incredibly knowledgeable about a topic, do some external research. If you understand a topic well, it may be more difficult to write a guide on that topic because you may make assumptions about what should be covered. Challenge your bias.

Follow these tips for your research:

• Look at your competitors to see how they write their guides.
• Do keyword research to find out what words people who want to learn this skill use to search for instructions.
• Use Ahrefs, SEMrushor another SEO tool to find more similar keywords and searches. This can help you create a comprehensive article that answers all your readers’ questions and helps you rank on Google.
• Look for expert opinions, popular books, and other resources that can provide you with details that make your guide special.

To illustrate, let’s say you’re writing a blog post on “How to make an omelet.” If you do your research, you’ll find what you’re looking for Simply Recipes post at the top of your Google search.

As you dive into the post, you’ll see that Simply Recipe includes sections including:

• French vs. American Omelets
• The best pan for making omelettes
• Omelette filling ideas

If you want your omelette guide to be the best, you should cover just as much – if not more – than what Simply Recipe includes in its post. This might mean incorporating other types of omelettes, cooking approaches, or expert tips from well-known chefs.

As you research, remember to fact-check your sources. You want to make sure your guide is trustworthy and won’t cause you any legal or other problems later.

4. Create a step-by-step outline.

Now that you’ve done your research, it’s time to organize your ideas.

Once you know the process well, write down from memory all the steps you would take. Then combine this with any new ideas you learned during research to create a step-by-step outline for your guide.

Remember: Many readers will use your guide as a how-to list. Therefore, you may need to revise your outline several times to ensure that each step of your strategy is straightforward.

But what to do when things aren’t so clear?

For example, loudly this guide from CNETThere are four different ways to take a screenshot on a Mac computer.

The correct instructions for the user depend on their computer and operating system. In such situations, you need to decide which approach to focus on and make it clear to the reader or be prepared to cover all options.

5. Add valuable images, videos and descriptions.

Use visuals like GIFs, images, screenshots, and videos to complement your instructions.

The best visual elements make your instructions easier and quicker to understand.

For example in the Great British Bake Off In technical competitions, bakers are often asked to bake recipes they have never seen before.

When a baker isn’t sure what the final product should look like, they rely on instructions to get it right.

Written instructions can be interpreted in different ways, and if they get something wrong they have to start over, which takes more time.

This is a great example of what can happen when users can’t imagine what to do. Pictures and videos can help avoid this confusion.

This is even easier if you choose to watch a video, like Purple does here:

Pro tip: Save screenshots on the go.

You can save yourself a lot of time and hassle by taking screenshots of your steps while testing instead of trying to do them again later.

You can save even more time and hassle by automating the process. Tools like HubSpot’s free Guide Creator can automatically capture both the steps and images as you complete the task.

Be sure to include one for each step and think about which image would most accurately represent that step. Remember that a minor task that is obvious to you as an experienced user may not be obvious to everyone.

6. Review your outline and research from the reader’s perspective.

Ask yourself, “Why do my readers need or want to know this?”

Understanding the larger purpose of a topic can encourage you to write with empathy. Additionally, it helps you create content that exactly meets your reader’s expectations and needs.

For example, when I wrote “How to Create a Facebook Group for Your Business,” I took some time to learn that readers might search this topic if:

• They are looking for new ways to connect with customers
• They want to create a stronger sense of brand community
• You want to increase awareness of your products or services

As a result I wrote:

“A group is a good idea if you are interested in connecting your customers or leads, you want to foster a sense of community around your brand, or you want to showcase your brand as a thought leader in the industry.

However, a group is not a good idea if you want to use it to draw attention to your products or services, or simply to post company announcements.”

In the example above, I targeted a few different reader segments with different goals to help them figure out if this guide would even help them achieve their goals.

Ultimately, it is crucial to understand the purpose of your guide to ensure that you address all of the different components or aspects of the topic.

7. Test the process.

Once you’re done writing your guide, it’s time to try it out. Follow the instructions exactly as written and look for opportunities to provide greater clarity.

Pro tip: If you can, have someone else test the process for you. You never know how a choice of words or a set of instructions will impact another person. That’s why it’s advisable to test it with a small group of friends or colleagues.

Be clear about what you’re looking for, expect questions and critical feedback, and engage with a diverse group of people to get the most valuable insights.

8. Link to other resources.

It’s also a good idea to point readers to other valuable resources if they want to learn more. Link to other relevant blog posts, pillar pages, or eBooks so readers can find further information on the topics mentioned in your guide.

They can be yours or other creators as long as you credit your source. This is another way to build trust and authority with your audience.

Instruction template

If you’re not sure how to structure your guide, here’s a simple template you can follow.

Section 1: Overview

This is a summary/introduction of what your guide will cover. State the purpose of the guide, why the information is important, and what the reader will achieve after reading it.

You can also use this part of the guide to go into background information like I did with the pros and cons.

Section 2: Materials Required

List all materials and tools needed to complete the process described in your guide. They can be digital or tangible.

Section 3: Step-by-step instructions

Break the process down into clear, concise steps. Add formatting to make it easier to follow and images or videos to help you further explain.

Optional Section 4: Tips

Do you know any additional tips, tricks, or hacks that might help someone get the most out of your process? Share them here for added value.

Optional Section 5: Troubleshooting/FAQs

What common questions or problems do people encounter during this process? Talk to her here.

Optional Section 6: Additional Resources

Are there other educational resources that someone reading this guide would find valuable? Share them here.

Section 7: Conclusion

Summarize the guide and reiterate the benefits of following the steps outlined. Use this time to increase your audience’s confidence in their ability to take action after completing this guide and, if appropriate, provide them with next steps or a call to action.

Creator’s Guide

If the process you cover is web-based, HubSpot is suitable Guide Creator takes the tedious work out of creating travel guides out of your hands.

Download for free

Whether it’s customers, prospects, or colleagues, all you need to do is install the free Chrome extension, click Start Capture, and go through your process. The tool automatically creates screenshots and documents the steps you take.

When you click Stop Collecting, you will be taken to a page where you can edit the instructions and publish the guide.

Once you’re ready to start writing your guide, you may wonder whether your tone or style should be different from other ways of writing.

In short: yes, it should.

Here are some other tips and best practices to keep in mind when writing a guide:

1. Open with an overview.

A good guide begins with a clear overview or description of what the audience can expect from it. This overview should include:

• A quick summary of your guide
• What your audience needs to use it
• What they will achieve if they follow the instructions
• Why it’s worth it

Pro tip: It’s usually easier to write the first paragraph of content last – including instructions. This way, all the details are complete and you only need a few short, attention-grabbing sentences to attract your readers.

Check out this post if you need help Write introductions.

2. Begin each step with a verb.

Verbs put your instructions into action. These active words can help your readers imagine themselves completing the task as you teach them how to do it. They are also direct and require less thought from the reader.

For example, think of “Write a company background” as opposed to “Your RFP should start with a brief background about your company.”

The first is very clear about what you need to do. The second digestion takes a little longer.

When writing, avoid passive verbs like in the following examples:

• “Flour and water were mixed together.”
• “The side tab has opened so we can click on the box at the top.”

It’s better to use active alternatives:

• “Mix the flour and water.”
• “Open the Page tab and click the box at the top.”

If you find yourself frequently falling into passive voice when writing, use a grammar checker tool to identify and correct your mistakes.

3. Show examples completely.

You can make your instructions clearer by adding images or examples.

Of course, you’ll want to use sensory details and actions to create an image in their mind as you write your instructions. But from there, combine images with the written text so your audience doesn’t have to guess or interpret what you meant.

We regularly include examples in articles here at HubSpot. In fact, you can find several of them in this article.

4. Keep the steps simple and concise.

Simplicity makes your guide easier to understand and implement, but how do you ensure you don’t overcomplicate things?

A good best practice is to think about your process in phases – the beginning, the middle and the end – and then define the steps within those phases. This will help you get specific and be wary of combining multiple actions in one step.

Pro tip: Don’t hold back on your first draft. Write down every detail, then go back and look for any additional content that might be distracting and can be removed.

Also, try removing extra words. Writing concise texts requires a lot of practice. If your guide is longer than necessary and you’re not sure how to cut out the extra text, these tips may help:

• Cut out “that” and “that” if it makes sense
• Limit adverbs and adjectives such as “very,” “really,” and “literally.”
• Replace three- and four-syllable words with shorter alternatives

5. Make your instructions easy to understand.

In my experience, many people skim guidebooks. This means they quickly skip over text that contains stories, data, or more in-depth details and look for the corresponding actions.

Taking this habit into account can lead to a more pleasant user experience.

People tend to pay attention to introductions, summaries, or the first and last sentences of a paragraph. So focus on these areas. Additionally, use bold, underlined, or highlighted text to draw attention to important information.

Numbered lists, headings, and bullet points can also help summarize the text, making your guide easier and quicker to understand.

6. Write for a specific skill level.

If you’re a subject matter expert, you may be combining beginner and advanced terms in your writing without realizing it. This creates inconsistencies that can confuse your audience and make your guide difficult to understand.

If this concerns you, scan your instructions for jargon when proofreading. You can also ask proofreaders from other niches and industries to check if your vocabulary is consistently appropriate for the target audience.

7. Tell an exciting story.

The best guides are more than just practical; It’s fun to read them. Tell a story to keep your guide engaging. Be sure to convey a clear message throughout the guide, add personal experiences, and use conflict to create interest.

Let’s say you’re writing a guide to adding software to a computer. A potential point of conflict could be that there is not enough disk space to complete the installation.

This doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it can be frustrating if you’ve ever experienced it. If you can clearly convey this image to your audience, they are more likely to follow your instructions.

8. Write with empathy.

People who turn to counselors are looking for help. So make sure you understand where they are coming from. This is a great way to resonate with your audience and build trust.

They say that you know that learning or honing a new skill can be frustrating and that you are there to help.

For example, in the guide “How to Plan Your Facebook Ads Budget (and Make the Biggest Impact),” Ramona Sukhraj, Principal Marketing Manager at HubSpot, immediately addresses her audience by saying, “If the budget is causing you too much stress, we have one. “A lot in common, my friend.”

9. Stay positive.

Anyone looking for a guide is trying to expand their knowledge of the world. This seems simple, but it also involves significant risk.

Many people stop trying new things because they don’t want to look stupid. So when you write, remember that learning is exciting, but often unpleasant.

A positive writing style can help your readers feel more comfortable venturing into the unknown. Encouraging stories, word choice, and tone can make complex instructions easier to handle. They can inspire and motivate.

You can also add some positivity by toning down negative information. For example, instead of saying, “You’ll probably fail the first time,” try saying something like, “This skill may require some practice before you’re an expert.”

Examples of instructions

Examples of B2B instructions

“How to Write the Perfect 90 Day Plan”

why me like this example: This B2B how-to guide provides important contextual details about this the 90 day planincluding “What is a 90-Day Plan?” and “What Should Be in a 90-Day Plan?” The piece is well-researched and written with sensitivity.

The guide provides a downloadable 90-day plan in PDF format so readers can start using Atlassian’s program with their team immediately.

Take away: Consider what eBooks, PDFs, charts, Canva designs, or Google Sheets you can create in-house and offer to readers for download. Readers will appreciate the opportunity to immediately apply what they have learned.

“How to Build Brand Consistency”

Why I like this example: Collaborating with complementary companies and services can add more depth and perspective to your guide. This example is comprehensive and full of valuable resources from HubSpot and Brandfolder. It also uses relevant data to highlight important sections.

Take away: Look for creative ways to enhance your guide, especially if you’re writing about a topic your audience already knows.

“How to generate more high-quality leads with Google Ads”

Why I like this example: When creating guides for more advanced topics, it’s important to create a foundation for your readers.

This guide begins with a detailed introduction to the case, detailing current statistics and trends. Relevant topics are then covered at each stage of the buyer’s journey. Next, it provides a helpful checklist, links, and resources for implementing these insights.

Take away: A clear structure makes it easier to understand complex topics. So consider the ideal starting and ending points for your expert readers when writing about specific and advanced topics.

Examples of B2C instructions

“How to Master Lead Generation in HubSpot”

Why I like this example: This video takes a popular topic relevant to our buyers, lead generation, and provides all the basic knowledge someone needs to get started.

It then uses the video format to show viewers exactly how to complete common lead generation tasks like creating landing pages in the HubSpot tool.

Software tutorials are one of the best use cases for video tutorials.

“How to become a freelancer”

Why I like this example: This guide does a great job of providing relevant links and data to create a comprehensive overview of what freelancing is. Additionally, the post uses action verbs to inspire the reader.

Check out “How to Start a Freelancing Business” for tips like “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 quickly.

Take away: Use action verbs and concise language to engage the reader. When listing the steps, start with a verb instead of a noun.

“How to Start a Successful Blog”

Why I like this example: This is an excellent guide for beginners because it contains resources that provide multiple ways to familiarize yourself with the material. This guide is packed with checklists, links to courses, templates, and tools that can help anyone starting a blog.

Take away: There are many different learning styles. The more opportunities you give your students to absorb the information you share, the more likely they are to benefit from your guide.

“How to Become a Leader”

Why I like this example: This example offers a personal perspective on leadership that goes beyond typical advice.

It also uses creative headlines like “Beyond the Paycheck: What We Wish For,” “Doubters: Dangers of Learning from the Extraordinary,” and “Great Companies Don’t Always Make Good Decisions” to engage the reader in the content.

Take away: Deliver comprehensive how-to topics from a unique perspective and increase interest with relevant stories.

Lifestyle guide examples

“11 Ways to Quickly Stop Stress in Your Life”

Why I like this example: I clicked about this post I’m expecting some quick and easy tips to stop stress. Instead, I was engrossed in the first section of the post, “The Effects of Stress on Your Life.”

Although I’ve already mentioned the importance of starting with a quick answer to the searcher’s question, there are exceptions to this rule. In this case, readers need to understand the why before they understand the how.

Take away: Play with the structure. Think about what your readers need to know for the rest of the post to be meaningful to them.

For example, you might start with a section: “What is XYZ?” and “Why XYZ is important” before moving on to “How to do XYZ.” This way, your readers are fully interested in finding out how these tips can improve their lives in some small (or big) way.

“How to make honey cake”

Why I like this example: This guide is clearly organized so that readers can quickly identify a) what makes this recipe unique, b) what ingredients they need, and c) how to prepare it.

If a reader already knows the ingredients necessary for honey cake, they can click “Jump to Recipe” immediately.

Take away: When structuring your guide, think about organizing it so that readers can jump straight to what they need.

“How to become more productive”

Why I like this example: Instructions are more than just written instructions. Useful images, breakout pages that highlight external links, and infographics are effective additions to this example.

With an excellent balance of features and white space, this guide is visually appealing and can be skimmed quickly.

Conclusion: It doesn’t matter how well written your instructional text is if it needs to be well designed. Take a look at the guide samples to get inspiration for the look and feel of your guide design.

Create a guide worth sharing.

The right guidance can change a person’s life. It can also significantly boost your business, improve customer experience, and more.

Creating a good step-by-step guide requires some planning, research and know-how. Your experience can help someone make a difference. Just create a direction where your knowledge is worth sharing.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in March 2021. It has been updated for relevance and accuracy.