In today's digital landscape, marketing has become more dynamic and fast-paced than ever before. Depending on your organization’s objectives and needs, marketing technology tools (MarTech) can help you automate marketing tasks to achieve more with less—and in less time!
Defining MarTech and MarTech stacks
The term MarTech encompasses a wide range of tools, platforms and technologies designed to streamline digital marketing processes, improve efficiency and boost the overall effectiveness of marketing efforts. A “MarTech stack” simply means the specific group of marketing technology tools you use to manage client relations, send emails and other external communications, create content and efficiently collaborate across your team and organization. Idealistically, an organization’s MarTech stack should be an interconnected collection of tools that work together in harmony.
Building a MarTech stack
Today’s enterprise and stand-alone marketing tools are more intuitive than ever, and many include artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to enhance their capabilities and improve your results. With so many options to choose from (literally thousands), how do you know which solutions are right for your organization? It all depends on your marketing needs.
What are your goals, challenges, processes and pain points? Marketers need to consider desired outcomes, areas of opportunity and the key performance indicators (KPIs) that will help track progress. Take a look at the tools already being used by your team—how they are being used, their capabilities and their ability to integrate with other tools and platforms.
Some of the most common components of a MarTech stack include an email marketing platform, a social media scheduling tool, a content management system and analytics tools to track the success of marketing efforts. Below are the types of tools to consider.
Types of MarTech
Email Marketing Software. Email marketing remains one of the most effective communication channels for businesses. Using email marketing tools like Constant Contact can empower marketers to create engaging email campaigns, manage subscriber lists, track email performance and measure customer engagement. With email automation and personalization features, you can deliver targeted content to specific segments of your audience, fostering stronger connections and driving conversions.
Content Management Systems (CMS). Content is king in the digital realm, and CMS platforms provide a solid framework for creating, managing and publishing digital content. With CMS tools like WordPress and HubSpot, marketers can easily create and update websites, blogs and landing pages without the need for extensive coding knowledge. The ability to quickly produce and distribute high-quality content enhances your brand's visibility, engages your target audience and drives organic traffic.
Social Media Management Platforms. Social media has become an integral part of marketing strategies, and social media management platforms like Hootsuite and Sprout Social can be used to simplify the process of managing multiple channels. These tools enable marketers to schedule and publish social media content, monitor brand mentions, engage with followers and analyze social media performance. By effectively managing your social media presence, you can build brand awareness, engage with your audience and drive website traffic.
Analytics and Reporting Tools. Data-driven decision-making is essential for successful marketing campaigns, and analytics platforms like Google Analytics (GA4) and Adobe Analytics provide valuable insights into marketing performance, website traffic, user behavior and campaign effectiveness. By leveraging analytics and reporting tools, you can measure the impact of your marketing initiatives, identify areas for improvement and optimize your strategies for better results.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Tools. SEO tools like SEMrush and Google Trends help marketers optimize their websites for search engines, improve organic rankings and increase visibility. These tools provide keyword research capabilities, monitor rankings and/or analyze website performance. By optimizing your website's SEO, you can attract more qualified traffic, enhance brand visibility and generate valuable leads. (Ask AOE how we can leverage DemandJump to create ranking content that resonates for your website!)
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Systems. CRM systems play a crucial role in managing and tracking customer interactions. By using CRM tools, marketers can store customer data, analyze customer behavior and gain insights for personalized communication and targeting. A robust CRM system ensures a deep understanding of your customers, empowering you to build stronger relationships and deliver tailored experiences. Examples of CRM systems include SalesForce and Microsoft Dynamics.
Marketing Automation Platforms. Marketing automation platforms are a game-changer when it comes to streamlining repetitive marketing tasks. These tools automate email marketing, social media posting, lead nurturing and campaign management—freeing up valuable time for marketers to focus on strategy and creativity. By automating these processes, you can deliver timely and relevant content to your audience, nurture leads effectively and achieve higher conversion rates. Examples include HubSpot Marketing Hub, ActiveCampaign and Keap. Several platforms combine CRM and marketing automation.
Advertising Technology (AdTech) Platforms. Digital advertising plays a significant role in reaching and engaging target audiences. AdTech platforms offer a range of advertising technologies such as demand-side platforms (DSPs), ad networks and ad servers. These tools enable marketers to plan, manage and optimize their digital advertising campaigns, ensuring maximum ROI and better targeting of their ads. At AOE, we have partnered with Feathr to help our clients’ ads reach highly targeted, qualified audiences across the web.
Data Management Platforms (DMPs). Collecting, storing and analyzing customer data is vital for effective marketing campaigns. DMPs consolidate data from various sources to create audience segments for targeted marketing campaigns. By utilizing DMPs, marketers gain a comprehensive understanding of their customers, allowing them to deliver highly personalized and relevant content that resonates with specific audience segments. DMP examples include Oracle, Adobe Audience Manager and Simpli.fi.
Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) Tools. CRO tools help optimize website performance and improve user experience. By analyzing user behavior, conducting A/B testing (a randomized experimentation process where two or more versions of a variable are shown to different segments of website visitors at the same time to determine which version has the most impact) and optimizing conversion funnels, marketers can enhance website usability, increase conversions and maximize the value of their website traffic. Examples include Kissmetrics, GA4 and Adobe Analytics.
Customer Experience (CX) Tools. Understanding and enhancing the customer experience is crucial for building brand loyalty and driving customer satisfaction. CX platforms enable marketers to gather customer feedback through surveys, manage feedback effectively and analyze sentiment. By prioritizing customer experience and leveraging CX tools, marketers can refine their strategies, improve customer engagement and foster long-term customer relationships. Examples of CX tools include Pipedrive and Sprinklr.
QR Codes
QR codes facilitate seamless connections between traditional (physical) and digital marketing channels. When added to traditional marketing materials (i.e., print ads, flyers, mailings), QR codes provide a destination link (usually a URL) that can be scanned via mobile device to enable lead generation and the ability to track user interactions. There are two types of QR codes: static and dynamic. While static QR codes have destination links that cannot be altered, dynamic QR codes allow for links to be edited without having to generate a new code. Dynamic QR codes also come with built-in tracking capabilities. Several platforms, like Chrome and Canva, provide free static QR code generators—online traffic from static QR codes can be tracked if UTM parameters are added at the end of URLs.
From content management systems to social media management tools to analytics platforms, there is a wide range of options available to help streamline processes, improve efficiency and enhance your marketing efforts. Marketers can start their research by first identifying their marketing needs and objectives. For help analyzing what tools are a fit for your organization, reach out to AOE today!
This article includes information from Enhancing marketing strategies with marketing technology tools, written by AOE Marketing Assistant Elec Izenson.
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