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

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