Keeping it weird: marketing to developers

It’s no surprise that Seattle and Austin are the fastest growing cities in the U.S., with tech giants like Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and Dell adding the tech jobs that are driving market growth.

Metia’s offices in Seattle and Austin provide services and specialize in technology marketing, with a particular expertise in developer marketing.  Developers have always been highly sought after by technology companies, and marketing to developers is becoming of heightened importance -  especially in these startup-intensive markets - as more companies integrate technology into their products.

Developers bring technology to life. They are a fickle and independent audience, and getting their buy in to your API or SDK requires a marketing approach that is counter-intuitive to most consumer brands.  We run some of the best developer marketing programs in the world at Metia, and we’ve learned a few things along the way: 

Eliminate fluff: Developers respond best to a clear, simple and concise message. Produce content that solves problems. Communicate without selling.

Recognize achievements: Provide an outlet for developers to showcase their applications and share ideas and innovations.

Keep their hours in mind:  Developers typically are online late at night, coding away in the dark. If you want your content to reach them, publish and engage after business hours.

Go after their influencers. Follow the key players and engage in their conversations. A few key developer influencers to follow:

• Phil Nickinson – @philnickinson
• Rami Ismail – @the_rami
• Eric Steuer – @ericsteuer
• Matias Duarte @matiasduarte
• Amanda Wixted @commanda
• Jony Ive @therealjonyive
• Carla White @carlawhite
• Prerna Gupta @prernagupta
• Laurent Bugnion @lbugnion
• Mike Matas @mike_matas
• Dong Nguyen @dongatory
• Igor and Marko Pusenjak @igornpusenjak

Of course Seattle and Austin are not the only technology hubs in the country (or the world!) As technology is integrated into everyday devices, and applications become part increasingly diverse products, companies that sell everything from refrigerators to running shoes will need developers to embrace their SDKs and build experiences for them. Is your brand ready for a new audience and approach?