A non-fluff deep-dive on what a Product Marketing Manager really does and how they're unique from other roles. Figure out whether your team needs one now and what to look for in the right candidate.
I think we are on a good track here based on initial feedback. Thanks so much for all your knowledge and lessons. It is amazing to collaborate with you. To many more wins together!
Yes, there can be a PMM for online communities, courses, and memberships.
Here's how the role would be split:
PM >
Typically, there isn't a PM for these ventures (usually the founder, content strategist etc. takes care of this) but if there was, they would control the content, policies, acquisition process, programs, add-ons, ops works, measurement etc.
PMM >
They would look into working on positioning the course/community (the target segment, the unique value the bring) and articulating that with messaging. They would write the pitch for every course or community initiative. They'd also write the copy of the landing page, collect the social proof, and work with social marketers to devise the right campaigns. They would run the voice of customer program to capture feedback, analyze it, and democratize it with the content or community manager. They would also figure out "where" the course/community needs to be promoted.
Disclaimer: in many cases, the community manager is tasked to do what the PMM does. But, like Maja, some orgs don't care what the role is called as long as the responsibilities are executed.
Thanks 🙏 for this comment! I think, positioning a course or community (in a saturated market such as this industry) is really a very hard job! Mostly than a SaS industry, perhaps. For that, I think that a PMM of this type of product have to know about psychology and social narratives, and, maybe work his/her personal brand and do PR task. What do you think? 🤔
my 2 cents - for positioning v01, I would rather hire someone external first or follow a trusted framework. Maybe this will be insightful https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwDx4EL797o - but cannot wait to hear back from Aatir.
Hey, great question! PMM is going to be my next hire for https://gtmstrategist.com/, which is a digital funnel. I see value in it. But here, I would focus more on jobs to be done - I do not care much if these jobs to be done are called project management, product owner, gum specialist, or digital specialist ... as long as they are done. Maybe Aatir would disagree, but I think that my intended actions speak louder that words here :) What do you think? How did you structure those jobs to be done in your business?
This deep dive into Product Marketing Management masterfully clarifies its often misunderstood role. The analogy of a sushi restaurant brilliantly illustrates the unique intersection where product expertise meets market strategy.
What stands out is the Product Marketer’s role as a translator—bridging technical product knowledge with compelling customer narratives. This isn’t about crafting fluff but about driving meaningful impact through precise positioning and sales enablement. It reframes PMMs not as peripheral strategists but as pivotal growth accelerators.
This raises a key question: In a world increasingly driven by AI-powered data analysis, how can PMMs maintain the human touch while scaling personalized narratives across diverse customer segments?
Thanks for the collaboration, Maja. Hope this helps folks gain clarity on PMM.
I think we are on a good track here based on initial feedback. Thanks so much for all your knowledge and lessons. It is amazing to collaborate with you. To many more wins together!
Great edition!
(from a fellow PMM ahah)
Thanks so much for your feedback! Really glad you liked it.
I think it is still a massively underrated role, and I am happy to support raising awareness that this role could be mission-critical. Happy weekend.
Is the same rol o discipline if the “product” is an online community or online courses or membership? ☕️
Yes, there can be a PMM for online communities, courses, and memberships.
Here's how the role would be split:
PM >
Typically, there isn't a PM for these ventures (usually the founder, content strategist etc. takes care of this) but if there was, they would control the content, policies, acquisition process, programs, add-ons, ops works, measurement etc.
PMM >
They would look into working on positioning the course/community (the target segment, the unique value the bring) and articulating that with messaging. They would write the pitch for every course or community initiative. They'd also write the copy of the landing page, collect the social proof, and work with social marketers to devise the right campaigns. They would run the voice of customer program to capture feedback, analyze it, and democratize it with the content or community manager. They would also figure out "where" the course/community needs to be promoted.
Disclaimer: in many cases, the community manager is tasked to do what the PMM does. But, like Maja, some orgs don't care what the role is called as long as the responsibilities are executed.
OMG can I hire you to do the interviews instead of me? This is gold!
Thanks 🙏 for this comment! I think, positioning a course or community (in a saturated market such as this industry) is really a very hard job! Mostly than a SaS industry, perhaps. For that, I think that a PMM of this type of product have to know about psychology and social narratives, and, maybe work his/her personal brand and do PR task. What do you think? 🤔
my 2 cents - for positioning v01, I would rather hire someone external first or follow a trusted framework. Maybe this will be insightful https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwDx4EL797o - but cannot wait to hear back from Aatir.
Hey, great question! PMM is going to be my next hire for https://gtmstrategist.com/, which is a digital funnel. I see value in it. But here, I would focus more on jobs to be done - I do not care much if these jobs to be done are called project management, product owner, gum specialist, or digital specialist ... as long as they are done. Maybe Aatir would disagree, but I think that my intended actions speak louder that words here :) What do you think? How did you structure those jobs to be done in your business?
This deep dive into Product Marketing Management masterfully clarifies its often misunderstood role. The analogy of a sushi restaurant brilliantly illustrates the unique intersection where product expertise meets market strategy.
What stands out is the Product Marketer’s role as a translator—bridging technical product knowledge with compelling customer narratives. This isn’t about crafting fluff but about driving meaningful impact through precise positioning and sales enablement. It reframes PMMs not as peripheral strategists but as pivotal growth accelerators.
This raises a key question: In a world increasingly driven by AI-powered data analysis, how can PMMs maintain the human touch while scaling personalized narratives across diverse customer segments?