Linda Franklin

Great question. Especially if product marketing in new to your organization - the product may not know what to do with you! Start by looking at the roadmap and having open discussions on the product launch cycle. Identify where and how to bring in product marketing (hint: early!) and to what outcome. Get product's input on a product brief to help you outline the marketing for the release. If you need more information, sit down with the product lead with what I call a "discovery document" where you can learn the features, how the release differs from current use, measurements of success, etc. I see this as a prelude to the formal brief. It is another way to partner with product and become an SME on the release. Finally, timelines. Share YOUR process and when and how discovery takes place to help you draft the GTM plan--understanding that a small product release doesn't necessarily equal a small marketing launch.