Product marketing connects what you've built with those who need it. Positioning, messaging, channels, everything works together. This guide presents strategies for marketing digital products effectively.
What is Product Marketing
Definition
Discipline that connects product, marketing and sales.
Scope
Positioning, messaging, go-to-market, enablement.
Difference in Growth
Growth is optimization. Product marketing is strategy.
Positioning
What is it
Place that product occupies in the customer's mind.
Elements
For whom, problem you solve, how you solve it, difference.
###Framework
"For [target] that [need], [product] is [category] that [benefit]. Unlike [alternatives], we [differentiate].”
Communication
Consistent across all touchpoints.
Messaging
Value Proposition
Why choose your product?
Benefits
What the user gains. Not features, benefits.
Proof
Evidence that supports claims. Numbers, cases.
Hierarchy
Main message, secondary, details.
Buyer Personas
Definition
Representation of the ideal buyer.
Elements
Position, responsibilities, pain, objectives, objections.
Multiple
Different personas for different segments.
Usage
Content and campaign creation guide.
Competitive Analysis
Direct Competitors
Same solution for same problem.
Indirect
Different solutions for the same problem.
Positioning
How do you differentiate yourself?
###Battlecards
Material for dealing with comparisons.
Go-to-Market
Strategy
How to take product to market.
Elements
Target, channels, messaging, timing.
Types
Product-led, sales-led, marketing-led.
Product Launch
Preparation
Assets, training, PR, campaigns.
Tiers
Major vs minor launches. Proportional effort.
Coordination
Timing between teams.
Measurement
Defined success metrics.
Product-Led Growth
Definition
Product as main growth vehicle.
Freemium
Free value, paid upgrade.
Self-Serve
User buys without talking to sales.
Virality
Use naturally leads to sharing.
Acquisition Channels
Paid
Search, social, display ads.
###Organic
SEO, content marketing.
###Viral
Referral, word of mouth.
###Sales
Outbound, inbound sales.
Partnerships
Co-marketing, integrations.
Content Marketing
Types
Blog, video, podcast, webinar, ebook.
Funnel
Awareness, consideration, decision.
SEO
Rank for relevant terms.
Thought Leadership
Authority in space.
Sales Enablement
Materials
Decks, demos, one-pagers.
###Training
About product and competition.
Objection Handling
How to respond to common objections.
Win/Loss Analysis
Learn from deals.
Product Marketing Metrics
Awareness
Brand recognition, share of voice.
Consideration
Trial signups, demo requests.
Adoption
Activation, feature usage.
Revenue
Pipeline, win rate, revenue.
Customer Marketing
Retention
Maintain current customers.
Expansion
Upsell, cross-sell.
Advocacy
Transform into promoters.
###Community
Engage customer base.
Pricing
Models
Freemium, subscription, usage-based, one-time.
Strategy
Penetration, skimming, value-based.
Communication
How to present price.
Tests
Pricing experiments.
Collaboration
With Product
Roadmap, feedback, launches.
With Marketing
Campaigns, content, brand.
With Sales
Enablement, insights, deals.
Common Errors
###Features over Benefits
Talk about features, not value.
Ignore Competition
Not knowing how to differentiate yourself.
Launch and Abandon
No post-launch effort.
Inconsistent Message
Different on each channel.
Conclusion
Product marketing is the link between product and market. Clearly position, communicate value and coordinate go-to-market. The result is products that reach and convince the right audience.
##FAQs
1) Product marketing vs product management? PM builds the product. PMM takes to market.
2) When to hire a product marketer? When product is ready to scale.
3) How to measure PMM success? Awareness, pipeline, win rate, revenue.
4) Does product marketing work for B2C? Yes. Positioning and messaging matter in any context.
5) How to define positioning? Customer and market research. Clear differentiation.
Also read
- User Acquisition for Apps: Complete Growth Strategies
- Growth Hacking for Applications: Accelerated Growth Strategies
- App Launch: Complete Go-to-Market Guide
- Digital product marketing: validate what scales before stepping on the accelerator
- Email Marketing for Applications: Everyday Strategies
- Go-to-Market Digital: Costs and Prices in Everyday Life