Actions Speak Louder Than Words
Demonstrations of any product, from vacuum cleaners to tools for AI developers, are always more powerful. However, with a technical and skeptical audience like developers, campaigns designed to show (and not just say) are essential. Advertising developer tools with any success means that ad campaigns will point developers to opportunities to try a tool.
You Don’t Have to Give It All Away
Maybe in the end, your ad’s performance will be measured in downloads. But you might get more if you offer developers a way to try a tool before a download. Documentation that supports an online code editor experience offers developers a chance to validate a tool before downloading it. It reduces friction and conveys confidence in your product. Plus, it makes your ad useful rather than irritatingly empty.
Play It Again, Sam
Code is a great way to show rather than say. Pointing developers to code they can copy and paste is always a winner. However, it takes more than just a line of code to capture a developer’s attention. Code must be offered in context, showing why this approach is useful and what the result will be. One way to show this is a screenshot of what will happen or even a GIF that shows the end result.
Who Says?
Believe it or not, developers themselves have asked for more than code samples. Recent developer-to-developer conversations captured on ContentLab point to the popularity of screenshots. Interviewer and celebrity developer Jeff Fritz is also a big believer in documentation or how-to’s that include GIFs that show what a particular line of code will do. Developer Jess Chadwick wants screenshots.
Ads Should Announce Experiences
To successfully advertise developer tools to a skeptical audience, you need to have more than a message. Ad campaigns that help developers try a tool are perceived by developers as useful. It avoids wasting time with tools that won’t work. Showing the specifics of how to implement a tool with online code editors where feasible (and offering screenshots and GIFs will lend power to your message). If you trust that your ad will take them to a demonstration of how well your product will work, then developers will trust your brand (and advertising) more.
