11 Oct 2022

MarTech! How Does Yours Stack Up?

Growth. It's the fundamental goal of any business. Perhaps you're in the infancy stages of starting a new entity? Or maybe you've just reached your second year of operations with revenue exceeding expectations? Heck, could one of your competitors be.

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Growth.

It's the fundamental goal of any business. Perhaps you're in the infancy stages of starting a new entity? Or maybe you've just reached your second year of operations with revenue exceeding expectations? Heck, could one of your competitors be in your crosshairs as a potential acquisition? 

Either way, you're on the right path and what's no doubt gotten you to this point is a sound marketing strategy that is evolving with your business.

No matter which of those three hypothetical stages you currently find yourself in, one this is for sure: the future of your business will have to deal with more processes, more difficulties, more people and way more data. So how then will your marketing team cope during these challenging times?

Why, an optimum Martech stack of course!

A MarTech Stack You Say?

A MarTech stack, short for marketing technology stack, is a term we use to illustrate the various software and technologies used by marketing teams for attracting and retaining customers. In essence, a MarTech stack should make marketing operations and processes as effective and efficient as possible. A MarTech stack can include anything; from managing and executing campaigns or activities to evaluating data, enhancing marketing efforts, and improving communications.

OK, I Want A Stack But How Do I Build One?

MarTech stacks vary from business to business. We'd like to be dramatic and say "no two stacks are the same!" but there's likely a few businesses out there that utilise the same stacks. 

One way to get you started is by outlining the common tools and technologies that one can expect from a typical MarTech stack.

Here are a few examples of MarTech tools and the disciplines they can be used for;

Social Media Marketing (SMM) 

SMM uses social media platforms to interact with target consumers to that a business can build their brand, increase sales and drive website traffic. SMM can measure social media performances, plan and schedule campaigns as well as engage easily with your audience. A social management platform such as Buffer or HootSuite are examples of a MarTech tool for SMM. 

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO): 

SEO is the process of capturing traffic from free, organic, editorial, or natural search results in search engines like Google, with the aim being to constantly improve your website's position in search result pages. SEO tools such as SEMRush and Moz are examples of MarTech tools for SEO that help to conduct keyword site crawls, keyword research, and online ranking data, including metrics such as search volume and cost per click (CPC). 

Content Management Systems (CMS):

A CMS helps with creating, managing, and altering information on a website. With a CMS, your website manager can build flexible, fluid and stunning website themes which your marketing team can use to make website updates on their own, creating and personalizing your website for each of your valued visitors. CMS tools include WordPress, Drupal and HubSpot CMS

Search Engine Marketing (SEM):

SEM generally refers to paid search marketing whereby businesses pay a search engine, such as Google, for their product or service to appear on search result pages. Google Ads is an example of a MarTech tool for SEM as well as Skai and Morphio which help to improve customisation and manageability. 

Customer Relationship Management (CRM):

CRM has become one of the critical tools for establishing a strong connection with your customer base. This can be done through CRM tools like Twilio and Salesforce which act as intelligent contact and communication centres where your marketing, sales, commerce, services and IT teams work together from anywhere. 

Lead Capture:

Lead capturing is the way in which your digital presence attracts customers who in return provide you with their information for future marketing campaigns. Lead collection software like HubSpot or iCapture can greatly enhance your gathering rate of strong leads. 

Now that you have a fair idea of the general elements for a MarTech stack, you can then commence building your own. Here are a few simple steps that you can follow to get you going in the right direction. 

Now that you have a fair idea of the general elements for a MarTech stack, you can then commence building your own. Here are a few simple steps that you can follow to get you going in the right direction. 

  1. Identify what your strategies and goals are
  2. Identify what challenges your team is facing
  3. Work towards a budget
  4. Examine which tools would work best for your MarTech stack
  5. Think about non-marketing tools to add to your tech stack
What Does Cemohs MarTech Stack Look Like You Ask?

We're thrilled that you asked! One of our stellar in -house graphic designers has taken the time to discover what our MarTech stack encompasses and put together a neat visual of all the tools and technologies we use on a daily basis. 

Will I Need To Update My Stack Over Time?

Simply put, yes. Marketing technologies are constantly evolving as marketing environments shift and become more important for modern marketing campaigns. Here are a few trends to keep an eye out for: 

  • Declining Budgets - Reduced budgets mean MarTech stacks that are effective yet affordable
  • Retention - It costs more money to attract new customers than retaining existing. A greater focus on developing and maintaining client relations will be of paramount importance
  • Improved Innovation - The development of AI and uptick in IoT will see the creation of robust solutions to marketing problems

Even here at Cemoh we have had to update our own stack. For example, our inbound leads had the 'Find a Cemoh' function on our website, where clients could peruse our marketing talent to see who would be the best fit for their business. This process however was quite manual for the client and in some scenarios, they didn't really know the type of Cemoh that would best fit their needs. 

We decided to pivot from this method and incorporated the MarTech tool called Intercom. Intercom helps to increase engagement and ROI with the use of chatbots, product tours, proactive messages, email campaigns and self-serve support. With Intercom, potential clients can instead message us with a simple request thanks to the chat icon that pops up on our homepage. From here they can input their request, for instance 'they need marketing help', which then takes them through several questions to nail down their exact needs and provide them with quality options. 

Intercom has also allowed us to speed up communications with our marketing consultants. Prior to Intercom, the onboarding process was done individually via Zoom and took around 30 mins to an hour to complete. Now, however, everything is automated. Once a Cemoh is assigned their first client they receive a tour of the software they will be using to manage their clients (we call this CHAMMP). 

Cemohs also have access to numerous help articles that cover a lot of the key details that they need to know about being a Cemoh and delivering excellent services to our clients. This has allowed us to ensure all Cemohs are on boarded in good time, they all receive the same, correct information which has saved us a lot of time to focus on other projects.

The MarTech space will only become more prevalent and important for a business and its digital marketing presence to succeed. Ensuring that your stack is right for your needs or operating as efficiently as possible, should be a priority which we are happy to assist you with!

FAQs

Can Cemoh Help Me Build My MarTech Stack?

Absolutely! We have a comprehensive team of marketing professionals who can meticulously assess your business and its marketing technology needs. They can then recommend which tools would be best suited to your goals. Alternatively, we can also evaluate your existing stack and identify what improvements and alternatives exist. 

I Have A MarTech Stack But My Business Isn't Functioning How I Want It To. What Should I Do?

You're not alone! Marketing stacks are only effective if they are tuned to the right business. Our marketing strategists can review your stack as well as your business to see where functionality can be improved. 

Can My Business Work Without A MarTech Stack?

Once upon a time, there were no MarTech stacks....but that was also around the time there wasn't computers or the internet! If you want your business to have any chance of being competitive, efficient and successful, you need some form of marketing technology embedded within your daily operations. 

Is MarTech Digital Marketing? 

Marketing technology is a staple component of digital marketing. However, Martech stacks can be used across any marketing mediums and activities. 

How Many MarTech Tools Are There?

The most recent estimate suggests there are around 9,900 Martech solutions available to industry professionals. 

Is CRM Part Of A MarTech Stack?

Yes! MarTech is your source for CRM where you'll find a variety of recent and reliable resources and tools. 

For more information about MarTech Stacks or if you would like support from one of our Marketing Strategists please contact us here

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