We are increasingly reliant on technology in the modern age, and this is reflected by our constant search for stable and secure Wi-Fi connections. Recently, the media revealed the launch of the world’s first test solution for the next generation of Wi-Fi technologies, as both businesses and personal begin to utilise reliable, 4G connections to complete a wider range of tasks.
In the case of B2B entrepreneurs and marketers, the reliance on technology is particularly pressing. Many now operate what is commonly referred to as a marketing technology stack, which is an essentially a grouping of platforms and innovations that brands leverage to create targeted promotional campaigns. This also creates measurable and strategic campaigns, which can drive a far greater ROI.
How to Organise and Leverage your Marketing Technology Stack
Interestingly, this creates something of an irony regarding the benefits of marketing technology stacks. While these benefits are tailor-made for SMEs and start-ups, for example, many lack the knowledge or expertise to collate, organise and successfully leverage the technologies at their disposal. This lack of awareness may ultimately undermine even the most creative campaigns, while also delivering marketing solutions that are far from cost-effective.
With this in mind, let’s delve deeper into the concept of a marketing technology stack and understand how you can make this work for you: –
Recognise that you have a Marketing Technology Stack, no matter how small
Regardless of the size or scope of your B2B venture, you must come to realise that you will already possess a marketing technology stack. This will tend to reflect the status of your venture, while it is also likely to grow in line with your business development. The last point is one to bear in mind at all times, as a failure to appreciate this grouping of technologies and leverage it successfully will ultimately underline your future marketing endeavours.
So what elements typically contribute to a marketing technology stack? It usually starts with a website, which is the founding staple of any stack and one that drives online visibility. This is often augmented by a basic, email marketing strategy and some form of central database that includes client information, which combine to create a fundamental, three-tier stack.
These elements help you collate and organise client data, while also providing channels through which you can grow and reach out to new prospects. This will prove central to your early consolidation and growth, without forcing you to invest outside of your commercial budget.
Appreciate the Impact of Growth and Evolve your Stack over time
We have already touched on the nature of your marketing technology stack, and the fact that it will grow in line with the development of your B2B venture. This is where the concept of a tiered stack comes into play, as this enables you to visualise the technologies at your disposal and the individual purposes that they can serve within the business.
As your venture expands, you will quickly identify the core technologies that are crucial to sustaining near-term growth. Two of the most effective are analytics and ad technology, with the former enabling you to identify the source of your website traffic and provide insight into how to convert this interest into leads. There are also tools such as Google Speed Insights, which enable you to highlight landing pages with slow loading times and suggest resolutions to this issue (such as large graphical elements or product images).
Ad technology (which includes multiple disciplines) is a little more complex, as you will most likely evolve this aspect of your technology stack as your business develops. It is commonly recommended that firms should start with PPC and SEO, as while these require investment they will provide you with instant search engine visibility while you develop your organic rankings over time.
While it can be hard to achieve a significant ROI through PPC in particular, it can drive results as a short-term measure as you look to build an online, B2B brand.
Introduce Social and Blogging Platforms to your Stack
When it comes to cultivating organic content and search engine rankings, it is important that you integrate social and blogging platforms into your stack. While this is commonly associated by B2C outlets, it also has considerable merit for B2B firms depending on the precise nature of their ventures.
If you use real-time, micro-blogging platforms such as Twitter to manage your customer and client service, for example, you will need high levels of integration with your existing CRM system. Even if you do not, it is important to recognise that the vast majority of marketing technologies, services and automated platforms are already integrated with social, while sites such as Facebook currently drive an estimated 31% of all referral traffic.
In this respect, an integrated social platform has become an increasingly influential feature of the modern, B2B marketing technology stack.
The same can be said for blogging platforms, which host the organic and high quality content that can drive your B2B venture in the modern age. In fact, content management systems play an integral role in a prosperous B2B technology stack, as they produce everything from copy for automated marketing emails to scheduled social updates. In terms of your blog, you use this to publish regular and insightful blog posts that are then shared aggressively throughout your social network.