Marketing stack. Its very name sends chills down our spines. As marketers (also a term that gives me the heebie jeebies), we’re all too familiar with the blank stares we get when trying to explain what the heck a marketing stack is. Worse still, understanding how to best leverage the right tools to customize your marketing stack is the stuff of nightmares. But before you throw yourself in a pit of despair, read on. We’ll help you slay the stack.
First of all, let’s not call it a marketing stack.
Here at Sol, we don’t like using the word stack when referring to your marketing mix. Stack implies hierarchy; that one piece of your “stack” is more important than the other. Not so! We believe every piece of your mix is important. The beauty lies in how all the pieces work with each other to keep your marketing machine churning.
Ok, so it’s not a stack. Then, what is it?
We’re big fans of circles because (in addition to Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle philosophy) they are infinite. There is no beginning nor end. Circles are loops that just keep on spinning, around and around forever. The same is true with all of your marketing tools. Every tool you use to support your marketing initiatives should work in tandem within your magic marketing circle.
What’s in it?
Your marketing circle consists of all the marketing technologies your organization uses to drive and validate your unique marketing goals. Often, you’ll hear technology, tools, solutions, platforms and [insert whatever other buzzword is floating around these days] used interchangeably to talk about the same thing. At the end of the day, if you can access it from your computer or smartphone, it’s technology. Marketing technologies can include Google Analytics, Salesforce, Campaign Monitor and many (6,000 times many) more.
How do I know what’s right for my business?
While it may be tempting to adopt a new shiny tool or a technology your competitor utilizes, take a step back and really assess if and why you need it. With so many marketing technology options out there, you really need to establish what your goals are before determining which tools will help you get there.
Let’s make some marketing magic happen!
Still scratching your head over all this marketing mumbo jumbo? We get it! That’s why, over the next few weeks, we’ll be peeling back the layers of the elusive marketing circle in a series of blog posts. Can’t wait? Contact us and someone at Sol will be happy to talk to you about the magic of your marketing circle.
