Why You Should Learn About Martech
Marketing is an ever-changing profession, in which you must always be on top of the latest developments. Proficiency in digital marketing has been a core requirement for some time now, and that’s a trend that will only accelerate in the years to come.
Think about how much time people now spend online, compared to just a decade ago, and how much we can get done from our computers and mobile devices. We are online all the time, everywhere, and so digital marketing is limitless compared to traditional methods.
Accordingly, if you’re up-to-date with the latest developments, then you’ll be aware of martech, but perhaps you haven’t yet gained total familiarity with this expanding field. In that case, let’s run through what martech is, and why you should master it.
Martech Defined
It’s simple, as a concept. martech is a portmanteau of marketing and technology, and that tells you much of what you need to know. Essentially, martech entails utilizing software tools and new technologies, to automate and optimize your marketing tasks. Done correctly, this will deliver better results, more consistently and adaptably, while freeing up your time to focus on whatever duties require your attention.
However, although a core aspect of martech is automation, it’s essential that you are regularly monitoring and tweaking the applications and tools at your disposal, and optimizing your martech stack, in order to maintain peak performance and adapt to incoming demands.
And as for why, exactly, you should get on top of martech, here are some considerations.
Stay Ahead of Your Competitors
You might not be reading up on martech, but how about your competitors, have you checked what they’re up to? The fact is that every inch counts, and you shouldn’t give the advantage to your business rivals.
Emergent technologies are here, now, and they’re ready to be used. Which means that someone is giving them a workout right now, and if you’re not doing the same, then you’re already losing ground. Think about Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Virtual Reality, and the Internet of Things. Are these science fiction concepts to you, or are they tools at your disposal? If it’s the former, then it’s time to refocus on getting to grips with the tech that’s available.
Network with Those in the Know
A great way to get familiarity with martech is to attend meetups and seminars. If you do this, then you’ll not only get to know the tech itself, but you’ll integrate with communities who are already on the cutting edge.
Where this might lead for you and your business can’t be predicted in advance. However, it’s fair to say that the individuals and enterprises who are in the loop and well connected give themselves a significant edge.
Dominate Social Media Management
Becoming truly proficient with social media, and using it effectively, every day, could easily take a huge chunk out of your time. But simultaneously, in the digital age, social media is often an essential aspect of a growing project, and can’t be overlooked.
Martech can easily allow you to automate many aspects of your social media responsibilities, and can scale up as your business develops and connects with more people. As your follower counts and engagement grow, this level of automation can prove invaluable. Additionally, social media metrics can be tracked precisely, allowing for optimization, and a streamlining of your social media strategies.
Gain an Understanding of Martech Stacks
Your martech stack is the integrated array of tech tools that you use to automate and augment your marketing approach. When you learn martech, you’ll acquire an understanding, honed partly through trial and error, of what makes an effective stack.
This is a valuable knowledge set to be in possession of, and well worth picking up. One thing you might come to be aware of, is that simplicity often works best. Don’t try to include too much in your stack. Start with the basics and work outwards from there, and if in doubt, trim things down and remove the excess.
Learn How to Define Success
When you set off along a new business learning path, it can be easy to forget exactly what you were aiming for in the first place. This is especially true with something like martech, where there are so many tools to study, with new innovations coming along all the time. It’s possible that you can get caught up in the details and lose track of your targets.
However, what’s really essential is to remain focused on how you want the tech to work for you, not just how the tech works. And what that means, when it comes down to it, is learning how to define success. Why are you bringing in this new tech? What will it allow you to do, and where will it take your business?
Martech can not only assist you in achieving your goals, but it can help you to define what they are in the first place, and remind you to always remain focused on the destination.
