Technology has become an essential part of doing business. Increased digital traffic, more online customers and changing consumer expectations mean brands have more riding on their martech stack, the mix of technology marketers leverage to conduct, improve, and measure activity, than ever before.

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While it’s impossible to predict the future, an innovative mix of martech tools can help you better prepare for and respond to it. However, not all technology is created equal, and many marketing teams are unsatisfied and underutilizing the pricey tools available to them.  

Brandmaker recently found that only 10% of Chief Marketing Officers are fully satisfied with their current martech stack, and according to Gartner, marketing teams typically utilize just 58% of their martech stack’s potential. That means 42% of marketing technology investment is going to waste! So why is operational efficiency evading marketing departments and how can they get it back?

The current situation

Most marketing technology doesn’t empower marketer, leaving marketing teams overly dependent on IT resources.

Companies often turn to their IT department to deploy and manage marketing technology, but IT teams are typically overburdened with requests, leading to long turnaround times and added expense. This stifles innovation, halts the ability to respond quickly to consumer needs, contributes to lost productivity, and ultimately decreases revenue. 

How can marketing departments everywhere avoid the IT bottleneck? The answer is as simple as choosing technology that puts marketers in charge. Empowering marketing users leads to improved customer experience and overall business results because marketers can better respond to consumer needs and expectations in real time.

The best martech tools are ones that marketers can manage themselves, enabling them to be flexible and nimble. As a bonus, companies that procure a martech stack that puts marketers in the driver’s seat free up valuable IT bandwidth to focus on other projects.

To build a seamless customer experience and create better business results, it’s crucial to have the right martech tools supporting marketing strategies.

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How to select the right martech

Brandmaker found 89% of marketing and technology execs face ongoing challenges with adopting new martech tools. A major frustration among marketing leaders is the difficulty of implementing and managing siloed solutions. These issues prevent brands from fully realizing the ROI of their technology investment and hinder marketing teams from producing optimal results.

Companies should focus on implementing a variety of martech tools including a combination of no-code and low-code solutions that empower non-technical users. Martech tools provide your team with the ability to respond to consumer needs in real time and position your company for success. However, all the marketing tools in the world can’t lead a company to success if those tools don’t empower the in-house marketing team.

Choose the right martech tools by talking openly with teams about their current situation and what could optimize their processes. Also, work with technology vendors who emphasize empowering the marketer. Remember, martech should make it easier for teams to create compelling campaigns, support optimal CX and maximize your ROI. If it is not doing that, it’s time to consider a new plan.

The waterfall effect

Frictionless digital customer experience is the most valuable differentiator for companies. Seamless customer journeys mean lower abandon rates and increased conversions. 

Creating expectational CX starts with the marketing team. Marketing teams are integral to revenue generation, because they are on the frontlines of reaching and converting consumers. This makes it critical to keep marketing teams equipped with technology that empowers them to directly impact the customer experience online. When marketing teams don’t struggle themselves they have a better shot and alleviating struggle for the end user.  Brands can then reap the rewards through better experience, greater revenue, higher conversions, and increased satisfaction.

Businesses can accomplish this by choosing technology partners who have built tools designed for business people to use. By putting the people who are most familiar with customers’ needs in charge, brand can pivot faster to the changing needs of consumers, create the experience visitors expect, and build strong customer loyalty.

As we enter the next wave of digital transformation, successful organizations will focus on martech that empowers marketing teams to be agile and serve customers seamlessly.

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