This was the second part of a four-round interview process for a product marketing role at Beaconstac. At the time, they had a feature that generated QR codes via a Google Sheets plugin, allowing people to create QR codes in bulk based on a set of URLs within the sheet. 

I was tasked with creating a hypothetical GTM plan for this feature with an email announcing the release of the feature. As a result, I was offered the position. I’ve been at Beaconstac ever since.

This was one of the most challenging aspects of the exercise. At the time, there wasn’t much to glean from the website about any messaging or umbrella positioning. I had to make a lot of inferences about how to communicate the feature and remain fairly neutral in voice and tone.

Without much insight into the product and features from the outside, it was difficult to state anything too concrete. I had to be vague in some examples and use a lot of placeholder metrics.

The second part was an email announcing the feature to existing customers. Limitations are described here, but during the in-depth discussion I had with the hiring team, they were pleased with my exercise and they had no direct pushback on my work. 

Done differently, I would have ideally liked to include a section talking about the methodology of my research, how I identified the different customer personas, and how I created the corresponding positioning and messaging framework. From there, the plan I created would make sense to present with that context in mind.

Shireesh Gupta

As part of an interview for a Product Marketing Lead at Beaconstac, I was tasked with creating a GTM plan for a browser plugin. Based on the directions of the interview and my research into the company, I produced this plan over the course of a few days and was offered the position.

Browser Plugin GTM Plan Interview Assignment at Beaconstac

Drive adoption of ‘Bulk QR Code upload via Google Sheets’ feature by X paying users in a quarter 

Source revenue creation to ‘Google sheets to create Bulk QR code’ feature being the main attraction feature.

This refers to the share of customers acquired in the quarter which can be attributed to this particular feature being the hook for the paying customer.

Interaction with assets created for this particular campaign as first-touch with the brand will be a good way to measure this.

is defined as a user installing the Google sheets Add-on and at least creating 1 sheet with 5 links. This is the bare minimum.

To understand further feature adoption, usage; and ultimately retention and CLTV contribution - further plans to be created.

This document only aims to acquire users with the criterion mentioned above.

This GTM aims to acquire X paying users of this feature in 3 months.

Paying customers adopting this feature to the criteria defined in Notes 2(a).

Through marketing efforts centered around this particular feature.

Other concurrent marketing efforts on other features and the overall Beaconstac brand and product as such.

Beaconstac currently has 5,000 paying customers.

If we consider a z% adoption rate of the feature, this entire quarter; we can consider

Quarter long adoption acceleration plan -

The overall feature launch should initially be done to the existing customer base ONLY, as a soft launch(at least for 2 weeks).

Inherently by being a paying customer, they should get early access, preferential treatment and special focus.

A soft launch only in the customer community also helps iron out kinks in the messaging, documentation and helps inform changes in strategy for global launch.

This enables constructive feedback before global launch, and also helps seed reviews on G2 crowd, Capterra and other forums.

Soft launch in the customer community also helps identify tech gaps and issues - if any.

The messaging should be with a clear offer

‘Special and early offer only for you, as you are a customer’.

‘If you install, use and review on Google Add ons we will give you an Amazon Gift card for $100.’

Segmentation of existing customer base according to filters based on ICP for this particular feature.

Filter example - Geography, Revenue, product type used, By integration usage ( Zapier, Workato, Slack, Integromat), number of QR code used, number of scans done, number of hardware purchased etc. 

 I need a deeper look into the ICP and other customer data.

Let’s assume we are able to create 12 segments of the existing customer base. Each of the segments will have a unique messaging based on shared filter characteristics within them.

Informative long form landing page with CTA to direct Google Sheets Add-on listing.

1 documentation webpage with tutorial on how to implement the add-on.

3 step email series, each series made uniquely to the 12 segments identified in Pre-work (3). 

Inform about the special pre-launch for customers

Communicate the Gift card offer described in A.(c).

Declare that 2 customers out of the ones using the offer, will get a chance to be invited to speak on customer only version of webinar hosted by Beaconstac.

Announcement of the first webinar and public recognition of customer identified for first webinar

Final deadline announced to register for the customer webinar.

It will also be announced that the customer only offer will end the day after the webinar, as then we will be publicly launching the add-on.

Webinar with customers as charted in B.b.iv.1.c above.

Webinar will focus on customers and their usage of Beaconstac products and the add-on.

Day 3 of Quarter - Send first announcement email

Day 13 - 18 - Mentioning of this add on, upcoming webinar in customer calls by Customer Success with using marketing created assets

Day 20 - Public Launch - Read on for public launch details

Further breakdown of Y among the contributing efforts (as described below) is not mentioned as it’s hard to work without base data.

We will have a 2 pronged strategy - (1) Focusing on long term growth so that it creates efforts which fruit in the later part of the quarter, and continue to holistically keep promoting this feature after the quarter ends and; (2) Focusing on immediate effect or Ad-hoc strategies which give results early on in the cycle.

Identification of keyword clusters for this particular feature -

4 contributing keywords to each principal keyword

One long form informative landing page similar to one created in pre-launch. Focus needs to be given to CTA and how the journey will be created on signing up as a user and directly being led to this particular feature for usage.

This page will focus on the main principal keywords identified.

This page will be in MoFu and will act as the anchor point to all related blogs that will be launched for this campaign.

All of the CTAs created in blogs created in ToFu below will be to this landing page.

4-5 contributing blogs each for sub-keywords identified.

These will have pop-ups and CTA linking to the landing page made for MoFu.

Periodic notification and pop-up on the main website homepage to the MoFu page as well be a good boost.

In this funnel is conversion as a signup and using the google sheet add-on.

Adequate focus and thought needs to be given while creating the customer journey from the landing page → Creating an account → Directly being led to use the google-sheets add-on.

Guest posting for at least 7 Google Sheet/Phygital/Industry specific (industries of the ICP) blogs and publications.

Urging customer to review on Google sheets store listing page, existing G2 and Capterra profiles

BoFu - Completed the journey of creating an account and using the add-on.

Browser Plugin GTM Plan Interview Assignment at Beaconstac

Browser Plugin GTM Plan Interview Assignment at Beaconstac

PART 1.

Primary Objective

Secondary Objective -

Notes -

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