I recently listened to the book about podcasting titled: "Make Noise" by Erik Nuzum. It really got under my skin and forced me to rethink the marketing of the DevJourney (Software Developer's Journey) podcast.

That's why I need your help and your (in- and out-of-the-Box) ideas!

Here's the plan of this article:

  1. First things first, WTF is DevJourney?
  2. Exercises from the book to define what DevJourney is!
  3. Current "marketing strategy".
  4. My questions to you!

1. First things first, WTF is DevJourney?

If you are discovering the podcast here, here's the very short intro:

  • I published the first episode in 2016
  • This week, I published episode 96
  • Each episode lasts ~45 minutes
  • The format is a "freestyle interview" of IT-Professionals (in English)
  • The opening question is along the lines of: "Could you please take us to the beginning of your developer's journey?"
  • And then we follow the flow of their life journey, explore their decisions, forks, learnings, etc.

2. Exercises from the book to define what DevJourney is!

Along the chapters of the book, there were a few exercises to perform. Here are the results.

2.1 Ten-Words Description of DevJourney

"A podcast highlighting the making-of stories of successful software engineers"

2.2 So that...

So that the listeners can identify role models in our industry and imagine how their own journeys could look like in the future.

2.3 Persona: Zoe

Here's Zoe:

  • Zoe is 26, she was born in Chicago, IL, then moved to Stockholm (Sweden)
  • She is in a stable relationship with Shoji, a political-science Major also living in Stockholm
  • She grew up in a "non-technical family". Her father works as a clerk in a bank, her mother is a nurse in a local hospital
  • Zoe is the youngest of 3 kids. Her older brother left the house with 18 and joined the army. Her younger brother is studying American-history.
  • Zoe first studied liberal arts and ballet. Guided by a friend, she started tinkering with Websites on her Macbook on the side and ended up spending a lot of time helping others better use their computers.
  • After realizing that she was having a lot of fun working with computers, she enrolled in an apprenticeship program as a software developer in a company in Sweden
  • She has been working for 2 years now. She worked one year in the apprenticeship program, and was then hired as a junior developer. The company was pleased with her effort and she just got a raise. Formally, she is now out of “junior-dom”. This feels great, but she is kind of lost, trying to decide what her future will look like, where she should focus her next move.
  • Zoe likes to work with others and loves to see them succeed.
  • She loves the 1-1 connection, but not sooo much groups and gatherings.
  • She really doesn't like having to talk in public.
  • When she is not in front of a computer, she still dances a lot and spends time scratching her creative itches, either in front of a computer, or with various crafts

3. Current marketing strategy

What happens when I publish a new episode on tuesdays, every week?

3.1 Social Media

First I push a mini-update on social media. This is the message for episode #96 with Dylan Beattie:

3.2 Platforms

3.3 Videobites

As you can see on the tweet above, there is a video attached to the tweet. This video is in fact just an audio-file with a moving histogram.

The content is a funky sentence / idea picked out of the episode to catch the attention of the listener. In the case of this 96th episode, Dylan was describing how he chose the best time ever to go independent: the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic. And by the way, this idea is also the cold start of the episode, e.g. the first thing you hear when you start the episode.

3.4 Quotes

When I get good quotes, I create an overlay with the iOS App  Over and I push them on Twitter and LinkedIn during the week. Here's an example:

3.5 posts

In addition to the shownotes, I create a blogpost listing my highlights of the episode and some quotes. I cross publish those on the following platforms:

4. My questions to you!

  1. The current marketing is not specific for Zoe. Any idea how I can specifically reach her?
  2. Any idea how I can reach students, future-ex-students and ex-students?
  3. Up to now, I have avoided Facebook, for ethical reasons. Do you think this a mistake?
  4. Are there other platforms I should consider?
  5. Did you listen to one or more episodes? What feedback do you have?
  6. Other ideas and/or comments?

I'm looking forward to reading your ideas. Thanks!


Photo by davide ragusa on Unsplash