I was employed as a C# Software Developer and as a hobby, I have been programming for about 9 years in multiple languages, including JS, HTML, CSS, PHP, and all the other web stuff needed and more.
I’ve made a ton of projects, and I was recently fired. I want to go for self-employment. I made 2 APIs and a WordPress plugin, where the APIs are for PayPal payment processing & secure downloads, etc., and the other is an AI API with moderation tools. The WordPress plugin is like an automod plugin, where users can restrict logins by email domain whitelist/blacklist and username blacklist with wildcards, SMTP settings, etc.
I tried to make the plugin as useful as possible, but my projects never succeed or get proper attention because I believe I don’t know how to actually market stuff.
This was an issue I encountered in almost all my projects. I make cool and useful stuff, yet no one cares or knows about it.
I even tried to run an Etsy store with nice products, actually, even paid for Etsy ads, roughly 250-300€ and still no one bought my stuff. There is something I’m either missing or doing wrong. (I tried SEO, etc. everything, yet I fail)
I’m not really using social media except for Reddit sometimes and Discord. So I wonder what I am doing wrong? I want to be a successful developer :c
Marketing is the bane of my existence as a Developer, but it needs to be done. Some tips I’ve learned over the years:
Set up a social media presence just for the products you’re building. I release everything under the same brand to make this easier.
You need to be able to be discovered by your potential users. Figure out a target audience, where do they hang out? Is it Reddit, TikTok, Discord, or would you need to take a different approach and contact them yourself (this is more for B2B marketing).
I know you tried Etsy ads and SEO, but the ad game and SEO are two vast topics. Can you hire someone to help guide you? Or read posts over at r/SEO, read case studies to see what they’re doing to stand out.
@Blane
Hm, this sounds interesting. I once tried to hire someone off Fiverr, but other than views, nothing happened. I think it was botted because there was no interaction or anything and the dude is not even ‘available on Fiverr’ anymore, so it’s hard to find someone trustworthy.
@Kai
It is hard to find someone trustworthy, and you may need to dig a little to find a diamond.
I’d suggest Upwork over Fiverr; it’s a bit more professional. Try to verify their skills by giving them a small task, see how they do, and if they’re good you can hand over a larger project. If you can get references from past clients, that’s even better.
Maybe you could share your projects on some subreddits or find people who might need them on Twitter or X and leave a comment on their posts. I know this might not be a sustainable way to go, but sometimes something unexpected can give your project a boost. Maybe someone will share it with their friends, followers, or ask you a question about it, which could make their tweet and so your project appear on their feed.
The problem here is that you built something useful, but it’s not solving a problem that others are facing. As a result, no one is really using it.
What you should do instead is work in reverse order. Start by identifying a problem people are facing. You can do this by observing their frustrations, listening to their complaints, and understanding their challenges.
Once you’ve found a genuine problem, build something to solve it. This way, you’ll know exactly who needs your solution, and you can effectively reach out to them.
@River
In my case, I made the WordPress plugin because many plugins don’t offer proper tools for free like SMTP settings or advanced and automated moderation tools. I was frustrated with this, which is why I made it.
That’s why I also made the AI API with the moderation tools so I can automate moderation better and avoid false positives as much as possible, as well as having to make an annoying wordlist and people ‘escaping’ it like using letters and other creative stuff.
It’s not like it’s not solving an issue, but maybe it’s also too niche.
@Kai
What you need to find is called “product market fit.”
Building a useful tool that solves a problem for 10 people isn’t a viable business. You need to find a problem that MANY have and is either not being addressed or the existing products are lacking.
Marketing really is the hardest part. You need to be creative and find/make your own opportunities. There is no playbook other than expensive things like Google ads, etc.
Actually, why 90% of startups fail, in my opinion, is that everybody thinks if the product is good, then customers will come automatically.
The way some of my projects took off was kinda like this:
Get an idea and analyze if there is competition.
Make the product but better than the competition (by being cheaper, easier to use, etc. Lots of factors).
Approach some people who might be your target group and are interested to switch platforms because of pain points.
Listen to their feedback and implement some but NOT all. That’s a trap and will only tailor it towards them, which will narrow your user base.
At this point, they will tell others which will auto boost.
Now post stuff on Reddit, Twitter, platform XYZ, and hope for the best.
At 6 I’m struggling myself a bit, but you get the hang of it at some point. Of course, use some buzzwords to sell the idea better (even though you might not like them yourself).