Building a Developer Content Program

•David E. Gleason is a content manager, writer and marketer with wide experience in Silicon Valley

•He created this presentation to share on SlideShow

•Updated May 14, 2013

The Author

The Problem

• In 2002, Apple’s Mac OS X was brand-new and unfamiliar to most developers

• Old developers were unsure what to do

• New developers did not know where to start

• Reference library documentation was detailed but complex -- not easy to begin there

The Need

• We needed to highlight what was new and exciting

• We also wanted to introduce new ideas, technologies & tools

• We needed a “technical marketing” solution

• This would require buy in from stakeholders

• It would also require outside contributors

The Solution• Our solution was a Developer Content

Program for defining and creating feature content

• The Program allowed us to define content types that were not in the Reference Library

• It also allowed us to develop a formal process for creation, review and publication

• Having a Program made it easier to get funding for contract writers

The Content Manager

• One person was selected to manage the content program

• The Content Manager drove the process

• S/he found stakeholders, selected topics, then found the writers

• Having a single responsible person and point of contact is critical to keep things moving.

The Benefits

• A content program lets you highlight things so readers are more likely to see them

• It also lets to address certain audiences; e.g., graphics developers, beginners, IT staff

• It gives you content to disseminate through social media, forums and places off your site

• It gives the reader an overview in 20 minutes: what is it, why do I care, how do I start?

What is Feature Content?

• What it’s not: Reference Library content

• What it is: benefit-oriented articles on key topics, technologies or tools

• Less “how,” more “why” in say 2,000 words−

• Technical tutorials the − “how” in short

• Success stories on benefits of using new tools/technologies

• Articles on improving your business

What is Feature Content (cont.)?

• Feature Content is also easier to create than reference material

• More informal, more persuasive

• It has a shorter shelf life so it’s easier to remove

• It’s marketing to a technical audience

How Do We Do That?• Create content that points to the rich &

deep treasures in the Reference Library

• Elevate awareness of new content, at the front of the website

• Feature the tools, APIs, or solutions that are new or you want to promote

• Provide brief tutorials to get readers started -- “on ramps” to the main highway of resource material, at a safe speed

What Were the Results?

• It took 2-3 years for the program to reach an output of one article per week

• Traffic grew with increased content

• Most popular were tools and upcoming technology overviews for developers

• Annual traffic reached 5 million downloads, just for feature content

Defining a Feature Content Project

• Conception: start with a defined goal

• Fill out, submit Content Project Brief

• Submit for approval, get funding if needed

• Engage an author, define project timeline

• Cycle of drafts, review, sign off

• Publish on host website, maintain content

Conception• Start with an idea, something you

want to explain

• Define the business case

• Find stakeholders, talk it up

• Who is the audience?

Create a Content Project Brief

• What is the business purpose?

• What is the scope of this content?

• What is the timeline?

• What will it cost?

• Provide a detailed outline.

Submit for Approval• Submit content project brief

to stakeholders for approval

• Identify writer/creator

• Make sure you have budget

• Get final approval to start work

Find, Engage Writer• Identify skill set who is the −

best writer for this project?

• Submit engagement form to vendor approval if new

• Define schedule

• Define deliverables

• Review current outline, revise

• When P.O. is assigned, writer can start work

Draft & Review Cycle• Writer meets with

stakeholders, interviews, gathers information

• Writer creates first draft

• Reviewers provide feedback

• Next draft iterate until −document is done

Web Production

• The web team adds to template, does layout

• Also hosts document on staging server

• Final content, design review final tweaks−

Publish Content• Document enters

publishing queue

• Pages go live according to the content schedule

• Notify community, press, social media

• Track stats, evaluate reader response

• Curate content

Life Cycle Management

• Some content may be repurposed in the Reference Library

• Convert some articles to documentation for updates and expansion

• Repurpose some as tech notes

• Remove content as it becomes obsolete

Thanks for watching!