Get to The point
The biggest mistake software bloggers make is meandering.
When the reader arrives, they’re trying to answer two questions as quickly as possible:
- Did the author write this article for someone like me?
- How will I benefit from reading it?
Give yourself the title plus your first three sentences to answer both questions. If you find yourself in paragraph two and you haven’t answered either question, you’re in trouble.
Your introduction should also make it clear to the reader how the article will benefit them. There are many possible benefits you can offer:
- A technique the reader can apply in their work or personal life.
- A clear explanation of a concept that impacts the reader’s work or personal life.
- An insight that gives the reader a better understanding of a particular technology or industry.
- An interesting story that resonates with the reader.
Think one degree bigger
If you wrote an article for intermediate and advanced Java developers, how much would have to change for the article to appeal to Java developers of any experience level?
Plan the route to your readers
Well, think it through. What happens after you hit publish? How does anyone find your article?
If you want people to read your blog, choose topics that have a clear path to your readers. Before you begin writing, think through how readers will find your post.
Questions to ask when considering an article topic
- Is it realistic for readers to find you via Google search?
- Are there already 500 articles about the same topic from more established websites?
- What keywords would your target reader search? Try searching those keywords, and see whether there are already relevant results from well-known domains.
- If you’re going to submit it to a link aggregator like Hacker News or Lobsters, how often do posts like yours succeed there?
- If you’re going to share it on a subreddit or niche forum, does it have any chance there?
- Does the forum accept links to blog posts?
- The bigger the community, the stricter the rules tend to be about external links and self-promotion.
- Do blog posts like yours ever succeed there?
- Is the community still active?
- Does the forum accept links to blog posts?
Show more pictures🔗
The biggest bang-for-your-buck change you can make to a blog post is adding pictures.
Accommodate skimmers🔗
Many readers skim an article first to decide if it’s worth reading. Dazzle those readers during the skim.