The term ‘product marketing’ is a part of every company’s vernacular. But what exactly does the concept mean, and how can you measure success of the function?
One of the biggest challenges that companies face is that the function, despite its importance, is a bit abstract. At some companies, product marketing encompasses all marketing activity from traffic acquisition to conversion and retention. At other companies, the function pertains to communication and messaging, only.
What’s the best path forward for you and your company? The short answer: it depends. Marketing is about your customers, and every audience has different needs and priorities. What you can do, to wrap your mind around the concept, is focus on the following anchors:
You think your product is
great, but why should your
prospects care?
This foundational question
is the reason why product
marketing exists. You need
to make sure that your
products and services
resonate with key needs in
the market. As part of your
role, you need to interview
your target the audience,
monitor the language that
they’re using, and integrate
that knowledge into your
company’s messaging.
Focus on uncovering what
your personas care about and
what they value. What pain
points are they looking to
tackle? How does your
product fit into the
picture?
Pay attention to the
subtleties, and think about
your product and marketing
messages from the
perspective of the
individuals you’re trying to
reach. This vantage point
will empower your
communication strategy with
the value proposition that
it needs to take off.
How can you help your
prospects learn?
Today’s buyer journeys are
highly self-directed and
span multiple layers of
research. In fact, B2B
buyers go through 57% of the
buyer’s journey before ever
reaching out to a sales rep.
Especially in the software
marketing world, sales
success is dependent on
education and credibility in
the marketplace. Products
and services can be
confusing, and you want to
demonstrate that your
company is an industry
expert.
Give your prospects the
resources that they need to
make empowered decisions.
Share case studies, provide
transparency into your
process, and share industry
research. You’re no longer a
brand or a seller—you’re a
teacher.
How can you get better?
Messaging isn’t a static
thing. It will change
alongside your prospects’
needs. As a product
marketer, you need to be
running A/B tests and
conducting ongoing research
to shorten the sales cycle
for prospects.
Talk to your sales and
account management reps for
inspiration. They’re in the
trenches every day and know
exactly how your potential
customers are responding to
your messages.
Don’t be afraid to try new
ideas. Just take slow and
steady steps: A/B test a
small proportion of your
lead traffic, and source
ideas across departments.
No matter how good you are,
there’s always room to get
better.