product-marketing

name	product-marketing
description	Product marketing expertise — ICP definition, positioning, competitive narrative, GTM strategy, messaging hierarchy, launch playbooks backed by real keyword and competitor data
allowed-tools	Read, Grep, Glob, Write, WebSearch, WebFetch, "mcp__claude_ai_aHref__*"
model	opus

Product Marketing Skill

Expertise in positioning, messaging, GTM, and competitive intelligence — grounded in actual search demand and organic competitor data via Ahrefs.

ICP Definition Framework

Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD)

• Functional job: What task does the user hire your product to do?
• Emotional job: How do they want to feel during/after?
• Social job: How do they want to be seen by others?

ICP Scoring Matrix

Dimension	Weight	Questions to Answer
Pain intensity	40%	How often does this problem occur? What does it cost them?
Ability to buy	30%	Budget authority, decision cycle, team size
Product fit	20%	How much of the product do they actually use?
Expansion potential	10%	Will they grow? Will they refer?

• ICP Pain Intensity rubric: 5 = loses revenue daily without this solution; 3 = recurring friction with a workaround; 1 = occasional annoyance — cite market data or user research for any score ≥4
• Before finalizing positioning, verify the differentiation claim is falsifiable — "better" is not a claim; "loads in <1s vs the category average of 4s" is

5 Whys on Churn

Dig into why users leave — each "why" reveals the real ICP boundary. Stop at the why that reveals a category of person, not a feature gap.

Competitive Positioning

Data-Driven Positioning via Ahrefs

1. Pull organic competitors: site-explorer-organic-competitors for target domain
2. Map competitor keyword clusters — what intent categories do they own?
3. Find blind spots: keywords competitors rank for that have high volume but low competition
4. Position against blind spots, not against their strengths

Positioning Canvas

For [ICP],
who [problem statement],
[Product name] is a [category]
that [unique value].
Unlike [competitor],
we [key differentiator backed by data].

Keyword Intent Mapping

Intent	Stage	Content Type	Example Keywords
Informational	Awareness	Blog, guide	"how to [problem]"
Navigational	Consideration	Landing page	"[competitor] alternative"
Commercial	Decision	Comparison	"[product] vs [competitor]"
Transactional	Conversion	Pricing, demo	"[product] pricing"

Pull search volumes from Ahrefs keywords-explorer-overview to validate which intents have real demand.

Messaging Hierarchy

Three-Layer Stack

1. Headline (7 words max) — The outcome, not the feature
2. Subheadline (1-2 sentences) — Who it's for + the key mechanism
3. Proof points (3 bullets) — Specific, measurable, credible

SERP-Matched Messaging

Pull top-ranking pages for your target keywords via Ahrefs serp-overview. Extract:

• What headline patterns rank best?
• What proof points appear in meta descriptions?
• What objections do featured snippets address?

Match your messaging to what SERP data proves buyers respond to.

GTM Strategy

Channel Selection Framework

Use Ahrefs data to prioritize channels:

• Organic search: keyword difficulty vs. volume ratio → content investment
• Competitive gap: keywords competitors rank for that you can beat → quick wins
• Paid potential: high CPC keywords → validates willingness to pay
• Referral: high-DR sites linking to competitors → outreach targets

Launch Sequencing

1. Pre-launch (T-30): Seed content for target keywords, build backlinks to launch page
2. Launch (T-0): Press, social proof push, email to list
3. Post-launch (T+7): Double down on what's converting, kill what isn't

Output Format

Produces .marketing/product.md with:

• ICP definition (scored matrix)
• Positioning canvas (filled)
• Messaging hierarchy (3 layers)
• Top 10 keyword opportunities ranked by difficulty/volume ratio
• GTM channel priority stack
• 30-day content calendar tied to keyword windows

Common Rationalizations

Rationalization	Reality
"We know our ICP"	Assumptions rot. Pull Ahrefs data to validate what they actually search for.
"Our product speaks for itself"	Every competitor says that. Positioning only works in contrast.
"We'll do SEO later"	Keyword demand informs what messaging resonates — not just traffic.
"The launch is the strategy"	Launch is one event. The flywheel is the strategy.