Product marketing is more than a job—it’s a balancing act of art and science, storytelling and strategy, execution and evolution. Let’s break down how product marketers can excel in their GTM approach and drive real, measurable impact.
1. Start with Customer Empathy, Not Features
Too often, SaaS companies launch with a focus on features rather than customer pain points. Great product marketers flip the script. Instead of asking, “What does our product do?” they ask, “What problem are we solving?”
Actionable Tip: Build customer personas that go beyond demographics. Dig into their workflows, challenges, and aspirations. Use customer interviews, surveys, and social listening to understand the emotions driving their decisions.
More Learning: Check out Jobs To Be Done methodology and Challenger methodology.
2. Clarify Your Unique Value Proposition (UVP)
Your UVP isn’t just a tagline; it’s your North Star. It defines why your product exists and what sets it apart from competitors. SaaS markets are crowded—standing out requires crystal-clear messaging.
Actionable Tip: Pressure-test your UVP with colleagues, sales teams, and customers. If someone hesitates to explain it back to you, it’s time to refine.
P.S.: The best UVPs are one line and are easy to connect to the brand’s positioning statement.
3. Align Cross-Functionally—Early and Often
One of the most overlooked aspects of GTM success is alignment. Product, sales, customer success, and marketing must function as a cohesive unit.
Actionable Tip: Host a GTM kickoff meeting early in the process. Define roles, timelines, and success metrics to keep everyone rowing in the same direction.
For consideration: Make check-ins a blend of fun/connection and accountability. Alignment comes from understanding (accountability) and trust (connection).
4. Master the Art of Messaging
Messaging isn’t just “writing copy”—it’s crafting a narrative that resonates deeply with your target audience. In SaaS, this often means simplifying the complex.
Actionable Tip: Use the “Problem-Agitate-Solution” framework. Highlight the pain point, show the cost of inaction, and position your product as the hero.
Advice that has stuck: Your job is to help the target understand that the pain of staying the same is worse than the pain of change.
5. Leverage Data to Inform (and Adjust) Strategy
GTM isn’t a one-and-done effort. It’s a living, breathing strategy that must evolve based on performance data.
Actionable Tip: Track key metrics like customer acquisition cost (CAC), churn, and lifetime value (LTV). Use A/B testing to refine messaging and campaigns, and don’t be afraid to pivot if the numbers point to a misstep.
Watch-out-for: Chances are good you don’t have benchmarks yet because you’re exploring new territory for your company. Not having them is no excuse to not decide and agree on a goal.
6. Enable Your Sales Team
Your sales team is your front line. If they’re not armed with the right tools, messaging, and insights, your GTM strategy will fall flat.
Actionable Tip: Develop a sales enablement kit. Include battle cards, persona insights, and a “why now” pitch to help sales reps close deals faster.
Pro-tip: Treat your sales team with the same curiosity and intention as you do your customer target. What makes each of them tick? What motivates them? Adjust your enablement to align with the target (the same you’d adjust your content for the prospective customer).
7. Embrace the Power of Storytelling
People remember stories, not statistics. Even in SaaS, where features and ROI often dominate the conversation, weaving a compelling story can set you apart.
Actionable Tip: Create customer case studies that showcase transformation. Focus on the journey—the problem, the solution, and the outcomes—in a way that’s relatable and engaging.
Copywriting advice: A mentor of mine shared the greatest copy direction with me early in my career: Write like they are saying it. Now how you want to say it. Now how you want them to think it. Uses their words and they’ll resonate more than yours.
8. Iterate and Celebrate
The SaaS world moves fast, and what worked yesterday might not work tomorrow. Continuous improvement is key to staying relevant and effective.
Actionable Tip: After every GTM launch, conduct a retrospective. What worked? What didn’t? Celebrate wins and capture lessons learned to make the next launch even better.
Real talk: The colleagues I’ve seen drop out of SaaS world are often the ones who no longer found joy in it. Funny thing about joy? More often than not, it’s a product we create ourselves.
Final Thoughts
SaaS product marketing is a rewarding challenge. It demands creativity, collaboration, and a relentless focus on the customer. By mastering the fundamentals and staying adaptable, you can create GTM strategies that don’t just launch products—they build movements.
Stay Positive & Go Connect People With Product
- Wise Words - January 8, 2025
- Unlocking GTM Excellence: A Guide for SaaS Product Marketers - January 7, 2025
- Short Stories - January 6, 2025
