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Building a Developer Content Program
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•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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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?
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Conception• Start with an idea, something you
want to explain
• Define the business case
• Find stakeholders, talk it up
• Who is the audience?
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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.
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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
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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
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Draft & Review Cycle• Writer meets with
stakeholders, interviews, gathers information
• Writer creates first draft
• Reviewers provide feedback
• Next draft iterate until −document is done
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Web Production
• The web team adds to template, does layout
• Also hosts document on staging server
• Final content, design review final tweaks−
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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
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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
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Thanks for watching!