How to Market a Product You Know Nothing About

If we were being completely honest as marketers, we would admit that we don’t know everything we market as well as our clients. We take the information we are given and research buyer pain points and then…we have to run with it.

When creating an email campaign where we have to come up with 10 emails centered around the same product, it’s easy to get bogged down in detail or to get overwhelmed with frustration. How on earth can I write about one thing in 10 different ways? There is only so much to say. Here’s how you can market a product you know nothing about:

Ask the Client

One of the very first things that happen whenever we are starting a campaign is the client will have a specific product or service that they would like to market. Normally, they won’t just say, “Hey, market this”. They should say what they want to market, why and what their goals would be.

Since it is their product or service they know it inside and out. If you aren’t sure about what they stated when they reached out to you, ask for clarification or a written brief. If you work with clients, you know it isn’t necessary to call them, interrupt their day to ask questions about the product you are trying to market. Sending an email is most likely the best option. Sendmail, CPP conducted a survey where 92% of respondents agreed they value communication via email.

Clients are usually more than willing to answer product questions because the entire point of our campaigns is to communicate effectively to prospects. Don’t get crazy, though. More than likely your client will have other tasks to do for their company, which may be more priority than answering all the questions you have. Keep it limited. Be sure to be asking the right questions the first time. If you still aren’t sure, there’s always Google.

Google is my BFF

When I first started in this industry, one of the first things I was taught, if I didn’t know something, run to Google. The internet is FILLED with so much information and insight. In fact, according to Washington post, if you could print off the internet onto a page. It would print roughly 305 billion pages. It’s hard to even fathom that much information, but that should give you an idea that resources are definitely not limited.

Try searching the company name along with the product name, or find out what competitors are doing by “ACME Corp vs….” Google will fill in the blank usually so you can find out what people are searching and attempt to discern why.

When looking for WOW stats (that’s what we call them here at Red Branch Media) we add key terms and the word “percent” to get to more effective information faster.

Company Website

How discouraging is it that 95% of new products fail every year? In order to remain in that 5%, I will again state how important it is that you know what you are marketing. Unless the product is a brand new idea or it hasn’t been put up on the website yet, the website can give you even more insight into the product you are trying to market.

I don’t know how many times I was told to market something and I had no idea what the client was even talking about. I spent hours upon hours on their website trying to understand the odds and ends of the products so it made sense. Now, I know their products and features as if it were my own business. Doing so, why wouldn’t you be able to sell their products effectively?

Marketing a product you don’t understand is no easy game. It takes asking the right questions, doing some research and understanding your client’s company as a whole. Following these steps, you are sure to be confident in your job and market the product to your client’s expectations.

What are your favorite tips for marketing an unfamiliar product? Hit me up in the comments!

Maren Hogan

Maren Hogan is CEO of Red Branch and general Bad@$$

Maren Hogan is a seasoned marketer and community builder in the HR and Recruiting industry. Maren started Red Branch Media and, before she hired all the smiling faces you see below, she ran it on her own. In marketing for over 15 years, she has deep experience in strategic campaigns and a long-term, results-based operational approach.