As a product marketer, you need to use various tools and software to plan, launch, and promote your products effectively. But how do you select the right ones for your goals, budget, and resources? In this article, we will share some tips and criteria to help you choose the best marketing tools for your products.
Before you start browsing and comparing different marketing tools, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve with them. What are the main challenges and pain points that you face in your product marketing process? What are the key metrics and outcomes that you want to measure and improve? What are the specific features and functions that you need from your tools? By answering these questions, you can narrow down your options and focus on the tools that can solve your problems and support your goals.
For a product marketer, the strategic acquisition of diverse tools and software is imperative to strategize, initiate, and optimize product campaigns. A comprehensive assessment of tools requires a clear delineation of challenges encountered within the workflows, identification of measurable KPIs, and an enumeration of specific functionalities imperative for the tools. Initiating the tool selection process mandates a thorough analysis of distinct attributes including user-friendliness, scalability, interoperability with existing systems, and the robustness of customer support services. The pivotal step involves tailoring the tool assortment to the contextual requirements, enhancing the efficiency of our product marketing endeavors.
Choose marketing tools that reach your target audience, fit your budget, and align with your company's positioning. Isn't that simple ? The target audience is the most important factor to consider, as you need to choose tools that will reach them where they are and deliver messages in a way that resonates with them. Budget is also an important consideration, as marketing tools can range in price from free to thousands of dollars per month. You need to choose tools that fit your budget and that provide the features and functionality you need. Finally, you need to consider your company positioning. If you are a high-end luxury brand, you may want to choose different marketing tools than a budget-friendly brand.
As a Product Marketer choosing relevant tools, first make sure you don't go overboard by adding too many tools which you can't use and make sense of. Basic set for current requirements (analytics, CRM, marketing automation/remarketing, chat bot) along with some future-focused A.I tools that will ultimately harness the data you collect should be good enough. Also, choice of a particular tool is a critical decision as these tools have built-in exit barriers incase you decide to port in the future. So make sure you do the right homework before commissioning. In terms of expected outcomes, every tools should have some quantifiable metric to determine if it's worth it or not. All the best.
In my experience, marketing tools to be selected in product marketing is determined by the type of products, the segment of demand, what you clearly want to achieve which are your clear goals and most importantly your budget which aligns with economic factors or cost which when looked into critically would determine which marketing tool best fits and the outcome of that marketing campaign
Finding out about the preferences, buying habits, lifestyle, etc. of the target audience is the first stage before launching the product or comparing marketing strategies. After analysing this, it's the idea to use marketing automation platforms that are easy to use, have built-in AI, are 360° accessible, etc. to engage your audience. It is necessary to advance the marketing process, support achieving business objectives, and ensure customer satisfaction.
Another important factor to consider when selecting marketing tools is your budget. How much can you afford to spend on your tools without compromising your profitability and ROI? How do you justify your investment and demonstrate its value to your stakeholders? How do you compare the pricing and plans of different tools and find the best fit for your needs? You need to balance your budget with your expected benefits and look for tools that offer transparent, flexible, and scalable pricing models.
Its critical that you compare apples with apples when looking at the cost of marketing tools and software. Some may have cheaper monthly fees, but place limits on users, contacts or how many marketing messages can be sent before having to dip into your wallet again. Consider your needs here. For example, if you have a product that appeals to a small niche than a tool that has limits on how many contacts you have might work for you. But if it's a numbers game, then choose tools that don't add additional costs for a large audience or a large number of marketing messages.
From my personal experience when evaluating the budget for marketing tools, it's important to consider the potential return on investment (ROI) for each channel. This means looking at how much revenue or profit you can expect to generate from each marketing effort, compared to the cost of executing that effort. By focusing on channels with a high potential ROI, you can ensure that your marketing budget is being used effectively and efficiently. It's also important to track metrics like click-through rates and conversion rates to evaluate the effectiveness of each marketing tool and make adjustments as needed.
Remember that flexibility is key when selecting marketing tools. Stay informed about new trends and technologies in the marketing industry to adapt your strategy accordingly. Continuously analyze data and feedback to refine your approach and ensure that your marketing tools are effectively promoting your products to the right audience.
While evaluating your Budget, you Must define the outcome - This is difficult Defining outcomes for Marketing tools is a challenge. You may go wrong - However try and define it -
Budgeting is another crucial aspect to consider; opt for tools that offer good value for their cost. Additionally, prioritize user-friendliness and reliable customer support when selecting resources. It's important to choose tools that are easy to use and backed by responsive assistance when needed. Remember, the success of your marketing plan hinges greatly on the selection of the right marketing tools.
Once you have defined your needs and budget, you can start researching your options and see what tools are available in the market. You can use various sources and methods to find and evaluate potential tools, such as online reviews, ratings, testimonials, case studies, demos, trials, referrals, recommendations, etc. You can also use some criteria to compare and rank different tools, such as ease of use, integration, customization, support, security, updates, etc. You need to do your homework and gather as much information and feedback as possible before making a decision.
- Identify tools using reviews, forums, and social media (e.g., Google Analytics) - Scrutinize reviews for relevance (e.g., A/B tool reviews) - Seek case studies (e.g., influencer tool impact) - Utilize demos/trials (e.g., marketing automation) - Define comparison criteria (e.g., integration, security) - Rank with scores (e.g., CRM integration) - Centralize info (e.g., features, pricing) - Seek team feedback (e.g., content tool) - Analyse scores and insights for effective decision-making
When integrating a marketing tool, user-friendliness is key. A tool that is easy to use can save time and reduce the learning curve for your team. Ideally, you want a plug-and-play solution that minimizes the need for extensive training and simplifies integration, thereby reducing budget impact. Choosing a non-user-friendly solution can result in wasted budget on a tool that no one uses, leading to inefficiency and lost opportunities.
Researching Options is very Important - AIDCA are the conventional steps - There are different options for the marketing tools at different stages . Align your Needs with available tools .
When researching options, my favorite place to start are reviews, and I always look beyond the "stars," and first few reviews. The negative reviews are where I sometimes find gold. I feel negative reviews help you narrow down your options even more. Sometimes for me, another person's bad review isn't something I particularly care about. I also use older negative reviews to see if the provider has either already corrected the problem or can confirm the solution is part of their 3-6 month roadmap.
Most marketing tools do similar tasks, but each will have something unique about them that makes them seem special. Remember when Apple launched the voice assistant Siri for the first time? Every body wanted the iPhone because they had to have Siri. The reality is very few ever used Siri. Similarly don't be blinded by a novel feature. Decide what is most important, what will make the biggest impact on your results, and evaluate any tool you are considering based on that.
Another crucial step in selecting marketing tools is to test them in action and see how they work for your products. You can use free trials, demos, or sandbox environments to try out different features and functions of your tools and see how they perform in real scenarios. You can also involve your team members, customers, or partners in the testing process and get their opinions and suggestions. You need to check if the tools meet your expectations, solve your problems, and deliver your desired results.
Testing marketing tools is crucial for making informed decisions. The famous A/B testing allows us to compare different ad creatives or channels and track metrics like engagement and ROI. By analyzing results, we can refine our strategy and improve overall marketing efforts. But you need to remember that testing is an iterative process that helps ensure marketing efforts are effective and aligned with your target audience's preferences.
Here's how I typically approach it: Begin with the Plan: Everything starts with a clear marketing plan. I sketch out our main strategies, ensuring I know our direction. Prioritize Tasks: With the plan in hand, I zone in on crucial tasks. It might be email marketing one month or blog marketing the next. The idea is to always know where our focus should be. Test the Waters: There's a myriad of tools out there, and I believe in trying them out. Whether it's a new email marketing software or a blog analytics tool, I'll test it to see how it aligns with our needs.
The best way to evaluate product marketing tools is to test them yourself. Most tools offer free trials or demos that allow you to try them out and see how they work for your product marketing needs. You can use this opportunity to explore the features and functionality of the tools, as well as to ask questions and get feedback from the vendors or providers. You can also ask for references or case studies from other customers who use the tools.
Testing tools is very important - But have clarity about what are you testing for. Test for different keywords and different Purposes, different Positioning Options, and Different Segments as well.
Testing tools in real-world scenarios is a crucial step in my selection process. I use free trials, demos, or sandbox environments to evaluate how each tool performs with my products. I also involve team members, customers, or partners to gather their feedback and insights. This hands-on approach helps me ensure the tools meet my expectations, solve key challenges, and deliver the results I’m aiming for.
After you have selected and implemented your marketing tools, you need to optimize them and make sure they are aligned with your product marketing strategy and objectives. You need to monitor and measure the performance and impact of your tools and see if they are helping you achieve your goals and improve your metrics. You need to also update and upgrade your tools regularly and keep up with the latest trends and best practices. You need to constantly evaluate and improve your tools and make sure they are adding value to your products.
In my early days in Digital marketing, I joined a fast-growing E-com company that deals with printing. Initially setting up email, social media, and analytics tools, I focused on engagement. As results plateaued, I delved into tool data, reallocating resources to high-performing strategies. Recognizing the evolving marketing landscape, I embraced webinars, blogs, and networking to stay current. I also leveraged video content's rise, crafting captivating product showcases, leading to remarkable engagement and sales growth. My optimization efforts promoted success through A/B testing, social experiments, and tool upgrades. The dedication, evaluation, adaptation, and strategic alignment of tools underscored their value in product marketing.
In my experience, Once the tool is selected, continuously optimize tool usage. Understand the tool's full potential and regularly update your team on new features. SEMrush, for instance, not only provides SEO insights but also offers tools for social media management and advertising. So, You can use all the features for other campaigns.
Consider the nature of your products and the best way to showcase their unique features. Tailor your marketing tools to highlight what sets your products apart from competitors. Test different tools to see which ones resonate most with your audience and drive the highest engagement and conversions. Monitor the performance of each tool closely and make adjustments as needed to optimize your marketing strategy.
Optimizing your marketing tools is another important aspect of successful marketing results and outcomes. What is optimizing in digital era ? Optimizing in digital era is is all about using proper keywords - What is the source of keywords ? Business Value analytics is the first important step -This is strategic pathways for getting powerful keywords . Once you align your keywords with your Business Value of your products - no one can stop you from getting powerful results .
Optimise is essential, but I would say onboard yourself properly. Do the training, watch the videos it pays off in the longterm you will be a super user of the product and get the most benefits.
AI is the X factor and not just a buzz word. Flexibility and scalability will be improved with the proper usage of AI. Leveraging and testing AI solutions now will help all teams and tools be ready for the inevitable future. The gap between the novice and experts will never be closer than today in the realm of AI so now is the time to jump in smartly. Use your research, insights and experts to choose tools and add-ons to prep for a winning strategy that is future proof.
Before you do anything else, clearly define the goals. Why? Because the tools you use need to align with those goals, so defining them lets you to focus on what tools you'll need. New marketing tools are constantly being developed, so take the time to research and evaluate them. Don't be afraid to investigate the new AI tools, because AI can streamline a lot of tasks that the current generation of tools haven't updated or automated. Consider using integrated platforms, as they may provide you with a broader set of tools than purchasing individual tools. They also provide additional features you wanted, but couldn't afford, as well as having analytics built in, making it easier to pass data between different the different tools.
You've to consider about Integration: Ensure that the tools you choose can seamlessly integrate with your existing systems. For instance, HubSpot provides an all-in-one platform that integrates marketing, sales, and customer service. Scalability: Choose tools that can grow with your business. Salesforce, a CRM tool, is scalable and widely used by businesses of all sizes. Customer Support: Consider the quality of customer support provided by the tool. HubSpot, for example, is known for its excellent customer service, offering assistance through various channels. Security: Prioritize tools that adhere to security standards, especially when dealing with customer data. Slack, a team collaboration tool, prioritizes security and compliance.
Selecting marketing tools for your products involves a strategic approach tailored to your target audience, budget, and objectives. Here's a concise guide: Know Your Audience: Understand who your target customers are, their preferences, behaviors, and where they spend their time online. Set Clear Goals: Define specific, measurable objectives such as increasing brand awareness, generating leads, or boosting sales. Research Available Tools: Explore a variety of marketing tools including social media platforms, email marketing software, SEO tools, advertising platforms, etc. Evaluate Effectiveness: Consider the effectiveness of each tool based on factors like cost, reach, engagement metrics, and ROI.
WHO are your selling to? WHY do they buy it? HOW do they buy it? ARE you selling direct or via channel partners? These are the starting points to select the right tool for the job. Most martech tools are designed for the direct marketer; however most business, most marketing is through others (B2B); therefore, your partners need to use tools you like/use so you can talk in the same language and manage the customer journey. Which leads us the the first tool...Customer Journey Mapping.