This article is based on Jasmine’s appearance on the Product Marketing Life podcast. Listen to the episode in its full glory here! Since appearing on the show, she's ascended the ranks at Intercom, and is now the company's Director of Product Marketing - awesome work, Jasmine!  

Hi there! I'm Jasmine Jaume, Group Product Marketing Manager for Intercom’s core product marketing team and developer platform.

I'm excited to share with you what a typical day looks like for me in this role. We'll also dive into some of the lessons I’ve learned throughout my career, as well as some product marketing best practices not to follow.

Let’s get into it.

A day in the life of a Group Product Marketing Manager

I promised you a glimpse into a typical day in my role. However, as you’ve likely noticed, there’s really no such thing as a “typical” day in the life of a product marketer, so we’ll be focusing on what I got up to yesterday.

For context, we've just kicked off our new financial year, so we're doing lots of planning – both at a company level and for the marketing team.

Personally, I've been working on our story and overarching messaging and fine-tuning our messaging hierarchy. We're also kicking off a bunch of new projects, which is exciting. In fact, yesterday we launched our API 2.0 – a pretty major update.

Yesterday’s launch was run by two people on my team, Ashley and Mark. They're the PMMs who focus on the app ecosystem. The launch had two main aspects: one targeting partners and one targeting customers. It went out early in the morning. Ashley and Mark were mostly managing it, but I checked the messages to ensure everything was running smoothly. That was the first task of the morning.

After that, there were a bunch of meetings throughout the day. Firstly, we had a meeting with our head of platform partnerships and our head of sales in EMEA, who is also overseeing business development on the app side.

We then met with a potential partner, but those details have to stay hush-hush for now. We also had a monthly meeting with our sales enablement team to discuss the upcoming annual sales kickoff and which parts PMMs should attend.

Later, I had a meeting with Shane, the SVP of Marketing, to discuss the story work I'm doing. We had a free-form brainstorming session to determine how we describe Intercom and made good progress there. Then Jonathan from our team conducted a sales training session on pricing, so I attended to see how we're training the sales team and to provide moral support.

After that, I met with Christine, our other group PMM. We have a weekly check-in to align our goals and discuss projects we need to coordinate on.

We recently hired a new senior director of product marketing, but before that, Christine and I were overseeing the team while searching for a director, so it was even more important for us to establish a rhythm of communication to ensure everything ran smoothly.

My last meeting of the day was a slightly random one, where I helped a colleague write a Boolean query for a social media tool. That’s the type of query used to find mentions of your brand. We're setting up a new social media tool, and since I used to work on a social media tool at Brandwatch, I offered some tips on writing the query.

Outside of meetings, I did a lot of bits and pieces. Much of my day involved reviewing and responding to emails, talking to people, and sending reminders about goal setting since it's the start of the quarter and we need to finalize them. We're kicking off our performance review season too, so I spent some time yesterday ensuring people followed the necessary steps to request reviews.

On top of that, I reviewed some testimonial copy and looked at some launch materials. I also reviewed our new roadmap, which the product team recently shared. On the more tactical side, I assisted in writing tooltips copy – short explanations of product features.

As you can see, my day was pretty varied! From collaborating on launches and partnerships to engaging with colleagues and managing ongoing projects, each day as a product marketing manager presents unique challenges and opportunities.

The variety is what makes product marketing such an exciting role. You get to try so many different things and interact with so many different people across the business. Every day is unique, so it never gets old or boring – there are always new things to work on.

There are a few constants in my day as a Group Product Marketing Manager – things like one-to-ones with my team members and our director of product marketing. I also have regular meetings with my counterparts on the product management side. Every day is slightly different, but those meetings happen come rain or shine.

Of course, there are days when I wish I had fewer meetings and more focused time, especially when I’m diving into meaty projects or engaging in strategic work.

However, having those meetings and talking to other teams is a core aspect of my role. As a manager, it's my responsibility to ensure my team is set up for success and that we coordinate effectively with other departments.

Staying organized and embracing flexibility in product marketing

With so many tasks and responsibilities for product marketers to juggle, it can be hard to stay organized. Personally, I find it helpful to have a to-do list. I also use a tool called Coda to manage all my tasks.

I’ve established a routine where I start the morning by checking my emails and Slack, reviewing my to-do list, and taking a look at my calendar. This helps me ground myself and gain clarity on what I need to accomplish for the day.

There're so many moving parts and back-to-back meetings, and it's easy to feel a bit lost and uncertain about what needs to be done. So, on the practical side, staying organized and understanding your priorities is essential.

On the less practical side, it's all about mindset. Being flexible and adaptable is key in product marketing, both in the general sense and particularly in startup environments where things are constantly evolving. Learning to embrace and even enjoy that variety is crucial.

We’ve already touched on how one of the defining aspects of product marketing is the opportunity to engage in a wide range of tasks and collaborate with diverse individuals. You have to see the positive side of that while also accepting that it presents certain challenges.

My product marketing mantra

Some people might disagree with me on this, but I have always said that you should err on the side of over-communication in product marketing. A big part of our role is sharing information with others, whether it's providing insights to the product team or training sales on a new launch – you name it.

The thing is, you often have to repeat things to make sure they really sink in. You can't just assume someone caught that one Slack message or email you sent. Especially when you're working on hectic launches and coordinating multiple teams, it's crucial to keep everyone in the loop at all times. That's where staying organized, having a trusty to-do list, and honing those project management skills come into play.

Communication is not only about keeping people informed, but it also builds trust. You want others to know they can rely on you, so they don't feel left out or confused. Plus, it helps you get your message across more effectively and be more impactful.

So, sticking to this approach of open and frequent communication has always been something I've tried to follow. It just makes the whole product marketing process smoother and ensures everyone is on the same page.

If I’d known then what I know now…

Like many PMMs, I ended up in product marketing somewhat by accident. While I was working as a social media manager in a content-focused position at Brandwatch, a role came up for someone to handle product marketing. I was like, "I know a lot about the product, and that sounds fun – I'll do it."

Looking back, if I could talk to past-me, I’d advise her to learn more about the different types of product marketing. There are so many different strains; some are more sales enablement focused, some are more product-focused initiatives, some are go-to-market focused, and others are more brand focused.

If I could redo the early part of my product marketing career, I’d spend more time talking to other PMMs, learning about their experiences, and gaining insights into the different facets of product marketing within various companies.

That would've helped me better identify which aspects I enjoyed the most or wanted to pursue. Although I've enjoyed exploring different types of product marketing, figuring that out earlier on would've been helpful.

Another thing I would emphasize is the importance of learning beyond the realm of product marketing itself.

In order to grow into a leadership position and become a marketing team leader, you need to understand how demand gen works, how the sales team works, and how the company's goals and financials work. This holistic knowledge lets you lead much more effectively from a go-to-market perspective.

Product marketing best practices not to follow

Continuing with the theme of things I wish I’d known when I started my product marketing career, I want to share a few common best practices that I wouldn’t necessarily recommend product marketers follow.

The first one is about being benefits-focused rather than just describing features. Now, focusing on the benefits is sound advice, and as product marketers, we should aim to highlight the value our products bring to customers. But I do think there's a version of this that can go too far.

In B2B, if you keep asking "why" for every benefit, like, "Why is that good? And why is that good?" you'll often end up with a response like, "It'll make you more money!" It just becomes so far removed from what you’re actually selling that it’s meaningless. So, yes, be benefits-focused, but find the right level and ensure it's still connected to what you're actually selling. Avoid going so far that it feels like fluff.

The other thing I want to mention, which might not be advice people give, but happens very frequently, is letting product teams take the lead on product launches without involving product marketing enough.

It's crucial to make sure product marketing has a say in decisions and influences the roadmap. This includes aspects like launch dates, determining the best time to launch, and even naming.

It can be challenging to insert yourself into these discussions, especially in product-led companies, but you have to if you want to drive value.

Key takeaways

Let’s wrap up with a few key lessons to remember:

💼 No day is typical for a product marketer! It's a dynamic and diverse role that keeps you on your toes.

💡 Over-communication is the name of the game. Keep everyone informed and build trust through open and frequent communication.

📅 Stay organized and embrace flexibility. Being adaptable is essential in the ever-changing world of product marketing.

🌟 Explore different types of product marketing to find your passion. Talk to other PMMs and learn from their experiences.

💡 Expand your knowledge beyond product marketing. Understand the broader marketing landscape to become a well-rounded leader.

📣 Be benefits-focused but strike a balance. Highlight the value your product brings without getting lost in fluffy jargon.

🚀 Make sure product marketing has a seat at the table. Be involved in launches and strategic decisions to drive success.

🌱 Keep learning and embrace the exciting evolution of product marketing.

Now, here's a challenge for you: Take a moment to reflect on your own journey and consider how you can apply these insights.

How will you incorporate over-communication, organization, and flexibility into your daily activities? How will you explore different aspects of product marketing and expand your knowledge?

It’s time to embrace the challenge and embark on a path of growth and impact. Let's go!