What is a marketing technology stack?
A marketing technology stack is a group of technologies — which can include apps, tools, software, and platforms — that brands use to help them execute their marketing activities.
A marketing tech stack can help marketing teams to:
- Improve internal collaboration and the use of digital asset management (DAM)
- Streamline workflows
- Deliver more personalized marketing content — and at scale
- Enhance campaign performance
For ongoing success, it is important to rely on robust integrations and APIs to enable a smooth-operating content lifecycle, capture metadata and enrich assets, and ultimately, distribute and track assets.
The best digital marketing technology stacks enable busy marketers to automate processes while delivering bespoke, personalized campaigns. And, by creating more efficient work processes and reducing the likelihood of error, there is more time for marketing teams to focus on core work.
How to build a smarter marketing technology stack
The kind of martech you need depends on the nature of your business, your customers, your budget, and what your business goals are — but generally speaking, you should:
- Identify your strategy and goals: Think about where your brand is now — and where it needs to be. Which channels are performing well? Which lead generation tactics would benefit from optimization?
- Conduct research: Examine the marketplace and identify which elements of your stack will help you achieve your objectives. For example, if you’re struggling with building a solid brand presence on social media, you might benefit from the use of a social media management tool as part of your tech stack.
- Assign some budget: Whatever you decide, make sure your investment is sound and that it will integrate with the rest of your stack with the minimum of ongoing management.
- Create workflows and assign responsibilities: Your marketing technology stack will only succeed if people know what they need to do and when. Each tool should also have a clear owner.
- Monitor each tool's performance over time: Keep an eye on how your tools are performing, and always keep your marketing objectives and strategy top-of-mind when assessing their performance.
What to look for in a new tool for your stack
Here are three criteria to keep in mind:
- Choose 'multipurpose' tools: Software tools that perform more than one function are often the most useful and cost-effective ones.
- Consider software compatibility: Marketing automation is crucial to improving your team’s efficiency — but automation only works when integration is possible, so choose software that easily connects with other platforms.
- Focus on ease of use: What’s the point of trying to roll out software that isn’t user-friendly? A learning curve is normal, but you should be able to train your team to use the tools in your stack within a reasonable period.
