Founders Handbook
The Open Source Content Marketing Playbook: Lessons from Posthog

The Open Source Content Marketing Playbook: Lessons from Posthog

Mark Percival
Mark Percival

At early to mid-stage open source startups, discovery is the primary challenge. Engineers often believe in the “If you build it, they will come” approach to marketing their open source tools. However, the reality is that even exceptional open source software needs to be marketed in order for users to find it.

One of our best-performing open source portfolio companies is PostHog, which has done an exceptional job creating effective marketing content. I spent time earlier this year talking with Andy Vandervell to dive deeper into what makes their approach successful. While none of this is revolutionary, it’s a playbook that has worked well for PostHog and could likely work for you if you’re in a similar space.

Start Here: The “Alternatives to X” List

Your first piece of content should be an “The X best open source [your product space] tools” article. PostHog’s most successful post ever is “The 12 best open source analytics tools.” This format works because:

  • People actively search for alternatives
  • It positions you in the market
  • It ranks well in search
  • It’s what developers actually read

Don’t overthink it. List the main players, be honest about their strengths and weaknesses, and explain where your tool fits in.

Examples:

https://posthog.com/blog/best-open-source-analytics-tools

https://posthog.com/blog/best-open-source-feature-flag-tools

https://posthog.com/blog/posthog-alternatives

The Conversion Article: “Setup for X” Articles

Forget long tutorials. Write short, targeted pieces showing how to set up your tool with specific technologies. Here’s the formula:

  • Pick one technology (React, Nuxt, whatever)
  • Show the exact steps to integrate your tool
  • Keep it under 1000 words
  • Include the actual code
  • Link to related setups at the bottom

Example structure:

Title: Using [Your Tool] with React
1. Prerequisites
2. Installation (with code)
3. Basic setup (with code)
4. Quick test to show it works
5. Links to related setups

This format is repeatable and scalable. Each article targets developers using specific tech stacks. More importantly, it shows them exactly how to solve their problem.

When creating technical content, there’s a common pitfall: we often write with an experienced developer in mind - someone who deeply understands both our product and the technology stack they’re using. However, this assumption doesn’t match reality.

The truth is, many developers who will use your product:

  • Are just getting started with the framework or technology they’re using
  • May be junior developers or those switching from different tech stacks
  • Have limited understanding of your product’s domain (analytics, testing, monitoring, etc.)
  • Are looking for quick solutions rather than deep technical discussions

This is why “Setup for X” articles and straightforward integration guides are so effective. They meet developers where they are, providing clear, actionable steps without assuming extensive background knowledge. Your content should act as a bridge, helping developers successfully implement your solution regardless of their experience level.

Examples:

https://posthog.com/tutorials/nuxt-analytics

https://posthog.com/tutorials/react-native-analytics

Comparison Content: Tables Are King

People love comparison tables. They’ll skim your article and zero in on the table. That’s fine - embrace it.

Make your tables:

  • Honest about pros and cons
  • Clear about pricing
  • Specific about features
  • Easy to scan

Don’t try to “win” every comparison. Be transparent about your strengths and limitations, highlighting where you excel while acknowledging areas where competitors might have an edge. Remember that developers value authenticity and can easily detect marketing spin or FUD. A balanced, truthful comparison builds credibility and trust with a technical audience, ultimately leading to more conversion than overly promotional content.

Examples:

https://posthog.com/blog/posthog-vs-hotjar

https://posthog.com/blog/posthog-vs-amplitude

https://posthog.com/blog/posthog-vs-matomo

What Else Works

A few other things we’ve learned from Posthog:

  1. Write about problems you solve, even if only a small audience searches for it. A high-intent reader beats high traffic every time.
  2. Be authentic and transparent - Posthog has a “Changelog” on the top of their comparison articles
  3. Track what matters:
    • Where do people go after reading?
    • Do they hit the docs?
    • Do they sign up?
  4. Don’t worry about posting cadence. Good content > regular content.
  5. For social sharing:
    • Use personal accounts, not company ones
    • LinkedIn works better than Twitter
    • Newsletter promotion often beats social

The Reality Check

SEO takes time. Don’t expect an immediate payback for many of these articles. In the early days, focus on sharing what you learn and helping solve specific problems. The search traffic will come later.

Your content strategy isn’t about being clever or original. It’s about being useful to developers who need your tool. Focus on that. The occasional thought piece that shows up on Hacker News might be good for hiring and promotion with the investment community, but you end user isn’t on Hacker News all day. They’re just trying to solve a problem, so focus on getting your solution in front of them.

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