Product Marketing Team Structure And Functions

Often misunderstood and mistaken for a creative haven where brochures and advertisement copies are made, Product Marketing is a strategic business function that acts as a bridge between the product, sales, marketing, and the customer.

In the overcrowded markets of today, organizations must build internal structures that facilitate cross-functional collaboration. One such structure is a well-defined product marketing team that function within an integrated ecosystem including other teams (sales, customer support, and even engineering).

In this guide, we'll walk you through everything you need to know about the structure and function of an optimal product marketing team.

What is a Product Marketing Team?

A product marketing team is primarily responsible for understanding what drives the market, the needs of the customer, and how these align with the product that the company offers. This team is the champion of the external perspective within the organization, guiding both tactical and strategic decisions.

Structure of a Product Marketing Team

The structure of a product marketing team can vary based on factors such as the size of the organization, product offerings, target audience, and markets served. However, a typical product marketing team structure might consist of:

• Product Marketing Manager: the team leader responsible for overseeing the entire product marketing strategy.
• Market Research Analyst: to understand industry trends and customer behaviors and preferences.
• Content Marketer: responsible for creating compelling product description, blog posts, whitepapers, sales collateral etc.
• Community Manager or Social Media Manager: manages the brand's interaction with customers on social media and other online platforms.
• Product Marketing Coordinator: supports all functions of the team, ensuring smooth administration and coordination.
• Graphic Designer: responsible for ensuring the visual aspects of the product marketing materials align with the brand.
• SEO Specialist: optimizes all content and drives the organic traffic growth.

This is only a basic team structure. As companies grow and products evolve, roles like customer advocacy manager, PR manager or data analyst could be added to the mix.

Key Functions of a Product Marketing Team

Different organizations might define the role of product marketing slightly differently, but the common threads generally include:

• Market and Customer Intelligence: It's crucial for the product marketing team to understand the company’s target audience, what issues they face, and how the product or service can solve their problems.
• Product Positioning: The team articulates the product's unique value proposition and develops the key messages that set the product apart in the market.
• Sales Enablement: Product marketing assists sales in selling more effectively by developing collateral, creating pitch decks, providing competitor analyses, and training the sales force on the product and its place in the market.
• Product Launch: When a product is ready to hit the market, product marketing creates and executes the go-to-market strategy.
• Content Development: The product marketing team is usually responsible for creating powerful customer-focused content that helps raise awareness and create demand for a product.

Best Practices in Building a Strong Product Marketing Team

• Hire for Diverse Skills: In product marketing, you need a variety of skills from strategic to tactical, from creative to analytical. Build a diverse team that can cover all necessary areas.
• Promote cross-functional collaboration: Ensure your product marketing team is involved with other organizational teams like sales, customer success, and product development.
• Market and Customer Focused: Hire individuals who are outward-focused - keen on understanding the market landscape, competition, and most importantly, the customer.
• Continuous Learning and Development: Encourage a culture of continuous learning and professional development to stay on top of ever-evolving industry trends and tools.

In conclusion, a well-structured and strategically focused product marketing team plays a crucial role in driving the product’s success in the market. It's this team that puts themselves in the shoes of the customer and helps orient the entire organization around delivering the most attractive product possible.

Just as Aomni's AI platform aids B2B sales teams with strategic account planning, your product marketing team should similarly serve your organization. It provides context and guidance, enables your sales teams with the right tools, and ultimately ensures your product is desirable and successful in its market.