Beyond Vanity Metrics
Every product marketer has been asked the question: "How do we measure the impact of product marketing?" If you're still pointing to page views and social impressions, it's time to level up.
The Metrics Framework
I organize PMM metrics into three tiers:
#### Tier 1: Business Impact (Leading Board-Level Conversations)
These are the numbers your CEO cares about:
- Win Rate: Are we winning more competitive deals?
- Time-to-Close: Is our messaging helping sales close faster?
- Expansion Revenue: Are customers buying more after understanding the full value?
- Market Share: Are we growing relative to competitors?
#### Tier 2: Influence Metrics (Proving PMM Value)
These show the direct impact of your work:
- Sales Content Usage: Are reps actually using the materials you create?
- Messaging Adoption: Is the positioning language showing up in sales calls?
- Analyst Perception: How do industry analysts position you?
- Customer Advocacy: How many customers will reference or review you?
#### Tier 3: Activity Metrics (Operational Health)
These keep the engine running:
- Launch Readiness Score: Was the org prepared for launch?
- Content Production Velocity: Can you keep up with demand?
- Cross-Functional Satisfaction: Do sales, product, and marketing teams rate PMM as valuable?
How to Set Up Measurement
- Start with Tier 1: Align with leadership on which business metrics PMM should influence.
- Build Tier 2 Systems: Set up tracking for content usage in your CRM, create feedback loops with sales.
- Report Monthly: Create a PMM dashboard that tells a story, not just shows numbers.
The One Metric I Always Track
If I could only track one thing, it would be win rate change after a messaging refresh. It directly connects PMM work to revenue and is hard to argue with in a boardroom.
Final Thought
Measurement is a means, not an end. The goal of tracking metrics is to learn faster and make better decisions—not to create beautiful dashboards that nobody reads.