Why You Need a GREAT Product Marketer – Who is a GREAT Writer Too

Think about how often you visit web sites, read promotional emails and sales brochures, expecting to be sold on a product and instead find yourself questioning whether the company is legit and whether they provide quality products or services. Sometimes you can’t even figure out what product or service they offer. Poor content can quickly hurt a business’ reputation.

The problem is that just about anyone can call themselves a writer. There are no formal credentials that prohibit anyone from labeling themselves with the title “Copywriter.” This is clear when you see folks on Fiverr and freelance sites willing to write articles, eBooks, emails and other copy for less than the cost of a cup of coffee.

No matter what industry, good quality writing is essential. However, what many writers are missing is the knack for gaining an understanding of the industry and the value of the product/service they are writing about. Without this how can they possibly deliver an influential message that differentiates from the competition in a clear and defensible manner? Sure, anyone can write copy, but can they write quality content that engages your prospective customers?

A quality writer who creates unique and competitive content that is messaged perfectly and is also grammatically correct is hard to come by. Many are product marketers or former product marketers who have a remarkably rare combination of skills. They have a balance of product, market, business, customer relations and those very hard to come by writing skills. They understand that each company is unique and content must reflect the company’s distinct qualities. A good portion of a product marketer’s time is spent writing value-driven content – marketing collateral, sales resources, product content and so on.
So, why do you need a great product marketer who is also a great writer?

Say, for example, you have a product you are trying to sell. You could put up a website and create a brochure that talks about how your product functions, add pretty pictures and send out emails to try to sell your product. Here’s the problem, there are twenty other company’s out there who are doing the same thing with products that have the same functionality.

  • The functionality of the product isn’t going to make you stand out in a crowded market. And, people don’t want to be sold to. They want help solving their problems. What problems do your prospective customers have? Why is your product different? What challenges do you address for your customers? What value do you bring to their life? These are the sorts of questions a product marketer will help you answer and articulate – from your customer’s point of view.
  • Your ideal customers are looking for educational and helpful information. Product marketers are great at gaining a deep market understanding so they recognize your prospective customer’s problems. Their goal is to understand the buyer of your product. They will develop content that speaks to these challenges and educate prospects.
  • In order to truly interact with your customers you need much more than the ability to send out artificial messages. Product marketers have a well-rounded understanding of your product. They learn your products functions, good features, bad features and can answer questions when asked. This in depth knowledge is reflected in collateral they develop for your sales and marketing teams.

 

How do you know if your product marketer is being effective?

  • Do you know who your ideal customer is?
  • Do you know what problems your customers have and how your product addresses them?
  • Is your sales team able to talk about the value your product delivers to customers?
  • Is your sales team able to overcome objections?
  • Is the content on your website, in your collateral and social media messages educational and focused on the value you bring to your customers?
  • Do you have a formal product launch process?
  • Was your most recent product launch perfectly coordinated with updated pricing and packaging, customer notifications, marketing promotions, press releases and sales tools, such as presentations, and delivered on time?

 

If you have a product marketer with a deep understanding of your market, product, and customer, who is also a great writer and can deliver on the above, you will experience:

  • Revenue growth
  • Increased customer satisfaction
  • Increased customer retention
  • Improved internal and external communication
  • Empowerment of internal teams, such as sales and marketing

 

If you or someone you know is a GREAT product marketer and looking for a new opportunity, reach out and let’s chat!