Six Ways to Reach Developers on Social Media (Without Being Salesy)
- Jack Hurring
- Apr 1
- 4 min read
Developers use social media for conversations, not broadcasts. Business Development Manager Jack Hurring provides six strategies for authentic developer engagement.
Why Social Media Requires a Different Playbook
Developers are inherently skeptical of traditional marketing. They value authenticity, expertise, and problem-solving over sales pitches. If your social media strategy feels promotional, you risk losing credibility fast. So, how do tech companies connect with developers using social media?
It’s not that different from any other social media strategy: Understand your audience. Join their conversations, don’t interrupt them. And give, give, give before you ask for anything back–in this case, for their engagement with your product, service, documentation, or hub.
This guide outlines six strategies—with real-world examples—to help your team authentically engage developers, build trust, and drive meaningful product adoption.
Problem Solves, Not Sales Pitches
A lot of technology companies present “solutions” without a problem. But non-thirsty horses don’t want your water. Developers engage with content that helps them solve current and relevant issues. Once you’ve researched the common pain points facing your developers, prioritize creating:
Technical tutorials and walkthroughs for common or requested use cases.
Code samples, API guides, and comprehensive documentation.
Case studies on how other teams solved complex challenges with your technology.
Twilio demonstrates this well by sharing detailed API tutorials on their blog and social media, walking developers through SMS automation, voice integrations, and other real-world use cases.
Less Broadcasting, More Two-Way Conversation
When developers need to collaborate, they prefer dialogue over dictation. Learn from this and build relationships by:
Using polls or asking thoughtful questions about tools, trends, and pain points.
Sparking debate with hot takes (as long as they are genuine) and authentic BTS updates.
Responding quickly to comments with real answers, not canned reactions.
Joining existing developer conversations (Twitter/X threads, Reddit, Stack Overflow, Discord, Dev.to)
DigitalOcean’s Twitter account runs coding challenges and polls that encourage strong opinions about cloud infrastructure. It also invites developers to share their perspectives, and its community team engages actively in the replies, deepening relationships.
Showcase Real Stories From Other People
Authenticity resonates, and third-party approval adds to that. Your brand or solution will earn instant credibility with peer reviews, testimonials, ratings, and case studies. Make sure to feature:
Developer success stories using your product
Open-source contributions from your team or community
Customer case studies with technical depth
GitHub sets the standard by featuring developer success stories and open-source projects in their "GitHub Stars" program. These real-world showcases inspire and validate the platform’s value without hard-selling.
Select the Right Platforms for Developer Engagement
Match your strategy to the platform and be sure not to spread yourself too thin. It’s better to have a strong, consistent presence on one or two channels than to have inconsistent, shallow interactions across multiple platforms.
Platform | Best For |
X (Twitter) | Real-time updates, tech news, thought leadership |
Professional updates, high-level insights | |
Reddit (r/programming, r/webdev, etc.) | Honest feedback, deep technical threads |
Discord | Niche tech communities, interactive Q&A |
Stack Overflow/Dev. to/Hacker News | Code-first content, solving specific problems |
MongoDB does this by running highly engaged community forums and a dedicated Discord server where developers exchange ideas and solve technical challenges. They complement this with thought leadership on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Empower Developer Advocates and Technical Experts
Many developers are self-taught and relish learning new things or solving problems on their own. However, having a welcoming human face can help create greater brand affinity once developers are familiar with your solution.
Developer Relations (DevRel) team members can post personal insights
Engineers can share lessons learned, side projects, or join AMAs
Power users can create tutorials or reviews of your tools
Netlify does this effectively, as its engineers and DevRel team frequently share their personal projects, lessons, and opinions on Twitter and Dev.to. This humanizes the brand and positions its experts as trusted peers in the community.
Be an Active Contributor to Developer Communities
Nobody likes a lurker. Long-term engagement means showing up consistently without pushing an agenda. Integrate your entire marketing function and get developer engagement beyond a social post by:
Sponsoring hackathons or open-source projects
Hosting technical Q&As, webinars, or livestreams
Offering mentorship, feedback, or code reviews
Sharing thought leadership on emerging technologies
Snyk leads by example, actively sponsoring developer events, hackathons, and meetups worldwide. Their engineers often speak at industry conferences, while their blog dives deep into technical concepts—positioning Snyk as a committed contributor to the developer ecosystem.
Pro Tip: Avoid posting branded content. Active participation builds lasting relationships, and you can build relationships by curating quality content or uplifting partner content.
Build Trust First and the Business Will Follow
Your individual posts on social media might have a short shelf life, but your behavior is what will create a lasting impression. Lead with value, become a contributing member of the communities you join, position your brand as a trusted partner, and remember that just like with real relationships, trust takes time.
Recommended Industry Reports for Further Reading
State of the Developer Nation (SlashData): Insight into global developer trends and behaviors.
Stack Overflow Developer Survey (2024): Annual data on developer preferences, tools, and platforms.
Looking for guidance on building authentic developer engagement strategies? Connect with our team to explore how we help brands foster meaningful relationships with developer communities.