How to Write Informative Texts to Make Readers Care
Only 5 steps to take
- Find a problem to solve
- Break the information into steps
- Describe each step in detail
- Add examples and illustrations
- Read the article again
More on each step (and examples) below.
1. Find a Problem to Solve
It’s critical to choose a topic for your informative content. The main criterion here is this topic’s value for the target audience.
Content creation is resource-consuming: comprehensive articles, guides, how-to videos, and other content take time to plan, prepare, and promote. That’s why it makes sense to invest in evergreen topics that will “pay for themselves.”
How to find such promising topics?
- Examine search queries.
- Ask your customer support team about the clients’ most frequent questions.
- Analyze competitors’ content; find the most popular topics of their blogs.
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After you decide on the topic, think of the best format for your content piece:
Will it be a short blog post or a long read?
Or it’s worth making a checklist or an ebook.
Video content calls the shots now, so it’s worth trying, too, if your resources allow it.
2. Break the Info into Steps
Informative content should be well-structured. Ensure to craft it logically, describing the details step by step. If you skip steps or mix them up, readers will find it difficult to put the instructions into practice.
The more logical the structure, the easier it is for readers to absorb the information.
Think of your topic from the user’s point of view and then write an outline.
If you write comprehensive how-to guides or step-by-step instructions, try crafting a two-column table: Write down the steps in one column and briefly describe each in the second one. Like this:
It will help you see the content’s logic, notice the drawbacks, and revise the outline accordingly.
3. Describe Each Step in Detail
Make each step a separate content block with a corresponding subhead.
As a rule, content creators build the blocks’ structure using the following scheme:
- Beginning: Why the step is essential, when it comes in handy, and what is necessary for taking it.
- Middle: The process itself, what one needs to do, and how to do that to achieve the goal set in the subhead.
- End: What we’ve got in the result; some clarifications if necessary.
For example, you write about customer segmentation. The process is complex and multi-step, so it’s essential to explain first:
Why do you take each step? Or, you can start by explaining when and where to apply the step and then — tell how to take it to achieve the desired result.
4. Add Examples and Illustrations
After you’ve described each step, add illustrations, photos, diagrams, charts, screenshots, and other visual content to the blocks. Think of anything to help the reader visualize the process and understand how to do it right.
Examples and case studies also help visualize content: It’s an element of storytelling, and we know people perceive stories better.
If the article is difficult to illustrate and the text blocks describing the steps appear too long, use text boxes, add quotes, consider highlights — any formatting tricks and elements that will make it easier to read.
5. Read the Article Again
So, the draft of your informational content is ready. Now it’s time to re-read it and answer the following questions:
- Do all the steps come in order? Haven’t I missed anything?
- Are there any complex steps I could break into two separate ones?
- Have I considered all the possible details and pitfalls a user might face?
- Didn’t I forget to list things a user would need to check or take before using the advice from my content?
- Is it clear from the article when the tip is applicable and when it is not?
- Is the text clear? Will my audience be able to use the advice I give?
Informative Content Examples
And now, to practice:
Below are a few examples of informational content from brands that nailed it. Please check for your inspiration and motivation to craft something like that. After all, our followers deserve the best, agree?
🌟Chewy’s blog and YouTube channel:
❓ What makes it good content:
Chewy sells pet products but counts on informative and valuable content, not promo ads or direct selling. Their YouTube channel is full of practical guides about pets, their health, and training:
Educational videos help pet owners, thus building trust and making them choose Chewy’s products for their four-legged friends afterward.
Besides videos, they craft comprehensive text guides on the blog and share the links in video descriptions for users to find more information there. In blog posts, there are naturally built-in links to where pet owners can buy the corresponding products, thus encouraging viewers to visit the website and make purchases.
🌟 Moz’s topic clusters:
❓ What makes it good content:
It’s comprehensive and organized as a cluster, which is effective for SEO and beneficial for users looking for all-in-one guides on the topic. A pillar page covers the steps one needs to take and links to related content, specific and covering each sub-topic in detail.
With comprehensive information about each step, such anchor-linked chapter lists provide value to readers and attract tons of traffic and backlinks to a website.
🌟 HubSpot’s content offer
❓ What makes it good content:
They’ve repurposed and repackaged all the content about their expertise into one actionable guide, offering it in exchange for users’ contact information. It allows users to take the content with them instead of looking for it on the website once they need it.
It’s a surefire way to convert visitors into leads: Offer them something valuable — guides, templates, workbooks, webinars — to build trust and get their contact info for further communication.
Further reading:
Thanks for reading!
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