Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. – Henry Ford
Initially, blogging was considered a hobby in which bloggers would write about their interests and preferences during their leisure time. It was not considered a reputable way of disseminating information. Now, it is beyond that! According to Hubspot, it is a “marketing tactic that uses blogging to provide your business with more online visibility. A business blog is a marketing channel (just like social media, direct mail, email marketing, etc.) that helps support business growth.”
Moreover, it also offers great possibilities unique to the medium; no other platforms can match. It is becoming imperative for software developers to start blogging if they want to establish their authority within their industry and receive recognition within their careers. According to the latest update by Evans Data Corp, there are nearly 18.2 million software developers worldwide. Thus, it is difficult to stand out considering the amount of existing developers ruling the world at this moment. This figure is expected to increase by a massive 45%, meaning a jump to 26.4 million by the end of 2019.
In this ultra-competitive landscape, blogging is available to everyone. Therefore, software developers should take advantage of the opportunity, untapped by many of their contemporaries, and turn their focus towards it if they are to survive in the industry.
The first and foremost reason why you, as a developer, should start blogging is that the process of writing about what you do will propel you to excellence as a developer. When you start blogging on a regular basis, it goes without saying that you will be doing lots of research for your blog post. This will help you become a better developer. No one knows everything, not even in their own industry. When you start writing, you’ll be keeping up with industry news and learning as a byproduct of the blogging experience. Every time you conduct your research and write on a topic, you will learn something that will help you excel.
When you start blogging as a software developer, you are bound to learn new technologies and skills. This part connects with the above point – the more skills and technologies you explore, the better developer you become. As a blogger, you will want to present your readers with not only the knowledge you know, but new frameworks and technologies as well. Most developers love to learn new technologies and skills to stay at the top of their game – it is challenging, yet something which you can deal without inflicting too much stress on yourself.
As a software developer, you might not make as many friends as you thought, due to the workload. However, if you are a blogger, you will build many new connections. Initially, when I started blogging, I was skeptical about this. But, I have to admit, blogging did help me a lot with building relationships with fellow developers. Bloggers are known for the communicative communities they form. Expect to enjoy an interactive experience as you comment on fellow developers’ blog posts and they comment on yours. Simply by leaving an initial comment or replying to a comment left on your post, you can initiate a stimulating conversation that supplements the topics discussed in the related blog.
Building connections is equally important in such a tight market as you will not only grow your blog, but learn new things because of having similar interests as them.
In the beginning, the idea of blogging might not fascinate you, as your writing could be read by almost everyone in the world, but just as easily read by no one. However, this should not be something that stops you from doing it. After a few attempts, you will get used to writing and posting your blogs. After engaging in cycle of researching, writing, and sharing over the course of months or years, others will start reading and sharing your posts. If you stick with a niche and become knowledgeable enough, you just might become an authority in your field! Even if your blogs only ever receive a modest level of engagement, you will become more self-confident throughout the process. This feat is something that will also help you in your personal and professional lives.
If you ask anyone about an excellent way of marketing yourself, they will tell you to blog. The readers or visitors of your website will not only be learning skills, tools, and tips about software development services, but they will know you better as the individual writing it, as well as the company you are writing on behalf of. There is no better way to guarantee job security than by making yourself indispensable to a company. To be indispensable, you have to have a skill or knowledge that is rare and hard to replicate. If you can successfully code and blog, you are providing extraordinary value for your brand, above and beyond your coworkers. There’s also the potential for you and your posts to go viral in the online community. Suppose you have a very established blog that is read by about 50,000-100,000 readers, you will become a “public figure.” A pipe dream, for most, but an opportunity motivating to many, nonetheless.
Writing is not only important for journalists or authors, but also everyone in society at large. It is the way in which we communicate with each other in every aspect of our personal and professional lives. Especially in this day and age of multiple communication platforms, where texting friends and family and emailing coworkers are more prevalent than ever. Strong writing skills ensure your message is always clear. People are more likely to follow your instructions when they understand what you are asking and why you are asking it. Software developers are no exception; writing is an essential skill which a software developer must possess as well. As a developer, you are not limited to writing code only – you have to document what you have coded as well as write emails. The bi-weekly or weekly practice of writing a blog will help you improve your writing skills, which are transferable to all areas of your writing.
Atit Shah is a digital marketing expert expert and has been journeying through the world of digital marketing for more than 9 years. He is working as SEO Manager at KitelyTech. He is passionate about digital marketing and strongly believes in the power of storytelling for marketing.