To paraphrase ‘a poor tradesman always blames his tools, but a great workman would be lost without them”.
If you’re like me, one of the first things you do at a new job is check at the tech stack you’ve got to play with. First the basics; which CRM, which marketing automation platform? Are they integrated? Then how far advanced are we in technology terms; do we have only the essentials, or are we ahead of the curve with business intelligence tools, webinar platforms, intelligent virtual assistants? Have we embraced AI?
Marketing has come a long way, from the cost centre spray ‘n’ pray tactics of old, to a revenue-driving function, working in lock-step with sales. I strive within my teams to avoid ‘random acts of marketing’, and to measure everything. The latter is not always achievable – yet – but it’s important to have aspirations.
From the truly awful to the promising
There is such a wide range of tools available to us as marketeers now (we’ve all seen that graphic), and over the years I’ve tried and tested a few – willingly or otherwise. For CRM, it has to be Salesforce, possibly Hubspot if your company is of a certain size. They are so far ahead of the rest, that I’d be wary of any organisation that was running any other platform as the keystone of its revenue tech stack.
I’ve used or considered a few marketing automation products over the year, from the truly awful (Silverpop, Eloqua), to the promising (Hubspot, Pardot). However, as of now I’m firmly in the Marketo camp; it is fairly intuitive, reasonably pain-free to use and master, and gets the job done so far as playing nicely with our CRM.
For analytics, planning, and reporting, I’d look to the likes of Tableau or Alteryx, if possible underpinned by Anaplan, which is without peer in the connected planning category. Having robust, well-evidenced numbers is essential to put marketing in the driving seat. Showing how those numbers support and impact the rest of the business, down to the smallest detail, helps break out of those siloes too many businesses are afflicted by. Again these three platforms integrate well with the other workhorses in the stack, which is of real importance, as well as the myriad data points we pull metrics from, both free and subscription-based.
AI is becoming ever-present as the ‘augmented workforce’ becomes reality
Plugged in to every part of this stack, helping to ensure that leads pass through in larger volume and with greater success, are our Conversica Intelligent Virtual Assistants. Still relatively new to market, an IVA is an AI-powered software solution that serves as a virtual team member, who autonomously engages prospects in human-like, two-way interactions at scale. The IVAs in my team automate the tedious, but important repetitive tasks so that my SDRs and sales people can be more productive, dealing only with genuinely hot leads.
I’m a keen follower of new marketing technologies, and AI is certainly going to become ever-present as the concept of the ‘augmented workforce’ takes hold. Another area which I’m tracking with interest, though remain sceptical of for now, are intent data tools. I’ve dallied with a couple (Cyance, Bombora), but I still think that’s an area where the reality doesn’t quite match up to the sales pitch.
Martech has absolutely driven my own personal marketing performance, and that of the teams I have led or been part of. First, it’s in taking ownership of, and understanding my data. Second, it’s the ability to reach out to the right prospects, at the right time, with the right message. Third, in being able to nurture, to keep engaged, those prospects who are not currently hot leads. And finally, report back with accuracy the results of my activity, right through from initial activity, to pipeline and new business generated (vanity metrics and marketing-only reports have no place in my organisation. SQOs not MQLs are my bread and butter).
This helps me be streamlined, eliminate wasted time and effort. The integration of my martech stack is the engine that powers the team. Without those technologies, and without them working together, I wouldn’t have the ability to leverage many channels, and others would suffer from lower output. Much of our marketing would be based on pure intuition, or anecdotal evidence, with siloed campaigns producing one-off spikes.
Having said that, to return to my opening comment, martech is nothing if not in the hands of strong marketers. It empowers good teams, and makes them great, it can’t rescue mediocrity. I rely on my people as much as my tech!
