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There are already a plethora of blogs and tutorials on the internet. Thus, the question is - should you start a blog as a developer? The answer is - yes.
Even though there are lots of choices on the internet, you can differentiate yourself by providing quality information. Also, your perspective and experience are unique.
You save your future self
One of the benefits is that you save your future self from headaches. By writing about how you solve various challenges, you always have a reference to come back to. If you run into the same issue in the future, you have a quick solution.
For instance, each time I re-install my operating system, I have to set up Git aliases. The issue is that I cannot remember from the top of my head how to do it. As a result, I wrote an article about it, which I always use to re-configure Git aliases.
Thus, saving your solutions in blog articles is useful, and it saves you time in the future.
You save others from headaches
Besides helping yourself, you help others as well. Most of the time, you run into common problems. That is the problem many people face. No matter the field, a large chunk of people will face the same issue, especially in software development.
Therefore, your articles are likely to help other people too. Remember how thankful you are each time you find someone that provides a solution to your issues. That can be you!
Money, money, money
Having a blog opens the door to many opportunities. Writing is a lucrative field, and especially in the technology area. The various ways you can monetize your writing are as follows:
- Place ads on your blog.
- Sell ad space to various companies/products on your blog.
- Promote your products through your blog.
- Write guest articles for different publications/websites.
Without selling false dreams, after a year of consistent writing, you can make between $500 and $1000 each month from guest articles. How can you do that? Your blog is your CV. By the time you apply to write for other publications/websites, you are already an experienced writer. As a result, they are more likely to accept your articles.
Thus, having a blog can open many doors for you. It's like having a person recruiter looking out for opportunities for you non-stop!
Establish yourself as an expert
Another plus of having a blog is that you can establish yourself as an expert on a subject. For instance, let's say you write weekly about Cloud Computing for a while. After a few years, you will have enough experience with Cloud Computing to call yourself an expert. Or at least very experienced.
Therefore, having a blog is a great way to create a name for yourself in a specific niche. People will know you and trust you.
Open the door to new opportunities
Having a blog and establishing yourself as an expert opens the door to new opportunities.
For instance, let's say company X is looking for a Cloud Computing Engineer. They have to choose between you and a candidate without a blog. Who do you think they are choosing? It's you! Because you already have proof that you have knowledge in your area of expertise.
Also, once you start to get known in your community, people hear about you. As a result, when they have job opportunities, you will be more likely to pop up in their minds! For instance, there are many people who message/email me with opportunities for writing, advertising, or even jobs.
In conclusion, as long as you treat your blog seriously, you can get lots of opportunities coming your way!
What platform to use
There are many platforms to use for blogging. Each platform comes with its benefits and drawbacks. It's essential to choose the one that meets all your needs.
However, if I would have to recommend one, I would recommend you Hashnode. I want to quickly list the reasons why Hashnode is different than other blogging platforms:
- You can customize and personalize your blog. That means you can make your blog look and feel different.
- With Hashnode, you have a tightly-knit community that reads and interacts with your articles.
- You decide to move away from Hashnode? There are no strings attached. You can quickly back-up your posts on Github and re-publish them somewhere else.
- All the SEO goes to your blog and not to Hashnode itself.
Like I said previously, Hashnode is an excellent choice, but it also depends on your needs. Check the article embedded above to read more and decide whether it suits you or not.
Final words
You can substitute the blog with a video blog, and the benefits remain the same. I talk about blogging because I have one, and I can testify to the benefits it brought me. However, a video blog can bring the same benefits. Choose the one that feels more comfortable and natural for you.
Thus, let's see once again what are the benefits of having a blog:
- You save yourself in the future when you run into the same problems.
- Besides that, you help other people when they face the same issues.
- It brings you money!
- You can establish yourself as an expert in your chosen field.
- It opens the door for new opportunities for yourself.
Catalin publishes programming and software development articles on his blog.
