Case Study
How AppSignal Launched a $50K+ Developer Media Campaign in 6 Days
When a 2-person marketing team needs to go from organic growth to paid media at scale, they need a partner who can hit the ground running—not an agency that disappears after the pitch.
Client Overview
AppSignal is an all-in-one application performance monitoring platform built for developers. Founded in 2012 in Amsterdam, AppSignal combines error tracking, performance monitoring, logging, and host metrics into one developer-friendly interface, monitoring over 100 billion requests monthly for 2,000+ organizations globally.
AppSignal’s sweet spot: growing dev teams (25–100 engineers) at $10M–$100M revenue companies using modern cloud-native stacks.
The Challenge
Scaling Paid Media Fast
AppSignal built a loyal base through organic channels—SEO, community, and developer word-of-mouth. With a fresh Series A and ambitious growth targets, they were ready to layer in paid. The problem: a small GTM team already stretched thin didn’t have months to navigate developer ad networks, negotiate rates, or vet placements.
Developer audiences don’t respond to traditional B2B funnels. And the niche channels that actually work—technical podcasts, developer newsletters, community ad networks—require relationships and expertise that take years to build.
No Time to Ramp
2-person team couldn’t spend months vetting channels and negotiating rates
High Search CPCs
$15–$30 CPCs on paid search made broad campaigns a non-starter
Niche Audiences
Developer audiences require specialized channels and authentic messaging
“We needed to move from quiet powerhouse to broad reach, but didn’t have months to navigate developer ad networks, negotiate rates, or vet placements.”
Mike Smith
GTM Leader, AppSignal
The Solution
6 Days to Launch
AppSignal had their first deliverable within six days of signing. Promoted delivered a comprehensive $50K+ media plan with secured placements spanning multiple channels—all tailored to reach developers where they actually spend time.
Developer Ad Networks
Carbon Ads with geo and topic targeting, Mozilla Developer Network with selective placements, Ethical Ads with AI-powered language matching
Podcasts
Software Engineering Daily—a top-ranked show with 50% US listenership and a decade of developer trust
Newsletters
Broad reach where competitor signals were detected, plus language-specific placements to amplify community strengths
Sitting alongside the discussions their audiences have to solve problems and share insights
Key Results
From contract signature to fully scoped media plan with secured placements—with direct access to Promoted’s founder throughout, no account managers in the way
Across 30+ placements spanning 8 countries, reaching developers on the platforms they trust
Premium developer placements at $5–7.50 CPM vs. $15–30 on high-intent search keywords; flat-fee podcast deals providing predictable ROI
Clear plan enabled AppSignal’s team to focus on strategy and execution, not publisher outreach and rate negotiations
What They Said
“Within the first conversation, I knew we’d save money. Promoted understood exactly where we sat in the market and shared competitive insights that were immediately actionable. When they presented pricing, I stopped them and said ‘Say less. Let’s do this.’”
Mike Smith
GTM Leader, AppSignal
“Promoted gets what it takes to market to developers—one of the hardest audiences in B2B. We aligned instantly on leading with clear value and making it easy for developers to try us out. I’ve been able to hand off ad operations entirely, which lets me focus on strategy rather than execution. And honestly? We can literally see on our conversion charts when Promoted started working for us. Working together has unlocked opportunities I’m incredibly excited to execute on.”
Connor James
Developer Marketing Manager, AppSignal
Why It Worked
Developer Marketing Expertise
Promoted understands how developers research tools—through community and trial, not traditional B2B funnels
Publisher Relationships
Years of relationship-building unlocked premium placements at competitive rates with speed
Multi-Channel Approach
Blended awareness (ad networks, podcasts) with high-intent (newsletters, Reddit) for balanced funnel coverage
ICP-Driven Targeting
Media mix mapped directly to AppSignal’s sweet spot—Ruby, Python, and Elixir developers at cloud-native teams
For Lean Marketing Teams with Big Growth Goals
Running a 1–5 person marketing team against aggressive targets? Promoted is built for exactly that. We’re a founder-led agency—no account managers, no bureaucracy—and we operate as an extension of your team from day one.
Promoted helps you:
Access premium placements across paid media, podcasts, newsletters, and niche ad networks—in days, not months
Handle both the operational and creative sides of your campaigns—so nothing falls through the cracks
Leverage competitive intelligence to inform channel strategy
Craft messaging that resonates with your audience, whether they’re developers, buyers, or both
Translate your ICP, product goals, and budget into a clear, performance-driven strategy that evolves as your results do
Ready to reach developers where they live?
Let’s discuss how Promoted can launch your developer media campaign in days, not months—at a fraction of typical CPMs.