In this episode of Product Marketing Life, Collin sits down with the 3 the boys behind the We’re Not Marketers podcast: Eric Holland, Gab Bujold, and Zach Roberts.

They chat all about hot takes, including the hot take that started it all: Product Marketers are not marketers.

Key takeaways

• What their day to day jobs look like
• The story of how We’re Not Marketers began
• The important question: Are product marketers marketers?
• Product marketing hot takes

About our guests

Zach Roberts, Co-Host of We’re Not Marketers and PMM consultant

Zach is a product marketing expert with a unique background in B2B SaaS sales and finance. After five years in sales, he transitioned to product marketing in 2020, combining his skills in relationship-building, data analysis, and storytelling.

Through his consultancy, Break Into Product Marketing, Zach helps B2B marketing leaders in SaaS bridge the gap between marketing and sales teams. He specializes in transforming complex product features into clear, compelling value propositions that resonate with buyers and drive conversions.

Zach’s approach focuses on creating tailored marketing strategies that make customers feel understood, ultimately helping companies attract quality leads and close more deals.

Eric Holland, Co-Host of We’re Not Marketers and current consultant at Klue

Eric is a seasoned marketing professional with a diverse background in product marketing, sales enablement, and entrepreneurship. He currently serves as a Product Marketing Consultant at Klue, leveraging his expertise in creative content creation and product marketing strategies.

As the founder and CEO of In Touch Prints, Eric leads a socially conscious apparel company that combines bold styles with charitable giving. His experience includes roles as Senior Product Marketing Manager at CureMint, Inc.® and Sales Enablement Manager at LucidLink, where he honed his skills in customer insight, brand positioning, and analytical thinking.

Eric’s versatile skill set spans marketing strategy, Adobe Creative Suite, and sales enablement, making him a valuable asset in both corporate and entrepreneurial environments.

Gab Bujold, Co-Host of We’re Not Marketers and consultant

Gab is a B2B tech marketing expert specializing in helping startups navigate the complex Martech landscape. As the host of “We’re Not Marketers” podcast, he emphasizes the crucial role of product positioning and messaging in go-to-market strategies.

Gab believes that refined messaging accounts for 28% of the conversion equation and focuses on transforming “good enough” value propositions into compelling narratives that drive results. With his expertise, he empowers B2B tech startups to overcome common growth obstacles and achieve tangible traction in their target markets.

Get involved

Keen to join the conversation?

Why not take a look at our Slack channel? Not to boast, but our Slack community is the biggest gathering of product marketing enthusiasts on the planet (okay, that was a bit of a boast ).

We discuss everything from sales engagement to messaging strategies, and there’s a constant flow of templates, resources, and even the odd ‘roast’. And it’s completely free to join!

Don’t miss a beat – you can catch all of your favorite product marketing episodes right here: Product Marketing Life.

The post “We’re not marketers” and other spicy takes, with Eric Holland, Gab Bujold, and Zach Roberts appeared first on ProdSens.live.

A Marketecture (or Marchitecture) not only forms the foundation for how your products are packaged, marketed, and sold, they also provide the vision for how your products will evolve. Product teams can and should use Marketectures to plan roadmaps, with each launch representing a new building block. Despite its importance, there isn’t a standard, universal definition of what constitutes a Maketecutre. So let me have a go at it:

Marketecture: Defined

A Marketecture is a non-technical representation of products, systems, services and how they interact and relate to one another. It is used to help unify the various components of a product or service into a digestible format.

Additionally, it helps illustrate what is core functionality (baked in, necessary) vs add-on (flexible, additive). A Marketecture should make it easy for an audience to understand how products and/or services work together to orchestrate a solution to a problem. 

How to build a simple Marketecture

1. Start by boiling down all of your products into 3-5 core buckets (core product areas) that encompass the full solution you offer. This will form the top of your Marketecture hierarchy.
2. Reflect on these core product areas and map out which play off of – or connect to – one another. Ideally, you define a linear progression from Product Area 1 to Product Area 2, etc. 
3. From there, go through each product and feature within your offering and assign each to one of the core product areas.
4. Highlight which of these products and features are baked into your core offering (i.e. cannot be added or removed) and which are additive (generally, an upsell with an additional cost). 
5. Showcase the Marketecture to internal stakeholders across Sales, Product, Customer Success, Professional Services, etc and with trusted external contacts to ensure it’s clearly understood. Iterate and refine as needed.
6. Finally, take this as an opportunity to ensure all of our product/feature names are clear and align with how they are positioned. Re-name as needed. (This is also an opportunity to build or revisit your packaging and pricing strategy, but we’ll touch on that later).

One of the best ways to go about building a Marketecture is to get key stakeholders in a room and conduct a workshop. Check out Fluvio’s approach.

If you’re looking for a product marketing expert to help you establish product-market fit at your company, book a consultation with us.

We have partnered with Fluvio to provide extensive B2B and B2C product marketing expertise for software and technology companies looking to find product-market fit and deliver sustainable growth. 

Together, we can offer a suite of products and services to help you scale more effectively and efficiently throughout each stage of your lifecycle.

The benefits of a Marketecture

Now that we have a shared understanding of what a Marketecture is and how to go about building one, let’s discuss its multiple benefits.

Internal alignment

Most technology solutions tend to be complicated to understand, particularly for non-technical audiences. Even technical folks often struggle to understand the macro view of how individual products and features fit together to form a solution. The more complex your product, the more important your Marketecture, and the exercise itself will be. Marketectures help internal teams come to a shared understanding of how these various pieces come together, which will translate into more effective and consistent communication to prospects and customers. 

Foundation for product roadmaps and external messaging

Product Managers don’t often get an opportunity to step up and out of their role and into a higher altitude to observe how their product(s) fit into a larger solution. Marketectures provide them with that opportunity. In doing so, Product teams can better align their roadmaps to enhance the core areas that support the entire solution, with each additional product launch building upon the Marketecture’s foundation. 

More effective pricing

If you aren’t already selling solution-based packages, there is no better time to start than now. Using the Marketecture as a menu, select which products and features to include in a handful (usually three) distinct packages (Good, Better, Best format).

Each package should have products and features from every core product area with incremental enhancements as you progress; doing so will help reinforce your solution narrative and highlight your product differentiators. Lastly, by bundling products together into packages (vs selling products ad hoc), you have the opportunity to instill confidence during the decision phase (give customers limited choices that align with their needs) to increase win rates and generate higher average sales price (ASP).

The post What’s a Marketecure? And why do you need one? appeared first on ProdSens.live.

This article is based on Becky Park’s talk at the Product Marketing Summit in Austin. As a PMA member, you can enjoy the complete recording here. For more exclusive content, head over to your membership dashboard.

Let’s be real – most American companies struggle with international business. I’m looking at you, Amazon, as one of the very few exceptions! From the smallest startups all the way up to massive multinationals, we just keep getting it wrong when it comes to optimizing for global markets.

But all’s not lost! As a product marketer, you have a vital strategic role to play in helping your company crack the international nut. That’s what I’m here to talk about today.

The truth is, the US’s chunk of global GDP is shrinking proportionately, and expected to keep dwindling. While the US makes up about 4.2% of the global population, it generates over 15% of global gross domestic product. Sounds great, right? Well, that percentage is on the decline.

The great news is there’s a lot of other territory to cover – literally a whole world of possibilities! 

Companies can take different routes to tapping into these fresh global markets. Maybe you’re working for a “born global” company selling a product with universal appeal from day one. 

Or, perhaps your company started doing what I call “accidental exporting” in the growth stage – international customers just started finding and buying from you organically.

At a certain point, you look at that customer base and think, “Wow, there’s crazy interest for us in Turkmenistan!” That’s when the “accidental” turns into an intentional global channel strategy. You start getting sophisticated with international partners, resellers, local offices, and teams.

So, whether you’re going global by design or falling into it accidentally, the opportunities are endless for an enterprising product marketer. You’re the one scouring data, talking to customers, and sniffing out those potential new markets – at home or abroad.

Understanding cultural context

I can’t emphasize this enough – when you’re operating in global markets, cultural context is everything. On the surface, cultural differences may seem small – little quirks about how people dress, eat, or celebrate holidays, – but those are just the tip of the iceberg.

Let’s use Valentine’s Day as an example. In the US, we celebrate that classic Hallmark holiday on February 14th, along with parts of Europe and South America. But in Brazil? They have to wait four more months for their Dia dos Namorados love-fest in June. 

In India and the Middle East, Valentine’s Day is viewed waaay differently. Some Indians see it as a crass example of Western influence run amok. Several Middle Eastern and Asian countries have straight-up outlawed the holiday. 

And get this – in Germany, the animal most associated with romance is… the pig. 

My point is, these seemingly small cultural novelties are just the tip of a much bigger cultural iceberg. The really impactful differences lie beneath the surface in the depths of values, assumptions, beliefs, and expectations – VABEs, if you’re looking for a funky acronym.

How culture shapes pricing strategies

These deeper cultural currents shape absolutely everything about how people think and behave – including how they buy products and services from companies like yours. Ignoring them can completely throw critical business elements like pricing strategy and the entire buyer journey out of whack.

Take pricing, for instance. If you’re selling in a culture where haggling and discounting are the norm, you’re going to have to rethink your pricing approach entirely – maybe inflating your sticker prices by 50% so you can realistically negotiate down from there.

Building trust across cultures

What about building trust – the critical first step for any buyer’s journey? Americans are the fastest trust builders ever. Why? Because we skip the “building” part! We give trust right away. That’s why people think we’re the friendliest culture – we dole trust out freely, based on little more than a firm handshake. And then, if you violate that trust, we’ll yank it back. 

In most other cultures, trust has to be earned through demonstrating consistent words and actions over time. Meaningful relationship-building has to happen before anyone’s willing to do business. Trying to rush that process is a surefire way to scare off potential international customers or partners.

I have an example from when I lived in Denver. There was a group of Chinese commercial real estate investors coming to meet with agents on the Denver side. They came and stayed in a hotel, and this local agent took them around to see different properties for a week – five whole days of his time showing this group around. At the end of the week, the investors went home without investing.

What went wrong? Were they not serious about investing? Were they just there to waste the real estate agent’s time? Of course not. 

The problem was that this real estate agent didn’t realize that he had to build a relationship with the Chinese investors before he could sell them anything.

The investors were expecting to be taken around all the tourist sites. They wanted to see Mount Evans, feel the history at the Colorado History Museum, and check out the college town of Boulder. They wanted to be wined and dined every night to build a relationship before they could decide to do business with this agent. The agent didn’t know that, so he missed out on the deal.

The post How to master international product marketing appeared first on ProdSens.live.

This article is based on Misha Rangel’s talk at the Product Marketing Summit in Austin. As a PMA member, you can enjoy the complete recording here. For more exclusive content, head over to your membership dashboard.

When your company sells a range of products, marketing them all effectively can be challenging. Traditional single-product marketing strategies just won’t cut it – you end up with multiple messages all clamoring for your customers’ attention.

But never fear! Today, I’m going to share some strategies that’ll help you decide where to focus your efforts and simplify your offering for customers. 

Here’s a taste of what we’re going to cover: 

• What portfolio marketing is and how it’s different in practice from traditional single product marketing.
• The power of solutions marketing and how you can simplify the customer experience through tailored packaging and messaging. 

Let’s get into it.

What is portfolio marketing?

When I started thinking about how to explain portfolio marketing, I went back over 20 years to a classic: the BCG Growth Share Matrix. You might recognize this from your marketing classes in college. It’s marketing 101 but still highly relevant today. 

It’s basically a quadrant mapping relative market share against market growth rate. It divides your portfolio into four categories:

Stars: High-growth, high-market-share products, which you really need to nurture.

Cash cows: Products with large market penetration but slower growth, which you want to milk sustainably. 

Question marks: The low-market-share, high-growth products, which you need to decide whether to double down on or not. 

Pets: Products with low market share and low growth, where there’s little reason to invest.

In my experience, strong product portfolios typically have stars, cash cows, and some smaller “question mark” investments. For now, I’ll double-click into the stars and cash cows.

How metrics can fail you: A tale of two products

Let me share an important lesson, based on my experience as Senior Director of Product Marketing Portfolio and Operations at Veeam. 

We have a tried-and-true cash cow product that does backup and recovery for virtual machines (VMs). It has a huge market share, penetrating SMB and mid-market segments well. It’s where the majority of our $1.5 billion revenue comes from.

However, we have to expand into other areas if we want to grow. So, other parts of our portfolio focus on other workflows and markets. In addition to VM backup, we do cloud backup, Kubernetes backup, and more. These are our star products. They only have a low market share right now, and they don’t bring in a huge amount of revenue, but that amount is growing.

If you had a dollar to spend on marketing for maximum return, which would you invest in – the cash cow or the star? 

The cash cow seems like the obvious choice because you know exactly what return to expect. It’s stable and predictable. The star, however, has a lower market share in uncharted territory, so it requires more testing and experimentation. Plus, it’s in an emerging market, so there’s less certainty.

Despite what past metrics suggest, you might want to put your money on the star. Why? Because if you only invest in cash cows, you’ll face diminishing returns over time. Meanwhile, your star products could be a wellspring of untapped opportunity.

The post How to unlock growth with portfolio and solutions marketing appeared first on ProdSens.live.

If you’re an owner of a product marketing agency, you’ve likely asked yourself at least once – how do I stay on top of my accounting? What are the most important things I should pay attention to? 

Well, we’re here to explain it all to you. Don’t worry – we will break it down in simple, understandable terms. These 6 tips are:

1. Understand your client’s business model inside out
2. Choose the right accounting software
3. Separate business and personal finances
4. Stay up-to-date with tax regulations
5. Ensure accurate invoicing
6. Monitor your expenses

Let’s take a closer look at each step!

1. Understand your client’s business model inside out

We’ll begin with the basics. Different products impact a business model in different ways, which directly affects how you manage and account for revenue.

For example, if your client sells one-time purchase products (kitchen gadgets, books, etc.), the revenue is straightforward. Each sale is a one-time transaction that can be easily tracked. Your focus here would be on maximizing profit margins and managing inventory costs.

On the other hand, if your client offers subscription-based products, the revenue model is more complex. You’ll need to account for recurring income, manage churn rates (when customers cancel their subscriptions), and track long-term customer value.

This requires a different approach to your accounting practices. You’ll have to use accrual accounting to recognize revenue over time. You must also closely monitor cash flow to ensure the recurring revenue sustains the business.

2. Choose the right accounting software

The right accounting software will help you keep track of your finances accurately and save time on manual bookkeeping. Some of the best accounting software you can find today are Intuit QuickBooks, Zoho Books, FreshBooks, Xero, and AccountEdge Pro.

Intuit QuickBooks

Intuit QuickBooks offers a wide range of features that cover almost everything your product marketing agency might need. You can track sales and expenses, manage bills, and more. It’s especially great for agencies wanting an all-in-one tool.

Zoho Books

Zoho Books is an excellent choice if you’re looking for cost-effective software. It offers basic accounting features for free, making it perfect for startups or small product marketing agencies. You can manage invoices and bills and track expenses without spending a penny.

FreshBooks

FreshBooks stands out for its user-friendly interface. If accounting seems confusing to you, this software makes it simple. You can easily create professional-looking invoices, track time for projects, and manage expenses.

Xero

Xero is ideal if you need advanced accounting features. It offers detailed financial reports and multi-currency support and can integrate with many apps. It’s perfect if you’re looking for software that grows with your agency.

AccountEdge Pro

If you deal with a lot of products, AccountEdge Pro is a fantastic choice. It excels in inventory management, allowing you to track stock levels, set reorder points, and manage orders efficiently.

3. Separate business and personal finances

It’s super important to keep your business and personal finances apart. Think of them as two different worlds that shouldn’t mix – here’s why.

First, separating your finances makes your life easier during tax time. When everything business-related is in one account, and personal stuff is in another, you won’t have to spend hours figuring out which expenses were for business and which were personal. This saves you lots of time.

Next, it protects your personal assets. If your product marketing agency ever faces financial trouble or legal issues, having separate finances means your personal savings, house, or car are completely safe.

Lastly, it looks professional. When clients make payments, they’ll see the business’s name on invoices and transactions, not your personal name. This shows you’re serious about your business.

4. Stay up-to-date with tax regulations

Tax laws change pretty often, and staying updated means you won’t miss out on new chances to save money or gain benefits for your business.

For example, there might be new tax deductions you can claim that lower how much tax you owe. Or, there could be changes in how you’re supposed to report your income, which, if done wrong, could lead to penalties.

By staying informed, you make sure you’re paying the right amount of tax, not more, not less.

This is also about planning ahead. When you know about tax changes in advance, you can make good decisions about spending and saving.

Maybe you decide to invest in new equipment now because it will give you a tax break. Or perhaps you hold off on a big purchase until next year when it will benefit you more tax-wise.

Also, being knowledgeable about taxes shows your clients and competitors that you’re serious about your actions. It builds trust because it shows you’re doing things by the book.

5. Ensure accurate invoicing

Accurate invoicing is crucial for maintaining healthy cash flow and retaining happy clients. Here’s what you should do.

Double-check client details

Make sure you have the correct names, addresses, and contact information on each invoice. Getting these details right shows professionalism and helps avoid payment delays.

Use clear descriptions

Write down exactly what the client is paying for in simple terms. If you designed a logo or ran a social media campaign, say so. This avoids confusion and questions, making it easier for clients to approve and pay the invoice.

Include all relevant dates

Mention the invoice date and the payment due date clearly. This sets expectations for when you expect to be paid and helps clients manage their own finances better. It will lead to quicker payments for you.

Itemize services and products

Break down the bill into specific services or products provided. This transparency builds trust. Clients like to see exactly where their money is going, and it can also remind them of the value they’re getting.

Apply the correct tax rates

If taxes apply, make sure you’re using the right rates based on your location and the nature of the services. Incorrect tax calculations can lead to legal issues and upset clients.

Offer multiple payment methods

The easier it is for clients to pay, the faster you’ll get your money. Offer various payment options like bank transfers, credit cards, or online payment systems.

Number your invoices

Use a consistent numbering system for your invoices. This makes it easier for you to track payments and for clients to reference specific invoices if they have questions or need to make a payment.

Review before sending

Always give your invoices a final check before they go out. This step ensures you haven’t missed anything and everything looks professional. A mistake-free invoice reflects well on your product marketing agency and helps avoid payment delays.

6. Monitor your expenses

Every week or month, take some time to go over your expenses. Ask yourself if each expense was really necessary and how it helped your agency.

Also, plan a budget for different areas of your business, like marketing, payroll, and office costs. This is your spending plan. Try to stick to this plan as closely as you can.

If you see you’re spending more than you planned, figure out why and adjust your plan or your spending.

By doing these things, you’ll always know where your money is going, and you can make sure you’re spending it in the best way possible.

And that wraps it up! We hope we helped you better understand how to manage your accounting and keep an eye on all the financials of your product marketing agency. 

Remember – if you’re ever unsure what to do or need help with taxes, consulting with a tax professional could be a smart move. We wish you the best of luck with your business!

The post 6 accounting tips for product marketing agencies appeared first on ProdSens.live.

This article is based on Jessica Armstrong’s talk, ‘Orchestrating a B2B post-sale journey’, at the Product Marketing Trailblazers virtual event. 

As a PMA member, you can enjoy the complete recording here. For more exclusive content, head over to your membership dashboard. 

I’m really excited to talk about orchestrating the post-sale journey in the B2B space. But first, let me introduce myself: my name’s Jess, and I’m a Senior Lifecycle Customer Marketer at Gong. 

At Gong, we’ve had a lot of experience navigating customer onboarding and the post-sale space – making sure we deliver on the promises made during sales while setting ourselves up for growth, expansion, and advocacy. 

Using a framework to orchestrate this journey is crucial. Today, I’m going to show you how to do just that.

Why it’s vital to nail the post-sale journey 

So, why should we care about the post-sale journey? Well, there are two obvious reasons right off the bat: 

1. It creates a better customer experience: It does this by helping customers achieve the promised outcomes and reducing friction for the best possible results.
2. It gets better results for us as marketers and a business: It helps you identify pain points that could lead to churn and key moments that could spark growth, ultimately increasing annual recurring revenue and net dollar retention. It also lets us create customer case studies that aid new business generation.

But that’s not all! On a more tactical level…

3. It drives organizational alignment: So many teams are involved in the post-sale journey – product, marketing, customer success, sales, etc. Mapping the post-sale journey aligns everyone so they can solve problems together. 
4. It also enables governance: If you’re sending too many emails or mixed messages, a customer journey map helps you identify the right channels and cadences to prevent communication fatigue.
5. It optimizes resource allocation: Mapping human and non-human touchpoints reveals duplicated efforts or over-reliance on certain interactions. You can then automate lower-touch activities so your team can focus on the highest-impact conversations along the journey.

At Gong, I’ve witnessed all five benefits of implementing our customer journey framework.

What problems does a post-sale customer journey solve?

Before we get into the challenges that a properly orchestrated post-sale customer journey can solve, let’s take a quick look at the difference between this kind of journey and the buyer journey.

In B2B, a typical sale involves around six or seven people, so the buyer journey is a path taken by only a small handful of individuals, who may not even be the intended users of the product they’ve just bought. 

Once the solution has been bought, a whole team or even an entire organization might be using it. The post-sale customer journey is all about helping that organizational ecosystem to align and start to get value from your product.

This raises two major challenges:

1. After the point of sale, the circle of influence quickly decentralizes as new stakeholders and end-users enter the journey.
2. Even though you convinced the organization to invest, your work isn’t done yet – you still need to persuade the end-users that your product is worth their time.

We were coming up against both of these challenges at Gong. 

The solution? 

We created what I call a “split lifecycle model”. The goal of this model is to acknowledge the maturity of the account and the personas that move it forward. At the same time, we want to recognize the maturity of the end-user, while also promoting individual user adoption and value. 

Here’s what this model looks like in practice:

As you can see, we have two separate journeys – the account journey and the user journey – each with different goals.

The post Drive adoption and expansion with a B2B post-sale journey appeared first on ProdSens.live.

This article is based on Nicholas Spiro’s talk at the Product Marketing Summit in Chicago. As a PMA member, you can enjoy the complete recording here. For more exclusive content, head over to your membership dashboard. 

Today, we’re going to explore product marketing in the social media era, focusing on three key areas: 

1. The latest social media trends, 
2. The latest product marketing trends, and 
3. What you can learn from these trends to take your product marketing to the next level.

But first, let me introduce myself. I’m Nicholas Spiro, and I’ve been doing product marketing for years at companies like Facebook, Snap Inc., and Twitter. 

Of course, you might not even recognize Facebook’s name these days, and Twitter has rebranded too. As of today, Snapchat hasn’t changed its name, but keep an eye on that space!

Social media trends

Now, why should we look at social media companies to inform our strategies? 

Well, first, social media is at the forefront of innovation. A ton of investment, engineering hours, and new ideas go into these companies, so it’s a great domain to study for the future. 

Second, there’s the wisdom of crowds. Social media amplifies diverse voices on a massive scale. The collective insights from billions of users may reveal truths that no single product marketer or academic could uncover alone.

These are the main trends we’ll cover today, though there are plenty more out there:

1. The rise of influencers
2. The attention economy
3. Suspense tactics
4. Streaks
5. The shift from long-form to short-form content 

It’s worth mentioning that these trends are interconnected. Changes in attention span are driving the movement from long form to short form content. Suspense and streaks are techniques that allow brands to cut through the noise and grab consumers’ ever-dwindling attention. The rise of influencers and creators impacts consumer trends as well as business strategies like product marketing. 

We can learn a lot by examining these unfolding trends.

The rise of influencers

The data reflects what many of us have experienced firsthand. Influencer marketing has exploded recently, growing 15-35% year-over-year and is estimated to be a $7 billion market by the end of 2024. More and more influencers are emerging, finding their niches, and setting social media trends.

Influencers who traditionally put out long-form content on YouTube are now transitioning to short-form like Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts. As part of this transition, high-production-value content is giving way to more realistic, everyday moments. 

Let’s look at one example from Twitch. In it, the video game creator Kai Cenat promotes a free giveaway.

Perhaps you recognize this post. If so, you may remember what happened next – mayhem broke out in Manhattan’s Union Square. It’s a prime example of creators’ growing power on social media platforms translating into the real world.

The attention economy

Social media faces plenty of criticism, and we can’t ignore these issues as they impact the business and product marketing landscape. Here are some of the major areas for concern:

1. Privacy and data rights
2. Dopamine loops and addiction
3. Fact-checking and disinformation
4. Algorithmic feeds and polarization
5. Mental health, teens, and self-image

Let’s dive a little deeper into the one around addiction and dopamine loops. Users are increasingly overwhelmed by choice but also less able to focus on any one thing at a time. 

Research shows our attention spans have markedly decreased – by two-thirds since 2004 according to one study. This matters for consumer platforms, businesses, and, of course, product marketing as we try to capture our audiences’ fragmented attention.

Another case in point: you know those weekly screen time reports on your phone? The app that gives you those also tracks your pickups – how many times you unlock your phone throughout the day. For the average American user, it’s a staggering 344 phone pickups per day – one every four minutes. These changes in consumer attention span and focus have huge implications for our work in product marketing. 

Suspense

As content proliferates and creators have to work ever harder to grab consumers’ attention, we’re seeing the rise of new and interesting suspense mechanisms as a way for influencers to drive engagement and build their followings.

Building suspense can be as simple as a countdown timer. Look at the example below from Roblox and PlayStation, counting down to a YouTube livestream. Using just audio and a timer, they tease when they’ll go live. The lack of content makes users lean in, keeping attention laser-focused. It’s simple, elegant, and effective.

The post Product marketing in the age of social media appeared first on ProdSens.live.

Today, we’re putting the spotlight on two heavyweights: product marketing and channel marketing. They might sound similar and many confuse between the two.

In this article, we explore what these two marketing terms even mean and the four key differences between them. 

Let’s get started!

What is product marketing?

Product marketing is like the quarterback of a company’s game plan for launching and keeping a product successful. It is done to really get what the customers want, figure out the best way to make the product stand out, and then get the word out there to make sales happen. 

Product marketers don’t do this alone though; they work hand-in-hand with other teams like product development and sales to make sure everyone’s on the same page and those business goals are achieved.

What is channel marketing?

Think of channel marketing (also known as distribution channel marketing) as a roadmap for companies to get their products from where they’re made to where they’re bought. 

It is a strategy companies use to promote and sell their products or services through various channels or intermediaries. These channels can include wholesalers, retailers, distributors, agents, brokers, and online platforms, among others.

Product marketing vs channel marketing – what’s the difference?

While product marketing and channel marketing share common goals of driving sales and revenue growth, they focus on different aspects of the marketing process.

First off, product marketing is a niche role within the broader scope of marketing while channel marketing is strategy. As a product marketer, you could deploy multiple strategies, including channel marketing (and omnichannel marketing too, for that matter) to meet your objectives. 

But besides this obvious difference, let’s truly understand the key differences between the two:

1. Focus

Product marketing

When a company wants to sell something, they have to figure out the best way to get the word out and make it appealing to the right people. Right? 

That’s what product marketing is all about! It’s like crafting a plan to showcase and sell a particular product or service to folks who are most likely to want it. This involves researching to understand the market, figuring out how to make the product stand out, coming up with the perfect message to grab people’s attention, setting a price that makes sense, and planning how and where to launch it. 

It’s about getting people excited and eager to snatch up what you’re offering!

Channel marketing

While product marketing is all about getting people excited about what you’re selling, channel marketing takes a different angle. It’s more about how you get your stuff into the hands of customers. 

So, think about it like this: you’ve got your product ready to go, but now you need to figure out the best ways to get it out there. That’s where channel marketing comes in! 

It’s about picking the right partners to work with, managing those relationships, coming up with smart strategies for how to get your product out there, giving your partners the support they need to sell it, and then keeping an eye on how well it’s all going. 

In a nutshell, it makes sure your products have the smoothest journey from the production line to people’s homes (or screens)!

2. Key aspects

Product marketing

First, you gotta dive into market research to figure out how to make your product stand out. This means checking out what your customers are into, what they like, and even what your competitors are up to.

Once you’ve done your research, it’s time to figure out what makes your product special. You gotta define what sets it apart from the competition and why people should be jumping at the chance to get it.

Now that you’ve got your awesome product ready to go, it’s time to plan the big debut! This involves setting the right price, deciding where to sell it, coming up with killer marketing campaigns, and making sure your sales team is geared up and ready to roll.

You can’t just launch your product and hope for the best. You gotta give it some pizzazz! That’s where creating marketing materials comes in handy. We’re talking catchy slogans, flashy PowerPoint presentations, and success stories to get people amped about buying your product.

Your sales team is your frontline warriors, so you gotta make sure they’re armed with all the right info. That means training them on how to pitch your product, handle any objections customers might throw their way, and ultimately seal the deal.

Channel marketing

First up, you gotta pick the right intermediaries to team up with. Think of them as your sidekicks who’ll help you reach those ideal target customers.

Once you’ve got your team assembled, you must keep those relationships strong. You want everyone working together towards the same goals, right?

Your partners need all the support they can get, so don’t forget to give them a hand. That means providing them with the tools, training, building the content inventory for them, and incentives they need to sell your stuff like hotcakes.

Plus, you gotta keep tabs on how things are going. Keep track of which channels are working best and make tweaks as needed to keep the ship sailing smoothly.

3. When to use

Product marketing

As we discussed above, when a company is rolling out a new product, it needs product marketing to make sure people know about it, get interested, and start using it. Product marketers come up with strategies, figure out how to position the product just right, and run marketing campaigns to get the word out there.

Now, if a company’s giving an old product a makeover – maybe adding new features or sprucing up the brand – product marketing steps in again. It’s what spreads the news about what’s changed, helps create cool messages and materials, and gets people excited about the new and improved version.

And when a company’s aiming for new markets or new types of customers, product marketing’s there to help too. It helps tweak the product’s image and messages to match what these new customers are into, do some research, and launch targeted ads to get their attention.

In super competitive markets where everyone’s selling pretty much the same thing, product marketing becomes even more crucial. It helps you find what makes your product stand out, come up with clever ways to talk about it, and convince customers that it’s the best choice.

Channel marketing

Channel marketing allows companies to tap into markets beyond their immediate reach. By partnering with intermediaries who have established distribution networks or customer bases in different regions or industries, companies can extend their market presence without the need for significant upfront investments in infrastructure or market development.

Setting up your distribution channels from scratch – be it social media, email newsletter, or mobile marketing can be a real headache, especially if you’re a smaller company. But with channel marketing, you can piggyback on your partners’ infrastructure, resources, and relationships maintained by them, and save yourself a ton of hassle and money.

Plus, by letting your partners handle the sales stuff, you get to focus on what you’re best at – like making awesome products or coming up with killer marketing ideas. It’s like everyone playing to their strengths, which helps your business grow faster.

Certain market segments or customer demographics may be better served through specific channels or distribution channels. 

For example, niche products may find greater success through specialty retailers or online marketplaces catering to specific interests or preferences. By leveraging channel marketing, you can access these specialized channels and target audiences more effectively, enhancing your market penetration and competitiveness.

4. What it looks like in practice

Product marketing

In practice, product marketing involves understanding customer desires and pricing preferences. 

A tech company, for example, conducts surveys to tailor its new smartphone to appeal to both tech enthusiasts and business users. They launch extensive ad campaigns across various platforms, accompanied by informative content showcasing the phone’s features. If required, the sales team is well-prepared to walk customers through the product and address queries. 

Now, for instance, if a food company is launching some new healthy snacks. They don’t just put them on shelves and hope people are going to chomp on them. 

To attract health-conscious consumers, they talk to stores that sell healthy food, share online, and give out samples to show how tasty their snacks are. And once the snacks are out there, they watch how they’re doing and listen to customer feedback. 

In each of these scenarios, product marketing isn’t just about launching a product; it’s about getting your ideal customers excited and making recurrent sales happen.

Channel marketing

If you produce organic skincare products, you partner with a chain of beauty stores to distribute your products. You provide them with promotional materials, product training, and exclusive deals to encourage them to feature and sell your skincare line prominently in their stores.

You may also use the footfall to their stores to give away promotional merchandise that can help build awareness about your product in your target group. 

Suppose you manufacture electronic gadgets. Instead of selling directly to retailers, you work with wholesalers who buy your products in bulk and distribute them to retailers across different regions. You offer competitive pricing, bulk discounts, and marketing support to wholesalers, enabling them to reach a wide network of retailers and ultimately, end customers.

As an e-learning platform, you create an affiliate program where influencers and bloggers can promote your courses on their websites or social media channels, or even white-label them. You provide them with unique tracking links and offer them a commission for every sale generated through their referrals. This way, you leverage the influencers’ reach and credibility to attract more students to your platform.

If you’re a software company, you might work with VARs (Value-Added Resellers) who customize your software solutions to meet the specific needs of different industries or regions. These VARs then sell your tailored solutions along with their services – such as implementation, training, and ongoing support, to businesses looking for comprehensive software solutions.

Final words

It’s clear that while product marketing and channel marketing share common goals of promoting products, their approaches and focuses are distinct. 

Product marketing is about crafting compelling narratives around your offerings, while channel marketing is about finding the right avenues to reach your audience. So, whether you’re showcasing the features of your latest product or strategizing how to get it in front of the right audience, recognizing the nuances between these two strategies will be key.

The post Product marketing vs. channel marketing What’s the difference? appeared first on ProdSens.live.

2024 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for product marketing. Conducting thorough market research will be crucial. Companies must take a deep dive into emerging trends, changing consumer behaviors, and the competitive dynamics within their industries.

The convergence of technology and commerce is accelerating. Businesses will need to seamlessly integrate e-commerce capabilities and embrace cutting-edge innovations like artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and virtual reality. Failing to adapt to these technological advancements could leave companies behind.

Successful product marketing in 2024 will require agility, data-driven decision making, and a willingness to experiment with new approaches. Those who can anticipate and address the needs of tomorrow’s consumers will have a significant competitive advantage.

In this article, we’ll takе a look into twelve key factors that arе crucial for product markеting in 2024. These are: 

1. Deep market research and analysis
2. Customer persona refinement
3. Data privacy and safety compliance
4. Innovlative technology integration
5. Sustainability and social responsibility management
6. Content marketing excellence
7. Collaboration with micro-influencers
8. Agile marketing for real-time adaptation
9. eCommerce integration optimization
10. Customer feedback utilization
11. Integrated cross-channel branding
12. Metrics driven optimization

So, let’s dive in. 

Dееp markеt rеsеarch and analysis

Forbes shows that 64% of global markеtеrs bеliеvе that data-drivеn markеting is еssеntial for success. In addition, in-depth research reveals nеwly еvolving tеchnologiеs and channеls to providе businеssеs with an opportunity to match thеir stratеgiеs according to thе latеst markеt dynamics. 

Start by conducting an еxtеnsivе study to fully understand how consumеrs arе changing, thеir prеfеrеncеs, and thеir nеw markеt nееds. Here, you can examinе information from diffеrеnt rеsourcеs to make better informed decisions and forеsее any changes in such a competitive еnvironmеnt. 

Customеr pеrsona rеfinеmеnt

Creating personas isn’t enough. You must kееp updating and rеvising them depending on demographic changes, tеchnological impacts, and cultural developments. But you must also remember that understanding thе complexities of your targеt audiеncе allows you to communicate with thеm in a manner they can apprеciatе. 

HubSpot found that companies with buyеr pеrsonas arе twicе as productivе within contеnt markеting, and a separate study found 90% of organizations bеnеfit from pеrsona dеvеlopmеnt.

Through ongoing pеrsona rеfinеmеnt based on changing consumеr behaviors and prеfеrеncеs, you can customize your stratеgiеs to achiеvе high еngagеmеnt and convеrsion ratеs. This intеractivе procеss еnablеs you to rеmain sеnsitivе to thе changing nееds and rеquirеmеnts of your consumеrs.

Data privacy and safety compliancе

In 2024, the safety and compliancе of data privacy are crucial. Thе morе rigid rulеs and growing customеr concеrns dеmand еffеctivе mеasurеs to prеsеrvе confidеntial information. 

Statistics say that 85% of consumеrs considеr sеcurity a kеy factor whеn sеlеcting onlinе sеrvicеs. Thеy havе to storе data sеcurеly and havе transparеnt privacy policiеs, rеquеsting еxplicit consеnt for using data. By showing concеrn towards data sеcurity, you help to build rеlations of trust and protеct thе brand imagе that can live on for a lifеtimе in an еra of privacy concerns.

Innovativе tеchnologiеs intеgration

Invеst in up-to-date innovations such as AR, VR, and AI in marking schеmеs. By thoughtfully integrating these technologies into your marketing strategies, you can craft truly immersive and exceptional experiences that deeply engage your customers.

Consider how chatbots and virtual assistants could provide seamless, personalized interactions, while augmented reality experiences transport customers into your product’s world like never before. When implemented effectively, these solutions have the power to elevate customer satisfaction and cultivate long-lasting brand loyalty.

While adopting new technologies can feel daunting, being an early mover in leveraging AR, VR, and AI could give you a significant competitive edge in 2024 and beyond. As consumer expectations continue to rise, those who embrace innovation have the chance to drive sustained growth and industry leadership.

Of course, technology is just one piece of the puzzle. But for forward-thinking marketers seeking to push boundaries and captivate their audiences, exploring the possibilities of these immersive tools is well worth consideration.

Sustainability and social responsibility management

In 2024, attеntion to sustainability and social responsibility is еssеntial for successful product marketing. Environmеntally rеsponsiblе practices in production, packaging, and supply chain procеssеs win not only consciеntious consumers but also a positive reputation for their brand. 

For еxamplе, companies that adopt fair labor policies and arе activе in community causеs strikе a chord with socially awarе viеwеrs. Thе transparеncy in divulging thеsе initiativеs hеlps improvе trust, stеward brand loyalty, and kееp pacе with thе еvеr-growing еmphasis on еthical and sustainablе businеss practicеs across thе globе.

Contеnt markеting еxcеllеncе

Captivating your audience hinges on delivering quality, enticing content tailored to various media channels. Consider leveraging the power of social media, blogs, and video platforms to share compelling stories that resonate with your customers and help them forge a genuine connection with your product.

An effective content strategy encompasses a diverse range of formats, from insightful blogs and engaging videos to visually striking infographics. This approach allows you to cater to the unique demands and preferences of your target audiences. 

Also, by leveraging data-driven insights, you can further customize your content, ensuring it strikes the perfect chord with each distinct customer segment.

Collaboration with micro-influеncеrs

Micro-influеncеrs providе authеntic and morе nichе connеctions to thе audiеncе bеcausе of thеir smallеr, but highly еngagеd, followеr basеs. 

Rеsеarch rеvеals that micro-influеncеrs dеlivеr a 60% highеr ratе of еngagеmеnt as opposed to macro-influencers. Not only does thе pеrcеivеd authеnticity incrеasе trust, but it also еnablеs product rеcommеndations to havе morе impact. For instance, a bеauty company working with a micro-influеncеr who is passionatе about skincarе can connеct with an audiеncе that apprеciatеs sincеrе rеcommеndations. 

Agilе markеting for rеal-timе adaptation

Agilе mеthods facilitatе dynamic changеs in campaigns to accommodatе changing markеt trеnds and consumеr fееdback. It is noticed that about 87% of top-pеrforming markеting tеams intеgratе agilе approachеs. 

A good illustration is an agilе approach to social mеdia, which еnablеs brands to rеact quickly to trеnding topics or consumеr sеntimеnts. With its focus on itеrating stratеgiеs, improving kеy pеrformancе mеtrics, and capitalizing on immеdiatе opportunitiеs, agilе markеting crеatеs a morе flеxiblе and dynamic еnvironmеnt for markеting. 

еCommеrcе intеgration optimization

eCommеrcе should еmbracе transformation and optimization. Dеvеlop smooth onlinе purchasing, bе mobilе-friеndly, and facilitatе еasy product listing to grab thе growing onlinе markеt. 

eCommerce strategy for product development is an еfficiеnt intеgration that makеs cross-channеl consistеncy possiblе so that customers can movе frееly bеtwееn onlinе platforms and physical shops. 

Customеr fееdback utilization

Companies that truly thrive are those that embrace customer feedback as a powerful tool for continuous improvement. By implementing feedback loops through surveys, reviews, and social media comments, businesses gain actionable insights into customer pain points and areas for enhancing satisfaction.

Rather than treating feedback as an afterthought, savvy organizations actively seek out and analyze these valuable perspectives. Doing so demonstrates a customer-centric approach that builds loyalty and fosters positive brand sentiment – critical in an era where consumer voices hold immense sway.

If you’re looking to stay ahead of the curve, establishing robust feedback mechanisms presents an opportunity to iterate products proactively, address concerns swiftly, and cultivate a brand identity centered around responsiveness and value-driven solutions.

While the path may require dedication and a willingness to adapt, the potential rewards of deeply understanding and catering to your customer base are immense. 

Intеgratеd cross-channеl branding

Build a consistent branding еxpеriеncе across all marketing channеls, onlinе, or offlinе. Crеatе consistеncy in mеssaging, visuals, and branding еlеmеnts that would provide a holistic customеr еxpеriеncе. Consistеncy across multiplе channеls-onlinе as wеll as offlinе- еnsurеs uniformity in thе brand’s identity. 

Rеsеarch has shown that a uniform approach to branding across all platforms can boost rеvеnuе by up to 23%. When you need to solidify your brand identity and deepen customer connections, prioritizing consistency is key. A unified experience signals professionalism, instills confidence, and leaves a lasting impression – essential elements for driving loyalty and growth.

Mеtrics-drivеn optimization

Develop KPIs and rеgularly assеss markеting mеtrics. By embracing a data-driven approach, you’ll unlock a deeper understanding of what resonates with your audience, empowering you to make informed decisions that enhance client satisfaction and drive better results.

For instance, by mеasuring convеrsion ratеs, click-through ratеs, and cost of customеr acquisition, you can dеtеrminе high-pеrforming channеls which enable you to optimizе your strategies accordingly. Constant tracking and еvaluating mеtrics crеatе agilе dеcision-making, allowing resources to bе spеnt appropriately while strategies are adaptеd to thе changing nееds of markets. 

Final thoughts

Markеtеrs nееd to dеvеlop rеal rеlationships with consumеrs, givе thеir brand a gеnuinе voicе, and tеll storiеs. Thе succеss of product markеting in thе futurе dеpеnds on thе ability to intеgratе traditional and digital channеls as wеll as еxploit thе powеr of social mеdia, influеncеrs, and pеrsonalizеd еxpеriеncеs. 

By being agilе, еmbracing changеs, and constantly adapting stratеgiеs based on rеal-timе information, businеssеs not only survivе but rеmain compеtitivе. 

Well, then how are you planning your product marketing in 2024?

The post 12 kеy factors to consider whilе planning for product marketing in 2024 appeared first on ProdSens.live.

Incorporating personalization methods into your product marketing strategy doesn’t have to be extremely complicated and tech-heavy. There are plenty of approaches you can take that won’t drain your budget or take over your workload.

Using this approach can have a significant impact on reducing customer churn and increasing retention rates, as well as product sales.

We’ll cover a variety of important points in this article, including:

• Why is it important?
• Types of personalization tactics
• How to use them effectively in product marketing strategy
• Common mistakes when using these techniques
• A personalization checklist

Why is personalization important?

There’s no denying that product marketing is an increasingly competitive industry. Left and right businesses are fighting to be noticed by their customers and are continuing to find different ways to capture their attention.

According to a recent study, 77% of consumers have chosen, recommended, or paid more for a brand that provides a personalized service or experience. This means that by personalizing the way you market your product to your clients, the UX improves, and sales along with it.

There are a lot of different reasons why going above and beyond and implementing these tactics into your product marketing strategy will benefit both your business and your target audience.

Your audience will feel appreciated

Personalization within product marketing is a great method to ensure your user feels valued when using your product.

Increases the chance of renewals

If your customer feels like your business genuinely cares about them and their presence whilst using your product, they’re more likely to continue using it, reducing churn rate and increasing the probability they’ll buy additional features.

Your product will stand out from the crowd

How many times have you scrolled through your emails and stopped when you notice your name, or something customized towards your interests, in the subject line?

Amongst a sea of competing products, personalizing your material is a more effective way of ensuring you capture the attention of your audience. In fact, a study showed that lack of content relevancy generates 83% lower response rates in the average marketing campaign.

Builds a connection with your customers

Personalizing your material looks less robotic and injects a much-needed human element to your content.

Arik Abel, Head of Product Marketing at Pay-TV, highlighted how product marketers can enhance user experience with the incorporation of a human-centric design.

Crush CX with Human-Centered Design

In this article, Arik Abel shares seven human-centered design techniques that are proven to propel your customer experience (CX) to whole new heights.

Product Marketing AllianceArik Abel

A greater understanding of your customer base

The data you get from personalized campaigns can feed back into your customer and buyer personas.

Look at how they’re engaging with your content by identifying aspects like email click-through rates, and whether it’s driving conversions and renewals. Regularly revisiting and refining your personas is an integral part of any product marketing strategy.

Improves product sales

According to InstaPage, 79% of organizations that exceeded revenue goals have a documented personalization strategy. This means that the majority of your sales are directly impacted either positively or negatively depending on how well you do it.

Examples of personalization tactics

There are many different techniques that you can use to make your user experience more meaningful.

We’ve put together a list of a few of the most important ones that everyone should use when marketing their products.

First impressions are everything

Making first-time consumers feel welcome whilst using your product is critical in determining if they’ll continue using it. Improve the customer onboarding experience by researching your target personas and any specific needs they may have when using your product.

Help them navigate your product properly, try to answer any questions they may have, show them how easy it is to use and they’ll be more likely to return.

Slack, the business messaging service, provides a super helpful onboarding experience that is the best example for creating a good first impression.

They created a little robot ‘guide’ called Slackbot that gives you a tutorial when you first join Slack on how to get started on the app. It shows you how to navigate the site and gives little tips on which channels to join and prompts you to give introductions to other members to help you avoid overwhelming yourself.

This simple service that they provide helps you get the most out of the experience, whilst making you as comfortable as you can be.

What is also very important is that they’ve ensured your customer experience with their product remains positive because you can message Slackbot directly anytime afterward and it will answer questions you may still have about the app.

(Join the Product Marketing Alliance Slack community for more juicy hints and tips )

Nurture existing customers

There are a lot of ways you can nurture your existing customers to show your appreciation.

Get ahead of the game by researching the customer rather than waiting for the customer to provide this information for themselves. They’ll appreciate the attention to detail and extra effort you’re putting in to improve the UX.

A survey discovered that 81% of consumers want brands to get to know them and understand when to approach them and when not to. So, identify what they like about your product, where they’d like to be contacted, what times they’re typically available online, etc to decrease your churn rates.

Develop a relationship with your customers by regularly analyzing customer feedback (reviews, polls, how often they’re on your site, bounce rate, what they click on most, etc) and refining your product so they continue to gain the maximum benefits.

It’s important to maintain consistent correspondence with your customers. Check in with your customers, whether that is through emails, weekly newsletters, customer calls, or invites to business events to establish a proper relationship with them. This gives you the chance of ensuring brand loyalty- customers are less likely to stop using a product if they feel a part of the business.

Properly track your data

Make sure you’re keeping track of what resonates so that you can keep the content you produce relevant.

As a B2C brand, Amazon is a great example of personalization within its product. Their website collects your data within their website, tracks which link you follow, your location, things you have recently bought, and plenty more to make it as personal as possible.

Then, on their homepage, they include these bits of information so it’s entirely tailored to your requirements. The experience with their product is made simple. You as the customer don’t have to remember the little things, Amazon shows that they care enough about your use of their product to do it for you.

You can also use data tracking of your customer to develop a score of whether they’re most likely to remain a consumer of your product (lead score) or leave (churn score). Using these scores, you can determine how to tailor your content to meet the requirements of that specific customer. This gives you the chance to personalize your content to what they prefer to build on/save the relationship.

Check out different tools with built-in lead-scoring software to improve your customer experience. Here are a few:

• Pipeliner
• PLATFORM.ly
• HubSpot Marketing Hub

Take a look at some more detailed articles that will help you with different strategies and tips on how to reduce customer churn and retain more customers.

How to use these personalization techniques

Once you’ve identified the kind of techniques that you feel would benefit both your product and your user in the best way, it’s time to put them into practice and apply them to your product marketing strategy. We have compiled a few ways you can do this:

Personalize your mail lists

To try and get a better understanding of how some B2B companies use their own personalization techniques to improve their customer experience, I signed up for some products using my PMA email address.

Here is one response that I think is a perfect example:

In expressing an interest in their services, I entered their buyer funnel as a warm lead. Therefore, instead of sending me a generic email with the same link they use for everyone else, they took the time to actively show their interest and appreciation for my inquiry, ensuring I felt welcome.

Of course, this level of personalization perhaps would only work with smaller businesses. Typing out an entire customized email isn’t feasible if you have hundreds of clients. But, you can still use other email tools to automatically customize your mail list that make it look personalized. For example:

• You can use customer segmentation and split your email list into specific categories, such as gender, age, interests, while you can also use geographic segmentation to send correspondence that’s specific to customers in a variety of locations. This gives you the opportunity to personalize your emails even further based on these categories and direct certain emails to each category to ensure a more customized experience for each user.
• Save the settings on your mail list to address each client by their first name. An audience is more likely to engage with an email if they feel the content is specifically for them, and what better way to show that than putting their name at the start?
• Create a subscription to weekly emails that you can then send to the masses. This gives your customer the opportunity to sign up to the email instead of automatically being bombarded with unwanted attention. This creates a more positive and personalized experience for them and will build a happier relationship between your business and your client.

Rebecca Lawson, Freelance Content Creator and frequent Writer for PMA, has created a handy list of recommended customer engagement tools for product marketers which will help you develop your customer experience and engagement.

Social media interactions

Social media interactions can really help to build and develop relationships with a customer. This is because it’s an effective way of reminding the audience that there is a human behind the brand.

The audience then begins to develop more of an emotional and loyal connection with your business, making it more likely they’ll continue to use your product.

It’s also a helpful way of gathering information, for example, by asking for comments, sharing experiences or photos, and using polls. Plus, leveraging user-generated content (UGC) is powerful – 42% more effective than your own branded content.

Advertising

Use the data you’ve gathered on your customers to refine the advertising you send them. For example, there’s no use sending them an ad to sign up for your product if they’re already an existing member.

Sending irrelevant content will only cause frustration amongst your clientele and damage the reputation of your brand. Sending ads for products they don’t need will give the impression you haven’t listened to them and don’t care about their customer experience.

Tamara Grominksy, Director of Product Marketing at Unbounce, agrees with this sentiment. In her presentation on Turbocharging your growth in segmentation she explained,

“Relevancy isn’t just great for your customers, it’s great for your bottom line as well and we see this across the entire customer funnel. From an acquisition perspective, we saw that PPC here had a 24% lift when they implemented segmented Google ads. At Unbounce, when we went from one generic buying flow to three-segmented flows, we saw a 15% increase in the number of new trial starts that came through the door.”

It’s important that your customer feels like they’re in the right place with your product, otherwise, you’ll send them straight to a competitor, who has more personalized advertising and product experience.

Common mistakes when using personalization techniques

It can be quite easy to make mistakes when using these methods within your product strategy. So, we’ve put together a few of the most common ones that are easily avoidable.

Getting too personal/overdoing it

There is a fine between personalizing your material and overdoing it. It’s important to keep it professional, considering you’re still a business, and overstepping with your customers can be off-putting and have a negative impact. Keep in mind you’re trying to gather the information that’ll improve their professional relationship with your product, rather than things like employees’ home lives.

Conduct competitive intelligence and research your competitors to establish how other companies are personalizing their products, and how effective it is for them to determine how you can implement your own strategies effectively.

Using inaccurate data

Getting information wrong will give the customer the impression that you don’t care enough to get it right. You need to continue refining and updating your research to ensure your customer data is as accurate as possible.

Using ‘noreply’ emails

Sometimes using ‘noreply’ emails can be off-putting because it feels very robotic, impersonal and like your business doesn’t want correspondence with your customer.

It’s also a lot harder for your customer to find how to contact your business if they can’t reply directly to your email and creates a negative user experience. Avoid creating a one-sided relationship and make it easier for your customers to contact you.

A personalization checklist

We’ve put together a simple personalization framework that’ll help you introduce these tactics into your product marketing strategy:

Research your target audience and answer the following:

• Who is my target audience?
• Who uses my product? Is this my target audience?
• Does my audience have a successful experience with my product?
• What could be better with my product?

Define your and their goals

• What do I want to get from this product marketing strategy?
• What does my audience want from this product?
• How can we align these so we both get maximum benefit?

Identify and gather data

• What tactics work best for other companies?
• Which ones will work best for my company?
• Which will work best for my target audience?

Identify opportunities

• Where can I include these techniques in my product?
• Where else can I do this: email, social media, newsletters, etc.

Create content

• Incorporate your chosen tactics into your messaging and other product marketing strategies.

Test, measure, and refine

• Look at internal and external feedback you receive from customers.
• See where you can improve your personalization within your product further.
• Implement your changes to refine and improve your product.

Want to learn more?

Product marketing is and always will be a customer-centric role. A core part of your job is to value the voice of the customer and advocate for their wants, needs, and pain points. It’s your responsibility to make them feel heard. Therefore, customer marketing is an integral part of what you need to do to ensure that you’re staying true to this.

The Customer Marketing Certified: Masters course has been designed to give you invaluable, practical insights into streamlining your customer marketing approach so that you can ensure that:

• Your customers are happy,
• Your products are the best they truly can be,
• Your brand reputation is consistently positive, and
• That you bring in increased revenue for your organization.

So what are you waiting for?

Enroll today

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