Diana Smith

AMA: Segment Former Head of Product Marketing, Diana Smith on Messaging

July 16 @ 10:00AM PT
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What is the difference between "value proposition," "messaging," "pitch," and "story?"
Do you see these as separate, complementary, the same thing, or else?
Diana Smith
LangChain VP of Marketing6y
These are all interrelated. Messaging: Includes value propositions, your story, and pitch. Also includes things like naming, alternatives, and taglines. Value Propositio...
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Diana Smith
LangChain VP of Marketing6y
You nailed why platform products are difficult to message. This is also why I think they are more fun than working on “point solutions.” (Please forgive me for using that...
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Diana Smith
LangChain VP of Marketing6y
I agree that a product marketing-minded person is very helpful in the early days of a startup. PMMs tend to be good generalists because we own messaging and go to market ...
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2826 Views
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Diana Smith
LangChain VP of Marketing6y
We think of messaging in three tiers and have different frameworks for each. Product marketing usually collaborates with PR and brand for Level 0 and Level 1, while we ow...
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13031 Views
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How do you as a product marketer create brand messaging that appeals to three highly distinct segments?
My company’s product (we’re a marketplace) serves three distinct segments with very different motivations. I’m struggling to create brand messaging that speaks to all three. Any advice on how to approach? Or is this a matter of needing to choose one segment to focus on?
Diana Smith
LangChain VP of Marketing6y
Messaging that speaks to everyone rarely speaks to anyone well. I’d prioritize your top segment to focus on, make sure your brand messaging resonates with them, and ensur...
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3949 Views
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Diana Smith
LangChain VP of Marketing6y
We find it helpful to have a single messaging document that everyone in the company can access. It goes through our mission/vision/description all of the way down to mess...
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5870 Views
3 requests
Diana Smith
LangChain VP of Marketing6y
I think you can have two flavors of product marketers. The first are very analytical and business-minded. They identify the key top customer problems and benefits for the...
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3886 Views
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How do you develop messaging that grabs attention in a crowded market?
We're in the sales development space and it's hyper competitive. It's hard to create messaging that cuts through the noise of all of our other competitors.
Diana Smith
LangChain VP of Marketing6y
The key thing is to do what you just mentioned -- grab attention. Do something different. Either tell a bolder story, take a different angle, focus on a differentiator, o...
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1815 Views
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How do you get to creative, consistent and differentiated messaging?
Do you believe in brand positioning/purpose as a north star for messaging?
Diana Smith
LangChain VP of Marketing6y
You asked exactly the right question as the best messaging is all three (consistent, creative, and differentiated). Getting there isn’t easy. I try to break it down step ...
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3739 Views
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How do you communicate product marketing achievements upwards and build visibility?
It can sometimes be a struggle for those on the executive team, or in higher leadership roles, to see the value that product marketing is bringing to the business - especially if they do not have regular interaction. How do you build visibility for you and/or your team, and clearly communicate the achievements and activities throughout the year?
Diana Smith
LangChain VP of Marketing6y
We match internal promotion based on the level of the product announcement. Small updates are little features that mostly existing customers are excited about. Medium upd...
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6008 Views
1 request