Leanna Jackson

When pitching new messaging with senior stakeholders I start with a "soft launch". Usually, I keep it light and focus on asking for feedback rather than saying it's final. This happens in one-off Slack messages or in 1:1 conversations. Then I put together a formal document (typically a slide deck) that includes the data and research behind the messaging, relevant information about how I reached the final message, and the final messaging strategy. At this point, I'm still open to feedback but try to move towards a final strategy rather than throwing out the work already done.

Former Performance/Growth Marketer here! Here is what I did when I was looking to transition into Product Marketing: * Listen to product marketing podcasts to learn from other's experiences (check out Women in Product Marketing, Thrills and Chills, and the other podcasts from PMA and Sharebird) * Read articles online (Product Marketing Alliance is a great place to start) – if you're a member you can also access old webinars/conferences that are packed with helpful information * Rewrite my resume – and do it a few times – to connect my current tasks to product marketing (did you run messaging tests, how did you do customer segmentation, etc.) * Practice writing! I started by publishing articles on Medium, but you could post on LinkedIn, Substack, find freelance work, etc. * Find templates and practice filling them out to understand the strategy behind messaging, positioning, GTM, etc. * Follow product marketers on LinkedIn – engage with their posts, reach out for a coffee chat, resume reviews, etc. * When you get interviews, practice speaking about your experience beforehand. Also, know that it may take quite a few interviews to get an offer * Look for product marketing roles in the industry I'd been working in – ultimately I was able to transition to a PMM role by finding a company in the same space I did my performance marketing role Hope this helps!

I highly recommend checking out the content and templates available through the Product Marketing Alliance. When I transitioned from Growth to Product Marketing, PMA's resources (plus the free community in Slack) were very helpful in learning the fundamentals of product marketing. A few other things that were helpful to me: * Talk with current product marketers and hiring managers to identify what skills would easily transfer into product marketing. Check out ADPList - although this platform is mostly for designers and PMs, there are a few product marketers that can help. * Participate in mock interviews with other PMMs; practice explaining your previous projects and experience with a product marketing lens. * Conduct listening sessions within your company to start building relationships with cross-functional partners. A big part of product marketing is being the voice of the customer in the product, and being the voice of the product in marketing. It's especially important that you build relationships with Product Managers, UX Designers, and Sales.

Love this question - we have recently been discussing this on our team! To me, brand marketing encompasses a broader view of messaging and campaign execution. This may include larger brand initiatives (such as one centered around a peak holiday or buying period) or a strategy around tone and voice overall. Brand likely consults or includes product marketing, but product marketing is only one piece of the puzzle. And finally, brand marketing can be the "hook" that catches the customer's attention – it draws them in and intrigues them. Comparatively, product marketing has a tighter focus. This field is all about telling the product's story and communicating to customers how it solves their problems. Product marketing also focuses on breaking down the product into digestible (and easily understandable) pieces.

I think it depends on the size of the organization. When I worked at Chatbooks, we had smaller, more tight-knit teams and I was one of two Product Marketers. Because of this, we had to think about the user experience as a full-cycle journey from top-of-funnel messaging leading into the product and out into retention marketing. In this situation, the in-app copy was owned by Design. However, PMMs could be both drivers and approvers depending on the visibility of the copy. We regularly reviewed product flows and could flag any concerns during that time.