This article is based on Chris Apaliski’s talk at the Developer Engagement Summit. DMA members can enjoy the complete recording here.
As industries like finance, healthcare, and automotive dive deeper into digital solutions, it’s becoming clear that engaging developers and technologists is more important than ever.
While developers might not sign the checks, they hold significant sway over technology decisions. They’re now driving the conversation on what tools and platforms get adopted, so businesses that have focused primarily on CIOs and procurement teams need to shift gears and prioritize devs.
This means rethinking your marketing strategy and helping executives understand the growing power of the tech community. However, have you ever tried to convince executives who don't speak tech that engaging with developers is crucial to business success? Let me tell you, it’s not easy.
As the Vice President of Product Marketing at JPMorgan Chase & Co., I have the gargantuan task of advocating for a developer-first strategy within a massive enterprise – a job that often requires me to speak the execs’ language and help them see the market from a different perspective.
So, I’m here to walk you through my key strategies for navigating this complex landscape. Here’s a taste of what we’ll cover:
- How to understand the modern buying center and its influence on decisions
- Ways to connect with decision-makers on the platforms they use
- Tips for reshaping your KPIs to better align with executive goals
- How to educate and persuade executives to support developer initiatives
Let’s get into it.
Builders vs. buyers: Making sure your execs understand the difference
In industries that haven’t historically been tech-forward, such as finance, healthcare, and travel, one of the biggest challenges is ensuring your execs understand who you should be targeting.
There are two key personas in the purchasing process: buyers and builders. Their mindsets are totally different, so the way you approach them needs to be different, too.
Buyers – the traditional decision-makers – focus on achieving goals and driving purchasing behavior based on fiscal impacts. Their role has historically been to evaluate and approve purchases based on their business needs.
Builders may not be signing the check, but their input is still invaluable. They’re responsible for identifying, researching, and prototyping solutions before implementing them. Their role in the decision-making process is now more vital than ever, and they bring a much deeper understanding of the technical nuances of a solution than buyers traditionally could.
The new buying journey: From buyers to builders
The buying journey for traditional buyers is straightforward: something triggers the need for a solution, they evaluate it, make the purchasing decision, and scale it across the organization.
However, for builders, the journey is more complex. They start by discovering the right tools, researching them, and prototyping to ensure they fit their needs. Once they’ve tested it and validated a tool’s effectiveness, they can implement and scale the solution within the company. This process results in (buzzword alert!) more robust and effective solutions.
So, why should companies focus on engaging builders? The answer lies in the influence they have over technology decisions. A recent Stack Overflow survey showed that 62% of developers report having a significant influence on technology purchases.
This shift in power means that technologists and developers are no longer just the implementers – they’re now integral to the purchasing process.
Understanding the difference between a buyer and a builder – and communicating that distinction to your executive team – is critical for successfully adapting to this new reality. It’s not just about selling a product; it’s about building relationships with the people who understand and can shape the solutions your organization needs.
Reevaluating the funnel: Adapting to a developer-centric strategy
Once you’ve built the case for why builders matter, the next step is reevaluating your marketing funnel and helping your executive team understand why it needs to evolve.
A traditional marketing campaign might rely heavily on search, display ads, and social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or X, with maybe some out-of-home advertising thrown in. That worked for a while.
But when you’re targeting developers and technologists, the strategy has to shift. A tech-focused funnel includes more niche channels – think Reddit, LinkedIn, and Stack Overflow.
