How can you simplify your marketing technology stack?

Begin by conducting a comprehensive audit of your existing marketing technology stack. Document all the tools, platforms, and software currently in use. Evaluate each tool's functionality, cost, and relevance to your marketing objectives. Identify any redundant or overlapping tools that can be consolidated or replaced.

As I am an enterprise B2B SaaS marketer, I will give some pointed perspectives from my own experiences One of my client - an enterprise B2B SaaS company, used separate tools for lead generation, CRM, and email marketing. Through a comprehensive audit, I discovered that the lead gen tool and the CRM had overlapping features. Additionally, the email marketing platform was not fully integrated with the CRM, leading to data inconsistencies and manual data entry. What did I do? I did a detailed analysis of the functionalities of each tool and identified the redundant features. This audit highlighted the need for a more integrated solution that combined lead generation, CRM, and email marketing within a single platform.

Simplify your marketing tech stack by consolidating tools and eliminating redundancies. Prioritize integration capabilities for seamless workflows, and focus on essential functionalities while discarding non-essential tools. Opt for scalable, cloud-based solutions that centralize tasks, reducing complexity. Invest in comprehensive marketing automation platforms to handle multiple functions. Implement centralized data management for efficient storage and access. Regular audits and user training ensure optimal tool utilization, minimizing the need for extras. Choose scalable tools to adapt to evolving business needs, resulting in a streamlined, cost-effective marketing tech stack.

For the actual system diagrams, just use Visio - I've never heard of Stacktus. While you're mapping out your Marketecture it's important to gather supporting info needed to make business decisions: ? Channel and performance metrics ? Current pricing & subscription tiers + other available options ? Number of users & seats ? Ensure you identify all users and functions who aren't in marketing - making changes may impact other teams ? Contract end-dates/renewals

First thing first. Simplify your processes. On numeroues occasions its been seen that processes itself are complex or broken Audit of the stack should come after audit of processes.

This has to begin with consolidating tech-stack across functions (sales, marketing, customer success, and finance) You heard me right, there’s always one or the other tool which has a “similar” function but being used by multiple teams in the form of different tools. Example - Product marketing might be using Outgrow as a surveying tool while Customer success might be using Survey Monkey for the same use case! So, it becomes important to consolidate all tech-stack and write down the use it solves for. - Eliminate the extra ones which can be consolidated, - Reduce usage for the ones where credits are being under utilised, - & Discontinue the ones where the objectives of the solution is not being met.

Always archive your data before pulling the plug on a tool - you may need it further down the road for reporting, audit, or reactivation of the tool.

We should use technology to make business easy. But at times we focus more on current trends and take best of the technologies which are available in the market without checking our technology stack or the actual problem. It creates on-boarding unnecessary technologies which increases tech debt and operating cost. This has to be simplified based on the objectives. Multiple system handovers creates lead leakage.

This answer continues from the example shared in the first point on martech stack audit Following the audit, I suggested the B2B SaaS company to eliminate the standalone lead generation tool since its features are already covered by the CRM system. This suggestion was driven by the desire to reduce redundancy, eliminate extra costs, and simplify the overall marketing technology stack. This suggestion was communicated in a manner which ensured that relevant stakeholders understood the reasons behind the elimination. Post acceptance of this suggestion, I ensured proper planning for the transition and potential training for team members who were primarily using the retired tool.

Begin by performing an audit of your current technology stack and backup ALL data. This is a time consuming task but the end goal is to consolidate redundant or barely used software to make your team more efficient. Usually, the solution involves a mix of integrating current software so that they 'speak' to each other, and deleting obsolete software which is rarely (if ever) used.

This post is a continuation from the enterprise B2B SaaS example in point 1 and 2 above, With the lead generation tool retired, I focused on consolidating essential functions within the CRM system. The decision was made to integrate marketing automation capabilities into the CRM, enabling the marketing team to nurture leads and track customer interactions seamlessly. I ensured that the marketing team collaborated with the IT department to integrate marketing automation features into the existing CRM system. This consolidation simplified workflows, reduced the need for multiple platforms, and enhanced collaboration between marketing and sales teams.

This post is a continuation from the enterprise B2B SaaS example in point 1, 2, and 3 above. Post-consolidation, I continually evaluated the performance of the integrated CRM and marketing automation platform. The marketing team identified areas for improvement, such as refining lead scoring criteria and leveraging newly released features. Regular performance reviews involved analyzing key metrics, gathering feedback from users, and staying informed about updates from the CRM and marketing automation vendor. Optimization efforts included tweaking configurations, revisiting automation workflows, and providing additional training to the team.

Communication is key in any marketing ops project, especially when reducing tech debt. Ask everyone what they use and how - you may turn over stones you didn’t even know existed. The training and enablement phase can be a source of friction, especially when asking people to change. Repetition, persistence and ongoing training. Once you get buy-in from a few evangelists who appreciate the streamlined workflow, others will follow. Marketing Ops is as much people as it is platforms and processes.

This post is in continuation with the enterprise B2B SaaS example in post 1,2, 3 and 4 above. In addition to the core steps, I took into account factors like scalability, integration capabilities, training, support, and security. For instance, we choose tools that offer robust integration capabilities to ensure seamless data flow between marketing, sales, and other relevant departments. I evaluate the scalability of chosen tools, ensure comprehensive training programs for the team, establish a reliable support system, and prioritize tools with strong security features to protect sensitive customer data and maintain compliance with industry regulations.

I find it helpful to have 1 general marketing email address to register software services. Then if someone leaves their position, you only need to change the password, not transfer ownership or monitor another’s inbox.