Write a blog post for Defence Digital
Any digital team working in Defence can submit a blog post to the Defence Digital blog on GOV.UK.
Do
- Keep your blog posts short and easy to read
- Start with a short description of your service
- Check images do not show sensitive, SECRET or TOP-SECRET information
Don’t
- Do not publish sensitive, SECRET or TOP-SECRET information in a blog post
- Do not publish specific details of software or tools used in Defence, for example account names or links
When to publish a blog post
You can publish a blog post on the Defence Digital blog when something significant has happened or you have used a new approach.
For example:
- at the end of discovery
- what you’ve learnt during beta
- using an approach in Defence for the first time
- releasing a new feature
Do not wait until you go live with a new service. Share what you do and learn along the way.
How to write a blog post
You know what you want to cover in your blog post. Use this guidance to help you write a clear and engaging story.
Follow GOV.UK guidance
The Defence Digital blog is hosted on GOV.UK. When writing your blog, you need to follow GOV.UK guidance.
It includes things like:
- why blog
- style and tone of voice
- creating and editing blog posts
- evaluating your blog post's performance
Be careful what you write
Anyone can read your blog post online. Make sure it does not include anything that could risk the safety or reputation of anyone in Defence.
It helps to read your draft as if you are someone outside Defence.
Tell your story well
Think about the story you want to tell. Which points are the most interesting for your readers? For example, instead of describing how you organised a workshop describe what you discovered.
Many readers won’t know about your service yet. Start your blog post with a short description of your service or what you're trying to do.
Be conversational. Write as if you are telling someone about what your team has done.
Keep it short
It’s best to keep your blog post to a 5 minute read or less.
For the Defence Digital blog, your posts need to be a maximum of 9,000 words. You can write less.
If you have a lot to share, consider a series of blog posts. Instead of telling people what your team is doing next, publish a short blog post when you’ve done it.
Break up text with headers
Use headers to help tell your story, for example:
- the problem you needed to solve
- a challenge you faced
- what you did
- how users responded
Add images
To help you tell an engaging story, GOV.UK guidance recommends adding images.
In Defence Digital blog posts, you can use images from the Defence image library without worrying about licences or copyright.
Submit a blog post
You need to submit your blog post for review.
Send your blog post to: content@digital.mod.uk.
Published May 2023