How is the job market for Web Developers?

What are good tactics to market a web application (SaaS, API focused) to developers?

• I'm in the midst of launching a startup that will allow web developers to release and manage web applications faster. This is a SaaS, cloud-based API service. What is the best way to reach and market web developers? Does anyone have any insight into how similar API services (Twilio, CloudVox, etc) reached their target audience?

• Answer:

  One tip I can offer is to register yourself with public api directories like http://programmableweb.com. If you do a search in any search engine for "api directory" you will get a bunch of other websites where you can list yourself. I posted a similar answer elsewhere which I will repost here with some modifications since I think it's a fit here as well. Get the word out to  friends/their friends in your own web dev circle. Pick a couple of big name web developer bloggers and help them use your API. You will need to reach out to them one by one on a personal level, but this will be worth it because if they like what they see they will blog it and it will snowball there after. Blog about it yourself as early as you can. Participate on other blogs that are talking about related topics. Make a list of journalists/bloggers who cover your market  and send them a short note explaining the benefits of your products. Do  a pay-per-click campaign on Google/Bing/etc. Ask current users to  refer or invite more users. Do targeted ad campaigns on other websites. Make something really cool with your own API that the press/people in general will talk about and reach out to them. Do a targeted ad campaign on a few well-known websites like http://programmableweb.com, StackOverflow, SourceForge, etc. (These are just examples and not endorsements; do some research.) Go to related events and seek out speaking opportunities. Social networking does work, so search and reach out to peers -- but don't overdo it. There are specialist ad networks that let you reach out to designer/developer communities, e.g. http://decknetwork.net by Coudal Partners (again just an example not a recommendation).