Go-To-Market Strategy for Internal Products: Why It Matters

Product-led growth, go-to-market strategies, and roles like Growth Product Manager or Product Marketing Manager are often top-of-mind when launching B2C or B2B products. But what if you’re developing products or components for internal use by your colleagues? Should you still be concerned with go-to-market strategies? Absolutely! Your market, in this case, are your coworkers. How you bring internal products to them is just as crucial as external launches.

Internal products deserve a GTM strategy

In reality, internal product releases and launches often get reduced to a demo. Or a brief  meeting, an email, or a brief post on the company intranet. Is this approach effective? Not really. Think about it: why are you well-informed about Netflix's latest features (adds, pop-ups, e-mails campaigns)? Why does a SaaS company send you invites to their product launch events? But why don’t we treat our colleagues with the same level of attention and service that we expect from external providers?

Many internal products or improvements deserve more attention when it comes to how they’re introduced to your colleagues. It’s not just about building the next feature or fixing a bug. As a product professional, you should dedicate the right amount of time and effort to your go-to-market (GTM) strategy—even for internal products.

Are All Releases the Same?

No, they aren’t. Here’s a simple matrix to help you think through different types of releases.

 
by Gaston Bremer

1. Regular Releases: For minor updates, release notes, an email, or a post on the intranet might suffice.
2. Medium Releases: When launching a new feature or an improvement that impacts the user experience, you need a tactical plan to ensure the feature is properly introduced.
3. Major Releases: Significant product improvements or milestones that have a substantial impact on users require a strategic approach, including careful planning to raise awareness, migration strategies, and onboarding processes.

Instead of solely focusing on optimizing product delivery, invest time in optimizing how you bring the product to your users. A well-executed internal launch can significantly improve adoption and overall success.

Steps to Set Up a Go-To-Market Strategy for Your Internal Products:

1. Define Scope/Criteria per Release Type: Determine which category your release falls into (regular, medium, major) and adjust your approach accordingly.
2. Define Minimal Content per Format: Set a baseline for the content you’ll create for each type of release (e.g., release notes, email, video tutorial, etc.).
3. Identify Additional Expertise: Decide if you need to bring in marketing, trainers, or support staff to help with the launch.
4. Adjust Your Definition of Done: Incorporate go-to-market activities into your product’s definition of done. This way you ensure that launch planning is a key part of the delivery process.
5. Add GTM Work to Your Backlog: Include all go-to-market tasks in your backlog, and re-estimate your work accordingly to make sure it’s prioritized.

Spend the time and effort in a good GTM approach

By incorporating these steps, you can raise awareness of your product. Also ensure it’s used in the right way. All while highlighting your product team’s capabilities. As a result, the next time you’re preparing for an internal product launch, remember that your colleagues deserve the same attention and service as any external customer. A well-thought-out go-to-market strategy will make all the difference.