DEV Community

Cover image for Should I start blogging?

Should I start blogging?

Jorge André Alves on December 03, 2020

Hi everyone! This is the very first public blogpost of my entire career since I started 10 years ago I'm writing this post because I've found tha...
Collapse
 
ben profile image
Ben Halpern

cohen

Collapse
 
madza profile image
Madza

You always manage to find spot-on GIFs for everything, hahaha 💯😄😄

Collapse
 
peterwitham profile image
Peter Witham

Welcome to the blogsphere :)

A great set of questions, I'm not sure my advice is good but here goes.

  1. Be authentic to yourself and those you are writing for. Don't over complicate if you are targeting newer developers or try to write in a way not natural to you.
  2. Add a human element, I often write my technical articles as if I was passing on the knowledge verbally to someone, this to me feels more like a discussion than a technical manual.
  3. Pick subjects are you passionate about, don't pick something just because it is popular. That often leads to blogging fade or burnout and you might start to resent having to write.
  4. Try to post to a schedule, users adopt patterns like reading once a week easier than random posts. Say something like, post every Monday and then bonus posts at other times as you desire.
  5. Blogging is indeed a great way to get your name out there and also demonstrate knowledge of topics for any reason that you may need it. I have received many contacts/invites based on my posts.

Just a couple of thoughts, I hope these help.

Collapse
 
thenjdevopsguy profile image
Michael Levan

I've been creating content for a while and the one thing I learned that's great is blogging/creating videos helps me:

  1. Reinforce my knowledge
  2. Share my knowledge with others
  3. Helps me learn a ton of things

Blogging and writing something out to explain it makes you realize "oh wow, I actually didn't know this".

It doesn't only help others learn, but it helps you learn as well. Win/win.

Collapse
 
jennrmillerdev profile image
Jen Miller • Edited

Yes. Blogging takes practice. Don't try to aim for perfection, especially on your first posts. I would say focus on what you want to write about and use a style that you feel comfortable.

While there are many articles that tout various 'blogging rules' and the like, I feel you want to blog for your own enjoyment first. While many people blog for the 'followers' and write content for that purpose, you risk the danger of feeling demotivated(writing on topics that don't interest you) and burnt out.

This recent article I found on blogging was quite inspiring.

Collapse
 
kedark profile image
Kedar Kodgire

Hey there,
I would definitely say yes. Blogging is a great way to share your thoughts and help others and you should definitely consider it.

Recently posted this. Might help you.
Good luck with the upcoming blog.

Collapse
 
_garybell profile image
Gary Bell

Absolutely. And as a shameless plug, here's my post on why you should blog (external site).

If you understand something well enough to help others, blog about it. If you don't understand it well enough to help others, blogging will help you understand further (generally). It makes you think differently.

Collapse
 
juanfrank77 profile image
Juan F Gonzalez

In summary, yeah you definitely should.

My two cents on this matter is... focus on the process (i.e. making it a habit) instead of the result and if you write for enough time you'll find your style of writing and can keep improving from there.

Also another tip, avoid big walls of text. Break down the sentences in smaller chunks (learned that the hard way lol)

Collapse
 
andrewbaisden profile image
Andrew Baisden

Blogging makes you a better developer. Everything you post creates a learning experience for someone. So you improve and so does everyone else.

Collapse
 
dwd profile image
Dave Cridland

Well, looks like you have started blogging.

Keep going.

Collapse
 
anja profile image
Anja

Benefits of starting a blog /youtube channel
👥Connect with other creators and your community
🎬Improve your writing/filming skills
👩‍🏫Help others by sharing your knowledge
👩‍💻Boost your CV

Collapse
 
davetrux profile image
David Truxall

As your career advances writing skills become more and more important. Just like you practice coding skills, you need to practice writing. Blogging is an easy way to practice writing and still work on your coding skills at the same time.