According to the 2022 MarTech Salary and Career Survey, average salaries for marketing professionals are $141,965. For those interested in product marketing, you may find it difficult to land the perfect job.
So, we asked a few experts for their advice. Here are 7 recommendations from leaders on how to land a product marketing job.
What is Product Marketing?
Product marketing is the process of promoting and positioning a product to the market to sell it. It involves a range of activities, including market research, product development, pricing, and sales strategy.
The goal of product marketing is to understand the target market and the competition, and then develop a marketing plan that will help the product stand out in the market and appeal to potential customers. This process may involve identifying the unique features and benefits of the product, developing messaging and positioning for the product, and working with the sales team to develop effective sales strategies.
Product marketing is an important function in any business that sells products, as it helps to ensure that the products are properly aligned with market demand and are being promoted effectively to the right audience.
What are Product Marketer Responsibilities?
Product marketers are responsible for promoting and positioning products to the market to drive sales. Here are some specific responsibilities that product marketers may have:
Market research: Conducting market research to understand the target market, the competition, and market trends, and using this information to inform product development and marketing strategy.
Product development: Working with the product development team to understand the features and benefits of the product, and using this information to develop messaging and positioning for the product.
Pricing: Determining the appropriate price for the product based on market demand, competition, and the cost of production.
Sales strategy: Developing sales strategies and tactics to help the sales team effectively sell the product to customers.
Marketing campaigns: Developing and executing marketing campaigns to promote the product, including campaigns on social media, email marketing, and other channels.
Analyzing data: Using data and analytics to track the performance of marketing campaigns and make data-driven decisions about how to improve them.
Collaborating with cross-functional teams: Working with teams such as product development, sales, and customer success to ensure that the product is aligned with market demand and that the marketing and sales efforts are effective.
Tips for Landing a Product Marketing Job
1. Get a Product Marketing Certificate
It can’t hurt to get a leg up with a product marketing certificate. When potential employers see that you’ve invested time and money into earning an education in product marketing, they will sit up and pay attention. This is particularly helpful if you have limited or no experience working in product marketing.
– Lindsay Hischebett, Flaus
2. Leverage the Power of Storytelling
Product marketing is all about storytelling. If you want to apply for a job in this field, you must know how to tell good stories. Product marketers don’t just have to inform potential buyers about the product. In fact, they are hired to let the audience know why it matters for them to purchase the product.
To tell a good story, product marketers will have to frame the problem buyers are facing. It will highlight the value of the product and why their product is the solution. This way, marketers will be able to position the product in the market and carve out its own space.
– Eric McGee, TRGDatacenters
3. Ask a Product Marketer
Why beat around the bush? Go directly to the source. If you want to land a job in product marketing, find product marketers, start developing relationships with them, and create your own mentoring program. For instance, sign up for the Product Marketing Alliance and start talking with product marketers who you connect with.
Ask them out for coffee or for a weekly zoom call, and see how they did it and what insight they offer. People love helping, and they love being reminded that their career is a success and sought after.
– Karim Hachem, Sunshine79
4. Build a Portfolio
Take some freelance work offered on LinkedIn or an industry tracking board just to boost your experience and have a diverse portfolio to show off. It’s not like the company you’re interviewing will know how much you were paid or ask to know. They are interested in the quality of your work to have peace of mind that they’re making the right decision in hiring you, so provide them with a strong portfolio.
– Monte Deere, Kizik
Let’s take a brief break to learn how to craft a resume to land your product marketing job.
5. Do Your Homework
Before you head into the interview room, do your homework. Take a deeper look at who the target audience is and how the company is currently positioning their product relative to competitors.
While you won’t be expected to have all of the answers about a new-to-you product or market, it will help you come into the conversation with better insights, so you can have a meaningful discussion about the product positioning.
– Monica Thysell, OnPay Payroll Software
6. Demonstrate Flexibility
When applying for product marketing roles, keep in mind that you should come across as an adaptive candidate who can collaborate cross-functionally with the interviewer. The priorities within an organization change rapidly and that is why the product marketer needs to be flexible and adaptive.
For instance, if there is a critical change that needs to be made to the product before it is released, you will need to respond quickly and make the right modifications to your marketing plan. Additionally, you should mentally prepare yourself to collaborate with different teams, for which you must exhibit a cross-functional skill set. Ultimately, achieving goals requires collaborating with different people.
– Rameez Usmani, The Stock Dock
7. Demonstrate a Results-Oriented Perspective
Being able to demonstrate that you are results-oriented is the top characteristic that sets product marketers apart. Whether the candidate has 10 years of experience or is a college student who headed a project with a student group, employers need to hear about past accomplishments in terms of reaching and working toward goals.
When I ask a candidate to describe a notable achievement from a job that I’ve picked for them based on their CV, many of them tend to be stumped because they don’t have concrete results to tell.
– Josh Tyler, Tell Me Best
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Terkel creates community-driven content featuring expert insights. Sign up at terkel.io to answer questions and get published.
