Marketing Trends For Software Development Vendors

When it comes to marketing for software development companies, many businesses are tempted to follow influencer trends. But is that really effective?

Lucia Cisterna, Head of Marketing at Ewents, has some thoughts on that. The short answer is no. However, with over five years of experience in running content, product, and social strategies across Latin America, she has seen other strategies that work for service-based IT companies. For her, the biggest issue is that too many dev companies want to jump on the latest TikTok trends instead of focusing on connecting with their actual target audience, often through more traditional (but still effective) marketing channels.

There are too many influencers nowadays.

According to Lucia, back in 2021, influencer marketing was still a novelty in Argentina. She recalls working with a local influencer to promote Remington products, launching campaigns that consistently sold out the entire stock every time they created an Instagram reel. Back then, there were fewer influencers and less competition for attention, offering massive ROI.

Today, the story is very different. For most B2B software companies, influencers are not the way to position your brand.

First, influencers are everywhere, and they charge a lot of money for little reach. Most of them have super broad audiences that just aren’t the right fit for niche services like software development. So if you’re deciding where to put, say, a $10,000 budget, you’ll probably get way more value from targeted Instagram ads for software companies or more traditional marketing than from trying to ride a TikTok trend and hoping it somehow lands in front of a CTO at a big company.

Secondly, influencer marketing often doesn’t align with traditional buyer behavior or decision-making cycles. Tech buyers aren’t swiping up on Instagram stories to hire development teams. Unless an influencer is a respected voice within the developer or engineering community, such as a CTO with genuine thought leadership, the return on investment is likely to be low. The only exception is when influencer content can help build employer branding or community trust. For example, showcasing a developer’s journey through a YouTube vlog or developer-focused podcast may help position a brand as developer-friendly. But even then, it must be authentic, niche, and well-aligned.

So, what’s working in marketing for software development companies right now?

Instead of overspending on hiring and coaching influencers, Lucia recommends software companies focus on three underused but effective strategies:

1. Static Ads Over Video

Video ads seem like a viable option, but they’re expensive to produce and require extensive A/B testing to optimize. Meanwhile, static image ads, especially on platforms like Instagram, offer high reach at a fraction of the cost and are effective for creating a visual online presence. On the other hand, LinkedIn can be amazing since you are targeting highly qualified buyer personas (think CTOs, Directors of IT/Engineering, and Hiring Managers). However, a single paid ad can cost thousands of dollars in a week with little result, so our next suggestion is to…

2. Leverage LinkedIn Organically

Lucia emphasizes LinkedIn’s potential for B2B companies, especially those offering staff augmentation or project-based software services. The organic reach on LinkedIn is still strong, especially for personal profiles. Encouraging team members, executives, and developers to share wins, stories, and thought leadership can amplify brand presence far beyond what a corporate page or wasting your annual budget on ads can achieve alone.

3. Being on Reddit

Lucia and the team have been seeing some amazing traction on Reddit lately. Sometimes, we’ll post job openings in niche communities, such as r/devsarg, a subreddit for developers in Argentina, and receive dozens of solid applicants every week. Reddit also works great as a kind of industry “thermometer.” You can get a sense of what people in tech are truly discussing, and then create content that taps into those conversations in a way that feels natural and genuinely resonates with the IT world. For example, a typical thread can include questions about working with a dev shop.

Here’s what always works: being authentic.

One of the most underrated marketing angles for nearshore software companies is their internal culture, specifically how they treat their developers.

“At Ewents, we build a support system around engineering talent,” Lucia explains. When companies invest in building a culture that supports developers, it shows up in the work. Teams are happier, more motivated, and significantly more likely to stay. And when you market that—the care, the connection, the community—it becomes a massive differentiator. Here’s how we do it:

Founders personally connect with developers
The leadership team, including the founders, makes an effort to meet candidates and team members directly. They discuss technical aspects, assess cultural fit, and build genuine relationships.
No ghosting, ever
Candidates always receive updates throughout the hiring process. Whether it’s good news or a pass, we always close the loop and treat people with respect.
Human-first interview process
Every touchpoint during the interview process is designed to be warm, respectful, and transparent. We want people to feel seen, not filtered out by automated systems.
We care about the why behind the work
We speak with developers about what motivates them, the types of projects that excite them, and the kind of team environment that they’d love to work with.
Direct communication with clients
Developers are not hidden behind layers of management. They get context, speak directly with clients, and are treated as the experts they are.
We take feedback, seriously
Our team regularly checks in to understand what is working and what is not. Then we make changes based on that input.
We care about life outside of work
We show up for our people beyond just the code.

Overall, tech leaders just want results. They want people who communicate well, write clean code, and care about the outcome.

At Ewents, that’s exactly what we focus on. We’re a boutique nearshore software development agency from Latin America, helping companies across the U.S. and Canada build better products and scale their teams with top-tier developers from the region.