How to Write Your First Successful Technical Blog Post – 2024 Guide

It can be intimidating to write a technical blog post if you have never done so before. You may even be wondering, “Where do I even begin?” If you find yourself in this situation, the aim of this blog is to assist you in breaking down the whole procedure into something more readily digestible.

The actual writing process would be much simpler if you understand some of the underlying building blocks. But before we get into how to start a blog, let’s take a look at why you should start one.

In this article, you’ll learn how to write a good technical blog post for the first time.

Why You Should Write a Technical Blog

There are many advantages of writing a professional blog, including the ability to educate people. If you’re still undecided, consider the following five reasons why you should build it:

• The only way to understand more is to pass on what you’ve learned to someone. Regurgitating the detail will help you remember it better.
• When building your own company, you are providing value where you work. Your boss would be grateful that you went out of your way to teach them how to fix a dilemma you encountered.
• You’re honing your critical thinking abilities. Critical thought is required when doing research, gathering data, and transforming the data into something that others can understand. It’s like exercising a muscle: the longer you use it, the more effective and fast you get at solving problems.
• Being an effective communicator is an essential part of being a respected employee. Putting this in a forum is a simple way to show off this talent or build on it if you don’t have it. It’s one thing to solve a dilemma on your own, but it’s quite another to communicate an insight that can be heard by a broad range of people.
• According to John, who works at TFTH, prospective employers are looking online more than ever to see what fun ideas you’ve worked on previously. This is a fantastic opportunity to show off some of your work to the general public. They’ll be impressed that you spent time researching and then sharing your findings with an online audience.

Select a Domain Name

As it is the name of your site, your domain name is a vital aspect of your blog because it makes a first impression. Your domain, also known as your URL, is your online address. So, what do you want your blog to be called?

Perhaps it’s YourName.com. It may be YourBusinessName.com. Maybe it’s a clever brand name you came up with. If you’re having trouble coming up with a decent domain name, consider Wordoid, a fantastic naming method that will provide you with a plethora of choices.

Only make sure you don’t purchase a domain from them because Bluehost will provide you with one for free. (If you already have a domain, that’s fine as well; Bluehost can make it simple to migrate the current domain during the configuration process.)

Idea for the Blog Post

The first step is to determine what you are going to write about. Consider any of the tasks you’ve taken on in the past or recently. Have you ever seen a tough dilemma that you weren’t sure how to tackle or overcome but ultimately found out?

If that’s the case, now is a wonderful time for you to share your expertise by writing an insightful blog post about how you resolved the issue. 9 times out of 10, if you’ve encountered a challenge, everyone else has as well, so why not share some of your valuable information with others?

Research before You Start

You’ll need to prepare the groundwork ahead of time, as for everything you’ll be sharing. Look up what research has already been completed on the topic you want to discuss on Google. Pull information from pages you’ve already viewed. This is not cheating; in practise, by taking this direction, you can save a significant amount of time.

Must I expend energy because someone else has already completed most of the legwork? What you’re doing is taking valuable bits of information and condensing them into a single, easily accessible database for individuals to use.

You can then save the details you’ve gathered in a Google doc or Evernote if you want. You can conveniently go back to those notes when you’re about to post your blog.

Medium also has a wealth of interesting how-to blogs, so see what’s already been published on the subject of concern. This is a perfect guide to look at when it comes to blog formatting. We also went through a number of different blogs similar to my profession when we first began writing blogs and researched the various systems, cover images, general themes, and writing styles.

We would count the number of claps a blog received and see if there were any consistent associations with how well it was received by the audience. If you’ve discovered a recurring theme, attempt to imitate it and see what happens.

Structure of a Technical Blog Post

• Title
• Cover photo
• Introduction
• Body
• Conclusion

Blog Title

You should come up with a title that gets right to the point and grabs the reader’s interest right away. After all, this will be one of the first things they look for when looking for facts about their dilemma.

Since our minds are wired to think logically, most readers like names with numbers in them. A blog named “5 Hacks to Help You Succeed as a Developer,” for example, is likely to attract a lot of attention. According to Brendon, who works at TopAssignmentExperts, incorporating the word “you” into the title would also increase audience recognition. It sounds more intimate and as though you’re speaking directly to the reader when you answer them.

Starting the title with the word “How-to” is also a good way to rank higher in Google’s search results. When searching for an answer, several people type “How” into Google, so adding this is another helpful tip.

Based on research from sources:

• Numbered names were favoured by 36% of citizens.
• Reader-addressing headlines were liked by 21% of users.
• A headline with the words “How to” was requested by 17% of respondents.

Cover Photo

A good cover picture is just as critical as a good blog title. It should be tidy, have a high-quality picture, and be relevant to your subject. Unsplash, Pixabay, and Pexels are three places where I regularly look for high-quality stock images.

If you have an in-house design team, ask one of them if they will be willing to help you produce a cover picture for your blog. They will usually get this done in a decent period of time, but I will give them at least a week’s notice.

The Blog Post’s Introduction

Following the creation of the title, you would need to create a short reference to what the rest of the blog will be about. This section does not need to be very long, just enough to give the reader a general overview of the subject.

You might also quickly explain how the issue arose or what prompted you to write the blog. Much of the blogs I read have introductions that are no more than a few sentences long.

The Blog Post’s Main Body

This is where the true meat of the content can be found, and where viewers will spend the most time. Here are a few things to keep in mind and that your reader can enjoy.

Photographs

Make use of pictures to express the message wherever possible. Often terms are insufficient, and it would be much easier for the reader to understand at a glance. This is particularly important if you are attempting to teach others how to write a specific codebase. Images will also serve to break up what can seem to be an infinite sea of terms.

Some blogs, especially those that are longer than 10 minutes, would benefit from the addition of a picture. This gives the reader’s eyes a rest.

Short and to the point

According to Sarah, who works at EduWorldUSA, technical posts do not have to be lengthy. You want to make your case in as simple a way as possible. Write with the assumption that the reader would be able to skim and understand what they want from the given material.

Consider what people hear in the press as an analogy. It’s early in the morning, and they’re either drinking coffee or eating a fast bite to eat before beginning their day. Once you’ve done your cup of coffee or breakfast, it’s time to get to work!

So, think about your blog’s format in this way: you’re trying to give your reader what they need in a brief amount of time so they can start working on the issue.

Making Use of Links

Rather than writing a separate explanation for something that relates to or supports what you’re saying, it’s best to include a link. That way, the reader will easily carry on whether they already understand or have learned about it.

However, there is such a thing as using so much, so use caution and ask yourself if it is really appropriate. I’ve read articles where there was a correlation to nearly every single subject and subtopic. I will stop doing this because it can lead your reader into a rabbit hole, affecting how long your reader stays on your page and finishes your article.

Write as If You Were Speaking to A High School Student

This isn’t a British book, but there’s no need for flowery words. Save the Jane Austen and Leo Tolstoy writing styles for when you need to write something in that style. The aim of this technical blog is to make it as simple as possible for everyone to understand and comprehend the idea.

Consider the last time you read a newspaper or an online post. Yes, I know I keep bringing up the newspaper concept, but it does give an outstanding example of how to write a professional blog.

You may have noted that they did not use any fancy or over-the-top prose in the article you read. The explanation for this was that they needed others to understand, because this is precisely the kind of writing style you can emulate. Keep in mind that the smoother your vocabulary, the easier!

The Blog Post’s Conclusion

This is what I refer to as your blog’s last farewell. It is where you can summaries everything you have discussed with your reader. This section should be no more than 3–5 sentences long, in my opinion. It’s just a fun way to finish a blog that can make it sound less like you left your reader waiting at the end.

Editing

Now that you’ve finished writing your blog, the exciting part begins: editing! Re-read the work and ensure that everything is right, both technically and grammatically. Then, give it to 2–3 people for any additional reviews they might have.

You will forward it to a peer, co-worker, or family member. People are usually more than able to provide constructive advice about how to better your blog. It might be nerve-racking to make someone else review your work, but it is much easier to get their feedback before releasing it to the public.

To Summarise

There you have it, a few quick measures to help you get started on your first publication in the right direction. Hopefully, you will take something important away from this when you start writing your first technical blog post in 2024. You are no longer relying on other people’s websites until you have launched a blog.

Having an Instagram or TikTok account isn’t inherently bad, but certain sites are fleeting. If they become irrelevant, you are as well (remember MySpace).

However, this is not the case for a blog. Since you own your blog, it will follow you everywhere the culture takes you. A decade back, the perfect time to launch a blog was. Now is the second-best moment.

Get underway if you have an idea you’d like to share. Don’t be concerned if the first one isn’t flawless; as for anything new, experience makes perfect.