Today’s blogging challenge is to write an instructional post or a “How To” post.
As an artist striving to entice website visitors and sell artwork, producing informational “How To” posts should be the main focus in your content marketing strategy.
“How To” posts will not only help you to drive more traffic to your artist website, but it will also build authority.
The following tips will help you to create better “How To” posts that are rewarded by Google and will drive art collectors to your artist website.
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Why Should I Write An Instructional Post
If you do not know the answer for a question or you want to learn how to solve a problem, probably the first source you turn into is the Internet.
It is not only because we can get solution relatively fast and there is a little chance that there will be no answer at all. We also love Internet for giving us a detailed, step-by-step instructions, which are ineligible for beginners and advanced users.
This is why article that explains thoroughly how to achieve something appeals to the audience and gets the credit. Especially, if an author provides comprehensive instructions together with visuals. (Source: JJ Martin Zerys.com)
To Read more visit How-To Content: 5 Tips For Writing Better Instructional Blog Posts
You are reading this post because you are trying to learn how to write better art blog posts that will drive more traffic to your artist website.
The keywords are “How-To.”
Potential art buyers are also searching for information every day.
If you can provide a solution to their questions, you will win.
More art collectors will visit your site than other artists who are only uploading art for sale on their online gallery.
Why Do People Search On The Internet
One reason people search on the internet is to solve a problem. To reach a larger audience, you will need to understand your target audience’s struggles and challenges.
- What are their problems?
- What are they trying to solve?
- How can you solve their problems?
Thanks to the internet, nformation is at your fingertips 24/7.
- When was the last time you didn’t have your smartphone within arm’s reach?
- When was the last time you didn’t have a mobile device on the side table next to you while watching TV?
- When was the last time you looked at a full commercial without surfing the net?
- If you are looking for a new recipe, what do you do? You go to Google search.
- If you want to learn what snacks are best for your pets, where do you go?
- If you’re going to learn what colors work best for small rooms, where do you find the answer?
With so many people searching for answers online, you can reach a larger audience than you could have ever imagined just by writing instructional or “How To” posts.
Write An Instructional Post By Solving A Problem
Before you can start to write an instructional post, you will want to decide what problems your target audience has and how you can help them.
Every time you can solve a reader’s question, you will increase the chance of them remembering you and becoming a regular visitor to your site.
They will begin to trust you and be more apt to purchase from you.
The best way to start coming up with ideas on problems to solve is to look back at what you have learned during your art journey.
Here are just a few ideas to help get you started:
- What colors best accent a room?
- How large should a painting be for a wall?
- What are the best frames for art?
- How to protect paintings or drawings?
- The best way to clean paintings?
If you would like to help the learning artists, you could provide tutorials or “How To” videos based on your technique, or how you started your business.
Potential art buyers may be finding your website with how-to queries or long-tail keywords.
However, if you’re not giving precise answers to their questions, you may be missing an opportunity to land a sale.
Discovering what queries people are using in search to discover your site is easier than you might think.
Log in to your Google Search Console and click Open Report for Search Results.
Create a free Googe Search Console if you don’t already have one. The information you gather will help you to build a thriving art business.
A page will appear with information Queries, Pages, Countries, Devices, Search Appearance, and Dates.
The queries are the words people are using in the search engine to discover content that will help them to solve a problem.
Clicks are how many times your link was clicked in the search results for the query.
Impressions are how many times your post was seen in the search results.
You can change the time frame of the results, I have this set daily, but you can use the last 30 days, last 6 months, last 12 months, or a custom time frame.
How To Use This Information:
The reason these queries are being displayed on your Google Console is that people are searching for an answer to their questions.
Writing detailed posts that answer the questions they are asking will drive more traffic to your artist website.
And the more people who visit your site, the more people will see your artwork.
Break Down The Problem
After you decide on what topic you will be writing about, take the time to break down the steps to solve the problem.
Taking the time to bullet point the steps will save you time writing the article as well as prevent you from missing any important information regarding the solution to the problem.
Depending on how complex the problem is, I might create subcategories for particular bullet points.
Solve The Problem
After you have all of the steps needed to solve a problem written down, it will be time for you to fill in all of the details required to accomplish each step.
The instructions should be clear and easy to follow.
Write as if the person you are writing for knows nothing about the subject you are writing.
Include every little detail, even if you feel it is insufficient. Your goal is to solve the problem for the reader.
The more detailed you can be, the better.
Images
If possible, include images for each bullet point.
Many people are visual learners and will learn by looking at a picture versus reading the text.
Including both images and text will ensure you are helping both types of learners.
Videos are also becoming more popular with “How To” content. You can easily upload a video to YouTube then embed it into your WordPress blog or website.
Your posts are sure to be a hit if you include detailed instructions, images, and video.
You will have a better chance of attracting a new audience, and the audience you already have will go to you first when they need helpful advice.
Proofread
When you have finished writing the post, proofread the post, and see if there is anything you missed.
- Is your post easy to understand?
- Does each bullet point include every step required to accomplish each task?
- Will your post help the text learner as well as the visual learner?
- Will your post help the beginner as well as someone already familiar with the topic?
Before publishing your post, ask someone to read your post and ask them if they would be able to follow the steps you have provided.
The best people to ask are the ones who do not know anything about the topic you are writing.
Write An Instructional Post And Be The Best
One way to attract a new audience is by providing the best content you can produce.
The content does not have to be perfect.
Your post has to be better than the best material available.
How do you provide the best content?
The first step is to take a look at what is available. Search on Google and read the top three search results for the topic you are writing about.
Ask yourself, “What can you provide to make your content better and more helpful to your audience.”
Your objective is not to copy the posts that you have read. Your goal is to have your posts provide more value for your readers.
Final Thoughts About How To Write An Instructional Post
Writing instructional posts is a valuable tool that drives traffic to websites.
Before you start writing, you will want to know what people are searching for online.
If you spend a few hours writing about a topic that nobody is searching for, you have wasted your time. Nobody will read your post.
Start gathering your information from Google Search Console.
To gather more information, utilize the free Google Keyword Planner and research keywords that relate to the topic you want to write about.
I have used Google Keyword Planner, but I have found that KeySearch provides more accurate results.
Keep in mind that if you are going to spend a few hours writing a post, you want people to read the post. So you will want to make sure that people are searching for the topics you are writing about.
If you have helped a person solve a problem, they give you their email address and sign up for your newsletter, where you can keep in contact with them and build a relationship.
If you want to drive more people to your website, post a snippet of the post on social media with a link directing back to the informational post.
Popular Art Marketing And Sales Tutorials
Below are some of the most famous art marketing courses that will grow your online art business:
Most Popular – How to Make a Living Selling What You Make by Megan Auman
Most Popular – Build a Successful Creative Blog by April Bowles-Olin
How to Build a Business While Learning Your Craft by Megan Auman
Pinterest Marketing for Makers & Designers by Megan Auman
Here are some more articles that will help you to drive more traffic to your site:
How To Drive Traffic To Your Online Art Gallery
How To Increase Website Traffic And Sell More Art
How To Use Google Analytics To Sell More Art Online
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