We’ve all been there—you’ve got a product you believe in, but now comes the hard part: getting people to care. Product marketing isn’t just about tossing out ads and hoping for the best. It’s about telling the right story, to the right people, in the right way.

I’ve spent time digging into what actually works, and here’s what I’ve learned.

This sounds obvious, but it’s where most people slip. If you don’t know your audience, you’re just shouting into the void.

• Who are they?

• What’s bugging them right now?

• How does your product make life easier for them?

Think of it like introducing two friends: if you don’t know what they care about, the conversation will fall flat.

Nobody cares that your app has “advanced analytics.” But they do care if it helps them save 10 hours a week on boring reports.

Instead of rattling off features, ask yourself: Why does this matter to them? That’s the story to tell.

Every good product has one—that point when someone tries it and goes, “Ohhh, I get it.” Your job is to get people to that moment faster.

For example:

• Spotify’s “aha” is making playlists in seconds.

• Slack’s “aha” is seeing how it kills endless email threads.

What’s yours? Put that front and center.

Product marketing isn’t a one-and-done thing. What worked today might flop next month. The trick is to listen—really listen—to what customers are saying. Their words are often better than anything you could come up with for your ads or website copy.

People are tired of empty promises. If you want them to stick around, show real proof:

• Share customer stories.

• Show before-and-after results.

• Be honest about what your product can (and can’t) do.

It’s less about sounding perfect and more about sounding real.