Product Marketing Team’s Scope of Work & Job Description

It seems obvious by the name what a product marketing team does—promote and sell products, right? But there’s a lot more to it than meets the eye.

A product marketing team bridges the gap between product development and market success. The team ensures the product resonates with the target audience and stands out in a crowded market.

In this blog, we will discuss the scope of work and the comprehensive job description of a product marketing team. We will cover the roles, responsibilities, success metrics, workflows, and more.

What is the Role of a Product Marketing Team?

A product marketing team takes a product and ensures it thrives in the market. They understand the target audience, craft compelling messages, and coordinate efforts across departments to ensure the product’s value is clear and impactful.

For example, let’s say a company is launching a new business analytics tool. The product marketing team first conducts market research to identify what business analysts and decision-makers seek.

They discover that top priorities are speed, ease of use, and integration capabilities. With this insight, they create a go-to-market strategy that emphasizes these features.

Here are the core responsibilities of a product marketing team:

• Conduct market research to understand the needs and trends among business analysts.
• Develop messaging that highlights the tool’s speed, user-friendliness, and integration capabilities.
• Create marketing materials like demo videos, case studies, and whitepapers that showcase real-world applications.
• Work with the sales team to develop pitches that address common pain points and demonstrate how the tool solves them.
• Plan and manage the product launch, ensuring all marketing channels (social media, email campaigns, webinars) are aligned and effective.
• Analyze feedback from initial users to refine the marketing strategy and improve the product positioning.
• Train the sales and customer support teams to communicate the tool’s benefits and features to potential and existing customers.

Goals of a Product Marketing Team

A product marketing team must align its goals with the business objectives to make a real impact. Their goals are to help boost sales, increase market share, and enhance the product’s reputation.

As Allen Gannett says, “Marketers have to stop reporting on activities and start reporting on business outcomes.”

Using the SMART Technique

Product marketers often use the SMART technique to set their goals. This means their goals are:

• Specific: Clear and detailed
• Measurable: Quantifiable to track progress
• Achievable: Realistic and attainable
• Relevant: Aligned with business objectives
• Time-bound: Set within a specific timeframe

Types of Goals for a Product Marketing Team

Let’s break down the goals into crucial categories for a B2B business.

1. Increase Market Share: This is about expanding the product’s footprint in the current market.

• Aim to increase the market share of a new business analytics tool by 5% in the next 12 months.

1. Boost Customer Acquisition: Set a target for acquiring new clients.

• Acquire 50 new enterprise clients in the next quarter by offering a limited-time discount.

1. Raise Brand Awareness: Increase the product’s visibility in the market.

• Aim for a 20% increase in brand awareness over six months through a series of webinars, influencer partnerships, and targeted LinkedIn ads.

1. Expand Online Presence: Grow the product’s digital footprint.

• Double the number of website visitors and social media followers in six months by enhancing SEO with keyword-rich blog posts.

1. Improve Customer Retention: Keep current customers satisfied and loyal.

• Reduce the churn rate by 10% over the next year by implementing a customer feedback loop.

Product Marketing Team’s Roles and Responsibilities

A product marketing team comprises of the following roles:

Market Research Analyst

A market research analyst spends their day gathering and analyzing data on customer preferences and market trends. They communicate these insights to the product and marketing teams, helping shape marketing strategies. For instance, they might find a rising demand for a new feature in a business analytics tool.

Key Deliverables

• Conduct customer and market research.
• Analyze data and trends.
• Provide actionable insights
• Prepare research reports
• Identify new market opportunities.

Product Marketing Manager

The product marketing manager oversees the product’s marketing strategy from start to finish. They work closely with the sales team to develop pitches and with the development team to ensure the product meets market needs. Daily tasks include coordinating campaigns, managing product launches, and analyzing market feedback.

Key Deliverables

• Develop and execute marketing strategies.
• Plan and manage product launches.
• Coordinate with sales and development teams.
• Analyze market feedback
• Drive product adoption and revenue growth.

Content Strategist

A content strategist creates and manages the content that promotes the product. They work with writers and designers to develop blog posts, whitepapers, and social media content. They are creative thinkers with excellent writing and editorial skills.

Key Deliverables

• Create content calendars
• Develop blog posts, whitepapers, and social media content.
• Oversee content creation and approval processes.
• Monitor content performance
• Generate engaging and relevant content.

Customer Success Manager

The customer success manager ensures target customers are satisfied and can fully utilize the product. They work closely with clients to address issues and provide training and support. They might organize a webinar to help customers get the most out of the product.

Key Deliverables

• Onboard new customers
• Conduct training sessions and webinars.
• Provide ongoing customer support.
• Gather and analyze customer feedback.
• Enhance customer satisfaction and retention.

Sales Enablement Specialist

A sales enablement specialist equips the sales team with the tools and information they need to sell the product effectively. They create training materials, develop sales guides, and provide ongoing support. Their day involves working with the sales team to identify needs, create resources, and track performance. For instance, they might develop a competitive analysis guide to help sales reps position the analytics tool against competitors.

Key Deliverables

• Develop sales training materials.
• Create sales guides and resources.
• Provide ongoing support to the sales team.
• Track and analyze sales performance.
• Improve sales effectiveness and close rates.

Product Marketing Team’s Processes and Workflows

The product marketing team operates through well-defined processes and workflows to ensure smooth collaboration and effective execution. Here’s how they work together and with other departments:

Market Research and Analysis

• The Market Research Analyst gathers and analyzes data, identifying trends and customer needs.
• They regularly share insights with the Product Marketing Manager and the Content Strategist to shape marketing strategies and content plans.

Strategy Development

• The Product Marketing Manager takes the insights from the Market Research Analyst and works on developing comprehensive marketing strategies.
• They collaborate with the sales team to understand their needs and with the product development team to ensure the product meets market demands.

Content Creation and Distribution

• The Content Strategist uses marketing strategies to create engaging and relevant content.
• They work closely with the design team to develop visually appealing materials and with the Customer Success Manager to incorporate customer feedback and success stories into the content.

Customer Onboarding and Support

• The Customer Success Manager oversees onboarding new customers and providing ongoing support.
• They work with the Product Marketing Manager to ensure all customer-facing materials align with the overall marketing strategy.
• They also gather customer feedback and share it with the Product Marketing Manager and the Content Strategist to continuously improve the product and marketing efforts.

Sales Enablement

• The Sales Enablement Specialist collaborates with the sales team to identify their needs and provide the necessary tools and resources.
• They develop training materials and sales guides based on the marketing strategies and product features.
• They also work closely with the Product Marketing Manager to ensure that the sales messages are consistent and compelling.

Feedback and Continuous Improvement

• All internal team members regularly share feedback and insights with each other.
• The Product Marketing Manager leads regular meetings to discuss progress, challenges, and opportunities for improvement.

Product Marketing Team’s KPIs and Metrics

In B2B product marketing, the following metrics provide insights into how well the product is performing in the market:

Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

The cost of acquiring a new customer, including all marketing and sales expenses. Lowering CAC indicates more efficient marketing efforts.

CAC = Total Marketing and Sales Expenses / Number of New Customers Acquired

Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV)

The total revenue a business expects from a single customer account. Increasing CLTV suggests better customer retention and upselling strategies.

CLTV = Average Purchase Value x Purchase Frequency x Customer Lifespan

Conversion Rate

The percentage of leads that turn into paying customers. A higher conversion rate means the marketing and sales processes effectively convince prospects to buy.

Conversion Rate = (Product Sales / Total Market Sales) x 100

Lead Generation

The number of new leads generated within a specific time frame. More leads often lead to more sales opportunities.

Product Usage

The frequency and extent to which customers use the product. Higher usage rates often correlate with higher customer satisfaction and retention.

Net Promoter Score (NPS)

A measure of customer satisfaction and loyalty based on their likelihood to recommend the product to others. Higher NPS indicates stronger customer loyalty.

NPS = %Promoters − %Detractors

Churn Rate

The percentage of customers who stop using the product over a specific period. Lower churn rates suggest better customer retention and satisfaction.

Churn Rate = (Number of Customers Lost / Total Number of Customers) x 100

Return on Investment (ROI)

The profitability of marketing campaigns relative to their costs. Higher ROI means marketing efforts are generating more profit than they cost.

ROI = (Net Profit / Cost of Investment) x 100

Product Marketing Tools and Resources

Here, we categorize the essential tools and resources for a product marketing team:

Market Research Tools

Market research tools gather insights about customer needs, market trends, and competitive landscape. They help the team make informed decisions and tailor their strategies to the target market. For example,

• SurveyMonkey
• SEMrush

Content Creation Tools

Content creation tools enable the team to develop high-quality, engaging content that resonates with the target audience. They help streamline the content production process and ensure consistency. Here are some examples:

• Canva
• Adobe Creative Cloud
• ChatGPT

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Tools

CRM tools help manage and analyze customer interactions and data throughout the customer lifecycle.

• HubSpot
• Salesforce

Project Management Tools

Project management tools facilitate team collaboration and keep marketing projects on track. They help manage tasks, deadlines, and resources effectively.

• Trello
• Asana
• ClickUp
• Monday.com

Analytics Tools

Analytics tools provide insights into marketing performance, helping the team measure the effectiveness of their campaigns and strategies.

• Google Analytics
• Google Search Console
• Tableau
• Mixpanel

Other important categories include Collaboration Tools for seamless team communication (e.g., Slack, Microsoft Teams), A/B Testing Tools for optimizing marketing campaigns (e.g., Optimizely, VWO), and Advertising Platforms for managing paid advertising efforts (e.g., Google Ads, Facebook Ads Manager).

Conclusion

It’s easy to assume that product marketing is just about promoting a product, but it’s much more than that.If you want someone experienced to handle all that, our product marketing experts at Aventi Group are here to help. Contact Aventi today to learn how we can help you take your product to the next level