Last updated on Jul 17, 2024

You're working on product marketing deadlines. How do you ensure stakeholder expectations are met?

When you're entrenched in the world of product marketing, meeting deadlines is as crucial as the marketing strategies themselves. Ensuring that stakeholder expectations are met requires a blend of clear communication, meticulous planning, and flexibility. Deadlines are not just about ticking off tasks on a schedule; they are about delivering quality work that aligns with the strategic goals of both the product and the company. By keeping stakeholders informed and involved throughout the marketing process, you can navigate the tight turns of deadline-driven projects with confidence and success.

1 Define Goals

Understanding and defining clear marketing goals at the outset is paramount. You need to establish what success looks like for each stakeholder, which may vary depending on their role within the organization. This involves setting SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals that align with the broader objectives of the product launch or campaign. Clear goals not only provide a roadmap for your marketing efforts but also serve as a benchmark to measure progress and success against, ensuring everyone's expectations are aligned from the start.

Add your perspective

S.Huei F.

🎯 Multilingual Chartered Marketer in Tech Driving Regional Growth | 🚀 Scaling Marketplaces with Agile Innovation | 🤖 Fusing Next-Gen AI with SaaS | ✍🏻️ Cutting-Edge Insights in Modern Marketing & Tech Trends |
Report contribution
Crafting SMART goals became our compass during a high-stakes product launch. By utilizing Trello for transparent task management and BuzzSumo for real-time content analytics, we navigated through the murky waters of digital marketing with precision. Trello kept our strategies on track, ensuring each task was specific, measurable, and time-bound, while BuzzSumo's insights into what content performed best helped us refine our approach, achieving relevance and attainability. This dual-tool strategy didn’t just align our team; it transformed our launch into a benchmark of success, proving that clarity in goals, paired with the right tech, can turn aspirations into tangible achievements.

Like

2 Plan Thoroughly

A comprehensive plan is your roadmap to meeting deadlines without compromising on the quality of your product marketing efforts. Start by breaking down the project into manageable tasks, assigning responsibilities, and setting interim milestones. Use tools like Gantt charts or project management software to visualize the timeline and dependencies between tasks. This will help you anticipate bottlenecks and allocate resources effectively. Remember, a good plan is flexible; it allows for adjustments as you progress and as circumstances change.

Add your perspective

Priyanka Mandhyan, MBA (STEM)

Product Marketing at Hexus | Success Catalyst | GTM, Research, Cross-functional Alignment | I create customer acquisition strategies for B2B SaaS Companies
Report contribution
Something that can help planning and keep the strategy flexible is to create a risks and mitigations chart. Some risks can be identified early in the planning process by walking through the entire process in your head and identifying the most likely instances of failure while some risks can be identified later on during the execution of the strategy. For example, if you see a trend in negative customer responses to your product launch assets, it's important to recognize it quickly, assess the risk, and change course.

Like

3 Communicate Regularly

Regular communication with stakeholders is non-negotiable. Update them on progress, potential delays, and any changes that may affect the deadline. Use status reports, meetings, or project dashboards to keep information flowing. This not only builds trust but also ensures that stakeholders have the opportunity to provide input or request changes early on, which can be integrated into the project without causing significant disruptions.

Add your perspective

Kirsty Finlayson

Director of Product Marketing + Content @ Chameleon, the deepest product adoption platform 🦎
Report contribution
If you're not keeping people in the loop with what's happening, your launch will go off track. I'm not a fan of having meetings to check in; instead, I like sharing daily updates on Slack or posting Looms with ~2 minute walkthroughs of where you're at. This will help you stay close to those working closely alongside you on the project, but it will also allow others to follow along more passively and give async feedback.

Like

4 Manage Resources

Efficient resource management is critical in meeting deadlines. This means not only managing your team's time and workload but also any external vendors or tools you rely on. Ensure that everyone has what they need to complete their tasks effectively and on time. If resources are stretched thin, prioritize tasks based on their impact and urgency. Sometimes, this may mean making tough decisions about what to focus on, but these are necessary to keep the project on track.

Add your perspective

5 Monitor Progress

Monitoring progress against your plan is essential to stay on schedule. Use key performance indicators (KPIs) and regular check-ins to assess where you are against where you need to be. If you're falling behind or veering off course, don't hesitate to reassess your plan and make necessary adjustments. Keeping a close eye on progress allows you to identify issues early and address them before they escalate into major setbacks.

Add your perspective

6 Be Adaptable

Flexibility is a crucial trait in product marketing. Despite the best-laid plans, unexpected challenges will arise. When they do, being able to adapt quickly is key to meeting deadlines. This might involve reallocating resources, adjusting strategies, or even redefining what success looks like. The ability to pivot without losing sight of your goals ensures that stakeholder expectations are met, even when the path to get there changes.

Add your perspective

Harsh Gupta

MBA Student | Digital Marketing | Helping businesses reduce their marketing efforts
Report contribution
Ensure that goals and deadlines are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound). Break down the project into smaller, manageable tasks with specific deadlines, ensuring they are achievable by the team. Effective communication is crucial—set up regular meetings with stakeholders to discuss progress, address concerns, and clearly define goals, roles, responsibilities, and expectations from the start. Monitor progress regularly to ensure a smooth workflow within the team.

Like

You're working on product marketing deadlines. How do you ensure stakeholder expectations are met?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Define Goals

2 Plan Thoroughly

3 Communicate Regularly

4 Manage Resources

5 Monitor Progress

6 Be Adaptable

Product Marketing

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

More articles on Product Marketing

More relevant reading

You're working on product marketing deadlines. How do you ensure stakeholder expectations are met?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Define Goals

2 Plan Thoroughly

3 Communicate Regularly

4 Manage Resources

5 Monitor Progress

6 Be Adaptable

Product Marketing

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

Explore Other Skills