Let’s get real. The sheer number of available marketing technology tools is overwhelming for every marketer.
Which are the top automation platforms? What is your prescriptive analysis? Are you using the right technology for increasing the effectiveness of your social media campaigns? Did you know that AI can also do this?
The Martech 5000 Supergraphic is a famous graphic that represents thousands of marketing technology companies contributing to the landscape with one or more martech tools.
That was last year. There are many more.
Here’s how to get an overview of this important technology without getting lost in it.
A Good Stack: The Advantage
Your martech stack describes how your marketing technology tools are organized or stacked together. Instead of constantly adopting new marketing tools every few months, regardless of how innovative or exciting each one may be, you should have a strategic approach to technology use. Every platform and program should be used in conjunction with the other to ensure that everyone involved in marketing, sales, finance and any other departments is on the same page.
A well-thought out stack not only gives you the advantages of each piece of tech, but also streamlines communications within your company. This will help you stay focused and on your goals.
The Martech Overdose
Breaking: A Technology Marketer Searching Marketing Technology Map is Ambushed By Other Tech Maps
Boston, MA – While searching for the latest Marketing Technology Landscape graphic to promote her hub, Demand Gen Marketer Nicole Dunshire was continually blocked by devious martech landscape graphics. Her progress was impeded by constant taunting, “Look at how many there is!” and “Come here!” I’ll show your more maps!” Nicole was not able to find the right promotion hub solution, but instead found herself in a state of confusion, fatigue and cloudy indecision. The martech landscape graphics seemed to be a hit with them.
If the subject matter was sufficiently niche to cover modern marketing technologies, then a post at The Onion might go that way. Have you noticed? There are a lot of marketing technologies out there.
The topic of marketing technology landscape navigation seems like a great topic for a John Oliver news desk joke.
John Oliver
“Tonight’s story focuses on Marketing Technology…
An industry so full of new tools that you didn’t realize that the picture above isn’t their company logos but a bunch legos.
#legomylogo #stackmytech
Applause and laughter.
The Martech Landscape in Graphic Form
There is a veritable explosion in marketing technologies that you can explore and identify. However, there appears to be an equally large explosion of illustrations graphics proving that there are many.
Exhibit A: Chief Martech
It’s a tricky read, right? But, exactly. It’s possible to zoom in on each logo in order to see them, but you get the idea.
Exhibit B: Gartner Digital Marketing Transit Map
It can be difficult to find your way around Paris Metro or London Underground. Displaying martech stack tools in the same format is a great way to make it easier.
You take the Gold Line from Product Design and then switch to Baby Blue Line to ride around Web Ops. After a while, you’ll stop at Yellow Analytics three times before you close your laptop.
Exhibit C – Spacey Campus/ Galaxy Map
All of us are at the center like the sun, that white dot. These branches orbit around us cyclically, collecting energy to power… wristwatches? I mean marketing campaigns.
These graphics are essential!
Yes, and no.
Build Your Own Martech Stack
Gartner found that 71% of marketing executives have a dedicated budget to support innovation.
Marketers have many options. Not every option is right or suitable for every department. Before you rush to start the search or panic with choice paralysis, make sure you look within first.
How to identify pain points
Finding the right marketing tool for you is the first step.
You should be able say, “We need technology that does x,” regardless of whether it is production scalability or content workflow, web analytics and lead generation.
Sometimes, “Frankenstacks” can be created by simply browsing technology and signing contracts that don’t align properly.
Basics down
Be sure to understand the basics before you start adding complicated technology. Marketing automation, customer relationship management and a content management system (website) are all necessary for a successful marketing program.
It’s about how technology can help you better serve your customers and prospects. Technology can be used to help you deliver better experiences, make sales more relevant, and provide context-based content.
Martech Stacks Examples
You can look at real examples of martech stacks from other companies if you are looking to reevaluate your entire martech stack.
To get a better understanding of how a particular marketing department uses technology, reach out to partners companies or look through sites such as G2Crowd.com. Uberflip, our friends, has a useful tool that helps identify gaps in marketing technology.
What Marketing Stack Do You Need?
First, which martech tools are you going to need? There are many great tools available for content promotion, data visualization, chatbots, and more. You don’t have to use all of them.
Interactive martech tools can also be used to increase engagement. You need to be able to identify trends and communicate your marketing needs to others in your company. DataHero is your hero.
It is important to balance the technology that your company needs in order to reach its goals with what technology you have available. You have to be able to use all the tools you need to master them all. It’s easy to lose a well-organized stack, with all the necessary components in sync, and turn it into chaotic chaos.
You will need to make mistakes and it may take some trial and error. Fortunately, many tools offer a free trial. Once you have decided on the right content management system, SaaS platforms and analytics software for your company, it will be easy to navigate and you’ll be officially entering the martech marketing era.
Martech Essentials Every Marketing Department Should Consider
Every company’s martech stack will be different depending on its size and marketing strategy. These are the building blocks that you will likely need in your martech stack.
Website Analytics
Many small businesses begin their marketing tools here. After you have your digital face in the public eye, it is time to determine who, what, when, where, and why they are paying attention to you brand. You can also track changes to your web analytics over time.
Google Analytics can be used to create the web analytics block of your stack.
Content Management System
Your CMS is the central control point for content publishing. Upload, schedule, manage, and ensure that your web content meets your marketing strategy’s requirements.
WordPress is likely to be a good choice for you, as it is the most widely used content management system.
Customer Relationship Management
Your CRM allows you to track and manage all your customer interactions. Your CRM plays an important role in lead nurturing and customer retention. It should be flexible enough to adapt and grow with your business.
Depending on the CRM you choose, it might integrate with other martech tools such as email marketing or sales software.
There are many excellent customer relationship management platforms, from small- to medium-sized business solutions like Pipedrive and HubSpot to enterprise-level giants like Salesforce.
Here’s a live look at the top-rated CRM options for your martech stack.
Automation Tools
Marketing automation is a key component of any strategy. Automation tools can help streamline your processes and enhance customer experience through better personalization.
A solid automation platform is essential in a multichannel marketing environment. It must be well-designed and easy to use. This will allow you to provide hyper personalization to customers and deliver the results they want. 81% of consumers want brands to understand them better and to know when it is best to reach them or leave them alone.
Here’s a guide for those who don’t have marketing automation tools built into their martech stack.
Email Marketing
Email marketing is still important for keeping your brand connected to leads and customers, even though it may seem old-fashioned in today’s digital marketing landscape. MailChimp and Infusionsoft are two examples of email marketing platforms that can double as automation software. You can also use something that is more targeted for small businesses like Constant Contact and GetResponse. These will still work with your CRM software.
Social Media
The last, and most important, is social media. This can be an entire tech stack. Which tools do you use to track and manage your social media campaigns
There are many tools that you can use in social media marketing technology.
Use Hootsuite or Buffer to set the times and channels where you want to publish your posts. These tools provide insightful social analytics.
Managing your Martech Stack
You can do more with marketing technology. Technology can help you make better decisions, deliver better experiences, and save time.
You can start your stack with just the basics and then grow if necessary. You can add more blocks to your stack as you need them, such as an AI-driven content creator or a personalization platform. Keep trying new things.
When you reach that point where you feel you have mastered your stack, and have all the tools you need to create and execute brilliant digital marketing strategies, don’t worry. Marketing technology will continue to evolve and your entire stack may become obsolete. You can then build again.
Keep calm and carry on
It can seem daunting to navigate the current martech environment. But it is important to remember that all these tools are meant to help marketers, not make their lives worse. Get excited about the possibility of discovering new technology solutions!
Look at what you are doing well and find out what else you can do to improve. Consider your strengths and identify the areas that need improvement. Then, go out and search for the right platform. Make sure it actually addresses your needs and not just meets them.
The post What Tools and Tech Should You Use to Build Your Martech Stack Marketing Insider Group published the article first.
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By: Michael Brenner
Title: What Tools And Tech Should Make Up Your Martech Stack?
Sourced From: marketinginsidergroup.com/content-marketing/what-tools-should-be-in-my-martech-stack/
Published Date: Wed, 02 Feb 2022 01:00:00 +0000
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