gateB AG

5 Common Martech Mistakes — And
How To Avoid Them

Martech promises us the world. With the latest shiney, new tools, we’re supposed to be able to know our customers deeply and create personalized, real-time experiences for them with nothing more than a few clicks.

Why, then, do so many marketers feel overwhelmed by their marketing technologies rather than supported by them? We suggest that the issue lies in some all-too-common martech mistakes. Here are the issues that could be keeping you from your perfect stack, your best MROI, and a thriving marketing team.

#1: Working with non-integrated solutions

A recent study showed that most companies are using between six and ten martech solutions (with some employing more than 50 — yikes). Assuming you’ve got a half dozen different technologies doing different things, you’ve got a lot of data coming in from each and a lot of content, assets, and experiences going out. If all of these pieces aren’t aligned, you’re going to have problems.

Why? Your different tools will operate in silos. And that means your customer gets a different brand experience at different touchpoints, depending on which tool controls that touchpoint. What’s more, when your tools aren’t working together, it’s extremely hard to get a clear picture of your customer or your overall MROI. 

Clean up your data, then integrate it across all of your solutions. When all of your martech can operate from a central, streamlined data pool and function together, you’re able to deliver consistent experiences to your customers at every touchpoint with a lot less work. For more help to get your martech stacked, check out our recent blog or talk to our integration experts.

#2: Having too many tools

Does your organization really need all of the tools it has in place? It’s very normal to add martech to your stack, but how often do you evaluate what you already have established? 

Most companies add new martech as new needs arise without ever taking a step back to analyze their stack as a whole. That often means redundancies. And more martech means more challenges in integration. Cutting the fat from your stack requires some work now, but it can pay off for years to come.

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#3: Forgetting training and support

Most companies aren’t using their marketing technologies to their full potential. And that’s often because the people in the trenches don’t have the information they need to do so. Just purchasing a martech solution isn’t enough. Implementation has to extend to every person who will ever interact with it. 

That means making training and support widely available. Consider adding a best practice section to the tool or offering training seminars to your team. You’ll get more from your martech when everyone feels comfortable using the tool and its various features.

#4: Letting flashy features or the promise of turnkey distract you

When you think you need a new solution, it’s easy to get pulled by the latest buzzwords. Before you start shopping for options, though, take the time to conduct surveys about the problem you’re trying to solve with martech and what various stakeholders envision as the ideal solution. You might be surprised. What you thought you needed might be dramatically different (and, oftentimes, much more complex) that the actual need among the boots on the ground. 

When you have complete clarity about your real need, you can start shopping. But again, don’t get distracted. While turnkey sounds ideal, it might actually mean the solution can’t be customized to your needs. It’s worth putting in more work upfront to find and set up a tool that will best serve your team for years to come.

#5: Failing to measure

What is your martech doing for your organization? No, really. Do you have tangible ways to track the delivery of each martech solution against the resources (including employee hours) to make it work? If not, it’s time for a change. 

Evaluating your martech and learning how to measure each component of your stack gives you clarity about both your stack and your overall marketing efforts. This ability to measure helps you make data-informed decisions so you can confidently drive forward in the direction of success. 

Many of these martech problems arise because we’re trying to do too much too quickly. Slowing down to reevaluate, streamline, and optimize might feel impossible — but we can help. If you want assistance finding and implementing the right new solution for your brand, better integrating your current martech stack, or supporting your team with training, we’re here.