Product Marketing Team Structures: Who You Need, When To Hire & How To Grow

Product marketing teams are responsible for driving sales success and overall product marketing strategy in a company. Their roles include product launch marketing, go-to-market strategy, sales enablement materials, content marketing, target audience research, content partnerships, market research, user research, ideal customer profiles (ICPs), brand awareness initiatives, marketing analytics & reporting, lead generation, demand generation, implementing growth tactics, and community management. The structure of a product marketing team in successful SaaS companies depends on factors such as company culture, team size, and growth goals. Typical roles within the team include Product Marketing Manager, Content Manager, Partnerships Manager, Growth Lead, Researcher/Data Analyst, and Marketing Strategist. The team's structure also varies depending on whether a SaaS is sales-led or product-led, marketing budget, marketing strategy, product learning curve, and product development stage. To build a product marketing team from scratch, assess your current situation by considering factors such as expected/needed growth rate, product maturity stage, go-to-market strategy, and immediate & long-term goals. Place the product marketing team within the product department and consider internal hires if necessary. For roles that can help with non-business-critical goals, consider hiring freelancers or outsourcing tasks. When deciding who to hire next for your product marketing team, prioritize roles based on business needs and growth plans. Consider generic marketing roles such as growth managers, social media managers, PPC specialists, affiliate/partnership roles, copywriters, graphic designers, and community managers.