How to Start a Technology Blog
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So you want to start a Technology Blog!? This is the right article for you. In this post you will find my advice for getting started. In addition to these I wanted to share my journey, the ups and downs.
Keep reading to learn more about avoiding pitfalls and how to find personal success through having a Technology Blog.
If you have any questions about starting a Tech blog, feel free to reach out!
What is your Purpose?
Your purpose is kind of like a goal but it is different in a key way. Your purpose answers your "Why" question.
Why are you wanting to blog? What is your motivation?
The answer to this question is different for each blogger, and really is a key piece to understand. Without purpose, you are like a boat in storm without a sail. You need to set your purpose before you begin.
Also don't forget it is ok for your purpose to change as well. As with any new hobby, your motivation may change
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For some perspective I will share some of purpose(s):
Documentation and Retention: When I first started I had a problem where I was had a million ideas of things that I wanted to try, to learn about, to remember. I had a notebook that I used a lot, but even that tool was hard to go back too and remind myself. Blogging allowed me to get my ideas out of my head and get it down somewhere. So for me blogging was a method of documenting and also clearing my mind of ideas that were rattling around. A positive outcome of this purpose was that I was able to actually complete ideas. If an idea came to me I could throw it out into a draft blog post and leave it for a month or more. There are a number of posts that I came back to months later and was pleasantly surprised by. I finished the post off and added it to my completed list.
Living Resume: I think the tech world is changing. I think the business world is changing. I think resumes are dry and boring. I know I can't be the only person who thinks this. A resume is so flat and one layer. If I really want people to know that I am passionate about cyber security having a blog is an awesome way to show prospective employers and the world that I really care about the subject matter.
Ad Revenue: At the beginning my primary motivation was the first two mentioned here. I was going with a "If I build it they will come" mentality. However when the Ad Sense was approved I added to my purpose that I would also like to make some money.
What is Success?
Before you get started you need to define what success looks like for you. This is really important, because defining your goal gives you perspective on how close you are to your own personal success.
Make a success a moving target. How do you know when you have finished a race? Typically there is some tangible goal that you have arrived at. In a physical race that would be a finish line. With blogging there really isn't a finish line, at least there shouldn't be. Set a goal that you are working towards, keep working at it and monitor your steps in that direction.
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When I started I had an ultimate goal to get approved for Ad Sense. Everything I did was to move my blog towards that goal. I soon realized that I needed to have sub-goals as well. So I set goals like, post once a week for 3 months, then 6 months. I have achieved the Ad Sense goal and now my goal is to maintain an average daily hit count of a certain number. Keeping your goal moving forward helps you achieve little successes that add up to big successes.
Pick a Niche
You might be saying now, "Well my niche is technology!?" You are correct, however the world of tech is enormous. Will you blog about hardware? About vendor specifics? Will you be showcasing products?
Pick a niche and stick too it, because if you do a dramatic change you can lose your acquired audience. I blog about security and automation If I switch to gardening all of a sudden my current audience will be confused and will leave.
Take a look at my posts, every one is either security related or automation (python).
Set Personal Boundaries
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A boundary is something tangible or arbitrary that is put in place to stop someone from progressing or going down a certain path. Boundaries can also be used to keep your blogging vision in check. Set up your own boundaries. What are topics you will not talk about? What are types of posts you do not want to do.
Maybe you don't want to do "Top 10" posts. Maybe you never want to talk about vendors specifically.
For me I will not post "How To" guides for Hack The Box. I am a premium member of their service (and I love their product) however I will never post instructions on their boxes. Why? Well honestly there are a ton of them out there. I want my blog to stand out from them. I may blog about concepts learned from HTB but you will never see a "How to Hack [insert name here] box on HTB"
Start Strong (Lessons Learned)
When I started blogging I wish I knew someone who blogged as well so that I could ask them questions. I would have asked them how to start strong.
I learned a lot of lessons the hard way. Learn from my mistakes!
Lesson 1 Buy a Domain Name: I did this right away, and I am soooo glad I did. If you get a default name like "blogspot.blahblah.com" it looks like you are not as committed to craft of blogging and can be a turn off for prospective readers. However, when you do buy a domain name pick one that makes sense and fits your content. I liked my first domain name and it was my "hacker" name that I have had for years. Unfortunately it doesn't make any sense for my content. Someone I trust told me this, and it made complete sense. So I bought apt-secure.ca and I am very glad I did.
Lesson 2 Read up on what is a "Bad" post: When I started I didn't know that a post with a video (and that's it) is bad. I didn't realize that if your post is under a certain word count = bad.
I could spend an entire lengthy post about what makes a good/bad post. However, as we have already mentioned the focus of my blog is security and automation. I am totally happy to have a conversation with you about blogging though! Connect with me on LinkedIn, or keep the conversation going here.
When I was trying to get approved for Ad Sense I was denied 3 times. I was super frustrated, discouraged and debated quitting. In the end the rejections were good. I researched all the possible reasons for my blog being denied. I took this research and made changes that ultimately developed my blog into a more streamlined experience.
Spend time researching what is a good post and what is a bad post.
Ask For Help
I alluded to this already, however don't forget to get help from the source. If you have done your research and are still having issues with your blog go to the hosting provider. When I was really struggling with Ad Sense and my research and modifications were not giving me the result I wanted I actually submitted a question on a Google message board. Someone responded shortly to me and I learned that a major reason I was being denied Ad Sense is because I had misconfigured in the blogging settings.
So in short, blogging can be extremely rewarding and serve to meet a variety of needs for the creator. Start strong by doing some research and seeking advice from those who have come before you.
Feel free keep the conversation going here!
Andrew Campbell
