What are the best marketing technologies for your company? When should you add to your stack? How do you know what you’re using is actually working? We’ve all been there at least once, and we’ll likely be there again. In our inaugural ClearVoice Twitter Chat, #ClearChat With @MarTechBen, Ben Beck quickly breaks down marketing technologies’ best uses and fails, and walks through when it’s time to adopt or when it’s time to ditch the MarTech.

Understand what martech tools work best for you.

From personalization to automation, choose the right combination of technologies that fits your needs and goals. Every company is different. So it’s imperative that you understand these goals before you pick your stack.

 

So how do you test your marketing stack?

Make sure your tools actually integrate the way they say they do. Talk to your team to find out if the tools are working for or against them. Understand that adopting new tools will take time to adjust, but your team should be able to quickly identify whether or not a tool is a good fit.

 

What are the most important martech categories?

While every company probably weights these categories differently, analytics should be at the top of everyone’s list. “If you can’t measure, you can’t improve,” says Beck.

 

When is onboarding new tools too much of a burden?

Onboarding new tools shouldn’t be something you dread. If the financial cost or learning curve is too high, or if the necessity is too low, you might not be ready to onboard that tool. Don’t get caught up in shiny new things. Know the gaps that need to be filled before looking for solutions. A hammer isn’t helpful when you really need a wrench.

 

So what tools are most helpful?

Throughout the chat we saw that, depending on your company and your audience, similar tools can serve their clients very differently. Before you dive in, see what type of companies are currently using the tech. What type of customers are featured in the company case studies? Who is giving testimonials? This quick and simple step could save you time and money.

 

How is martech bridging gaps between departments?

MarTech tools allow us to communicate, automate and personalize like never before. We’re able to achieve so much more together from across the world. @JessiKingAZ points out how these tools can not only break down department barriers but personality barriers as well: “It’s tricky getting creative and analytical people talking. @SlackHQ helps get everyone chatting and collaborating on the same issue.”

Thank you to everyone who showed up and participated in this chat!