Leveling Up as a PMM

The scariest thing of all is self-reflection.

I’ve recently been flexing my independent contributor (known in the biz as IC) muscles. But my ultimate goal is to be much more strategic in my role as a Director of Product Marketing at a SaaS startup.

You’ll hear this kind of advice thrown at PMMs all the time:

• Be scrappy!

• Don't be afraid to get your hands dirty!

• Do what has to be done!

Getting dirty, being scrappy, and doing what needs to be done are all well and good, but they lead to you constantly chasing your tail. As a product marketer, you need to up-level yourself and your skills. You’re not another marketer and you bring a specific set of skills to the table.

• Understand your customers and their needs. Product marketing is all about creating and executing a strategy that drives demand and adoption for a product. The best way to do this is to have a deep understanding of your target customers and their needs. This includes understanding their pain points, their goals, and how they make buying decisions.

• Be able to articulate the value of your product. Once you understand your customers, you need to be able to articulate the value of your product in a way that resonates with them. This means being able to clearly and concisely explain how your product can help them solve their problems and achieve their goals.

• Be able to create and execute a go-to-market strategy. A go-to-market strategy is a plan for how you will launch and market your product. It should include everything from your target market and messaging to your sales and marketing channels.

• Be able to measure and track your results. It's important to be able to measure and track the results of your product marketing efforts. This will help you to identify what's working and what's not, so that you can make necessary adjustments.

In addition to these general tips, there are a few specific skills and knowledge areas that can be helpful for product marketers to constantly self-assess and level up:

• Marketing skills. Product marketers need to have strong marketing skills, including the ability to develop and execute marketing campaigns, create marketing materials, and track and measure results.

• Product knowledge. Product marketers need to have a deep understanding of the product they are marketing, including its features,benefits, and competitive landscape.

• Customer knowledge. Product marketers need to have a deep understanding of their target customers, including their needs, pain points, and buying behavior.

• Data analysis skills. Product marketers need to be able to collect, analyze, and interpret data to make informed decisions about their marketing campaigns.