The Dispatch

January 16, 2025 | Edition #8

Argon Labs is a specialized technical and developer marketing agency that helps developer-focused startups to scaleups build out their content strategy and helps them establish domain authority and presence in their industry.

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Welcome to the latest edition of the Dispatch, where we provide you with the latest musings on technical marketing and Developer Experience & Relations to help educate and inform you on building the best content strategy for your team and organization.

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Learn why video content is becoming a game-changer for developer-focused companies—and how you can create tutorials that resonate..

But first, here's what we discovered over the past month:

What Caught Our Eye

​From Stocks to Stacks: Economics Lessons for DevRel - cool video on the parallels between financial portfolio management and DevRel activities, explaining how organizations can build diversified portfolios of developer engagement efforts that align with their stage of growth

​The Pages Every Developer Is Searching - Ever wondered what pages developers are actually searching for? Here it is—the essentials every dev-focused site needs to attract and retain your audience.

​Five proven methods for reaching developers - Reaching devs today means going beyond the usual channels. You have to explore where they actually spend their time online—communities, tools, and platforms that truly resonate

​The 15 Content Marketing Channels to Reach Your Developer Audience​

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OK - let's dive in...

The Rise of Video Developer-Focused Content

We all know that many startups and companies selling to developers have
long relied on traditional text-based tutorials, documentation, and blog
posts.

While these formats are still super valuable to developers, they often fail to
capture the dynamic, fast-paced needs of developers. In a world
where developers crave immediate, engaging, and digestible content,
traditional approaches can sometimes fall short.

The huge problem is that developers face information fatigue, making it
harder to stand out in a sea of written content. Relying solely on text, limits
your reach and can reduce engagement with developers who prefer
other learning methods, such as visual or auditory.

Let’s dive into how to think about and start building video content for your
users.

Why Video Content is on the Rise for​
​Developers

The growth of video content is undeniable. Video has grown to be a
dominant force in developer-focused marketing, education, and
community building

Platforms like YouTube, Twitch, and even TikTok have created thriving
communities of developers looking for tutorials, walkthroughs, and real-
time problem-solving.

Developers are highly visual learners. Studies show that video content
increases retention rates by up to 65% compared to text alone. Platforms
like YouTube have countless highly subscribed channels where
developers learn everything from JavaScript to Vercel deployment,
emphasizing the demand for visual content.

Videos can also condense the same amount of information into a more
compact format while offering richer context through visuals and
narration.

Because of all of the above, there’s been a big community shift, where
developers are consuming more video for everything from quick fixes to
in-depth explanations because video:

• Shows solutions in real-time.
• Provides a face or personality behind the content, fostering trust.
• Speeds up the learning curve for complex tasks.

Choose the Right Topics for Your Videos

Selecting the right topics for your video content is super critical for engaging your audience, addressing their needs, and establishing your product as an essential tool.

For developer-focused content, it’s important to align your topics with the challenges, goals, and curiosity that your target market bring to the table.

Here’s how to find effective topics:

1. Solve Real Problems Developers Face

Your users actively seek out solutions to roadblocks in their workflows. By creating videos that address common challenges or pain points, you can position your product as a valuable resource.

A few e.g. include:

• “Debugging APIs Faster with [Your Tool]”
• “Automating CI/CD Pipelines for Scalable Deployments”
• “How to Monitor Your Microservices Without Overhead”

Videos that directly solve problems are highly actionable and show immediate value, which earns the trust of your audience.

2. Showcase Use Cases and Real-World Applications

Developers want to see how your product fits into real-world scenarios. Choose topics that demonstrate practical applications and get them to imagine your product in their own stack.

This could look like:

• “Building a Chat App in 10 Minutes Using [Your API]”
• “How [Your Tool] Powers Real-Time Data Processing in E- Commerce”
• “Integrating [Your Platform] with AWS Lambda for Seamless Scalability”

Pro Tip: You can collaborate with clients or users to showcase authentic examples instead of guessing what your users are looking to solve.

3. Tap Into Trending Technologies

Devs are often at the forefront of emerging tech. Creating content that explores trends, best practices, or integrations with popular tools can
draw their attention.

Examples of Topics:

• “Integrating AI with Your DevOps Workflow Using [Your Tool]”
• “Exploring Serverless Architecture with [Your Product]”
• “Why Rust and [Your Platform] Are the Perfect Match for
  Performance-Driven Apps”

By aligning with hot topics, you position your brand as modern, innovative,
and relevant.

4. Guide Developers Through Learning Journeys

Developers frequently seek out educational content to level up their skills.
Tutorials, how-tos, and beginner-friendly guides make excellent entry
points.

• “Getting Started with [Your API]: A Beginner’s Guide”
• “How to Write Better Tests for Your Codebase with [Your Tool]”
• “Mastering Kubernetes Observability in 30 Minutes”

Break down...