How We Reached 100 Articles on the KINTO Technologies Advent Calendar
This article is the entry for Day 23 in the Developer Relations Group Advent Calendar 2024🎅🎄
Introduction
Hello! I am Rina (@chimrindayo). I am an engineer at KINTO Technologies, where I am involved in the development and operation of Mobility Market and on the Developer Relations Group as well.
KINTO Technologies launched the Tech Blog in July 2022, and thanks to our writers and readers, we have been able to keep it running to this day. Thank you for reading as always!
Our Advent Calendar is one of the biggest events on our blog each year, and this time was no exception 🎄 We proudly reached a total of 100 articles up to Series 4 👏 Amazing!
Until we were able to release 100 articles, the Developer Relations Group members worked hard every day, coming up with various new ideas. This time, I would like to introduce some of the journey and initiatives we went through to release 100 Advent Calendar articles.
Journey of the KINTO Technologies Advent Calendars
The KINTO Technologies Advent Calendars were started by volunteers in 2021, prior to the launch of the Tech Blog. The following year, in April 2022, a small team called the Tech Blog Project (now Developer Relations Group) was formed, and the team launched the Tech Blog in July 2022.
Since the launch of the Tech Blog, we have consistently posted an Advent Calendar every year, increasing the number of articles by 25 each year ⤴️
| Year | URL | Number of posts |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | KINTO Technologies - Toyota car subscription service "KINTO" under development! Advent Calendar 2021 | 24 |
| 2022 | April: Tech Blog Operation Team was established July: Tech Blog launched🎉 |
- |
| 2022 | KINTO Technologies Advent Calendar 2022 KINTO Technologies Group Introduction Advent Calendar 2022 |
50 |
| 2023 | KINTO Technologies Advent Calendar 2023 | 75 |
| 2024 | KINTO Technologies Advent Calendar 2024 | 100 |
I will reflect on each year to review the steps we took to increase the number of articles.
Since we adapted our approach to fit each stage, from the initial launch to the ongoing operation of the Tech Blog, I hope this article will be helpful for anyone thinking about starting a tech blog or are currently running one but facing challenges to increase the number of contrbutors🙌
2022 Advent Calendar Initiatives
First, here are some of the initiatives we implemented during the early stage of the Tech Blog. Looking back, I think a defining feature of this initial phase was that we approached individuals to ask them to write for the Tech Blog. Let me introduce some of the specifics.
Making it a Rule to Show Gratitude to Writers
The first thing we did was to establish the rule of showing "gratitude toward writers" as the stance of reviewers. This rule was decided by project team led by Nakanishi-san.
We have also continued to convey gratitude to writers by requesting managers and leaders, who could serve as reviewers, to do so in company-wide meetings or 1-on-1 sessions, and by expressing our gratitude in the PR (pull request) template for the Tech Blog.
Excerpt from the PR template for the Tech Blog
Even now, expressing gratitude to writers for their contributions is something that the entire Developer Relations Group values very much.
Having All the Managers Write Articles
The next step we took was to have all the managers write articles. In the early days of the Tech Blog, many people in the company thought, "What is a tech blog? Why are we doing this?" So our first priority was to make sure each group leader understood the value and purpose of the Tech Blog. We also believed that getting General Managers to contribute articles was key to spreading awareness across the company. After a 30-minute meeting with them, we successfully launched the "KINTO Technologies Group Introduction" series.
Under the theme letting everyone get to know our people and offices, managers and leaders wrote articles for our Advent Calendar. On Christmas Day, Vice President Kageyama closed out the series with an special post titled "2022 Year in Review & 2023 Outlook”🎅. Since then, his article has become an annual tradition, one that's read by nearly all current and prospective employees.
His articles condense key aspects about KINTO Technologies, including:
- What kind of organization we are
- What we achieved over the past year
- What we aim to pursue in the year ahead
They serve as a compass for the organization.
It’s a once-a-year piece Written with care and dedication.
Click here 👇 for his review & outlook article:
Studying the Structure of Each Article Together
We hold 30-minute sessions to help those who are eager to write but lack experience with technical articles and need guidance on where to begin.
During these sessions, members of the Developer Relations Group conduct interviews with the writers, asking about:
- Projects they've worked on
- Successes, failures, and the lessons learned along the way
- Their tech stack and tools of choice
As we listen, the Developer Relations team helps the writer shape the article structure in real time, laying a solid foundation they can build on.
the Developer Relations team shares the proposed article structure with the writer on the spot for feedback. Most writers respond with surprise, saying things like, “This might be easier than I thought!”
When we launched the Tech Blog in 2022, we carried out this process with every single writer. Looking back, it might seem like a bit of a brute-force approach; but we believe that this hands-on, all-in communication style is one of our team’s greatest strengths. When we’ve shared this method with technical PR teams at other companies, it’s often met with praise, with many calling it a “wonderful initiative.”
There were several reasons behind this approach.
The main goals were to:
- Help every writer understand the value of the Tech Blog
- Lower the barrier to contributing
- Gain visibility into who is responsible for what
- Build trusting relationships, where writers feel comfortable asking us for advice
And more.
However, what we consider most important is that each writer reaffirms the value of their own work. In face-to-face interviews with them, many would say, "I can write, but my daily work is just ordinary, so it's not something worth putting on a blog."
But that’s exactly the kind of story we want to share. It’s perfectly okay to be ordinary! There’s always someone out there facing the same challenges, and if your story reaches even one of them, then it’s absolutely worth sharing on the Tech Blog. That’s why we kept encouraging each writer: “Let’s write it together!”
This way of thinking is still valued by the Developer Relations Group, and it was featured in a blog post that was released the other day.👇
In this way, not only do we work together on the structure of each article, but we also believe it is important to help each writer feel confident about the content they are about to write.
2023 Advent Calendar Initiative
In the early stages of the Tech Blog's launch, we focused on encouraging first-time writers through one-on-one conversations. Next, in 2023, we shifted our focus on sustanining that momentum supporting continued contributions and increase the number of writers.
Supporting Inputs
One of the initiatives the Developer Relations Group undertook first in 2023 was supporting the introduction of Udemy Business. We believe meaningful output on the Tech Blog starts with strong input, the knowledge and skills the writers bring. To reinforce this mindset, we linked access to Udemy Business with participation in the Tech Blog: registering for an account required contributing at least one article.
There are actually team members who have taken Udemy courses and are currently writing articles.👇
In 2024, in addition to the support for the introduction of Udemy, we established a new team within the Developer Relations Group called the "Learning Roadside Station". This team was created to offer comprehensive support for both input and output.
Read more about the background of the Learning Roadside Station Team's establishment here.👇
Encouraging Newcomers to Write an Article
In October 2023, we launched a new initiative asking all new employees to write a blog entry after joining the company.
The goals of this initiative are to:
- Give readers a feel for our company’s atmosphere
- Reduce the hesitation around writing for the Tech Blog
- Encourage connections among new hires
By having everyone contribute from the start, we aim to lower the barrier to writing and helping newcomers understand how to approach blog writing, ultimately making it a natural practice.
Initially, the Developer Relations Group planned for each new hire to write their own entry. But when Ryomm-san, who joined in October, suggested, “I’d like to co-author!” it sparked the creation of a new co-writing process.
This is just one example of how we’re building a culture where Tech Blog initiatives aren’t just driven by the Developer Relations Group, but shaped by contributions from employees across the company.
Asking Teams to Write
Next, we implemented a plan where we asked teams at the project and department-level to write for the Advent Calendar. Five groups, with five members each, participated and together filled 25 days' worth of content.
The themes were:
- New Car Subscription Website Renewal Project
- Agile Development
- KINTO FACTORY
- QA
- Diversity & Inclusion
By encouraging people across teams to write together, we aimed to make the writing process more collaborative and approachable. Having teammates work on shared topics made it easier to ask for feedback and consult each other during the writing process.
We also hoped that theme-based series of articles would feel more relatable to internal readers, helping to increase engagement, and ultimately, encouraging more people to read and share the Tech Blog, both internally and on social media.
The actual project is introduced in the blog here.👇
2024 Advent Calendar Initiative
Finally, let us share what we’ve been working on this year. In 2024, our focus has been on expanding the Tech Blog and improving its quality.
Holding a Tech Blog Study Session
In August 2024, we held an internal study session led by p2sk-san, a member of the Developer Relations Group. The session, titled "Reviewing the Tech Blog and Best Practices for Enhancing Dissemination Power," involved a comprehensive review of all Tech Blog articles published by KINTO Technologies.
He shared insights into what we’re doing well, along with suggestions for improvement.
The response from participants was overwhelmingly positive:
"My motivation increased!"
"Made me want to try writing articles!"
"Let's do our best for the Advent Calendar!"
The session was and full of valuable insights, but we’ll leave the deep dive for another time.
Open Call for Planning & Operations
In previous years, the Advent Calendar was planned and led by the Developer Relations Group, but this year, we have recruited volunteers to take part. The goal was to engage members beyond the usual circle and reach new voices we hadn’t connected with before.
While we were hoping for up to five volunteers, only one person raised their hand; but that one person made a big difference. naka_shimasan stepped forward and thanks to his involvement, we were able to launch a department-based article series you’ll read about later 👏
Filling the Series by Division
In 2024, we structured the Advent Calendar series around articles written by Groups (org. structure). A "series" refers to posting a total of 25 articles one for each day from December 1st to 25th
The groups involved were the Mobile App Development Group, where our volunteer coordinator naka_shima-san belongs, and the Developer Relations Group.
- Mobile App Development Group
- Developer Relations Group
The Mobile App Development Group was chosen first because it was the most actively engaged in information dissemination this year. This group stood out for not only planning and managing major sponsored events like iOSDC 2024 and DroidKaigi but also for regularly contributing to the Tech Blog. With a playful challenge of “Can the Mobile Group fill all 25 days by themselves?” they impressively took on the task and completed an entire series 🎉
Next, the reason why it was decided that the Developer Relations Group would fill one series was that we believed it was important for the very team leading information dissemination to actively demonstrate its output through the Tech Blog.
Thanks to these efforts, we released a total of 100 articles, which included:
- Random topics freely contributed by volunteers
- Articles by the Mobile App Development Group
- Articles by the Developer Relations Group
- Translated articles (English-Japanese) by the Localization Team
Future Prospects
Today I shared our journey through the Advent Calendars over the past three years: from the Tech Blog’s launch in 2022 up to the present in 2024. Thanks to everyone involved and all the efforts made, we proudly reached the milestone of releasing 100 articles in the 2024 Advent Calendar!
Looking ahead to 2025, we plan to focus on initiatives that make writing easier and keep motivation high for our contributors.
Thank you for reading and supporting us throughout 2024☺️
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