The Challenge
Dimitri Fontaine, a PostgreSQL Major Contributor, is a subject matter expert giving lectures at global conferences and the founder of Tapoueh, one of the original online resource and blog about SQL and Postgres. He even authored a book on the topic, but despite all his prolific contributions little is known about him in this tight-knit community, and book sales started to dwindle.
TL;DR: Despite being a Major Contributor to PostgreSQL, Fontaine’s book wasn’t associated with his subject matter expertise within the wider SQL community. How do you elevate a SME into a recognized brand?
The Solution
Create a new and easy to remember brand identity to house and promote his books, online resources/blog, and lectures to make the SME more easily recognizable, especially when he speaks at PostgreSQL conferences worldwide.
• Renamed his book from “Mastering PostgreSQL in Application Development” to “The Art of PostgreSQL”, highlighting outcomes vs. mechanics.
• Grow anticipation with a landing page, teaser campaigns, and social media ads (organic and paid on Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, and Twitter now X) to capture 14,000 daily new visitors to his blog.
The Results
“The Art of PostgreSQL” book and landing page launch exceeded expectations with more than $20,000 in total sales just during its first few days. More importantly, email subscribers increased by 19 times to more than 3,800 member audience creating a self-fulfilling ecosystem! The book continues to reviewed by developers today, and as in-person conferences begin to gain traction, its organic influence is expected to grow—just in time for the next edition.
