Marketing technology has seen incredible growth over the last year and that is only going to continue. The increase in digital channels, technological expansion, and consumer interaction with brands requires modern solutions that keep partnerships growing. With the right marketing technology, your partnership can grow exponentially. In this post, we’ll show you which tools you need to keep your business growing by building the ultimate marketing tech stack.
Finding the right partner marketing tech stack requires an understanding of what it actually is. Marketing technology stacks are a group of tools that marketers leverage to simplify marketing processes and improve partnership activities. These tools not only assist with marketing automation, they also provide measurements of activities and help partners increase spending efficiency. Together, these tools facilitate growth and help partners streamline collaboration for improved marketing campaigns that communicate with customers in efficient and personalized ways.
The Ultimate Partner Marketing Tech Stack
With over 8,000 marketing technology solutions in 2020, we decided to pare this down to categories that are most important and relevant for channel partner marketing and sales. Forrester also did a great article around technologies for Channel Marketing, but we wanted to share what we found in our experience not just the tools. Each partnership and business varies, and there isn’t a one size fits all option. The right tools for your business depend on your current and future marketing goals.
Tech Stack Segments
There are seven marketing tech segments that companies and partners must build their stack based on the areas that are most important for them.
- Promotion and Advertising – Software that promotes your brand and increases traffic to your website
- Sales and Commerce – Improves online and offline shopping experiences
- Social Engagement and Relationships – Focuses on customer success, social media and the overall management of customer relationships
- Content and Consumer Experience – Content management, email marketing, marketing automation, apps and other software that integrates with both sales and customer success departments
- Analytics – Tools for measuring campaign effectiveness
- Data – Databases to get enriched information and insights on your prospects and leads
- Management – Software that facilitates collaboration across teams for a more complete alignment strategy
Once you understand where your partnership needs to focus, building your ultimate tech stack becomes easier.
Necessities and Nice-to-Have Tools
It’s also important to consider the necessities for your team. There are must-have tools that boost efficiency, increase collaboration, and improve communication between partners. Additionally, there are nice-to-have tools that facilitate organization and creativity. Creating the ultimate partner marketing tech stack requires a focus on the must-haves, and a consideration of the nice-to-haves if the budget allows for them. Keeping your stack lean helps protect against having too many services that confuse partners and lessens the financial impact of unused tools and software.
Why is this Stack Important?
Now that you have a better understanding of the right tools for your ultimate partner marketing tech stack, you need to know why the stack you choose is important. While there isn’t a defined stack for each business, there are essential tools that help your partnership grow based on your terms. Your marketing tech (martech) stack should meet the needs of your organization, facilitate your overall strategy, and solve any current problems you have. Creating a flexible stack that scales and automates as you grow enhances your processes and doesn’t limit your growth due to cost or overall capabilities.
What Are the Components of the Ultimate Partner Marketing Tech Stack?
A fully developed martech stack includes different tools that work together seamlessly. Regardless of your overall goals, the ultimate stack for your partnership should include:
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM) – Software that stores customer information and helps build relationships for increased engagement
- Project Management – Tools that increase collaboration by streamlining workflows and simplifying communication between teams.These tools increase organization across partnerships and let members easily track the progress of each project.
- Marketing Automation – Software that automates email marketing, social media and lead generation workflows. This component lets you create personalized messages across campaigns that run constantly, without manual effort.
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – Software that improves search rankings with keyword research, content audits and backlink building for online growth.
- Content Management System (CMS) – Manages, stores, and publishes online content without requiring new code each time.
- Social Media Management – Tools that help you keep track of brand mentions, schedule social media posts, and access user analytics.
Depending on your business model and requirements, your partner marketing tech stack may include all of these components, a few of them, or others that aren’t mentioned. A solid martech stack provides the tools necessary for growth in areas that are important, without the bloat of software that you won’t use or don’t need. Careful strategizing helps you choose the options that best fit your company, goals and growth requirements.
Once you’ve narrowed down your choices, consider how each component in your marketing tech stack works together. Most of the software available integrates with a variety of tools, making onboarding and integration simpler and faster for the entire company.
xAmplify Helps You Create the Ultimate Partner Marketing Tech Stack
xAmplify partner relationship management (PRM) solutions combine the tools and software your business needs into an automated system. With tools that align processes, improve workflows, facilitate communication and help increase sales and results, xAmplify helps you create the ultimate partner marketing stack so you and your partners can focus on growth.
If you’re ready to grow your business with a martech stack that meets your partnership’s needs, schedule an xAmplify demo for more information.