Cracking the Code: Why Developers Are Unique in Content Marketing

Having worked extensively in the business-to-developer space, with a particular focus on tech-savvy audiences, one undeniable truth has become evident: developers represent a distinct demographic. In the early stages, our content marketing strategies heavily relied on keywords, intents, FAQs, links, and a wealth of content to enhance SEO. However, experienced marketers recognize that developers demonstrate unique online behavior.

Why are developers a unique audience for content marketing?

Developers differ from non-technical individuals because they value different things. To understand this, we need to define what value means.

Value: Think of giving a thirsty man food instead of water—it's not useful. Immediate fulfillment of basic physiological needs, like quenching thirst, takes precedence. Values are contextually defined and shape our perceptions and actions. They reflect Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, illustrating that different people prioritize different needs and values.

Valuable Content: What counts as valuable content depends on the recipient's current state, desires, and motivations. It meets actual needs, generates positive feelings, and builds lasting connections. For developers, their needs and values vary based on their experience levels and goals.

Developers focus on creating and implementing solutions, dealing with edge cases and errors, improving end-user experiences, product thinking, and potential security vulnerabilities. They value getting the job done quickly and efficiently, which includes aspects like quick testing and trial, simple documentation, ease of integration, developer experience, handling edge cases and errors, and low latency to query resolution. These priorities contrast with those of non-tech individuals who often prioritize finding solutions and analyzing different tools for business value rather than delving into the intricate details of implementation and error management.

What's the difference?

Marketing to non-tech audiences typically addresses questions such as why a company should purchase the product, its features, and the business value it provides. Even without an in-depth understanding of the product's mechanics, content can be tailored to highlight its end business value. These are the end values that non-tech teams prioritize. For instance, marketing teams focus on meeting KPIs and boosting revenue pipelines, ultimately driving revenue growth. Sales teams aim for KPIs like booking demos and POCs, directly impacting revenue. Product teams aim to reduce churn, while finance teams work to decrease expenditure. However, a tech-savvy individual won't find value in these general metrics. For them, value is transactional, focusing on aspects like ease of build & integration, debugging code, documentation for building, and API references—everything needed to construct the solution and improve problem-solving. It requires an in-depth understanding of the core product, its workings, and its logic from end to end to effectively address a developer's queries.

What type of content marketing works for developers?

Content that helps developers build and test hypotheses faster, handle edge cases, mitigate errors, and go live in production will be highly valued by developers. This can be understood by looking at the different stages of content for developers: pre-evaluation, during evaluation, during implementation, and post-implementation.

Resources

Understanding Developer Marketing" by Developer Relations: This eBook provides insights into the mindset of developers and explores effective strategies for marketing to this audience. It covers topics such as developer personas, content formats that resonate with developers, and the importance of authenticity in developer-focused marketing efforts.

The Developer's Journey: How to Market to Developers" by Stack Overflow: This blog post offers a comprehensive overview of the developer's journey and provides valuable insights into the key stages developers go through when evaluating and adopting new technologies. It discusses the role of content marketing at each stage of the developer's journey and offers tips for creating content that appeals to developers.

The State of Developer Marketing 2022" by SlashData: This report provides data-driven insights into developer preferences, behaviors, and attitudes towards marketing content. It covers topics such as the most influential sources of information for developers, the types of content developers find most valuable, and the role of developer communities in shaping developer perceptions of technology products and services.