Prepare Yourself for the Future of Marketing Technology

Updated April 22, 2024

The challenges and opportunities surrounding marketing technology show no signs of easing. The cookie is dying; user privacy protections are expanding; there’s a battle brewing over ad blockers — and artificial intelligence is revolutionizing how work gets done.

Given all that rapid change, one surprising slowdown is in the actual use of martech: Gartner’s 2023 Marketing Technology Survey reports a nosedive in utilization, from 58% in 2020 to 33% in 2023. For marketers looking to maximize their returns, that’s an alarming decline.

Why Isn’t Your Martech Delivering Better ROI?

Traditionally, market-leading businesses have relentlessly adopted technological advancements to elevate their marketing strategies. So if martech isn't driving the expected results, what's the problem? It’s a good time for a quick, diagnostic self-evaluation:

Do your marketing efforts and your marketing spend align with your organizational goals?
Do your martech tools drive a unified customer experience across platforms?
Do you have visibility into your customer data and how it’s being used to improve the customer experience?

If “no” is your answer to any of these questions (or worse, if you’re unsure), your organization is likely losing ground to competitors who have harnessed the power of next-level marketing technologies. Having the technology isn't enough — you need to maximize its use to truly enhance customer engagement and drive growth.

This is about more than mere survival: it's about thriving in a hyper-competitive environment where customer expectations are constantly evolving. Ignoring the full capabilities of your martech can effectively paralyze you in the face of rapid change.

How Martech Can Drive Growth

A well-chosen, expertly integrated martech stack is your key to customer loyalty and market share. It gives you the tools to:

Unify customer data. Align your marketing, sales and customer success teams with a customer relationship management (CRM) system for a comprehensive single source of truth and KPI collaboration.
Craft personalized experiences. Go beyond dreaded generic communications like “Dear Customer,” and drive new sales opportunities by delivering targeted offers that resonate deeply with each individual.
Gain real-time insights. By integrating marketing analytics tools, you can glean valuable insights into customer behavior, campaign performance and overall marketing effectiveness. You can use these metrics to identify high-performing campaigns and quality leads and quickly determine how to pivot strategies and tactics.
Boost marketing productivity. Automating repetitive tasks helps you tap the full potential of your marketing team. Freed from the administrative burden of manual processes, they can focus on initiatives that drive real impact and deliver exceptional results.

If your strategy is to grow, incorporating scalable martech into your business tech stack or creating the roadmap to build this essential piece of your foundational tools will be critical.

Align Your Martech to Your Unique Objectives

Think about your martech alongside your overall business strategy to gain full customer visibility from lead to cash and beyond. Integrating martech with other operational systems is crucial for understanding your customers’ journeys and driving a solid customer experience. The new data visibility will help you identify messaging that retains and expands your customer base, as well as inform the right messaging to attract new customers.

By aligning your martech investments with specific business goals, you not only streamline operations and improve efficiency — you can also deliver the full potential of your investments, driving impactful ROI.

But remember that a “one size fits all” approach doesn't work in the complex world of business technologies. Each organization's technology blueprint is distinct, shaped by its specific objectives and challenges.

When evaluating software, look for solutions and advisors that can support your unique strategy and goals, both now and down the road. Choosing the wrong technology or advisory team can leave you vulnerable to wasted resources and strategic missteps.

Evaluate These Key Points

As you review your current (and future) martech options, seek feedback from key stakeholders and explore current and new technologies that align with your business objectives and help you reach your growth goals. Here are some key considerations to help you evaluate your needs:

Align with customer expectations. Does the technology enable you to deliver the seamless, personalized experiences your customers deserve (and, frankly, expect)? Don't just checkbox functionality; ensure it addresses your specific customer needs and expectations.
Map your customer journey. Can the tools connect every touchpoint and create a frictionless customer journey that builds trust and loyalty? Visualize every interaction as an opportunity to nurture stronger customer relationships, which will lead to greater client expansion.
Address pain points. Does the technology solve your specific challenges, whether it's data silos, campaign optimization, marketing automation or all of the above? Identify the areas where your current efforts are hindered and seek solutions that directly address those pain points.
Embrace scalability and integration. Is this a solution that can grow with your business and integrate seamlessly with your existing systems? Imagine a martech ecosystem that adapts and empowers your marketing efforts as your business grows and scales.

Note: Implementing a martech stack is not a one-time task. It requires ongoing monitoring and fine-tuning to stay effective.

Accelerate Your Competitive Momentum

The future of marketing is not just about having technology. It's about using it to revolutionize customer engagement and drive unprecedented growth.

Choosing the right martech stack is more than selecting a software tool. It’s about creating a narrative of growth, innovation and customer-centric success. When you choose well, you can capitalize on opportunities, create a sustainable competitive edge and leave the “fear of missing out” behind.