- Published: Jun 26, 2024
- 7 min. read
-
Savannah SwansonLead Digital & Social Trends Writer
- Savannah is a content marketer with editorial experience spanning several businesses. Specializing in social media and marketing trends, she loves talking about the latest developments in online marketing. When she’s not writing, Savannah loves traveling, hoarding books and coffee mugs, and adoring her cat. Please don’t ask her about famous true crime cases, or else she’ll tell you all about her theories and get absolutely no work done.
Marketing has always used the latest technology to keep pace with the times and further its goals. In 2024, using marketing technology is no longer optional. If you want to stay competitive, you need to start using martech platforms to elevate your marketing.
Today we’re talking all things tech, from how to adopt martech platforms for your business, to the best tools out there today. Keep reading as we cover:
- What is martech?
- How to adopt marketing technology for your business
- Top martech platforms
- 5 tips for adopting martech platforms
Want to stay up-to-date on the latest marketing technology and trends? Subscribe to WebFX emails to get industry insights sent straight to your inbox!
What is martech?
Martech, or marketing technology, refers to the digital tools, software, and platforms marketers use to improve and enhance their marketing campaigns, from conception to completion. A few examples of ways businesses use martech include:
- Data collection
- Customer relationship management (CRM)
- Audience targeting
- Campaign personalization
- And more!
While using technology in marketing isn’t a new concept, the ever-expanding library of advanced tech available today means staying current is more important than ever. By adopting marketing technology, businesses can spend less time on tasks like collecting and analyzing consumer data and more time implementing strategies that advance their marketing goals.
How to adopt marketing technology for your business
Adopting and integrating martech platforms into your business’s daily operations means more than just choosing a tool at random and calling it a day. Using martech tools takes careful planning and consideration.
Follow these steps on how to adopt marketing technology to set your team up for success:
- Identify your needs
- Set a budget
- Research martech platforms
- Get your team on board
- Start small, then go bigger
1. Identify your needs
First things first — when searching for the right marketing technology, you need to know what kind of martech you’re looking for. That means identifying your marketing goals so you can choose tools that will help you achieve those goals.
Take the time to outline what you want to achieve with your future martech platform(s). Are you looking to improve your customer service efforts? Maybe you want to improve sales? Whatever your goals may be, keep them top-of-mind as you begin searching for marketing technology solutions.
2. Set a budget
You don’t want to break the bank, and martech software can range in price. Some tools are paid for on a monthly basis, while others can be bought for a flat cost. Plus, some tools vary in cost depending on the add-ons you purchase, the plans you enroll in, or how many people you want to have access to them.
Because of all these pricing factors, it’s best to decide how much you want to spend in the first place.
See Related: How Much Does Martech Cost in 2024?
3. Research martech platforms
Now comes the fun part — research all the tools out there. From productivity tools to marketing automation software, there are plenty of martech platforms to choose from.
While researching, remember to consider your marketing goals and budget to ensure you’re choosing the right tool for your team.
4. Get your team on board
Even if you’re limiting martech use to a few people within your company, make sure to keep your entire team in the loop when adopting marketing technology. Doing so allows them to feel more comfortable and familiar with the new tools being used day-to-day.
Successful martech adoption is dependent on everyone understanding how to use the new tech, and when. Conduct training sessions when possible and lay out ground rules for how your new martech platform is meant to be used to avoid any future misuse.
5. Start small, then go bigger
When teaching kids to ride a bike, we give them training wheels. Think about it — if we just popped kids on full-size bikes with no practice whatsoever, disaster would ensue (we’re talking lots of bandages and tears, here).
Keep this same mentality in mind when adopting and integrating martech platforms with your business — don’t overwhelm yourself with trying to use every single tool and feature immediately. Start with small things, then work your way up to more complex uses once you feel more comfortable using the platform.
If you try to go all in immediately, you’ll likely see lots of headaches and frustration.
Top martech platforms
Take a look at some of the most popular martech platforms out there today:
MARTECH PLATFORM | PRICE | KEY FEATURES | FREE TRIAL/PLANS? |
MarketingCloudFX | View pricing | CRM, data tracking, analytics, and marketing automation | ❌ |
Google Analytics 4 | Free | Marketing analytics, website and app tracking, and traffic measurement | ✅ |
Nutshell | Starting at $16/mo/user | CRM, pipeline management and storage, and customer data tracking and storage | ✅ |
Slack | Starting at $8.75/mo/user | Team messaging and meetings, private and group channels, and desktop and mobile messenger access | ✅ |
Trello | Starting at $5/mo/user | Project management, onboarding services, and task management across teams | ✅ |
Optimizely | Available upon request | Customer satisfaction, A/B testing, and web feature experimentation | ✅ |
Hotjar | Starting at $32/mo | User behavior analytics, user feedback generator, and one-on-one user interview capabilities | ✅ |
Buffer | Starting at $5/mo for one channel | Social media management, post scheduling, and audience engagement tracking | ✅ |
Mixpanel | Starting at $28/mo | Customer journey mapping, customizable analytics dashboards, and interactive event analysis | ✅ |
Criteo | Available upon request | Online display advertisement creation, ecommerce advertising, and ad design and integration | ❌ |
Discover: Best Martech Tools to Add to Your Stack
5 tips for using martech platforms
Adding tools to your marketing toolbox doesn’t automatically translate to improved productivity or increased campaign performance. Knowing how to choose the right marketing technology for your business (and how to use it correctly) is an entirely different story.
Luckily, you can do a few things to ensure the success of your martech platform adoption. Here are five quick tips:
1. Ensure easy integrations
Integration is one of the first and most important things to throw your weight behind when adopting martech platforms. As one of the longest and most complicated processes, starting work on integrations early on will help ensure success.
To integrate your martech stack, begin by evaluating your marketing strategy and creating a plan of how your stack will integrate with your strategy. Then, be sure your martech platforms work well together.
2. Limit your stack
You may be tempted to collect as much technology as you can, but there is such a thing as too much. Trying to manage too many platforms can drain valuable time and energy.
To avoid adopting too many martech platforms, research the ones that have the easiest integrations and most relevant functionalities. Carefully consider each platform and how it relates to your business goals before purchasing.
3. Communicate with your team
Before adopting any new martech, establish communication with your team to ensure everyone is on the same page. Team input could be a valuable factor in determining the kind of technology you need and the most useful functionalities to look for.
Once you’ve integrated the software, create communication channels to facilitate members’ feedback. This will be the quickest way to discover bugs and identify areas that need better integration.
4. Promote ongoing training
Training is another integral part of adopting martech for your business. While certain team members will likely use the software more than others, providing training for everyone ensures people understand the platform.
5. Manage expectations
Many business owners and CEOs expect immediate results from any new technology adoption, but as with most marketing strategies, martech may take months or even years to show a clear impact. That’s why it’s a good idea to manage expectations, so company leaders know what to expect and when they might see results.
Without knowing when to analyze a platform’s true impact, you might risk canceling good software before it can integrate and deliver results.
Build a martech integration strategy with the tech experts at WebFX
The most important factor in adopting martech is ensuring that it fits your company’s marketing strategy. With over a dozen martech services, including marketing automation and lead management, WebFX has the expertise you need to craft a campaign tailored to your business’s unique needs.
Contact us online or give us a call at 888-601-5359 to connect with an expert marketing strategist and get started!
-
Savannah is a content marketer with editorial experience spanning several businesses. Specializing in social media and marketing trends, she loves talking about the latest developments in online marketing. When she’s not writing, Savannah loves traveling, hoarding books and coffee mugs, and adoring her cat. Please don’t ask her about famous true crime cases, or else she’ll tell you all about her theories and get absolutely no work done.
-
WebFX is a full-service marketing agency with 1,100+ client reviews and a 4.9-star rating on Clutch! Find out how our expert team and revenue-accelerating tech can drive results for you! Learn more
Try our free Marketing Calculator
Craft a tailored online marketing strategy! Utilize our free Internet marketing calculator for a custom plan based on your location, reach, timeframe, and budget.
Plan Your Marketing BudgetTable of Contents
- What is Martech?
- How to Adopt Marketing Technology for Your Business
- 1. Identify Your Needs
- 2. Set a Budget
- 3. Research Martech Platforms
- 4. Get Your Team on Board
- 5. Start Small, then Go Bigger
- Top Martech Platforms
- 5 Tips for Using Martech Platforms
- 1. Ensure Easy Integrations
- 2. Limit Your Stack
- 3. Communicate with Your Team
- 4. Promote Ongoing Training
- 5. Manage Expectations
- Build a Martech Integration Strategy with the Tech Experts at WebFX
Maximize Your Marketing ROI
Claim your free eBook packed with proven strategies to boost your marketing efforts.
Get the GuideTry our free Marketing Calculator
Craft a tailored online marketing strategy! Utilize our free Internet marketing calculator for a custom plan based on your location, reach, timeframe, and budget.
Plan Your Marketing Budget