AMA: Shopify Senior Product Marketing Lead, Stephanie Kelman on Product Marketing Skills

The key to developing more diverse skills it to be proactive about your opportunities to learn and get hands on experience. That may involve taking on side projects outside of your responsibilities. Here are some of the best ways a PMM can develop a well-rounded set of skills with a limited scope: Cross-functional Projects + Internal Networking Volunteer for projects outside your core responsibilities Shadow colleagues in different areas Join task forces or working groups Offer to help other tea ...Read More

The marketing landscape is evolving significantly and it's a great opportunity to shift our approach to product marketing tactics. Here are some the biggest trends I think of when I plan campaigns: Digital-First Everything Virtual product launches becoming standard Digital tools and platforms taking center stage Remote/hybrid customer engagement models Data & Personalization More sophisticated use of customer data AI-driven personalization at scale Focus on measurable outcomes Content Evolut ...Read More

Good product marketing is a mix of art and science. While data is crucial for validating decisions and measuring success, you can't rely on numbers alone. The best PMMs start with informed intuition (based on experience and market knowledge), then use data to validate or adjust their thinking. Being purely data-driven might make you miss opportunities that aren't yet showing up in the numbers, while going purely on gut feeling is too risky. The sweet spot is being data-informed - using your inst ...Read More

I really love this question and it's something I think about daily. Here are some of the skills I coach my team on frequently: 1. Strategic Thinking Market analysis Business strategy alignment Long-term planning Cross-functional leadership 2. Stakeholder Management Executive communication Cross-team influence Project orchestration Relationship building 3. Data-Driven Decision Making Analytics interpretation Market research Customer insights ROI measurement The best way to learn these skills is w ...Read More

Think of it this way - you can always teach someone how to use a new tool or follow a process, but it's much harder to teach someone how to be a good teammate or communicate effectively. When you're the new person on a team, having strong people skills will help you build trust quickly, learn from others more easily, and navigate the workplace dynamics. Plus, your colleagues are usually more willing to help someone who's pleasant to work with, even if they're still learning the ropes. That's why ...Read More

I started my product marketing career in SaaS startups and this is a topic I discussed with my early mentors often. Being a solo PMM can be a lonely world and it's so important to stay connected to communities like Sharebird and other PMMs. The key success factors to keep in mind to be an all-star PMM at a startup are the ability to move fast and be scrappy, focus on high-impact activities, wearing multiple hats, and data-driven decision making. Stay focused on what moves the needle for growth a ...Read More

The main difference between inbound and outbound PMM work is that inbound marketing pulls customers in through value and education. Outbound marketing pushes messages out to drive immediate action. Inbound marketing can also be described as conducting customer and market research in order to inform product and marketing strategies. While outbound marketing is your traditional marketing and GTM campaigns. Here's a quick breakdown of skills for inbound v. outbound PMM work: Inbound PMM Skills: Str ...Read More

This is such an interesting topic and one that is top of mind for many of my peers. These days it's getting really hard to tell where product marketing stops and demand gen begins. A lot of PMMs I talk to are being asked to do both - one day they're working on positioning and launches, the next they're running campaigns and tracking pipeline numbers. Makes sense in a way, since PMMs already know the product and customer story inside out. But it can get pretty messy trying to juggle both, especia ...Read More