There are many challenges associated with product marketing, and some people think the sales department should handle them. Others feel that it’s akin to being a product manager. A product marketing campaign is a process that involves generating demand and adopting a product. It can be done through a go-to-market strategy, thought leadership, and awareness building. After thoroughly examining the various aspects of product marketing, we can now identify the most common challenges.
- A Disconnect With Marketing and Sales
One of product marketers’ most common issues is the need for a cohesive approach to product marketing. Even if the various roles in the organization are designed to work together, there are still multiple activities related to the marketing campaign. The lack of a cohesive product marketing approach leads to issues such as poor metrics and accountability. The reason why this occurs is due to the various roles in the organization having their own goals and data. Instead of having a cohesive campaign, you have a lot of room for error.
How can you help product marketers keep their sanity while dealing with the various issues associated with product marketing? An effective way to do this is through project management software. Project management software can help product marketers keep track of their goals and keep their sanity while working on a marketing campaign.
- Positioning and Messaging
Getting a new product to market and consumers are always challenging, primarily due to the endless number of competitors and options. It becomes more challenging when you can’t connect with your target audience.
The other challenge that product marketers face is the risk that their messaging will sound the same as other competitors send. Getting to the bottom of your product’s use can be done through better research. For instance, conducting a beta test is a great way to understand better how your customers use your product. If your product is still in the market, you can also conduct a customer review to understand how your customers use it.
- Proving Product Marketing ROI
Another common challenge that product marketers face is the ability to prove the effectiveness of their marketing efforts. Although product marketing is not a sales process, it is still important to demonstrate its value. According to Gartner analysts, it can be challenging for product marketers to measure the effectiveness of their sales support.
For instance, how does one measure the value of a product presentation or a product sheet? Getting the data to prove it is essential for product marketers to get the support of their executive team. It cannot be enjoyable to convince other departments to back up their efforts without having the necessary linkage data. One of the essential steps that product marketers can take is to partner with the sales and marketing analytics teams. This will allow them to understand their sales support better and improve their effectiveness.