If you’ve heard of product marketing, you’ve likely wondered what exactly it is. The definition of product marketing can be difficult to pin down. Plenty of people say it’s important, but few actually give a solid definition of what it entails.
The reason for that is product marketing actually covers several departments and spans a large-scale, involved project. From developing your product to determining the messaging and positioning, to making sure your sales team has a full grasp on your product, product marketing requires a unique strategy from start to finish.
So what exactly is product marketing? We did some digging and here’s what we learned:
Product marketing: The customer-focused process of bringing a product to market by determining the product’s usage and messaging.
Product marketing spans several departments and is a project in and of itself. It’s important to make sure that everyone in your company (especially your sales team) fully understands your product. But through the whole process, one thing should be at the heart of everything you do – the customer.
How tech marketing and product marketing intersect
Product marketing is important, but how does that affect your company’s tech marketing?
Product marketing is all about making sure the customer understands your product. It helps your potential customers envision how your product will affect their specific problems.
In tech marketing, this is especially important because you’re often selling products or services that are complex. Tech companies often sell products and services that are likely difficult to understand for laymen. Customers aren’t interested in the bells and whistles of your product unless they can see how it will specifically solve their problems and impact their day-to-day operations.
If you’re a tech company, you’re asking your customers to make a long-term investment not just in the monetary price, but also in employee training. This ensures everyone knows how to use your product, and can even result in an entire system overhaul.
This is where product and tech marketing intersect, by demonstrating to your leads every step of the way just how valuable your product is to their company and creating tech branding.
Creating an effective strategy for product and tech marketing
Effective product marketing will turn more prospects into clients. It’s a vital skill to master for your tech company because not only will it ensure that you’re turning more leads into clients, but it will make sure you’re securing quality clients that stay with your company for a long time.
The key to both product and tech marketing is showing your prospects how your product is going to solve their problems and continuously provide solutions.
Here are some questions you’ll need to answer in order to develop an effective product and tech marketing strategy:
What makes my product unique and what sets it apart from the competition?
This question will help you determine your product’s messaging and positioning in the market. Having a clear understanding of what sets your product apart and being able to communicate that clearly in a variety of ways is the foundation of a good strategy.
Who are my customers, what do they need, and how can my product help?
These questions are at the heart of product marketing. You need to demonstrate that you are fulfilling your customer’s needs. A great way to understand your customers and their needs is to create buyer personas. This will help you know where to drive your messaging and will help you develop ways to convincingly communicate precisely how your product will solve their problems. It will help you assist your clients in visualizing the ways your product can solve their most pressing issues – and what sets you apart from the competition.
What does my sales team need to close the deal?
And finally, it’s important that your sales team has everything they need to cinch the deal. Make sure there are clear channels of communication between your development, marketing, and sales teams so that you are giving a cohesive message to your clients. Make sure your sales department has everything they need to close the deal.
Product marketing is one of the most effective forms of marketing, especially for tech companies. It helps you demonstrate exactly how your product will help your customers and solve their problems. Mastering the skill of product marketing will help your tech company turn more prospects into long-term, loyal customers.