Iman Bayatra

Here are some links for events, summits, and podcasts to boost your product marketing knowledge: Links for podcasts: * Product Marketing AI by Sean Broderick * Ready for Launch by Tamara, Andy & Jason * Women in Product Marketing by Sharebird and Mary Sheehan * Positioning with April Dunford by April Dunford * The Product Marketing Experts by Sharebird and Jeffrey Vocell * Product Marketing Alliance podcasts * Unsolicited Feedback by Reforge Links for summits and events: * https://sharebird.com/h/product-marketing/e * https://sharebird.com/h/product-marketing/s * https://www.pmmcamp.com/community * http://events.productmarketingalliance.com * https://growthmarketingconf.com/ * https://b2bmarketing.exchange/ For me, these are my must-attend events - I make time for them whenever possible, live or on-demand.

Introducing a well-defined tiering system within the PMM organization presents a myriad of advantages, encompassing enhanced consistency, improved efficiency, clear expectations, and effective communication. For me, you can adopt a three-tiered approach to categorize launches, which is determined by a matrix aligning with the insights shared by @Teresa Haun, specifically focusing on business impact and market impact. For a more tangible understanding, click here to examine the matrix I use, where each launch tier is clearly indicated. Regarding KPIs - they are carefully tailored according to the specific launch tier and the channels employed to reach our target audience, all while aligning with each activity across the different stages of the customer journey. Click here to see some of the KPIs we track for each tier.

Why to create a case study? * A case study is the social proof that highlights how your customer successfully used your product and the tangible evidence of the value your product can provide by describing how product's key features led to benefits for your customer. * Case studies are assets that you can use at any stage of the funnel: consideration, purchase and retention. How to create a case study? 1. Decide the format of your case study * Written case study * Video with the customer * Review on a third-party website * Interview with customers over a podcast * Customer presentations at live events 2. Find the right candidate to engage for your case study To create a strong case study interview clients who have seen the best results. * Ask internal teams like sales or customer success to source happy customers * Look at customers who provided a 5-star rating on third-party platforms like G2, TrustRadius, Capterra, etc.. 3. Prepare a list of questions to ask Prepare a list of questions to ask your customer so you can get inforamtion on their story and extract extra insights to make a strong case study. (In previous answers you can find some great questions to ask your client) 4. Tell a compelling story Create a story that includes the key components below: * Executive summary: provide a quick overview of the customer you served including a 2-3 sentence summary of the entire case and 2-3 bullet points of key metrics to demonstrate success * Challenge: describe the challenges and pain points your customer was experiencing prior using your product * Solution: describe how your product solves these challenges and why the customer specifically chose your product * Results: highlight accomplishments and quantified impact to prove how your product helped the customer achieve his goals * Quotes / visuals: In each component include a powerful quote to support the story you're telling

I use two main tools to ensure all teams are aligned and engaged: Google Sheets and Slack. In addition, I make sure to schedule weekly / bi-weekly meetings with relevant stakeholders to prioritize tasks, define new ones and analyze performance of current activities. Below is a breakdown of how I use the tools at different stages of product launch: * Launch tiers: to categorize launch tiers I use a launch level matrix that I share with relevant stakeholders using Google sheets. * Launch Planning: for this part I mainly use a checklist that I put on a Google Sheet. The checklist covers all launch tiers, defines the corresponding set of activities for each launch tier and clearly defines who is the owner and the approver of each activity, status, deadline, etc... * Internal communication and updates: Slack is my go-to tool to keep teams informed as it makes it easy and fast to get and share info with the stakeholders in different shapes: messaging, video calls, audio calls, etc.. In addition, I make sure to meet with different teams on a weekly / bi-weekly basis to review the launch plan status and to prioritize and define new ones. * Analytics & measurement: to follow up on the performance of different activities and track metrics, I import the data from Google Analytics and internal system to a Google Sheet. Sometimes I build tailored dashboards using Google Studio.

We use a sort of backlog sheet where we add all the requests / works that we have on our roadmap and other ones that come our way. During our weekly planning meeting we review all the requests and we decide which ones to move into our to do list based on the following questions: * How urgent [ short-term vs. long-term] is the request? * What is the time and effort level the request will take? * How many dependencies do we have? * What is the impact? There will always be last minute requests, to make the right balance leave ~20% of your time open for such requests / projects.

Absolutely yes! We do have a framework that we use as a reference but first, there's a list of actions that we take in order to decide what tactics / activities to include for each launch: * Determine if it's a launch of new product or a new feature. * Categorizing launch tiers based on revenue forecasts and based on Launch Level Matrix. * Decide the launch level / tier: 1. ­ Beta launch 2. ­ Extra small launch 3. ­ Small launch 4. ­ Medium launch 5. ­ Large launch As a next step we decide what internal and external tactics / relevant activities to include in each one of the following categories: * Internal communication and enablement [ex: sales, customer success and partner training] * Demand generation [ex: prospect email] * Partner marketing [ex: newsletter] * Customer marketing [ex: testimonials] * Content marketing [ex: whitepapers] * Video & podcasts [ex: product video] * Website & SEO [ex: product page] * Events [ex: thought leadership events] Categories and activities in each category are selected together with relevant stakeholders involved in the launch planning taking into consideration what are the best targeting methods to reach our target audience, historic performance of each activity and the needed cost/ effort to create it.

Given the diverse range of individuals who may review your portfolio, each with their own unique role, company, and industry, it's prudent to categorize the content you share into four distinct categories. This approach ensures that you effectively showcase your skills and accomplishments, regardless of the specific context. Here's a breakdown of these categories: 1. Marketing collateral: This category encompasses compelling materials like case studies, thought leadership content, whitepapers, etc. Including these showcases your prowess in developing and executing effective marketing strategies, and positions you as a valuable asset in driving business growth. 2. Sales collateral: In addition to marketing materials, it's crucial to highlight your ability to support sales teams. Incorporate sales pitches, one-pagers, battlecards, and other relevant assets that demonstrate your contribution to driving successful sales outcomes. This category emphasizes your proficiency in aligning marketing efforts with sales objectives. 3. Frameworks and plans: To exhibit your strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities, showcase different frameworks you have utilized. For instance, include a go-to-market plan tailored to a specific product (ensuring sensitive data is omitted) or a messaging framework that effectively communicates value propositions. Sharing these frameworks exemplifies your ability to develop structured approaches for achieving marketing goals. 4. Online presence and impact: In today's digital landscape, it's crucial to showcase your online presence and the impact you've made. Include examples such as a professionally crafted LinkedIn profile, interviews you've conducted, webpages you've created, videos you've produced, articles you've written, and customer success stories you've contributed to. This category demonstrates your ability to engage and connect with your target audience while leaving a lasting impression. In my eyes, when organizing your portfolio content into these four categories, you can provide a comprehensive view of your skills, experiences, and achievements.

B2B launches live and die by planning. Before launch, focus on building a detailed execution strategy (think roadmap) and setting clear goals (KPIs) to track your progress. These, along with other benchmarks, are how you'll measure success. Now the fun part - here are some "deal-breakers" to watch out for: * Lack of product-market fit: One of the key deal-breakers is when the product does not adequately address the needs and requirements of the target market. If the product does not solve a significant problem or provide substantial value to potential customers, it will be challenging to generate interest and achieve success in the market. Conducting thorough market research and running validation tests to ensure there is a strong market-fit is crucial before launching a B2B product. * Inadequate GTM strategy: A well-executed go-to-market strategy is critical for a successful B2B product launch. A meticulously planned and executed marketing and sales plan is essential to drive adoption and maximize revenue generation. It is imperative to equip the sales team with the necessary resources and training to effectively engage customers and secure successful conversions. * Timing and product availability: I agree with @Sherry Wu, timing and product / feature availability play a vital role in the success of a product launch. It is important to carefully evaluate whether your company can deliver the product within the expected timeframe. Launching prematurely can result in customer dissatisfaction when promised features are not promptly delivered.

When launching a new feature for an existing product, it's important to keep in mind that the selection of KPIs may vary based on the type of feature, your target audience, and your company's desired outcomes. From my experience, some KPIs worth considering are those related to feature and product adoption, such as tracking the number of users who actively engage with the new feature and monitoring the overall usage patterns. Additionally, metrics related to pipeline generation and CLTV can provide insights into the feature's impact on revenue growth and customer retention. Alongside these metrics, I recommend to prioritize customer satisfaction metrics by monitoring feedback and reviews or even running surveys if possible to ensure that the new feature meets customers needs and expectations.

A GTM plan serves as an open book for everyone to understand your strategy and acts as the compass for a successful product launch. As you can see here in this doc, a GTM plan aligns your team, defines your target audience, and guides your marketing efforts to achieve your business goals and objectives. For me, there are two key aspects of the GTM plan: 1. A clear alignment of the GTM plan processes * Clear goals and objectives: Specify the specific objectives and outcomes the GTM plan aims to achieve. These objectives could include increasing ROI, expanding the customer base, enhancing user engagement, or achieving any other measurable goals. * Campaign timeline: Define the different phases of the campaign. Provide a timeline or schedule for your campaign, outlining when specific activities will be executed, such as launch dates, content release dates, and any critical milestones. * Roles and responsibilities: Clearly define the responsibilities of each team member or stakeholder and provide a breakdown of the tasks and activities they are expected to perform. Explain how the team will communicate and collaborate, including reporting structures, meetings, and decision-making processes. The DACI model is a perfect fit for this purpose. 2. An effective GTM strategy * Target audience: Who is the audience you’re targeting? Collect data around their pain points, needs, preferences and buying behavior. Define them clearly, specify who they are, what challenges they face, and what motivates their purchasing decisions. * Product / feature: Provide a detailed description of the product or service that is being launched. You need to include details about the product features, functionality but more important the benefits and the jobs to be done. Explain how the product creates value for customers. * Product messaging and differentiation: Describe the core messages and content that will be used in marketing materials. These messages should align with the value proposition of the product and address the pain points of the target audience. * Content, creative and channel plans: Describe the visual aesthetics, including design, imagery, color schemes, and the overall look and feel of the campaign. Explain how these creative elements align with the brand and resonate with the target audience. Specify the distribution channels and platforms where the marketing materials will be shared. * Measurement plan: Identify and define the specific KPIs that align with your project or business objectives. It’s very important to clearly define the resources where the data for your metrics will be sourced from. This may involve website analytics, customer surveys, sales data, or other relevant data streams. In addition, identify the tools and methods that will be used for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting the data. Regularly review and refine strategies and tactics to enhance your campaign performance. Use of A/B testing or similar methodologies to test different approaches and identify what works best. Incorporate feedback from customers, users, or stakeholders into the optimization process. Your GTM strategy might include additional components, such as distribution plan or pricing and packaging.