In the fast-paced world of B2B sales, having a product that solves real problems is only half the battle. You also need a strong strategy to communicate its value effectively to potential customers. That's where product marketing comes in.
In the consumer world, product marketers are called brand managers. In B2B, product marketing crosses product management, marketing, and sales. It's the strategic bridge between your product and the market. It's about understanding your target audience, their needs, and challenges and positioning your product as the perfect solution. Product marketers wear many hats, from crafting compelling messaging to creating sales enablement materials and influencing product development based on customer insights.
At Red Javelin, we have worked with hundreds of B2B companies. Companies that are truly poised for growth and scale have embraced product marketing.
So, What is Product Marketing?
Here are some key aspects of B2B product marketing:
- Customer Focus: B2B buyers are bombarded with marketing messages. Product marketing helps you stand out by clearly articulating the unique value proposition of your product and how it solves specific customer pain points.
- Educate and Empower Buyers: B2B buyers need to understand the intricacies of your product before they commit. Product marketing creates content like white papers, case studies, and product demos that educate buyers and empower them to make informed decisions.
- Market Awareness: Product marketers are crucial in creating brand awareness and establishing your product as a leader in its space. This involves working with other entities in your ecosystem, such as industry alliances or vendors with symbiotic offerings. It also includes speaking at industry events and creating joint marketing programs with industry players.
- Sales Enablement: Product marketers equip the sales team with the tools and resources they need to sell the product effectively. This includes creating sales collateral, conducting product demos, and providing ongoing product training.
- Subject Matter Experts: Product marketers are the externally focused subject matter experts. They are the people who speak at conferences, are the experts on sales calls, and are external spokespeople on specific topics.
- Product Positioning: They define how your product fits into the competitive landscape and what unique value proposition it offers.
- Aligns Sales and Marketing: Product marketing ensures everyone – from sales reps to content creators – is on the same page about the product's messaging and benefits. This creates a seamless experience for potential customers throughout their buying journey.
How Does Product Marketing Differ from Marketing?
| Marketing | Product Marketing | |
| Scope | Marketing has a wider scope and comprises several disciplines specializing in specific communication channels—public relations, email, social media (organic/paid), advertising (SEM), and events. It encompasses everything from brand awareness to lead generation and customer acquisition across all the company's products or services. | Product marketing is laser-focused on a specific product or service. It delves deep into understanding that product, its target audience, and how it positions itself within the market. |
| Focus | Marketing primarily focuses on creating demand and attracting new customers. It raises brand awareness, generates leads, and nurtures them until they become sales-qualified. |
Product marketing takes a more holistic approach and aims to drive product awareness and user acquisition, but its focus extends beyond the initial purchase. It cares about how the product or services fit into the industry ecosystem, user adoption, customer satisfaction, and long-term product success. |
| Collaboration | Marketing teams often collaborate with departments like sales and creative, but their primary focus is external communication. | Product marketers act as a bridge between different internal teams and industry organizations. They work closely with product development, sales, customer success, and even marketing, ensuring everyone is aligned on the product story and its value proposition. |
In today's competitive B2B landscape, a strong product marketing strategy is no longer optional. By bridging the gap between product development and customer needs, product marketing empowers your sales team, educates your buyers, and ultimately drives sustainable business growth.
