Articles
A freelance product manager can
By Carsten Bjerregaard, founder of Marketingcapacity.dk (Feel free to link to this article. Copying/publishing without agreement is not allowed)
A product manager is responsible for the development and marketing of a product. On all parameters and throughout the product lifecycle from cradle to grave. From product development or update to packaging, distribution, profiling, campaigns, digital presence, customer service, complaints, etc. A good product manager lives and breathes their professional life with the product in mind. Preoccupied with satisfying customer needs and desires in the best possible way.
What is product management?
Product management is a 360-degree discipline. The product manager keeps track of all phases of the ongoing product lifecycle:
- Market overview
- How is the market in which the product operates covered?
- Geographically, demographically, need-wise, price-wise?
- Who are competitors, how are they positioned and what can they do?
- Customer insights
- What needs and wants do customers have for products in this category?
- What are they clear about and what wants and needs are they moving towards?
- How does my product meet these needs?
- How do customers perceive my product?
- Strategic planning
- How does the product fit into the company's overall strategy?
- What strategic opportunities can the product leverage?
- Business case development
- o What can/should we do with our product and what are the expected economics?
- Ideation
- What could you imagine customers want?
- What new features or dimensions could our product have that would attract or satisfy more customers?
- Testing
- How do we pre-test these ideas before we develop them?
- For example, can we create prototypes?
- Innovation
- Developing new products or product variants that meet customer needs or wants in a new and more attractive way
- Distribution planning
- Where should we sell the product?
- Marketing planning
- Execution
- Marketing planner
- Allocation of budgets
- Briefing agencies and freelancers
- Buying media exposure
- Implementation
- Follow-up and measurement of impact in relation to e.g. KPIs
- Sales
- Market shares
- Awareness, Interest, Desire, Action
... to describe the job in headlines. Alongside these functions and tasks, the product manager has a number of ad-hoc tasks. Perhaps the legal department needs to be notified or approve new initiatives. Unexpected opportunities may arise, such as requests for relevant sponsorships. Competitors may launch new variants that need to be considered.
In reality, the product manager is the voice of the customer in the company
Everything starts and ends with the customer. And if we follow the now classic formulations of what the purpose of a business is, it's about winning, satisfying and retaining a customer. In this sense, the product is a means to an end.
However, companies don't always have the necessary focus on the customer. Or that they are sufficiently focused on making sure that this particular product satisfies customers in the best possible way. That's where the product manager comes in. The product manager is the customer's ambassador. It is the product manager's job to make sure that the company invests enough in the product. That they take it seriously enough. That they do everything they can to keep the product relevant, functional and attractive to customers.
Of course, the product manager doesn't do this alone. It's usually done in close collaboration with:
- Sales
- Marketing
- Distribution
- Advertising agencies
- Freelancers
- Creatives, copywriters, graphic designers, ADs, digital specialists, etc.
- Specialists
- Brand managers
- Customer service
- Management
- Legal department
- Product development
- Analysis department
- Other product managers
... all in relation to the size of the company. In large, international companies, there are many interfaces, stakeholders, restrictions, processes and guidelines compared to the smaller, Danish company.
The product manager is the internal salesperson, fighter, warrior and project manager for everything related to the product. And for their target audience.
What else is a product manager called?
Marketing titles and roles can differ between companies in different industries and categories. The product manager role may overlap or border on roles such as marketing manager, marketing manager, product manager, product owner or others.
How does a product manager create value?
A product manager creates value by putting intention behind a product throughout its entire lifecycle. From launch through market penetration to relaunch. The product manager drives their product forward. Through the company, through any reseller channels and out into the market.
And the value of his work can be measured in:
- More units sold
- Increased market share
- Market share in adjacent categories
- Higher price per unit
- Increase revenue per unit - e.g. by streamlining distribution
- Greater preference in target groups
- Higher brand equity
What does a product manager need to know?
The skill set of a good product manager is similar to that of an elite athlete:
- Targeted
- Ambitious
- Overview - must be able to accommodate the entire problem set
- Analytical by nature - product management is very much about analyzing what can be done better, where problems will occur and what can be done to solve them
- Good communicator - must be precise in their requests and requirements and be able to motivate other stakeholders
- Persistence - the long haul
- Sense of urgency - something needs to happen now
- Initiative rich - a great product manager is constantly initiating activities
- Creative - as part of problem solving, it is an advantage if the product manager can and dares to think outside the box
It's a long list of personal skills, but it's also a complex task and a huge responsibility that falls on the product manager. Professionally, he also needs to have his ducks in a row:
- Marketing overview
- Project management
- Trouble shooting
- Strategic planning
- Execution of the different marketing disciplines
- Knowledge of specialist areas such as art direction, copywriting, media, SEO etc.
Why a freelance product manager?
In the past, most people might have thought of freelancers for one-off projects. However, many companies have now realized the benefits of working with freelancers on a long-term basis:
- You can cover needs that don't justify a permanent position
- In periods when you don't need it, you don't pay for the skill
- In a long-term relationship, the freelancer gets to know the company almost as well as a permanent employee
- Compared to buying the desired skill set from an agency - such as an advertising agency - working with freelancers is usually much cheaper
- You have the flexibility to rethink the overall competency profile of the person responsible for an area
- More and more really talented people prefer to work freelance
- A freelancer can still look at your business 'from the outside' - which is a valuable thing when thinking about creative
- Freelancers can bring fresh, outside inspiration to your business
How do you find a good freelance product manager?
Finding the right freelancer can be difficult. And above all, it can take a long time. Because there are many freelancers within the same field, and even if they boast the same skills, there can be a big difference when it comes to the way they work and the work they deliver. When you ask Marketingcapacity.dk to help you find a freelancer to work with, the process is simple:
- You describe your needs to us (either in writing or verbally - we'll confirm in an email)
- We screen our 600+ profiles and, if necessary, the market through our channels
- We nominate a list of candidates and talk to them according to your needs
- You will be presented with 3 candidates that seem to meet your needs
- During the 3 meetings (at your location or digitally) you can ask questions and see examples of their work
- You choose the freelancer you would like to start working with
- We set it up in our systems with time tracking etc. so you have an overview and full control
In other words: After describing your needs, simply set aside 2 hours to meet with 3 hand-picked and screened candidates. That's your guarantee of a good result with reasonable effort.
