Social Media
Let’s explore the fundamentals of content marketing for DevRel. This time, we’ll focus on delivery channels and discuss which channels are most appropriate for different types of content.
Let’s examine the main types of content and their corresponding delivery channels.
Blog posts can be broadly categorized into those hosted on custom domains and those on other platforms. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages.
This offers the highest degree of content freedom. You can publish not only technical articles but also non-technical content. Another significant advantage is that even if your hosting service shuts down, you can continue by migrating to another hosting provider.
On the downside, there are hosting costs and system maintenance expenses. However, if you host static HTML on services like Cloudflare Pages or Firebase Hosting, you can operate with minimal security risks.
This includes using WordPress hosting or Hatena Blog. The main advantage is that you can start using these platforms immediately after registration. They come with pre-made themes and excellent UX, making them user-friendly.
The disadvantages include some limitations on available plugins and publishable content. While Hatena Blog’s technical blog plan is affordable, it restricts content to technical topics only.
WordPress hosting typically maintains URLs when migrating to other services. However, with Hatena Blog, URLs might change during migration.
This includes platforms like Qiita, Zenn, and note. The main advantage is the ability to start content distribution immediately after registration. Since many developers use these platforms, you can expect a certain level of page views even starting from zero.
The disadvantages include content restrictions and the fact that content can quickly get buried due to the high volume of developer posts.
Most importantly, it’s challenging to build your brand on these platforms.
For developer documentation, the official website is the best place. However, since development documentation often uses specialized generators, it might end up on a separate domain (subdomain) if other content is managed through WordPress.
Video content can be distributed through external services or self-hosting.
The main video distribution services in the DevRel context include:
The advantages include access to powerful networks and storage. Social services have large user bases, allowing for a certain level of viewership.
The disadvantages include content restrictions. Each service has its own guidelines, so content must comply with their terms of service. For example, using commercial music in a session might prevent publication.
Self-hosting has no content restrictions. Of course, you cannot distribute content that infringes on others’ copyrights.
The disadvantage is the need for network and storage infrastructure capable of handling video distribution. You can also use specialized cloud services for video distribution.
Podcasting has recently gained traction in content marketing. While similar to video, podcasts use less bandwidth but require attention as downloadable content.
Spotify is a major platform for podcast management and distribution. After acquiring Anchor, it now operates as Spotify for Podcasters. You can upload video and audio files for podcast distribution.
The advantage is centralized management, as content can be distributed to various services including Apple. You can gain users through Spotify and benefit from analytics features.
The disadvantage is that content must comply with external service terms. However, this is usually not a major issue in DevRel.
Podcasting can be provided by uploading audio files and distributing corresponding XML feeds. This allows for hosting with custom URLs.
The advantage is control over distribution in case of issues. Having a custom URL is also beneficial. The disadvantages include the need to develop separate methods for awareness expansion and analytics, as tools like Google Analytics aren’t available.
These include presentation materials. There’s little advantage in self-hosting these.
Well-known slide sharing services include:
SpeakerDeck, provided by GitHub, is popular among developers. While it only supports PDF format, it’s convenient for embedding in blogs.
Slideshare was once popular but has been struggling since LinkedIn’s acquisition and subsequent sale. There are concerns about service continuity.
For self-hosting, you can use libraries like PDF.js for embedded viewing. This offers better content control and potential integration with your authentication system.
While PDF files can be downloaded and viewed, this provides a poor user experience.
E-books can be used for awareness expansion. While white papers might work well with self-hosting, external services are generally preferred.
Self-publishing e-book distribution services include:
KDP leverages Amazon’s platform, offering significant advantages. While there are fees for paid content, free distribution is possible.
TechBook Fest requires registration as a circle participant. While download numbers spike during the event period, it offers stronger sales power than KDP.
All services have content review processes. Content must comply with their guidelines.
Zenn allows creating e-books like regular blog posts. You can gradually build content and sell (or give away) when complete. While Zenn has no review process, content must still comply with terms of service.
White papers and e-books distributed after form submission typically use self-hosting. However, once downloaded as ePub or PDF, tracking becomes impossible. There might be a gap between registration numbers and actual readership.
DRM mechanisms are generally not recommended.
The choice of delivery channel depends on your goals. Generally, it breaks down as follows:
| Type | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|
| Self-hosting | Better content control | Development and maintenance costs |
| External services | Rich network, storage, and features | Platform restrictions and risk of platform changes |
For awareness expansion, external services offer easier access to larger audiences. For existing user loyalty, self-hosting provides better control.
The choice of external service depends on terms of service and audience size. While YouTube makes it difficult to restrict distribution, Vimeo offers password protection. Each service has different content and usage restrictions, so review their terms carefully. Account bans can impact future activities.
When using external services, always consider the risk of strategy changes due to platform decisions. Therefore, it’s important to diversify risk by using multiple services rather than depending on a single one.
The same content can either go unnoticed or go viral depending on the delivery channel. While the basic principle is to post content where your readers are, long-term brand building and content control should also be considered.
While multi-posting isn’t recommended, it’s good to start by using multiple services in parallel to gauge response. Rather than choosing blindly, carefully validate which platform works best for your company.
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