What does a product marketing manager do?

Creating a product is only half the battle. It may look like some companies, like Apple, hit a home run on great design alone. But behind the scenes, there’s a team of marketing pros researching their target audience, finding a niche for the product, and creating killer messaging that makes the product irresistible to its end users. 

When fail rates are so staggeringly high (95% or thereabouts), putting some thought into the marketing side of things isn’t just wise — it’s essential. And such an important job calls for a highly specialized role. Enter the product marketing manager, or PMM for short. Let’s take a closer look at this unique and varied role.

What is a product marketing manager?

The product marketing manager leads the charge in promoting a product to its end users.

They know customer needs and industry trends inside-out. Armed with this knowledge, they skillfully position the product in its market niche, shaping its messaging and pricing strategies in a way that maximizes sales potential.

As well as being product cheerleaders, they are cross-functional collaborators. They bridge the gap between the dev team and end users, translating techy product details into customer-centric benefits and customer needs into actionable features.

What does a product marketing manager do?

In a nutshell, they help bring a product to market and lead it to success. They define the product’s proposition, positioning, and messaging, making sure each component pulls its weight and delights end users.

What are some typical product marketing manager goals?

Let’s take a look at the broader goals that drive their daily activities.

• Market penetration and growth: PMMs want to boost the product’s market share. This process includes analyzing competitors, running in-depth market research, learning about market trends, getting to know the various users, and developing strategic plans to position the product — including targeting high potential segments/markets with irresistible messaging.
  
• Customer acquisition and retention: PMMs focus on keeping existing customers and attracting new ones. This involves a blend of analytics (they use tools like Net Promoter Score [NPS] to gauge customer satisfaction and loyalty), and refining strategies to boost retention.
  
• Revenue generation and ROI: PMMs work with sales teams to boost product sales and smash revenue targets.
  
• Brand awareness and positioning: PMMs help make the product both visible and well regarded by creating strong brand messaging. They also manage the PR side of things as part of this.
  
• Sales support and enablement: PMMs equip sales teams with the tools they need to do the job well (like CRM systems). They help create strong go-to-market strategies, launch campaigns, and gather feedback through win-loss interviews to improve their strategies.
  
• Linchpin duties: They work with a range of teams and people to keep every effort aligned with business goals.
  
• Continuous improvement and innovation: PMMs stay ahead by keeping up with market trends, customer feedback, and technology. They automate repetitive tasks, freeing them up to work on strategic initiatives.
  

What does a PMM not do?

PMMs concentrate on marketing strategies and execution, but not on the techy specifications or development processes — product managers and engineering teams take care of this. 

They’re not involved with direct sales, either. Instead, they lend a hand to the sales team by offering training, tools, info, and creating sales collateral. Drawing these clear boundaries of responsibility helps each team focus on their strengths.

What are some typical product marketing manager responsibilities?

The above goals translate into various tasks. A blend of strategic planning and tactical execution, the role is a varied one. 

1. They develop a go-to-market strategy: This involves market research to understand customer needs and behaviors. 
2. They suss out the competition: They find opportunities for differentiation. 
3. They position the brand/product: They create positioning statements and messaging frameworks that clearly show off the uniqueness of the product.
4. They offer support during lift-off: PMMs are heavily involved in the execution phase. They collab with a range of teams (development, sales, and customer support primarily), to make sure the product hits those market needs. 
5. They create marketing materials: Product brochures, web content, and sales presentations all fall under their remit. They also help plan marketing campaigns across digital, social, email, and the event space. 
6. They manage the product life cycle: They monitor product performance metrics, gather customer feedback, and analyze market trends to shape future updates. Doing this on a rolling basis keeps the product relevant. 
7. Market research: They get to know customer needs and market trends. This involves collecting and analyzing data to spot trends and opportunities. 
8. Positioning and messaging: They develop strong, clear messaging that showcases the product’s uniqueness and value. 
9. Collaboration with product management: Working closely with product managers, they ensure product features are aligned with business roadmaps and market requirements. This keeps marketing efforts in sync.

How does the product marketing manager work with the team?

They work in tandem with product managers to really understand the product roadmap, then team up with the marketing department to turn those insights into irresistible marketing messages and PR. They also work with the sales team, helping them do their part in selling the product with training and sales enablement materials. 

Essentially, PMMs support a range of people to make sure they showcase the product’s value as best they can. 

Where do they report?

They’ll typically check in with the head of marketing or the chief marketing officer (CMO). 

In some places, they might report to a senior product manager or director of product marketing, depending on the company’s structure. This helps them stay in tune with wider business goals while they chew over the techy details with development teams. 

How does the PMM work with the wider organization?

PMMs make sure every department understands the product’s value proposition and strategic goals. This coordination keeps any marketing plans both feasible and effective. By facilitating open communication across the organization, PMMs help everyone work towards shared objectives, and the product’s market success. 

Do you really need a product marketing manager?

It largely depends on the size of your business and complexity of your offering. 

For companies with a broad product portfolio or those in super competitive markets, having a PMM can be a big help. They bring specialized skills that help you launch and sustain your product. They also take some of the load off your marketing team, as well as help break up silos between the engineering nerds and the sales people.

For smaller companies or startups, the roles of product management and marketing might blend until the company grows big enough to justify a dedicated PMM. 

In these cases, a PMM could bring you a strategic advantage by focusing on customer needs and marketing insights, which means other team members can concentrate on their core responsibilities.

A typical day in the life of a product marketing manager

‘Typical day’ is something of a misnomer, since the PMM’s role encompasses a range of diverse tasks. But generally speaking, it’ll involve a mix of strategic planning, cross-functional collaboration, and marketing activities. Here’s a general overview to give you a flavor. 

Rise and shine! 

The day often kicks off with a marketing review. They’ll dive into analytics and metrics, which helps the team work out how well the campaign is doing. From there, they’ll adjust the strategy if needed. A quick team meeting or stand-up might follow where people have the chance to chat about the day’s priorities.

Mid-morning

Next, they’ll typically team up with product managers and development teams. This time might include attending meetings where they’re filled in on product progress, upcoming features, timelines, and so on. They might also take part in brainstorming sessions to get ideas for refining the product positioning and messaging.

Afternoon

Their focus might shift to content creation, campaign planning and execution. This will involve writing product copy (or working with the copywriters who do), developing marketing collateral, creating sales presentations, and coordinating with the design team on visual assets. At some point, they’ll also stop for lunch. 

Late afternoon

After lunch, they might say hi to the sales team, offering training and gathering feedback on customer interactions. Their goal with these interactions is to make sure everyone’s  well-equipped with the latest product info and marketing materials to really help the product shine in the eyes of those who use it. They might also review customer feedback themselves back at their desk, running win-loss interviews, and analyzing market trends.

Evening

Almost home time. The day might end with strategic planning and reflection. PMMs will look back on the day’s accomplishments, and prep for upcoming deadlines and tasks. They might also dedicate some time to professional development, like reading industry news, attending webinars, or networking with peers.

How to become a product marketing manager

You’ll want a combination of education, experience, and a specific skill set (which you can develop if you don’t have the required talents already). Here’s a step-by-step guide.

1. Education

Start with a bachelor’s degree in marketing, business, or a related field. A solid educational foundation equips you with essential marketing and business know-how. Advanced degrees, like MBAs, aren’t necessary — but they can give your qualifications a boost and open up more opportunities. It also shows employers you really mean business (no pun intended).

2. Get relevant experience

Entry-level positions in marketing, sales, or product management are great starting points. Look for roles that offer exposure to market research, campaign management, and cross-functional collaboration — all of which form the basis of the fully-fledged PMM role.

3. Develop those essential skills

Focus on honing skills critical to product marketing: strategic thinking, communication, data analysis, and project management, to name the big hitters. Proficiency in digital marketing tools, CRM systems, and analytics platforms is also a must. Consider getting yourself certifications in digital marketing, product management, or market research to bolster your skill set.

4. Networking

It’s who you know! Build a professional network through industry events and online communities. Networking can give you insider insights, not to mention mentorship opportunities and job leads. Engage with pros in the field to learn about best practices and stay ahead of industry trends.

5. Seek out mentorship and guidance

Speaking of networking — find mentors who are experienced PMMs or marketing pros. They’ll be able to offer guidance, share their experiences, help you navigate your career path, and give you valuable industry connections. Of course, not everyone will have the ability to do this, but a polite email might just land you the mentor you want.

6. Stay updated with industry trends

Keep on top of the latest trends in product marketing and buyer behavior. Reading industry publications and taking part in professional development courses can help you stand out from the crowd.

7. Look for advancement opportunities

As you gain experience and develop your skills, look for opportunities to take on more. This could range from leading marketing campaigns, to managing product launches or stepping into a supervisory role. Showing off your ability to drive results and lead projects puts you in good stead for advancement into a PMM role. 

Essential skills you need to become a product marketing manager

To be a great PMM, you need that sweet-spot blend of techy know-how, strategic thinking, and great interpersonal skills. 

1. Analytical ability: PMMs need to dive into market data and make sense of it. This includes customer feedback, and performance metrics to scout trends and opportunities.
2. Communication skills: PMMs need strong written and verbal abilities so they can create irresistible messaging. They also need to communicate well with a range of disciplines and backgrounds.
3. A strategic head: They have to develop long-term strategies that fuel business goals. And to do this, they also need to understand the competitive landscape, and use what they know to plan ahead.
4. Project management know-how: Juggling multiple projects, coordinating efforts, and efficiently allocating resources is a must.
5. Customer empathy: They need a solid understanding of customer needs to guide product improvements and marketing strategies.
6. Adaptability: They need agility to adjust strategies in response to changing market conditions.
7. Creativity: Out-of-the-box thinking is a must for developing unique marketing campaigns and solving challenges.
8. Great collaboration: PMMs need strong interpersonal skills to build relationships and encourage cross-team collaboration with product, sales, and customer support teams.
9. Technical proficiency: Familiarity with digital marketing tools, CRM systems, and analytics software for streamlined processes and data analysis is a must.
10. Qualitative and quantitative skills: Ability to gather and interpret both qualitative and quantitative data, including customer feedback and statistical analysis.

Product management tools keep the team on track 

Efficiency is a top priority for PMMs. And few things help you juggle multiple tasks like product management software. 

With Backlog, our own tool, you can set milestones, assign tasks, and manage multiple timelines all from one place. And because it’s cloud-based, everyone — from external stakeholders to the CEO — can log in, track progress, leave comments and collaborate. Plus, thanks to automation features, the tool shoulders some of the more repetitive tasks, leaving PMs free to focus on strategic initiatives and ultimately drive better results for their products and their company.