# Paid media agency for developer tools, AI infrastructure, databases and Web3

> Hackmamba runs Google Ads, Reddit, LinkedIn, X, Meta and YouTube campaigns for companies selling to developers and AI agents, optimized for activated developers who make a first API call and pay.

**Source:** https://hackmamba.io/services/paid-media-agency/
**Last updated:** 16 Oct 2026

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Every account optimizes toward activated developers: the ones who make a first API call and pay.

## Results

### Video security platform: first seven days after account takeover

| Metric | Before | After | Change |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost per SQL | $10,807 | $4,006 | -63% |
| Qualified lead rate | 22% | 57% | +159% |
| Cost per qualified lead | $3,860 | $1,502 | -61% |

Low-intent searches were removed, budget moved to the highest-converting keywords, and LinkedIn audiences were rebuilt from accepted SQLs.

### Data infrastructure: new account, month four

104 qualified developer signups per month on a $10,000 monthly media budget, at $96 per qualified signup. 61% reached their first query.

More: https://hackmamba.io/case-studies/

## Common problems

1. **Competitors bid on your keywords** and show above you for your brand, category or alternatives.
2. **Ads do not explain why a developer should switch.** Developers want the use case, how the product works and what changes in their workflow.
3. **Traditional agencies react too slowly** to new competitors, product updates and positioning changes.
4. **Sloppy ads cost trust.** Wrong terminology, broken demos and overpromises get noticed.
5. **Nobody has time to manage the account.** Search terms, negative keywords, bids, budgets, creative tests and attribution need weekly attention.

## The developer PPC system

Each channel has a job, and every channel reports into the same activation and pipeline data.

| Stage | Work | Output |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1. Set the acquisition ceiling | Work backwards from ACV, gross margin, activation rate and close rate to set the maximum cost per activated developer or accepted SQL | Target CPA and budget range |
| 2. Track the actions that predict revenue | Connect ad clicks to signup, first API call, first query, first deployment, accepted SQL and closed revenue; send qualified events back to ad platforms as offline conversions | Conversion map and tracking plan |
| 3. Build campaigns around intent | Search captures demand, community and video introduce the product, paid social reaches people involved in approval and budget. Channels: Google, Reddit, YouTube, LinkedIn, Meta, X | Channel plan |
| 4. Match page and creative to the campaign | A competitor search, a Reddit use case and a LinkedIn retargeting ad get different promises, proof and landing pages | Creative and landing-page test plan |
| 5. Move budget using activation and pipeline | Weekly review of search terms, audience quality, activation, accepted SQLs and pipeline | Weekly decisions tied to customer data |

## Is your product ready for paid media?

Answer yes or no:

1. Does one channel already bring developers who activate?
2. Do product and sales agree on what counts as a qualified signup?
3. Can you track a first API call, query or deployment?
4. Can your ACV support paid acquisition at your target payback period?

Guide: [PPC for developer tools](https://hackmamba.io/developer-marketing/ppc-for-developer-tools/)

## How engagements run

- **You own the accounts:** billing, history, audiences and campaign data stay with you.
- **A senior growth marketer runs them** and stays involved in campaign decisions.
- **Weekly reporting tied to the funnel:** spend, activation, SQLs, pipeline and revenue.
- **No long-term lock-in:** month-to-month engagements.

## What clients say

- "We've added tens of thousands of clicks and millions of impressions to our blog in the few months we've been working with them, and that number continues to grow." Kenny Rogers, DevRel Lead, OpenRouter
- "We brought Hackmamba on at a chaotic moment in our documentation work, and David proved to be a reliable, fast-learning partner through it. He came up to speed fast on a difficult and rapidly evolving subject area, stayed responsive, and helped us stay afloat during a demanding transition. We were grateful for the support when it counted." Lauren Lee, Director of Developer Relations, Midnight Networks
- "Hackmamba are great at driving content strategy from inception to execution, and they are very reasonable on pricing. A great fit for an early stage dev-tools startup!" Jakob Norlin, Co-founder, Endform

## FAQ

### Should I be running ads?

If developers can already try, buy or request access to the product, probably. Hackmamba first reviews existing demand, ACV, conversion paths and tracking.

### How does pricing work?

The management fee is 15% of monthly ad spend, with a cap. Engagements run month to month.

### How much should we spend on ads?

It depends on search volume, CPCs, target impression share, conversion rates and channels. Hackmamba works backwards from these to recommend a budget that generates enough data to make decisions.

### What do you need from our team?

Access to ad accounts, analytics and conversion data, plus product context when needed. Hackmamba handles strategy, setup, execution, optimization and reporting.

### Which channels do you manage?

Google, Reddit, LinkedIn, YouTube, Meta and X. The mix depends on where developers discover, evaluate and search for the product.

Get a free account audit: https://cal.com/hackmamba/content-growth