A proven content strategy that connects with developers

How to balance education and community in your developer content strategy.

Content strategy in developer marketing isn’t just about publishing articles, hosting webinars, or creating social media posts. It’s about delivering the right content, in the right format, through the right channels, to meet developers where they are.

And in my experience, there are two main focuses: Educational content and community-forward content. While these can overlap, they serve distinct purposes and require different approaches.

Educational content: Teaching developers what they need to know

Developers crave information. They want to understand how a technology works, what problems it solves, and how they can integrate it into their workflows. Educational content is about providing that knowledge in a way that is clear, actionable, and technically accurate.

My approach to educational content:

1. Identify internal content creators – Who within the company has the expertise to produce high-value content? Are they skilled at writing blog posts, producing videos, creating technical demos, or leading webinars?
2. Match format to strengths – Not everyone is a writer. Some people shine on video, while others are excellent at explaining complex topics through hands-on workshops or documentation.
3. Choose the right channels – Different developer audiences consume content in different ways. Some frequent Bluesky and Reddit, while others rely on YouTube, blogs, newsletters, or documentation sites.

By aligning content with both the strengths of internal experts and the preferences of developer audiences, I ensure educational content is both compelling and effective.

Community-forward content: Where developers drive the conversation

Educational content is important, but in today’s AI-generated, search-cannibalized landscape, community-forward content is the real differentiator. If you’re not investing in it—or worse, if you’ve disbanded your user-generated content (UGC) efforts—you’re falling behind.

Community-forward content is driven by real users. It includes:

• Forum discussions
• Open source contributions
• Conference talks and meetups
• Social media conversations
• User-generated blogs, tutorials, and case studies

My approach to community-forward content:

1. Identify the right channels First – Instead of starting with creators, I start with channels. Where do our target audiences already engage in discussions about relevant topics?
2. Engage in those spaces – Once we’re active in the right channels, our community creators reveal themselves naturally. Passionate developers start sharing their experiences, projects, and insights.
3. Amplify and support – The role of a brand isn’t to control the conversation, but to empower and showcase the best voices in the community. That means highlighting user-generated content, fostering discussions, and recognizing contributions.

The future of developer marketing content strategy: Balancing both approaches

Developers need educational content to understand a product, but they trust other developers more than they trust brands.

That’s why combining educational content with a strong community-forward approach is crucial. It’s not enough to just teach developers about a product—you need to make sure they’re talking about it, sharing their experiences, and advocating for it in their own words.

A brand that prioritizes both education and community is a brand that stays relevant, even in an AI-driven, SEO-saturated world. If you want to build a content strategy that lasts, invest in both.

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This article is adapted from “Developer marketing content strategy: Educational and community-forward content” by Jen Wike Huger, and is republished with permission from the author.