In go-to-market (GTM), staying ahead isn’t just about what you know – it’s about who you connect with, the strategies you refine, and the skills you continuously sharpen. 

That’s where GTM events come in.

No matter your professional focus – be it marketing, sales, product innovation, or revenue strategy – these events are designed to give you an edge. 

They’re not just about sitting in a room listening to keynotes (though you’ll hear from some of the best minds in the industry). They’re about hands-on learning, real-time problem-solving, and networking with peers who face the same challenges you do.

From deep-dive workshops to expert panels and interactive sessions, GTM events offer something for everyone looking to accelerate their success. 

You’ll walk away with actionable insights, fresh ideas, and valuable connections that can help you drive results in your role.

Below, we’re exploring the GTM events you won’t want to miss – each carefully designed to help you learn, grow, and lead in your career.

Up-and-coming GTM events in 2025

Networking meetup Chicago: Winning in sales & enablement

Where: Chicago, location TBC

When: April 16

Sales, enablement, and GTM pros – let’s talk strategy, challenges, and what’s actually working in today’s market.

Join us for an exclusive (and totally free!) GTM Alliance meetup – a casual, high-value gathering of sales enablement, revenue, and GTM leaders. 

No big stages, no fluff – just real talk, real connections, and real takeaways to help you win more deals and drive growth.

What's in store:

• Winning strategies – Get practical tips to boost sales and revenue.
• Real-world insights – Hear from GTM leaders who’ve been where you are.
• No-nonsense networking – Meet smart, like-minded pros who get it.

If you’re in the trenches of GTM execution, leading enablement, or just looking for fresh ideas, this is your chance to grab actionable insights and grow your network.

Secure your spot now – this is one meetup you won’t want to miss. 

#GTM25 Los Angeles

Where: Hotel Indigo Downtown, Los Angeles 

When: May 8

Go-to-market leaders don’t just execute – they innovate, scale, and drive real business impact.

At #GTM25 in LA, you’ll join an exclusive gathering of top sales, marketing, product, and revenue leaders to gain career-defining insights, strategies, and connections that will elevate your GTM expertise. 

This is a must-attend event for those serious about advancing their careers and driving measurable results.

"#GTM24 brought together GTM leaders across SaaS companies to redefine GTM standards. The camaraderie of these leaders bonding over everything from day-to-day challenges to global strategy and leadership topics was inspiring."

– Sonal Mane, Databricks (Returning speaker)

If you’re ready to level up your GTM expertise, build executive-level connections, and drive real impact in your career, #GTM25 is where it happens.

Seats are limited – secure yours today!

#GTM25 London

Where: London, Location TBC

When: June 24 & 25

After an incredible summit in Los Angeles, we’re bringing #GTM25 across the pond, where global GTM leaders will gather to shape the future of go-to-market strategy.

What you’ll take away from #GTM25 London:

• A competitive edge – Get ahead of the latest GTM trends and strategies before they reshape the industry.
• Global connections, local impact – Engage with GTM professionals from around the world and strengthen your influence in the market.
• Practical, scalable strategies – Gain actionable insights to optimize your execution, drive efficiency, and accelerate growth.

London is a global hub for business and innovation, and at #GTM25, it will be the centre of GTM collaboration. 

If you’re ready to take your strategy, execution, and career to the next level, this is the event to be at.

Sound good? You know what to do… 

GTM Labs Workshops

When: Multiple throughout the year. Workshops run monthly at 5 PM UK time.

Where: Join online from the comfort of your home.

As you know, go-to-market success isn’t a one-time effort – it’s a continuous, cross-functional process. Without clear leadership, accountability, and measurement, even the best strategies can stall. 

That’s where GTM Labs Workshops come in.

These live, interactive sessions provide real-time, practical learning to help you and your team optimize every stage of your GTM motion. 

Led by industry experts, each workshop is designed to give you actionable insights right when you need them – so you can refine your approach, implement best practices, and drive real business impact.

Why join a GTM Labs Workshop?

• Learn at the point of need – Each session focuses on a different GTM stage so you can jump into the topics most relevant to you.
• Engage with experts and peers – Ask questions, share experiences, and collaborate with like-minded professionals.
• Cross-functional alignment – Your peers from other functions can join too, ensuring your entire team is working cohesively for maximum impact.
• Flexibility to fit your schedule – Join one session or as many as you like – it’s up to you!

Final thoughts

With an increasingly condensed market, standing still is not an option. 

These events are more than just conferences or webinars – they're career accelerators. 

Whether you're joining us in person or connecting virtually, you're investing in your most important asset: your professional growth.

Your next breakthrough, your next opportunity, your next career milestone could be just one event away…

Whether you’re at a pre-seed startup or a well-established public company, saving cash is a top priority in 2024. 

In 2023, according to MarTech, 68% of marketers reported budget cuts. This means that marketing teams are being asked to achieve ambitious growth targets while simultaneously reducing costs – and product marketing isn’t immune, so getting the right resources to launch products is challenging. 

All’s not lost, however. It’s time for product marketers to get creative, test out new tools, and work with partners, customers, and internal teams to build hype around new products. You may even pick up some new skills along the way. 

Having worked as the sole marketer at Duro, a seed-funded B2B SaaS startup, for a year and a half, I understand the need to reduce costs and still get information out into the public domain. This blog covers some tactics I've tested along the way and some others that I plan to implement.

Firstly, what exactly do we mean by 'shoestring budget'?

Shoestrings cost between $3 and $12 on Amazon these days. As we know, that amount won’t get you anywhere in marketing spend. So, let’s pretend we have zero budget. You’re on your own and have been tasked with making a big splash for an upcoming product release. Where do you start? 

Defining the essentials of a successful product launch

Let’s look at what goes into a product launch to see what costs the most. Presuming the product team has already evaluated the market opportunity and specified a timeline for release, the four fundamental steps for product marketing include:

1. Messaging and positioning: Here, you’ll hone in on your solution’s strengths and decide the angle you’ll take to showcase differentiation. How will customers use the product? What problems does it solve? Getting customer intel at this stage is vital to define the elevator pitch and product value proposition to go in the external-facing copy.
   
2. Professional-looking sales materials: From decks and one-pagers to new web pages and blogs, your team will require materials to share. In today’s attention age, short video assets or interactive content are a must.
   
3. Internal education and training: Your colleagues should know how to discuss the features and benefits of the product with prospects and where to find materials to share. This step involves communicating via Slack and email and setting up live training sessions with the sales and customer success teams.
   
4. External promotion: Now you're ready to share the news of your exciting new product with the world. With a big budget, you might run an ad campaign, host an in-person launch event, and invite the media. But webinars, press announcements, emails, and social posts also help get customers and prospects excited. 

What costs money, and where to save?

Aside from time, the costliest parts of this process are the creation of images and videos plus promotional campaigns, such as events, ads, or sponsored content and newsletters. 

In an ideal world, you’d have an in-house graphic designer and access to a video production agency, as well as the budget to run ads across different channels and launch your product on stage at a big industry event. However, each of these things can cost thousands of dollars.

So, let’s explore a few ideas for making creative assets and running promotional activities without breaking the bank.

Creative assets on a budget

Innovation in creative tools has been outstanding over the last couple of years; they’re cheaper, more user-friendly, and, of course, AI-fueled. These are some of my favorites for getting your assets created cheaply and most have free trials. 

Graphics

Canva: The paid version is well worth it for the templates and ability to set brand fonts, colors, and logos. Although it costs slightly more than a shoestring (think one shoestring per month), you can use it for everything, not just a single product launch. 

I rely on Canva for one-pagers, social imagery, video covers, banners with CTAs, and email graphics. Once you've set up a few templates, you can reuse them as much as you like.

Videos

Zoom or Loom: These tools are your best friend for short demos, and you probably already have access. It's super easy to create a couple of two-to-three-minute videos highlighting the product benefits, explaining why it's different, and demoing how it works. These can be published on YouTube.

One thing to keep in mind is that these tools don't have the best video editing or graphics capabilities so you may need additional software (I use Camtasia).

However, Loom now removes 'ummmms' and filler words and both tools transcribe the text automatically. Canva also has video editing so you can upload your Looms or Zooms to Canva to add covers and text captions.  

Synthesia: You can make polished videos with an AI avatar speaking about your product. Experiment to find an avatar that works for your brand and isn’t too robotic.

It takes some time to get the hang of editing and uploading brand assets. However, it's a great tool for making more creative stylized videos on a budget without relying on other people's time. 

Interactive product demos

Arcade: Full disclosure: I haven't tried this yet, but it’s been recommended to me. Arcade enables you to create click-through interactive product demos with buttons, quizzes, and a mix of recordings, imagery, and text.

These are more engaging than videos and provide a unique experience for showcasing product value. There's a free trial option, and the paid plan is much cheaper than some alternatives.

Remember to follow the company's brand guidelines for all these assets. This helps you maintain a consistent, professional image. If possible, centralize your brand assets, image style, and templates beforehand to save time.  

Promotion on a budget: AKA word of mouth 

Launch events and webinars

Event sponsorship is expensive, so it's not viable on a tight budget. However, you can still promote your product by hosting live videos on YouTube or LinkedIn or running your own webinar. 

Hosting a webinar can be an excellent way to announce a new product because it provides a deadline to work towards, ensuring everything is ready for the big reveal. You can also invite customers and prospects through promotional emails and track interest using signups. 

Be patient! Setting up a webinar involves a lot of steps, including creating a registration page, automating email confirmations, sending invites, tracking signups, and sharing the recording afterwards. Try to do a test event beforehand and give yourself time to prepare – at least four weeks. 

Social

Paid ads offer better targeting and reach but you can build hype without them. Pick one or two key channels that map to your audience. For B2B, this will probably be LinkedIn and X. 

A social strategy for a product launch should incorporate teaser posts, launch announcements, updates, and customer testimonials afterward. Mixing creative assets, blogs, customer quotes, and video clips helps keep this content fresh. 

As I've learned from experience, posting on your brand page and getting employees to repost or like isn't a very effective way of building engagement.

Instead, consider commenting on other posts, addressing how your product relates to hot news topics, and sharing information in relevant groups. You may also want to engage with your target communities via Reddit, Meetups, or Discord groups. 

It’s also a great idea to get thought leaders, company executives, and partners to share from their personal accounts.

Make it as easy as possible for them to do so by providing a prepared document with post ideas and graphics they can copy and paste. Share stories or helpful tips instead of overly salesy content and, most importantly, avoid spamming people.

Email marketing

You likely already have a marketing tool like HubSpot and a list of customers and prospects. A blanket email announcement or campaign is a good option if you're short on time.

However, you can tailor the emails to specific personas or groups with a little extra effort. Work with sales and customer service teams to adapt the messages to new buyers as well as existing product users. 

Don’t forget to include clear calls to action (CTAs) in each email, such as "Watch a video," "Read the press release," "Sign up for a webinar," or "Request a demo." Here, you’ll share the product graphics that you've just created in Canva and link to the demo videos.

Press and analysts

Attracting media interest can be time-consuming if you don't have existing relationships with journalists.

However, if your product is really newsworthy and has the potential to bring about a significant change in the market, you can try to get a story published. Sending email pitches or responding to requests on Qwoted or HARO is free. And at the very least, you should put out a company press release.

Consider chatting to analysts too. Although analyst subscriptions to Gartner and Forrester are expensive, you can still set up a briefing without having a paid relationship.

This allows you to connect with experts in your industry and start building valuable relationships.

Analysts also appreciate learning about something new and exciting before a public announcement. This is also a great way to test messaging and get expert feedback ahead of your launch.

If you're hosting a product launch webinar, consider inviting select press and analysts and sending them the news as a follow-up. This is an easy way to reach out with too much extra work.

Time is money too! 

As you’re weighing up your budget, don’t forget to factor in your own time. This is where repeatable processes and templates come in handy. Setting up your brand assets ahead of time, while tedious, will only make your launch assets creation look more professional and speed up their creation.

Don’t reinvent the wheel when it comes to your positioning and messaging exercises. Product Marketing Alliance’s templates and frameworks will help you get these out quickly. 

Here are a few more tips to help you on your way:

• Prioritize the assets that count: You don't have to make everything for every launch. Your website should be updated and a video demo is essential. Other fundamentals include social posts, email copy, and possibly a PDF for sales to send. You can always add other materials later as needed.
  
• Beg, steal, or borrow. No, I don’t mean get ChatGPT to do your work. Instead, look at old blogs and prior launches to use whatever you can for inspiration, whether it's words or formats and templates. If you’re launching a product for the first time, see how best-in-class brands in other industries have done it and use their emails, videos, or webinar formats as guides.

Five tips to help you stay lean 

Tip #1: Set realistic goals

There are really only two main business goals when launching a new product: 

• Revenue generation
• Product adoption

When setting marketing goals, align them with these broader company objectives. This includes identifying the target audience for the new product and clarifying business expectations.

For instance, is the product designed to win over new customers, increase sales deal size, or upsell existing accounts? How many companies is it even suitable for?

Keep in mind that generating revenue and product adoption can take time, so set regular benchmarks to gauge your progress.

Track views on new product pages and blogs, email click-through rates (CTR), engagement with social content and videos, webinar signups, and demo requests. 

Use past data and achievable reach to set targets for these metrics. Your email lists and existing social reach and impressions data will give you a good estimate of the number of people who could see your announcement and then your goal for webinar sign-ups or conversions will be a certain percentage of that audience. 

While it's natural to dream of having a viral post or blog, be realistic about what you can achieve without the help of influencers, fancy creative assets, and advertising.

Tip #2: Make sure internal stakeholders are involved

Involve the rest of the company in various aspects of the launch, from product naming to timelines and setting benchmarks. This will ensure they’re more supportive of the work; plus, they'll be more likely to promote the content externally later. 

It’s also vital to share regular updates so everyone stays on the same page. Take advantage of Slack, all-hands meetings, and emails. More communication is always better.

Tip #3: Be resourceful with asset creation

If you’re on a tight budget, you probably won’t be able to pay an agency to develop clever slogans or catchy copy and, as we’ve talked about, design resources might be scarce. 

We've already discussed a few tools that could help. Still, you might also consider looking for creative talent within your company. It's possible that someone in your sales or engineering team already has a podcasting setup or creates videos in their free time and is willing to help. Just be mindful of their primary job responsibilities.

Tip #4: Ask customers and partners to spread the word

Hopefully, you've already engaged a couple of customers to be beta testers and provide feedback and testimonials. Plus, you have a product that people want to talk about because of the huge value it delivers. 

The best marketing is a referral from someone you trust. Create a formalized process for referrals with rewards for customers or partners.

This will be slow initially but over time, momentum will build. My favorite example of ‘word of mouth’ marketing in action comes from Monzo, which built both viral mechanics and network effects into its growth strategy.

Tip #5: Don’t launch a product and forget about it!

Finally, you’ve created all the materials on your checklist, trained the team on how to sell the product, and run a launch webinar without a hitch. Job done! 

Well, not so fast. 

You may have seen some initial success but adoption and revenue growth typically take much longer than a couple of months.

After you've had a breather (and you deserve one at this stage), look at those early metrics and ask for internal feedback. Track whether demo requests converted and why. What were the objections if not? Who signed up, and are there lookalike cases? 

It’s crucial to work with the rest of the team to continue to promote the product and ensure all that hard work pays off. Assess how the new product impacted the business. If it didn’t work out as planned, what lessons can you bring to the next project?

In summary, don’t panic.

Just because you don’t have a big budget doesn’t mean you can’t pull off a smooth product launch. Admittedly, you may not have flashy ads like Apple or thousands of attendees joining your launch webinar like Salesforce, but you can still attract attention. 

Remember to set aside time to build templates and design standards beforehand to ensure everything looks professional. Write a checklist so things don’t get forgotten, and remember to ask for help.

This may come in the form of purchasing new tools, getting different team members to help promote the content on social media, or customers emailing their peers about the launch. 

Without a big budget or team, you may not get everything right. Still, you have the advantage of speed and agility, which will allow you to adapt following market feedback.

Bridging the gap between technical complexity and clear, compelling messaging isn’t just helpful – it’s essential.

Whether you're translating a feature spec into a product page or breaking down a new release for sales enablement, strong technical writing skills can turn confusion into conversion.

So, what skills actually matter? 

1. Adapt to your audience

This means tailoring your writing to different personas, from technical users like developers or data analysts to less technical audiences like sales reps, execs, or prospects.

One-size-fits-all language won’t work. The way you explain a system architecture to a senior backend engineer is very different from how you’d explain it to a non-technical stakeholder.

Best practices

• Create user personas to define technical backgrounds.
• Include glossaries for mixed audiences.
• Avoid assuming prior knowledge unless the audience is highly specialized.

Example

For engineers:

“The API utilizes OAuth 2.0 for secure token-based authentication.”

For general business users:

“You’ll need to log in using a secure token to access the system’s data – similar to logging into an app with Google.”

2. Learn to simplify

It’s important to translate highly technical product concepts into clear messaging without oversimplifying them.

This is because many product marketers sit between engineering and go-to-market (GTM) teams, so you must be able to bridge the gap with clarity.

Best practices

• Use plain language when possible.
• Replace passive voice with active voice.
• Break up long sentences and paragraphs.

Example

Instead of saying, “A test was conducted in which the stress levels of the component were evaluated”, say, “We tested the component’s stress levels”.

3. Structure logically

One of the most important technical writing skills you should develop is knowing how to organize information in a clear, logical way so users and internal teams can quickly find what they’re looking for.

Whether you’re creating onboarding docs, feature one-pagers, or help center content, if you have poor structure, you may lose users.

Best practices

• Start with an overview or executive summary.
• Use H1/H2/H3 consistently.
• Base the structure on what your readers need. E.g., task-based instructions for users, or decision trees for troubleshooting.
• Consider hierarchy, headings, bullets, and callouts, since these allow people to scan and absorb content quickly.

Example:

A feature guide could follow this flow:

1. What the feature is
2. Why it matters (value prop)
3. When to use it (use case)
4. How to use it (step-by-step or demo)
5. FAQs or troubleshooting tips

4. Be technical-minded

You don't have to be an engineer or developer, but you should understand how things like APIs, SDKs, integrations, etc. work at a conceptual level.

After all, if you don’t, then marketing the product will be 1,000x more difficult.

Best practices

• Always document exact values, tolerances, protocols, and units.
• Include version numbers and update dates.

Example

If you’re launching a new integration, you should understand what data is shared between platforms, how it’s authenticated, what use cases it supports, and any setup or limitations.

This helps you write better product pages, as well as sales and GTM assets.

5. Familiarise yourself with different document types

As a product marketer, your writing needs to stretch across different formats. Each document type serves a different purpose, and nailing the structure, tone, and content of each is key to influencing internal teams and customers.

Best practices

• Reverse-engineer great content to learn the different types.
• Write mock versions to prepare for the real thing.
• Ask to co-author docs rather than just support to learn more.

Example

When it comes to engineering technical writing skills, it’s important you learn docs like user manuals (which guide end users in an action), technical specifications (that showcase how a product works), API documentation (which helps developers to integrate systems), and engineering reports (which includes things like what happens to make a system fail).

6. Know how to update documentation

Knowing how to write, update, and manage documentation using tools that tech teams also use, like GitHub or Notion, is crucial. 

Product marketers may have to maintain docs that evolve with the product. So, being fluent in certain tools ensures nothing gets lost in translation.

Best practices

• Keep it source-controlled and treat product docs like code (track changes, etc.).
• Write for the reader, since engineers, customers, and customer teams all read docs differently.
• Stay consistent and use templates for changelogs, release notes, and readmes so everything is scannable and standardized.

Example

You might have to write or update a README file for a new SDK, log release notes in GitHub, or collaborate on a changelog in Confluence. It can help to know basic HTML for formatting web pages or help center articles.

7. Don’t forget visual communication

Another thing to consider is visual communication, since things like diagrams and tables can be more effective than text, especially when someone wants to get information quickly at a glance.

Best practices

• Choose the right format for your message (i.e., don’t force a diagram where a bullet list works better).
• Prioritize clarity over aesthetics, since a plain table that communicates well beats a beautiful but confusing chart.
• Use consistent styles for colors, icons, and fonts across all visuals to build familiarity.
• Add concise labels and captions, and never assume your audience knows what they’re looking at.
• Keep it to one idea per visual. 
• Use visuals to reduce text, not duplicate it.

Example

Types of visuals you can consider include flowcharts that show system components, tables to compare features or specs, and annotated screenshots for UI tutorials or walkthroughs.

8. Write for discoverability

It’s not just about what you write but also how people find it. Use SEO best practices, smart internal linking, and keyword research so technical documentation surfaces when and where people need it – whether it’s a help center or a product update.

Best practices

• Use language your users actually search for.
• Mirror the terms used in UI, support tickets, and community threads.
• Build internal links between documentation and other content (e.g., blog > support doc > changelog).

ExampleInstead of titling a guide "Advanced Deployment Options", go with "How to deploy [product] to AWS". It matches user searches, ranks better on Google, and reduces confusion.

9. Be precise

In technical writing, creativity often takes a step back, as it’s more important to have clarity and precision with terms, commands, and explanations.

Best practices

• Cut vague marketing language in technical docs. Say exactly what a feature does, with correct terminology.
• Avoid euphemisms for bugs, limitations, or errors.

ExampleRather than saying, “This feature may have limited compatibility in some scenarios”, write, “This feature does not currently support iOS 17.3 or later due to Apple’s privacy restrictions.”

10. Create scalable templates

Technical docs can get out of hand fast. If you can design scalable templates or modular content systems, you'll be more likely to save time and keep everything consistent, especially during launches and rebrands – or if you need to pivot on your product.

Best practices

• Build templates for release notes, feature guides, migration instructions, and FAQs.
• Use components like “Expected behavior,” “Who it’s for,” “Steps to enable,” etc.

Example

For every new feature, ensure your team uses a repeatable structure. E.g., what it is, why it matters, how to use it, known issues, etc.

It cuts your time in half and makes content easier to navigate for users.

11. Get fluent in product analytics

Understand which docs get read, where people drop off, or which articles reduce ticket volume. Let the data guide what you write or update next, which helps you to prove the value of your work to stakeholders.

Best practices

• Use tools like Mixpanel, Google Analytics, or Hotjar to track what people are reading, which onboarding steps get skipped, and what features have high churn.
• Also, use support ticket data to spot knowledge gaps.

ExampleIf you notice your “Getting Started” guide has a 75% drop-off on a certain step and realize users are missing a prerequisite setting, you can update the doc to help them – meaning they put through fewer ticket requests.

How to update technical writing skills

Edit and proofread

It goes without saying that editing and proofreading are essential to improve your technical writing skills. When you write, make sure to review it at least twice to better spot issues with style and structure (and the content you’ve added).

Read out loud to catch awkward phrasing, use checklists, and try tools like Grammarly and Hemingway to improve your writing.

Adapt to new things

Engineering fields evolve constantly, so, as a product marketer, you’ll want to learn new domains, tools, and technologies on the fly.

Stay curious and subscribe to engineering blogs, forums, and podcasts; shadow engineers to learn from them; take online courses in the domain you’re writing about; contribute to open-source docs, etc.

Distance yourself from your draft

Writing and temporarily shelving your document can help you to look at it with fresh eyes when you open it again. It’s easier to catch strange turns of phrase, missing steps, and unclear instructions that way.

Study release notes

The best release notes are clear, useful, and (sometimes) even fun. They balance technical accuracy with readability, which is a skill product marketers need to bridge product and audience.

Use version control

Version control is not just for developers. So, tracking your changes, experimenting freely, and reverting when needed keeps your writing clean and clear. Tools like Notion and GitHub (and even Google Docs if you prefer) can keep you organized.

Read it back like a support ticket

Put yourself in the shoes of a customer (or internal team member) who might be confused or unsure about your document – read your draft as if you’re trying to troubleshoot a feature or explain it in a live demo.

In short

Technical writing might not be the flashiest part of product marketing, but it’s one of the most powerful.

The ability to document, translate, and scale product knowledge across internal teams and users is what leads to adoption and ensures launches offer long-term value.

In the age of free trials, low code development, and agentic AI ,  connecting with the right audience is difficult. Your software needs to make sense to users even before you start the sales cycle. 

Teaching prospects how to use your software is now a lead-warming activity, not a post-sales activity. 

At OpenText, we saw free trial utilization increase by 83% after implementing detailed tutorials. More impressively, this led to 8X growth in our pipeline and 13X growth in sales when we added video tutorials.

Video tutorials complement rather than replace comprehensive documentation and written code samples. 

They enable us to transfer valuable insights to prospects who previously would have required costly 1:few or 1:1 paid engagements. The ultimate goal remains to help users maximize the value of their investment in our products.

If your business relies on a free trial as a key lead generation method – particularly in a Product-Led Growth model – high-quality video tutorials are not optional, they're essential.

The goal of video tutorials

The goal of video is to prove that the product works. It also subtly acknowledges that all products have quirks that are not intuitive to everyone. This is vital when your goals for tutorials are net-new users or net-new partners – which is typically why you have a free trial.

It may seem counterintuitive, but when creating tutorials for audiences unfamiliar with your brand, you must actually minimize marketing messages. The less your audience knows you, the more your tutorial should focus purely on practical instruction rather than promotion.

Treat tutorials like a product

Technical video tutorials should be treated as a product rather than a marketing asset. This means they require ongoing updates, tracking, and refinement.

Key considerations:

1. Keep tutorials up-to-date – When the product updates, so should the tutorial.
2. Track performance metrics – Measure viewership, watch percentage, and gather direct survey feedback.
3. Complexity doesn’t equal length – A tutorial can be technical and concise.
4. Eliminate fluff – Remove unnecessary language and flashy content. Keep it tight, focused, and real.
5. Prioritize technical accuracy – When choosing a presenter, technical expertise is more important than a smooth delivery.

Authenticity is crucial. This is not a sales pitch – it’s about helping users see and test your software effectively. The goal is to remove barriers that prevent users from experiencing the product at its best, not to gloss over potential challenges.

Understanding your target persona

Knowing your audience’s learning style and biases toward your product is essential. Do they prefer multiple short videos or one comprehensive guide? Understanding their preferences will shape the effectiveness of your tutorial.

Creating an effective tutorial:

1. Choose a relevant use case – Focus on a scenario that resonates with your audience.
2. Emphasize the hard parts – Highlight the least intuitive steps in the process.
3. Solve their pain points – Viewers are here for guidance through challenges.
4. Don’t shy away from code – Your audience is technical; show backend configurations when necessary.
5. Show the admin experience – Demonstrate setup steps for demos and trials.
6. Supplement, don’t replace, written guides – Both video and written documentation are necessary.
7. Define success first – Determine what success looks like for the tutorial before deciding on its length.
8. Enablement over marketing – Tutorials should empower users, not serve as promotional content.
9. Consider chapters for longer videos – If a tutorial exceeds five minutes, structure it with clear sections.

What doesn’t matter in tutorials?

Certain elements are often prioritized unnecessarily. For example, these do not contribute to the tutorial’s effectiveness:

• Expensive video editing software
• Flashy lead-ins and calls to action
• Excessive branding and marketing messages

What does matter in tutorials?

Instead, focus on what truly impacts the user’s learning experience:

1. Accuracy of screens and steps – Ensure the tutorial reflects what users will actually see.
2. Credible and knowledgeable instructor – The presenter should sound like they built the product.
3. Clear audio – Audio clarity is essential for effective communication.
4. High-quality screen captures – Ensure visuals are crisp and easy to follow.

By focusing on these principles, your technical video tutorials will be a valuable resource that empowers users rather than just another marketing tool.

6 video tutorial examples I use for inspiration

I have included a mix of my team’s videos and videos that we used as inspiration. I have no affiliation with the other companies or content creators:

OpenText’s Google Authentication video

This tutorial is short and focused on a specific problem that came up, which presented an opportunity to expand our community.

We needed a fast turnaround so we used some stock footage for the voice-over parts that provided context.

Cheatsheets

This example uses 2X speed to show all the steps but only highlights the problem steps.

This video is a product that is well understood (Excel), it doesn’t waste your time explaining Excel. It knows its user; their advanced they have a specific need that requires seeing it performed.

These videos are also “Insta” friendly.

Microsoft Mechanics First Power App tutorial 

This is part 2 of another video and focuses on a problem that would be common to both an advanced user as well as a beginner. It uses a specialist context but speaks to every developer.

Google Health API for OpenText’s Hacknosis 

This is an in-depth course tutorial designed to provide developers with both the ‘why’ of healthcare and how you technically use it.

We decided against breaking it up as the context was important to understand the actual tutorial.

The target audience was developers who wanted to create products in healthcare but needed to understand the requirements of the industry to truly create products.

Thrust Services playlist

Modular products are often better as a multi-video.

In this playlist, we made the decision that we needed to deep dive into a couple of areas that are not intuitive for the target audience (students and healthcare developers)

We also decided that because even within this target persona (Healthcare developers), we had separate unique challenges we broke those out as separate tutorials.

The full tutorial was long – but that was after user feedback that the initial attempts didn’t have the detail they needed to build the sample app.

Influencer tutorials 

This targets a specific demographic and use case (Millennials and GenZs looking to organize their work life). I thought I’d provide a non-technical product and expand the list.

This is an influencer-mediated tutorial. Notion has a large set of tutorials on its home page – but those are focused on the main user types: Engineers and Product Management.

The focus is on a basic ‘getting started’ that shows a lot of random features in the context of a user’s day.

Final thoughts

Video tutorials bridge the gap between interest and adoption, making complex products more accessible.

By prioritizing clarity, accuracy, and relevance over flashy production, they drive engagement, enhance user experience, and boost conversions. Treating them as a product, not just marketing, ensures lasting impact.

Chris was a speaker at our Technical Product Marketing virtual summit. Become a Pro member to catch his talk on demand. 

You can also contact him at cwynder@opentext.com or connect with him on LinkedIn. He also blogs regularly on Medium.

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Here’s how I landed 4 remote offers in 45 days. With the amount of confusing, conflicting, and convoluted advice on LinkedIn, I wanted to set the record straight with my experience to help others who are in a similar position. 

My goal is to spread hope along with actionable advice to help others who have found themselves stuck in a job hunting rut. 

As I shared in my original post on LinkedIn, here are my stats:

• 85 applications
• 13 first rounds
• 5 case study/final rounds
• 4 offers
• 49 interviews
• Shortest interview to offer period was 12 days
• Longest interview to offer period was 35 days
• Only 1 of the 13 companies I talked to was a result of networking - all others were cold applications

For those who don’t have a strong network or have not been finding success using that route, I want to show that it is possible to get remote offers using traditional applications. I’ll break down my exact approach and provide examples to help you along. 

How I started my search

As I was coming off of maternity leave, I found out that my company had been acquired and there were likely going to be organizational changes that would result in me needing a new gig. 

This was my second exit but the first that would impact my employment. With two young kids at home, I’m sure you can imagine my utter panic. 

When I turned to LinkedIn, most of the posts I saw were from people who had spent 6+ months applying to upwards of a thousand jobs with zero luck even landing an interview.

I also saw a lot of advice around AI HR software weeding out top candidates who were up against hundreds if not thousands of others and that my only path forward was networking. 

The problem is that I had let a lot of my connections lapse due to work/life/home busyness and wasn’t quite ready to dive in cold asking my network for help. 

So I started to post regularly on LinkedIn again and quietly built up my relationships while submitting applications so that if I hadn’t landed anything by April, I would have at least warmed up enough folks to ask without feeling like an imposition. 

That was another key part of my strategy – setting up milestones to pivot or adjust my approach so that I wasn’t trying the same tactics over and over if I wasn’t seeing any results. 

Polish your portfolio 

Alongside posting on LinkedIn, I updated all of my stats and started asking for recommendations to spruce up my profile in tandem with updating my resume. 

I created my resume in Figma using this template. I’ll admit that I did not check if my resume was ATS compliant so that’s likely something I could have improved.

But with my goal to get in front of a human, I prioritized styling my resume with that perspective in mind. I led with stats and a headline that went straight to the point of what I offered. 

This is also when I hit on creating a video resume using Camtasia. As a product marketer, I’ve had a lot of experience creating launch and tutorial videos to educate customers and I thought what better way to market myself? 

I know from previous experience that my personality tends to shine in interviews so I needed a way to get the humans behind the applications to notice me. Plus, it gave me a way to prove my abilities right from the get-go. 

When it came to creating a video resume, I really wanted to focus on the length of my tenure and the metrics I impacted and then showcase some of my work visually.

If I had gone into April without landing an offer, I would have created personalized videos per role using Loom or another tool. 

I also compiled a Google Doc with various public-facing assets to serve as my portfolio. If the portfolio wasn’t enough, then my next step would have been to create a website. 

The reason for spacing out tactics was to conserve my energy and see how much I could accomplish with what I had while still having a plan for the future. 

Finally, I created a base version of a cover letter using ChatGPT to come up with a draft I could tear apart.

I focused on adding bullet points and experimenting with length. Then I used a master doc to track all the cover letters sent to each of the companies so I could mix and match at will to speed up the process. 

Applications to look out for

Unfortunately, now is not the time to pivot careers. There is such a saturation of talent in the market that companies can afford to wait it out for the exact right candidate.

I’m not saying it’s impossible, but if you’re struggling to find traction in your areas of expertise, I’d recommend doubling down on applications that you meet the criteria for. 

For example, here is the breakdown of my applications: 

• 24 applications were for a senior product marketing manager – I found the most success here.
• 47 applications were senior director, lead, head, or founding level – only 3 out of 13 interviews despite me having a senior director title.
• The remainder was a mixture of lifecycle, revenue, and generalist marketing roles – I only got one interview in these categories.
• Industries that I landed interviews for included law tech, fintech, e-commerce, and health tech.

I had the most success when I exceeded the length of time listed for experience as a product marketer. For example, 5+ years was my sweet spot for getting to an interview, whereas 8+ was a reach, and I didn’t spend time on applications looking for 10+. 

The benefit of product marketing is that there’s usually a set number of skills that are advertised so tailoring my resume was less necessary than if I had tried to hop job titles. For this reason, I only created an IC version and a manager version. 

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While I was able to shift industries, I definitely had to make the case for it in my cover letter and during the recruiter screen (and in subsequent interviews). The same goes for company size since I came from small startups and interviewed at a few much larger organizations. 

The last tip for applications is to find ones from companies like Zapier that include more initial lift at the onset to reduce your competition. 

Positioning yourself

When on the job hunt, you are the product and your goal is to achieve product market fit by nailing an offer. So with that in mind, it’s key to position yourself.

Are you strong with sales-led orgs? Do you have more of a self-service or hybrid background? The more detailed you can get in where you excel and can actively show the value you’ve brought to previous organizations, the more likely you are to continue in the process. 

For example, my strength is in hybrid organizations where I can help out the sales fellows but also set up and run a self-service experience. I’ve mostly had experience with lower ACV in a SaaS environment marketing to SMBs, agencies, and marketing teams. 

My superpower is in getting buy-in from a variety of stakeholders and aligning multiple departments by building relationships. I’m a full-stack product marketer that can run everything from launches to customer lifecycle initiatives. 

While I could translate my startup experience to larger orgs by specializing down, this was definitely a case I had to make for myself.

I also had the hardest time breaking into fintech and the crypto and cyber security worlds. If you have experience in these fields, it’s absolutely a leg up!

Map out your strengths, weaknesses, and numbers to build talking points around each. This exercise will come in handy to help you out with both the application and the prep work for the interview process. 

And keep in mind that one recruiter’s trash is another’s treasure so don’t take rejection personally. 

How to get in front of a human 

I’ll admit it, I sprang for LinkedIn Premium and it was worth the $40 to be able to connect and DM at will. My entire strategy hinged on this tactic so that investment absolutely paid off. 

Here is my approach:

1. I looked on LinkedIn and Product Marketing Alliance daily for roles posted within the last 24 hours including posts from members so I could easily reach out.
   1. I only looked for remote roles and passed over everything that required hybrid or in-person.
   2. I have been working remotely since 2011 so I had a wealth of experience to back this up in my search.
2. Anything that I was a fit for, I applied to the application on the website and tailored the cover letter based on the hiring manager or HR/talent/recruitment team members that seemed relevant.
3. With every application, I added them to my application tracker.
4. Then I started to send out tailored DMs and connection requests with a link to my video resume to those same hiring managers and members of the recruitment team.
   1. I did get feedback from someone that they had other candidates who were more personalized in their outreach, but that they liked my video and also had a recruitment team member pass my profile along.
   2. Reaching out to multiple relevant team members was the most effective strategy and I was careful not to spam random people at the org.

My goal was to send out 1-3 applications a day that I matched really well. I did not want to go with a 'spray and pray' approach – that’s not my MO as a marketer and I certainly wasn’t going to adopt that now as a job seeker. Plus, all it would do is muddy the waters for more qualified candidates. 

The direct outreach approach actually landed me the job offer that I ended up accepting, and pretty much every other interview invitation I received. I had instances where people accepted my connection requests but the application went nowhere, so be braced for that outcome as well. 

My experience this go around was that the application to the initial interview period and then the entire interview process was often much longer than I’ve previously encountered.

There were times when I was contacted about an interview almost a month after I applied so don’t lose hope! 

Nailing the initial interviews

I prep for every interview by exploring the website, trying to find feedback to share, and taking the product for a test run if there’s a trial – watching video tutorials if not.

I had multiple first rounds where people were shocked and pleased I had done my homework compared to other candidates who rolled up not even sure what the company was called, let alone what they did.

I approached every initial call with a gratitude mindset and belief that these recruiters and screeners were looking for reasons to move me forward. It was on me not to give them a reason to knock me out early.

And this worked well with four instances where I didn’t fit the JD or missed background that the hiring manager was looking for, yet the recruiter still moved me forward.

Two out of the four resulted in an eventual offer. So make sure to have the objection handling mapped out from the beginning and openly address why you’d still be a good fit. 

Here are a few of my favorite go-to questions: 

1. What KPIs are associated with this role? How would you measure success?
2. What skills are you most interested in seeing in the person coming into this role?
3. Can you tell me more about the people I would be working with and supporting in this role?
4. What would you most like to see accomplished in the next 30/60/90 days from someone in this role? 
5. What initiatives do you think would have the greatest impact both short term and long term?
6. What are some of the challenges facing the marketing department and the company more broadly?
7. Can you tell me about the history and background of this role?
8. Can you tell me about the culture? 
9. What do you look for in a new hire and have you noticed any common traits in people who end up being successful members of the community?
10. Can you tell me a bit more about how you invest in the growth of your employees?

Finally, end every interview (even late-stage ones with the same people) by asking, “Do you have any doubts or hesitations about moving me forward?”

Then follow up via email if you didn’t have time to answer in full. I cannot stress the importance of a detailed follow-up enough. 

My last piece of advice with the interview rounds is to prepare for a gauntlet. I talked to more individual people during the panel rounds than I ever have before. There was one intense day where I spoke with five people from three different companies in a mixture of first to third rounds.  

As a bonus, one of the most unique questions I got asked was, “What is something that colleagues and managers are most likely to say about you that is NOT true?” I loved this question and think it might be an interesting angle for someone to introduce themselves. 

Rocking the case study

Usually the offer comes after the case study step with an occasional final culture fit check interview at the end. 

Which means landing the case study can make or break your candidacy.

In the one instance where I was knocked out during the case study round this time, I knew I misstepped at the end of the interview. I focused more on what I thought was a strong win of mine rather than what they had asked for in the prompt.

So my next piece of advice is to both very carefully review the case study prompt – whether it be to showcase a previous sample of your work or a brand new deck – and match it to both the JD and what’s come up in previous interview conversations.  

The good news is that I took the learnings from the company where I was knocked out and improved my approach with the other case studies and subsequent interviews which got me to the four offers. 

For example, I diversified my talking points and added additional context for a wider range of projects including a Canva launch that I had not previously focused on. 

Getting the offer

When I started on the hunt in January, my goal was to land somewhere safely not long out from the end of my maternity leave. Through sheer luck I was able to time out more than one offer and I truly can’t take credit for any sort of master plan here.

I am so grateful to all the people at each of the companies that I spoke to and it made the final decision excruciatingly difficult – yet I am so privileged to have been given a choice. 

I will say that as depleting as going into multiple rounds of interviews can be, I met some incredible people that I hope to keep up with in my career and get the opportunity to work with in the future. 

Good luck to those who are on the market currently and I hope that my advice helps at least one person land a solid job!

This article is based on Catherine Alexander’s brilliant talk at the London Product Marketing Summit. PMA members can enjoy the complete recording here.

Win/loss analysis should be one of the most valuable tools in your strategy – but too often, it’s a time-consuming, frustrating process that doesn’t deliver the insights you need. So how do you make it easier and more effective?

In this article, we’ll explore:

• Why traditional win/loss approaches fall short
• How to uncover insights that actually drive change
• The five steps to building a high-impact win/loss program

Get this right, and it’s not just a win for your business. It’s a win for you – boosting your personal brand and elevating your role within your organization. Let’s dive in.

The typical (and flawed) approach to win/loss analysis

If you’re like most product marketers I speak to, this question is probably familiar: Can you just find out why we win or lose deals?

It sounds straightforward, but this seemingly simple request sets you on a path that may not give you the full picture. Most teams take a similar approach:

1. Collect feedback from buyers
2. Get sellers’ input
3. Ask narrow or incomplete questions

I’m not saying that this approach is bad or wrong. It’s easy to understand why you would follow this process, especially if you’re just starting with win/loss analysis. However, I want to highlight the challenges baked into the initial question and the steps that follow.

The challenges with manual feedback collection

Collecting feedback is critical. But doing it manually? That’s a time sink. Research from Corporate Visions shows that conducting and analyzing just one interview takes 10+ hours. 

When I first saw that number, I thought, That can’t be right, it’s way too high! But when you break it down, it makes sense. Think about all the steps involved in securing one interview:

• Identifying who to talk to
• Reaching out and getting a response
• Sending out an initial survey
• Finding a time that works
• Conducting the interview
• Analyzing the results

Often, the hardest part is coordinating with people. It seems so simple – just 30 minutes on their calendar – but in reality, it’s a logistical headache. 

The risks of relying on seller feedback

Relying on seller feedback is risky too. Am I saying you should never ask your sellers anything? No. But should you be cautious? Absolutely.

According to Corporate Visions’ research, when you ask buyers and sellers about the same deal, sellers give a different reason than buyers 50–70% of the time. That’s a huge gap!

Of course, your sellers aren’t lying. They’re not deliberately giving you incorrect information. They’re just giving you incomplete information. Why?

• Their perspective is different from the buyer’s
• The way you collect data influences their responses
• CRM systems reduce deal reasons to an item on a drop-down menu

So, should you still talk to your sellers? Of course. They’re a valuable piece of the puzzle – just make sure they’re not the only piece.

The danger of narrow or incomplete questions

Finally, let’s talk about the way questions shape the answers you get. Whether you realize it or not, the way you phrase a question inherently influences the response.

I’ve asked narrow and incomplete questions hundreds of times, and I’ll likely do it thousands more. It’s human nature. We get caught up in the moment, focus on the details, or just don’t have the time to dig deeper.

So, if your win/loss process feels like it’s only giving you part of the picture, don’t be too hard on yourself. You’re just a human tackling a big, complex task – on top of everything else on your plate.

The right way to do win/loss analysis

So, how can you get win/loss analysis right? I’m glad you asked.

Here’s the truth: the person asking, “Can you just find out why we win or lose?” doesn’t actually want the answer to that question. They might think they do, but what they really want is something actionable. If you take their request at face value, you’ll likely end up gathering surface-level reasons – useful, but not enough to drive meaningful change.

Here’s what’s actually going on:

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When you’re kicking off a consulting engagement, a clear, detailed statement of work (SOW) is essential. It sets expectations, defines deliverables, and ensures you and your client are aligned from day one.

That’s why we’ve created this SOW template specifically for product marketing consultants – so you can spend less time on the back-and-forth and more time doing what you do best: driving impact.

What is a statement of work template?

A statement of work template is a structured document that outlines the key details of a consulting engagement. It covers what you’ll do, how you’ll do it, and what success looks like, so there’s no ambiguity about your role, responsibilities, or deliverables.

This template includes essential sections like:

✔ Project objectives: Why the work is being done
✔ Scope of work: What’s included (and what’s not)
✔ Deliverables and timelines: What you’ll provide and when
✔ Payment terms: How and when you’ll get paid
✔ Legal considerations: Confidentiality, IP rights, and liability

Whether you’re working on positioning and messaging, a GTM strategy, competitive analysis, or sales enablement, this template makes it easy to get everything in writing before you dive in.

Who is it for?

This template is built for product marketing consultants, whether you’re working independently or as part of a larger agency. It’s ideal if you’re:

✔ A seasoned PMM who’s recently gone solo and needs a solid consulting agreement
✔ A freelancer looking to streamline client onboarding and set clear expectations
✔ A PMM agency or contractor managing multiple client engagements at once
✔ A full-time PMM taking on side projects who wants to ensure smooth engagements

If you’re doing strategic product marketing work, this template will help you establish professionalism, protect your time, and avoid the headache of unclear expectations.

How to use the template

Using the template is simple:

1. Download it: Get instant access and open it in your preferred document editor.
2. Customize it: Fill in the blanks with your project details, including scope, deliverables, payment terms, and any legal considerations.
3. Share it with your client: Send it over for review and ensure both parties are aligned before signing.
4. Sign and start the work: Once it’s approved, you’re good to go!

By using this PMM-specific SOW template, you’ll set the stage for successful, stress-free consulting engagements – with clear expectations, structured deliverables, and no unpleasant surprises.

Download your statement of work template

Statement of work template

Statement of work for product marketing consultants Project summary Provide a high-level overview of the project. Identify the client and the consultant. Clarify the nature of the engagement – whether it’s a fixed-term project, a retainer-based service, or a one-time strategic initiative. E…

Google Docs

Developers are the most enigmatic group of highly technical folks you can sell products to. 

True or not, that’s the general perception. Developers are seen as marketing averse. They may retreat if they sense you’re marketing to them. Unsurprisingly, there’s a growing subcategory of marketing (aptly named developer marketing) to “figure them out.”

So, what’s the goal of developer marketing? Based on my own experiences, here’s the answer that sits best with me: 

This goal serves as the north star for the 3Ts (Trigger, Topic, Tone) framework, which I’m going to share with you in this article so you can start winning over developers. 

Trigger: What forces a developer to explore something new 

We don’t need to throw the traditional product marketing playbook entirely out of the window when speaking to developers. What we know about understanding adoption triggers for any buyer is also true here: you need to get familiar with the tipping points that push a developer to explore a new tool or technology. 

You can start by identifying which of the following triggers apply to your product. I’m breaking these triggers into two major categories – primary vs. secondary – and ranking them in order of importance. The primary category captures the most compelling triggers. 

Primary triggers

1. Saving time or cutting waste 

All the talk of AI in coding connects in some way to developer time and how little of it there is. Developers want to work on interesting challenges, put out quality work, and do so in a zen state, but time sinks make it challenging. 

2. Eliminating the struggle with legacy technologies

Developers in any legacy organization have to deal with a jumbled mess of a codebase. It’s a perennial source of frustration for developers worldwide. 

3. Desire for ease and simplicity 

Think of a new developer thrown into software projects containing a creative mix of technologies. Any dev tool that shortens their onboarding time, be it through simple workflows, intuitive interfaces, or 'easy to find' documentation, hits the spot for them!

4. Meeting new client or market requirements

Software is never static. One way or the other – whether due to market shifts, business pivots, or customer needs – you’re forced to add new features and sometimes embrace new tech solutions. Whatever cuts complexity or uncertainty here is a win. 

5. Integration with existing tech stack or frameworks 

No dev tool exists in isolation. You’re at the mercy of current processes and workflows and, more importantly, how well you integrate with them. The developer doesn’t want to build integrations for every new tool they want to onboard. 

Secondary triggers

As the name indicates, the secondary category, while still valid, is lower on the list of compelling triggers. Consider them, but aim to ensure your product solves one or more primary triggers first. 

6. Solving collaboration issues

There’s a reason why your favorite corporate tool recommends you invite your colleagues to join you. Make it easy for developers to work with others on their team. Remember, they’re already stretched thin and reaching for that next pot of coffee. 

7. Access to a robust community

The open-source spirit still shines even when developers work within walled-off solutions. Adoption is easier when there’s an active community and a plethora of learning resources, especially when a developer gets into the inevitable troubleshooting mode. 

8. Improving future job prospects 

Developers have earned the right to be selfish. The half-life of every tool or technology they’re expected to learn gets shorter by the day. They’re incentivized to learn tools that position them as an expert, ride the wave of a trend, and look attractive to employers. 

9. Expanding project scope 

Expanding the scope of what’s possible is the draw here. What new features, applications, and projects can they get off the ground using what you offer? 

10. Tackling ‘specialized’ pain points 

This one is unique, depending on the sandbox a developer plays in. Let’s say you’re talking to developers in the e-commerce industry; in this case, solving thorny issues around conversion and compliance is the name of the game. 

Topic: Adopt the right mindset and create the right content to serve the developer 

Consider these three questions to shape how you share value with developers: 

1. Where do you fit in their journey?

If you want to see the world through a developer’s eyes, the five-stage model from Developer Relations by Caroline Lewko and James Parton is an invaluable guide. It breaks down how developers discover, evaluate, and adopt new tools, providing insight into their mindset, behaviors, and engagement points. Here’s how their journey unfolds:

Stage 1 – Discover: Is this of use to me?

Stage 2 – Evaluate: Will it meet my needs?

Stage 3 – Learn: How does this work?

Stage 4 – Build: Can I build a proof of concept?

Stage 5 – Scale: Can I build for the long term?

2. What inspires them?

Armed with your knowledge of the developer journey, it’s time to shape your content to fit the colorful situations that pop up at each stage. A handy model comes from Win Over Wizards by James Christopher, who proposes three collective approaches inspired by behavioral psychology. 

• Education: “You don’t just have to talk about what you have to offer… also teach them about the whole area you work in, including problems, opportunities, competition, activities, and trends.”
• Thought leadership: “It allows people to form their own opinions about you and your product…to show your expertise, establish your credibility, show your passion for your subject, and prove that you’re an authority in that space.”
• Developer experience: “Consider how developers work in their daily lives – it takes into account their needs, tasks, and workflows. It can also spill over into their personal lives if there are common hobbies or interests.”

3. Which formats to explore?

The phrase “eat an elephant one bite at a time” applies perfectly here – no need to try and conquer everything at once. Let the minimum viable product (MVP) mindset be your guide. Taking inspiration from the book Developer Marketing and Relations, you want to start with the basics of what gets a new user up and running quickly – your docs, getting-started instructions, sample code, and short tutorials. 

After the MVP items, challenge yourself to be more daring, creative, and experimental. Create a cornucopia of content types that work for your developer audience. Pick from formats like blogs, demos, podcasts, webinars, case studies, guides, infographics, social posts, and newsletters. Go wide across content types initially, and then double down on what works within a preset time. 

Finally, look at how your content can support other related efforts like offline events, open-source contributions, and engagement across social platforms. 

Tone: Your voice on every platform 

William Zinsser’s timeless advice on writing applies just as much to developers as it does to any audience. His four core principles—clarity, brevity, simplicity, and humanity—serve as the foundation for effective communication. Here’s how each one comes into play:

On clarity 

The rule of thumb here is to drop ambiguity. Err on the side of saying too much. Get comfortable with nuances and be specific. Every CTA should be clear. Employ the classic 5W1H for asking and answering questions: who, what, when, where, why, and how.

On brevity 

While it may seem contradictory to the previous point, brevity actually complements clarity. You can deliver a thorough message without being wordy. Skip the fluff and condense long passages into digestible, impactful paragraphs. Brevity helps you get straight to the point, especially when addressing changes or overcoming objections.

On simplicity

Clear thinking is the foundation of simple, effective communication. The way you present your product should reflect this—through straightforward word choice, easy-to-scan content, logical subtopics, and actionable sections.

Use the visual medium to your advantage. Lean on diagrams to convey hard-to-summarize concepts. Developers can assess whether it’s worth lingering on your content with just a quick scan, so don't labor your points any more than you have to.

On humanity

Develop a personality for your writing. Have a strong POV and portray a clear vision. Be a skyscraper in a sea of strip malls. Break through the noise. Employ the lessons of copywriting. Be engaging, empathetic, and shareable. 

Four final tips to help you resonate with developers

Let’s wrap up with four pointers that’ll help you connect with developers. 

1. Get the technical details right 

Let the product take center stage. It's smarter to show the product in action than to simply make claims about its greatness. While we're on claims, back them up with facts and provable proof points. Set the context clearly in every piece and follow it up by writing everything with the utmost transparency. 

2. Play the role of an educator 

Your metric here is time to value. Can you quickly onboard developers? Can you help them make tradeoffs? Can you make it easier for them to solve their own problems? 

Adopt a BLUF (bottom line up front) mentality – what should they know? What should they do? You're educating the developer on what's possible. 

3. Show up consistently 

Consistency isn’t just about frequency—it’s about alignment. Show up in a way that reflects your company’s values and make sure your messaging amplifies the real problems you solve. And remember – content creation is only half the battle; effective distribution ensures it reaches the right audience.

Beyond that, consistency matters. From writing style to naming conventions, maintaining a unified voice strengthens your brand. Make sure your internal guidelines are clear, accessible, and followed across the company.

4. One more time for the people in the back: Stop selling!

Winning over developers is about creating trust, and trust begins with a spirit of generosity. Give first, and you shall receive later. Engage honestly. Refrain from sales-y talk and superfluous adjectives – there’s a place for that, but it’s not in a community of developers. 

Additional resources 

1. Developer Marketing Does Not Exist: The Authentic Guide to Reach a Technical Audience by A. Duvander
2. Developer Relations: How to Build and Grow a Successful Developer Program by C. Lewko and J. Parton 
3. Ask Your Developer: How to Harness the Power of Software Developers and Win in the 21st Century by J. Lawson
4. Developer Marketing and Relations: The Essential Guide by C. Lewko, N. Sauvage, and A. Constantinou
5. Docs for Developers: An Engineer’s Field Guide to Technical Writing by J. Bhatti, S. Corleissen, J. Lambourne, D. Nunez, and H. Waterhouse 
6. Win Over Wizards: A Developer Marketing Handbook by J. Christopher
7. The Developer Facing Startup by Adam Frankl 

In short-form video marketing, brands are constantly seeking new ways to capture consumer attention and drive engagement. A recent research study by Anika Stuppy, Jan Landwehr, and Peter McGraw sheds light on an underappreciated yet powerful tactic: slow motion.

At first glance, the idea seems counterintuitive – shouldn't fast-paced, high-energy content be more effective in our distraction-filled digital landscape? 

However, the study reveals that slow motion can actually enhance consumer evaluations by increasing processing fluency, making content feel easier to watch and more aesthetically appealing. 

As a product marketer who has worked across consumer and enterprise spaces – including improving global revenue by 90% at Carbyne and leveraging behavioral data to drive retention at a major subscription service – I’ve seen firsthand how the right presentation of a product can make all the difference. 

Let’s explore how slow motion can be a game-changer in product marketing.

Why slow motion works in marketing

The study demonstrates that slow motion increases engagement and brand affinity by improving the hedonic experience of content consumption. In other words, when something is easier to process, we enjoy it more. 

This aligns with the psychological concept of processing fluency – the idea that our brains favor stimuli that are easy to understand.

For marketers, this insight presents a unique opportunity. In my experience at Amazon, I observed how subtle creative tweaks in visual storytelling could drive significant increases in consumer engagement. 

Slow motion is one such tweak that enhances the perception of premium quality and desirability.

Think about a luxury car ad where the camera lingers on the smooth curves of the vehicle, or a food brand showcasing a slow-motion drizzle of chocolate – these visuals create an immersive, aspirational experience.

When to use slow motion (and when to avoid it)

While slow motion can be a powerful tool, its effectiveness depends on context. The study highlights key scenarios where it works best:

1. When showcasing complex movements

Slow motion is most effective when applied to content that involves intricate or dynamic movements. For example, a software company that demonstrates a seamless drag-and-drop interface in slow motion can make the interaction more intuitive and polished. 

In my experience working on digital products, we often found that visually simplifying user interactions helped drive adoption – slow motion achieves this effect effortlessly.

2. When highlighting positive, aesthetic content

The research shows that slow motion amplifies positive emotions but can make negative imagery feel even worse. 

This means it works beautifully for aspirational content – fashion brands, sports highlights, or travel videos – but might backfire if applied to less appealing visuals. When positioning a brand as premium or emphasizing elegance, slow motion can create the desired emotional impact.

3. When targeting heuristic thinkers

Consumers who rely on quick, intuitive decision-making are more likely to respond positively to slow-motion content.

This insight is particularly relevant for social media campaigns where viewers are scrolling rapidly.

Slowing things down disrupts the speed and catches attention in an environment where brands compete for every second of screen time.

Practical applications for product marketers

Social media campaigns

Slow-motion clips can make the content feel more polished and luxurious for brands leveraging Instagram Reels, TikTok, or YouTube Shorts. A well-timed slow-motion effect on a product reveal or brand moment can increase perceived quality and shareability.

Brand storytelling and advertising

Whether it’s a cinematic brand film or a short-form ad, slowing down key moments can make a message more memorable.

In my Amazon bestselling book Product Marketing Wisdom, I discuss how perception often drives purchase decisions – slow motion can subtly reinforce a brand’s positioning by making a product feel more refined and desirable.

Carlton Draught's iconic beer advertisement masterfully employs slow-motion cinematography to create a hilarious and memorable visual narrative.

The commercial transforms an ordinary pub moment into a comedic spectacle, playfully capturing the camaraderie and excitement of enjoying a perfectly poured beer while simultaneously celebrating the brand's refreshing appeal.

Sales and product demos

For tech and SaaS marketers, slow motion can help simplify complex product interactions. A zoomed-in slow-motion clip of a seamless app feature can make an otherwise overwhelming user experience feel intuitive and accessible.

How to deliver an effective product demo

Learn how to craft successful and effective product demos that not only look impressive but deliver measurable results.

Product Marketing AllianceCharley Gale

Final thoughts

In a world where speed dominates, strategic slowness can be a differentiator. The research confirms what many of us in product marketing have intuitively observed – presentation matters just as much as the product itself. 

By understanding when and how to use slow motion, brands can create more engaging, visually compelling experiences that drive stronger consumer connections.

So the next time you’re crafting a product video, social campaign, or brand ad, consider whether slowing things down might actually speed up your results.

This article is based on Ryane Bohm’s insightful talk at the Chicago Product Marketing Summit. PMA members can enjoy the complete recording here. 

What makes some brands instantly recognizable while others struggle to stand out? It all comes down to positioning and messaging – the foundation of every great story your company tells.

I’m Ryane Bohm, and if there’s one thing I love about product marketing, it’s the art of storytelling. At Clari, Gong, and Salesforce, I’ve seen firsthand how strong, strategic messaging can make users believe in and connect with a product.

In this article, we’ll break down:

• The difference between positioning and messaging – and why one always comes first.
• The five key ingredients of strong positioning, from differentiation to consistency.
• Real-world examples of what works.

If you want to build messaging that cuts through the noise and drives results, you’re in the right place. Let’s dive in.

Positioning vs. messaging – what’s the difference?

Let’s start with a quick quiz: What’s the difference between positioning and messaging? I’ve heard plenty of sales teams use them interchangeably – maybe you have too – but they’re not the same thing.

Positioning is about where your product fits within an existing market category. What’s your defined market area? What’s the internal reference point that everything else builds from?

Messaging is how you externalize that positioning – it’s the art of defining what you’re going to say and who you’re going to say it to. In short, it’s about how you tell your story.

Positioning and messaging are two sides of the same coin, but positioning always comes first.

Why you’ve got to get your positioning right

Your go-to-market (GTM) metrics – from top-of-funnel awareness to post-sales engagement – are all directly shaped by your positioning. It’s the foundation that everything else is built on.

There’s an ongoing debate in PMM about whether we’re even in the right department. Perhaps, rather than sitting under marketing, we sit under product or sales. After all, when you look at our metrics, they don’t align with marketing alone; they tie into go-to-market strategy and product adoption and usage.

That’s the reality of product marketing – we’re the hub with all the spokes, touching every part of the business. That means we have to nail our positioning and messaging. No half-measures or room for guesswork.

Great messaging stems from great positioning. Jumping straight into a pitch deck, a blog post, or social media content without a solid foundation? That’s a mistake. You need consistency. You need a clear brand voice. You need to know exactly who you’re talking to and why.

It’s easy to get excited about the fun stuff – writing blog posts, crafting snappy social media copy, putting together a flashy deck – but positioning comes first.

The good news? There are plenty of simple ways to get it right. PMA has a ton of templates, and plenty of other people have created their own. No matter what approach you take, positioning needs to be your starting point.

Product positioning template | Free Download

A structured approach for developing a clear and compelling value proposition, ensuring your product stands out in the market.

Product Marketing AllianceJames Shaw

The five key ingredients for clear and compelling positioning

To help you nail this vital element of your strategy, I’ve put together a simple checklist – the five key ingredients for strong positioning and messaging:

1. Know your target market: Seems obvious, right? But it’s worth repeating. Everything starts here.
2. Be crystal clear: Clarity beats cleverness every time. You don’t want to rely on jargon or jump straight into being funny. I love humor, but clarity comes first.
3. Tap into emotion: People buy with their hearts before they buy with their wallets. Speak to that.
4. Differentiate or die: My CEO says this all the time, and he’s right. SaaS competition is exploding. Differentiation is tough, and using the same old jargon won’t help. Everyone’s AI-powered. Everyone’s doing more with less. Those phrases won’t set you apart.
5. Stay consistent across all channels. Your brand voice should be unified, no matter where you’re speaking – no exceptions.

Now, let’s take a closer look at each of these ingredients.

1. Know your target market

Understanding your audience isn’t just about gathering data – it’s about actively listening. Your best insights will come from talking to real people:

• Happy customers want to see you succeed. Keep a list of friendly contacts who are willing to share feedback, help you refine messaging, and participate in win/loss analysis.
• Unhappy customers can be just as valuable. They may need a little incentive, but they’ll tell you why they chose a competitor over you or stuck with the status quo.
• Field reps are low-hanging fruit. They want to close deals, so they’re highly motivated to share what’s working (and what isn’t) in your messaging.

It’s also important to know your competition inside and out. This isn’t just about understanding them – it’s about knowing their strengths and weaknesses as well as your own. The better you understand their pitfalls, the easier it is to highlight your advantages.

Leveraging listening channels

To truly know your market, you need multiple sources of insight. Product marketing might not own every channel, but you have access to more than you think. Here are just a few key sources:

PMMnow is your chance to stream exclusive talks and presentations, hosted by product marketing experts and industry leaders.

It's a unique opportunity to watch the most sought-after product marketing content – ordinarily reserved for PMA Pro members. Each stream delves deep into a key product marketing topic, industry trend, or case study. Simply sign up to watch any of our upcoming live sessions.

🎥 Access exclusive talks and presentations
✅ Develop your understanding of key topics and trends
🗣 Hear from experienced product marketing leaders
👨‍💻 Enjoy regular in-depth sessions

Date: April 24, 2025
Time: 6:00pm BST | 2:00pm EDT
Location: Online

Data alone doesn’t drive action—stories do.

In a world overflowing with information, the ability to translate raw data into compelling narratives is a game-changer for marketers.

Join us for an exclusive session with Murjanatu Mutuwa as she unpacks the art of data-driven storytelling. From securing a role at Walmart with a single data insight to shaping strategies at eBay, Google, and Walmart, Murjanatu’s journey is a testament to the power of storytelling in business.

In this session, you’ll discover:

📊 The storytelling edge – Learn how to craft narratives that make data meaningful and memorable.
🎯 Driving decisions – Use data-backed stories to influence stakeholders and power your marketing campaigns.
💡 Lessons from the field – Real-world insights from a career at top global companies.

Meet the speaker:

Murjanatu Mutuwa, Product Marketing Lead, Walmart

Murjanatu is a strategic product marketing leader at Walmart Data Ventures, specializing in product positioning, messaging, and go-to-market strategy. With a data-driven approach, she bridges market needs with product offerings to drive growth. Passionate about storytelling, DEI, and creativity, she thrives on building connections and crafting impactful marketing strategies.