Embarking on the journey of crafting content for developers is like navigating a maze of information where blogs, tutorials, videos, and social content reign supreme. Bill Gates’ echoing mantra, “Content is king,” sets the stage for our quest to engage and educate developers effectively. It was often referenced by my then manager Arun Gupta, where developer advocates produced up to 4 pieces of content per month, a stark contrast to others who did 2 per quarter. However, the real magic unfolds when the dynamic duo of developers and creative designers join forces in this content creation odyssey.
Envision a scenario where developers, exploring new projects with keen curiosity and a strong desire for knowledge, are actively engaged in absorbing information to fuel their innovation and creation. Meanwhile, our trusty product leaders in community management and developer advocacy are contemplating the perfect blend of technical prowess and creative finesse. It’s a dance of bits and pixels, where collaboration is the secret sauce to captivate our developer audience.
In a real life example of this merging of ideas, check out this creative adventure! I teamed up with the fantastic Sunshine Agoo, our creative director extraordinaire (he’s open to hire), to turn my wild idea of connecting with developers into a fun, interactive experience. The mission? To dive deep into our community’s tech know-how, discover their go-to spots for answers, and pinpoint where in the world they were engaging with us. I tossed Sunshine the challenge: let’s make it happen over Easter and throw our mascot, an otter, into the mix.
Solly’s Easter Egg Hunt
Here’s the concept. An egg pops open, posing a question that leads straight to the answers on our sites. To make things even more eggciting, I looped in our web team, making the most of the tools in WordPress like an education plugin. Bonus? It got us shortlisted as a finalist in the Best DevRel Initiative category at the 2023 DevRel Awards.
This whole escapade wasn’t just about being creative and making a splash. It was about shouting from the rooftops that team collaboration isn’t just a buzzword—it works, and it works amazingly well! Cheers to showcasing this as our guiding star on how teams can come together and create something spectacular. 🌟
As we navigate the content landscape, from blogs to code labs and everything in between, it becomes evident that the harmonious collaboration between developers and creative designers is the missing link. Forget hastily churning out new content; let’s take a strategic detour and explore the treasures hidden within our existing material. Target audience insights, feedback from the devrel team, and a careful evaluation of past successes become our compass.
Enter the creative designers, the unsung heroes of visually compelling content. Together with the marketing team, they embark on a quest to streamline efforts, minimise duplication, and infuse a dash of creative genius into every graphic. It’s a collaboration that transforms case studies into newsletter gems, bridging gaps and unlocking innovative solutions.
The feedback loop becomes a comedy of errors, but in a good way—developers sharing their insights with creative designers who, despite not being on the ground, weave visual magic that resonates with the audience. It’s a delicate balance of avoiding unnecessary technical complexities while ensuring graphics are not just acknowledged but applauded.
It’s a cool journey of laughs, bright ideas, and a touch of creative genius, making the art and science of developer-focused content creation a true masterpiece.
Let me know what you think and how your process works with internal collaboration with content teams, from reviews to publishing and getting input from marketing to creative designs.
