Karl Hughes on Expert Developer Marketing

Reaching Developers Through Targeted Content Marketing

Marketing to developers presents unique challenges. They are often pressed for time and generally resistant to traditional marketing approaches, demanding a high standard for any content intended for their consumption.

Draft.dev, a Chicago-based content marketing firm, specializes in creating technical content specifically for software engineers. Founder and CEO Karl Hughes describes the company as a “superniche content marketing production company.”

The Value of a Niche Audience

Our recent growth marketer survey highlighted Draft.dev as a valuable resource for startups. Respondents emphasized that developers, while a niche audience, represent a significant and increasingly important demographic for many growing companies. (Share your recommendations by completing our survey!)

Following discussions with strategic marketing firm MKT1, we spoke with Hughes to gain deeper insights into Draft.dev’s approach and expertise.

Note: The following interview has been condensed for brevity and clarity.

Client Profile and Objectives

What types of clients does Draft.dev typically serve?

Karl Hughes: The vast majority of our clients are companies offering developer tools. They are generally Series A- and Series B-funded, indicating they recognize the value of content marketing and are seeking to scale their efforts. Their primary goal is to ensure their content effectively resonates with developers.

The Genesis of Draft.dev

What motivated the creation of Draft.dev?

Having previously worked as a software developer and CTO, I observed that many companies struggled to effectively reach developers. Recognizing a gap in the market, I aimed to combine my technical knowledge with strong writing skills, leading to the establishment of Draft.dev – a venture that has proven incredibly rewarding!

We collaborate with both technical and non-technical marketing and developer relations professionals to enhance their content output. Developer marketing requires a delicate approach, as developers are often skeptical of marketing claims. Therefore, we prioritize genuinely helpful content that provides value to both the audience and the client.

Common Content Creation Mistakes

What are some frequent errors companies make when crafting content for developers?

Draft.dev was founded to address two key challenges: over-reliance on internal teams with competing priorities and the misconception that general copywriting agencies can adequately cover developer-specific topics.

Companies often initially task their engineers with content creation, but this approach is difficult to sustain long-term. For example, a continuous integration tool provider might request a blog post from its developers, resulting in sporadic content rather than a consistent stream.

Successful companies like Okta and DigitalOcean demonstrate the importance of dedicated content teams. It’s challenging to consistently produce high-quality content while simultaneously developing and maintaining a product.

The Need for Specialized Expertise

Another common mistake is assuming that a general marketing writer can effectively create content for developers. This is a rare skill set. While some copywriters can mimic technical understanding, genuine expertise is crucial.

For instance, a general SEO copywriter might attempt to write about complex SQL queries, but their work will likely lack the authority of a seasoned software developer.

My background in development highlighted this significant problem for many companies.

Draft.dev’s Solution

How does Draft.dev overcome these challenges?

We are not a fit for every company. However, for those seeking to scale content production with strong technical authority, we offer a valuable solution. These clients typically understand the importance of developer content but lack the resources or consistent quality control from freelancers.

We maintain a large network of software developers who contribute to our content on a freelance basis. Currently, we have approximately 50-60 active monthly writers, all working full-time jobs and dedicating their evenings and weekends to our projects. This ensures that our articles are informed by real-world experience.

Furthermore, we encourage bylines for our writers, fostering credibility and showcasing subject matter expertise. We prioritize showcasing the expertise of actual developers rather than solely relying on marketing leadership.

This approach aligns with a broader content strategy and target audience. For developers actively writing code, content authored by fellow practitioners holds significant value.

Ensuring Subject Matter Expertise

How do you verify the technical expertise of your writers?

We employ a rigorous writer vetting and selection process. We carefully match writers to articles based on their skills and experience. We also proactively recruit writers specializing in niche topics, sometimes through direct outreach or leveraging our professional networks.

This targeted recruitment process can be time-consuming, but it allows us to deliver specialized content that meets our clients’ specific needs.

Balancing Technical Skill and Writing Ability

How do you reconcile the technical expertise of your writers with their writing skills?

This is a common challenge in the field. The key is to combine subject matter expertise with strong editorial support.

We prioritize thorough content planning, collaborating with clients to define topics and outlines before assigning articles to writers. Our technical content planners ensure each piece has a clear structure and narrative.

Writers then contribute their technical details and personal insights, followed by three rounds of editing: technical review, developmental editing for structure and flow, and copy editing.

The Evolution of the Editing Process

How has your editing process evolved over time?

Initially, the process was managed by myself and our managing editor, Chris Wolfgang. She possessed extensive editing experience, allowing her to handle all aspects of editing, while I focused on writing, writer selection, and review. However, as we grew, we realized that replicating this skillset would be difficult.

We restructured our team to specialize in specific areas, enabling us to scale and maintain quality while expanding rapidly. We now have five full-time employees and serve over 35 startups, demonstrating significant growth.

Client Acquisition Strategies

How do you attract new clients?

Referrals have been our primary source of new business. Satisfied clients consistently recommend us to others. We also work with companies participating in accelerator programs like Y Combinator, where we are frequently recommended to new startups. Given the limited number of companies specializing in this niche, we receive frequent mentions.

While our growth has been largely organic, we are now actively developing strategies to enhance our outreach efforts.

We recently hired an account manager to focus on client relationships and generate testimonials and case studies.

The demand for our services is driven by the fact that companies selling developer tools require a reliable way to produce high-quality content, and few providers exist.

Complementing Existing Content Efforts

How does Draft.dev integrate with clients’ existing content production?

We cater to two primary client profiles: larger companies seeking to augment their in-house content teams and smaller teams needing to quickly establish or scale their content production.

Many of our clients also maintain community writer programs, such as Strapi, an open-source tool with a vibrant community of contributors. However, they rely on us to supplement this content, allowing them to address specific topics and maintain a consistent publishing schedule.

Community contributions are valuable, but they often focus on what the community is currently working on. It can be challenging to solicit content on specific, strategically important topics.

Furthermore, companies often underestimate the editing resources required for community-generated content. We provide a streamlined solution, eliminating the need for extensive internal editing and quality control.

Expanding Service Offerings

Do you offer content distribution services, such as social media promotion?

We recently launched a new service that includes creating social media collateral for each piece of content, such as tweets, LinkedIn posts, and Reddit submissions. Clients can then easily copy and paste this content into their preferred scheduling system.

We also provide a promotional checklist to help clients maximize content reach. Smaller companies often struggle with content promotion, particularly when lacking a deep understanding of the developer audience. By providing this collateral, we simplify the process.

This is our first foray into content distribution, and we may explore additional services in the future.