This article is based on Chris Churilo’s insightful talk at the Developer Engagement Summit. As a DMA member, you can enjoy the complete recording here.
In my last article, How NOT to Market to Developers, I shared some of the biggest mistakes I’ve made or seen when trying to engage developers – things like overcomplicating onboarding, gating content unnecessarily, and coming across as too salesy. If you missed it, be sure to check it out!
In this installment, I want to focus on what does work. I’ll share practical strategies we’ve used at Zilliz to build trust with developers, foster meaningful connections, and create a community that thrives. From crafting valuable, ungated content to structuring Discord channels and offering truly useful free tiers, these are ideas you can take and run with.
So, let’s dive in and talk about how to meet developers where they are – and help them succeed!
Understanding the developer journey
Let’s start by taking a look at a simplified version of the developer journey. It’s crucial for us as marketers to understand this, yet it’s something we often overlook.
The journey starts with a developer being tasked with building something. Maybe it’s a new feature, a tool, or even an entire product. At this stage, they’ve got an idea but no budget, no credit card, and often no clue how to navigate their company’s expense system. So, what do they do? They head to GitHub or another open-source resource.
Their next step is prototyping. This is where they take their idea and start building, coding, and experimenting. If their prototype proves successful, they can move to deployment. The project enters production, and this is where it gets serious.
At this point, their manager or VP starts monitoring the project’s performance. Maybe they notice it’s using a lot of resources or requiring extra headcount to maintain. That’s often the trigger for considering a paid service or solution.
Understanding this flow – from idea to monitoring – can help us align our marketing efforts with the reality of how developers work and make decisions. If we can meet developers where they are on this journey, we’re far more likely to earn their trust and drive the adoption of our tools.
What developers need from you
Think about the companies that have nailed content marketing for marketers – like Zapier and HubSpot. They provide tools and resources that are genuinely useful: guides on creating marketing budgets, tutorials on scoring functions, templates for sequences, and more.
They’re not constantly harassing you to buy something. Sure, they might nudge you the first time, but mostly, they just keep delivering value through content that helps you solve real problems.
This is exactly the kind of approach we need to take with developers. Think about what they need to succeed with your product and how you can make their lives easier. Maybe they’re looking to integrate your tool with LangChain or explore how it works alongside others. Offer the resources to help them – like tutorials, explainer videos, or a Discord channel with weekly office hours where they can get answers.
Host monthly meetups in developer hubs like Palo Alto or San Francisco, and be there to help – whether it’s answering questions live in Discord or hopping on a quick Zoom call to troubleshoot a problem. When you’re accessible, approachable, and focused on their success, developers will notice – and they’ll appreciate it.
The power of a service mentality
This kind of service mentality makes all the difference. Your goal is to ensure developers can succeed with your product – whether they’re using the open-source version or the paid one. And here’s the surprising part: even if they stick with open source, many developers will feel a sense of gratitude and want to give back.
For example, I’ve had developers from companies like Target say, “Chris, I feel so bad. We just deployed Milvus at a massive scale, but we’re staying with open source. Can I write a blog post for you? Speak at your conference? Help with a press release?”
Developers understand the value they’re getting from open source and often want to contribute to the community in return. The key is patience and trust-building. Developers will come back to you when they’re ready. If you focus on their needs first, they’ll not only use your tools but also advocate for your brand. It’s a win-win – but only if you approach it with patience and the right mindset.
How to engage developers: 7 ideas you can steal
Now I’d like to share a few strategies that have helped us earn developers’ trust and foster genuine engagement. From creating valuable, ungated content to hosting meaningful events and practical resources, these are ideas you can implement to make developers’ lives easier – and keep them coming back.
