This is how my dev.to blog reader stats has changed over the last week:
So I’m here to share some tips on how to get this massive increase in readers.
Write about topics that you are passionate about
This is arguably the most important point as whatever you write about should be a topic you enjoy.
This will let you easily put your thoughts in words.
Write about what you are currently working on
The main reason why I’ve got this huge increase in readers is because I’ve started blogging about my journey with Next.js/React.
People like reading about projects you are working on.
The community at DEV is very supportive and will encourage you all the way throughout your coding journey!
Make sure to include code snippets and how the code works.
Don’t let the fact that you are bad at writing stop you
I’ve never been that great at writing, but I still tried blogging.
Remember that people prioritise content over SPaG, and as long as your article is interesting, people will read it.
Don’t quit writing
If you blog once a week, there is a less chance that someone comes across your article than if you blog once a day.
The more you write, the more likely it is that someone comes across your article, and that article might lead many users to following you.
Use Markdown
Many people (like me) tend to not read article that don't use Markdown as those articles don't have clear headings or any highlighted words.
Use Markdown will let the reader know what your main points are about and will teach them the main facts, even if the reader is skimming through the article.
Thanks for reading, and I hope this article helps you in some way!
Top comments (26)
Nah bro you just need to add #webdev #javascript #beginners #programming and don't forget to make it a listicle post with top-x-tools-that-sound-good-but-you-are-never-going-to-use
And - make it stay on the main page of 'Relevant' posts for days. Lately, I'm just seeing the same stuff over and over again, and most of the new posts are either ChatGPT generated blather or a listicle.
this is why I usually just go through the latest posts instead of relevant
You have escaped the Matrix.
Jokes apart, yup, it is extremely true. JS and webdev posts get a crazy amount of views. I once wrote a post with #python and #webdev it got a decent amount of views. I wrote one about Linux (Arch to be specific) and it still has <25 views.
Almost the same
Most of my posts have <25 views 😭
Unfortunately, this is sooo true. Don't forget the "top X advanced git commands you must know" that starts with git pull and git status
I swear I saw atleast 3-5 such posts in top/month section: "10 GitHub Repos I can't live without". I have been dead for years. Finally my soul emerged out of ash, after seeing JavaScript Roadmap github repo.
lmao that’s kinda true
Sadly I stopped posting here & moved on to hackernoon. If I am writing to share with community & I don't get no eyeballs, what motivation would be left to write for me.
yea, but can't you post the same content on both here and hackernoon?
Somehow my posts here don't apply in latest section, tags page's latest content or anywhere in any feed. So I just stopped publishing here. I come here in a while to see posts of people I follow and engage with their content so atleast they get better reach.
oh damn, good luck with posting on hackernoon!
God, if this were that easy, my readers should be over the roof right now 😏
I would personally say, if you want attraction, write about webdevs and target beginners
dev.to is for webdevs and beginners - I have data to prove it
Lucy Linder ・ Nov 17 '22
Still, I like your advices and abide to them. The most important: write about what you love, and don't write for the attention, write because you like it!
I began my writing journey on Dev.to mainly as a personal log, a bit like how I often stumble upon my own answers on StackOverflow. It's a quirky way to keep track of my tips and tricks, especially when I forget them myself – it's quite funny when that happens!
However, I've noticed something interesting along the way. The advanced topics, into which I pour my heart and soul, tend to receive minimal attention. On the other hand, posts like 'X packages/tips for Y' seem to attract more readers.
Realizing this, I've shifted my focus. While I appreciate having readers, I've become less concerned about whether my articles gain widespread readership. I write for the joy of it and for my own reference, and that's enough to keep me content.
Yea that’s really important
It's also pretty frustrating that the analytics section of the dashboard doesn't work with an adblocker switched on, whilst everything else on the site does ☹️
@ben @thepracticaldev @michaeltharrington
oh damn rip :(
Great article..
Thanks!
Nice guide 👍
And congrats fir the increase 👏
thanks!
Nice article @vulcanwm
thanks
Good tips! But I need to assume that writting once a day with quality is very hard, don't you think? Quick question: why do you use h1 tag for subtitles instead of h2?
thanks! I mean it’s fine as long as you write often and with quality.
Honestly I don’t know, I’ve always just done that lmao