Rise of the Marketing Technologist

Rise of the Marketing Technologist

In Blog by Jerad Hill

The modern marketing landscape has changed drastically over the last 10 years. With the advent of the web overshadowing traditional media, technology continues to change the way we reach new customers. These days more people are spending time on their mobile devices connecting with others and researching answers to their questions. The decision making process for buying is different as well. As marketers, we must continue to adapt as our demographics change and find new interests.

After having attended the Martech Conference in Boston earlier this week, it was apparent to me that I have been on the right track as a marketer who spends his days neck deep in technology.

It’s not about your product anymore

I’m not saying that your product or service isn’t important. I know that there is value in what you offer. These days it’s all about the customer and what their needs are. The potential customer does not care about us and our product, they care about themselves. If our product fulfills their need, then we get their attention. It is up to us to close that gap between what they want and what we have.

The secret is in the frosting… (link) I mean technology

There is no shortage when it comes to technology these days. Startups pop up every day promising to give users a new experience or give us a new way to use our data. It’s challenging to find the right technologies for each situation. Our target demographic may be using some of these services, such as today’s youth on Tumblr and Snapchat. There are also an endless supply of vendors providing services to help marketers connect with their target market or aggregate data about current customers. Being able to navigate the endless sea of technology is what will separate today’s Marketing Technologists from the traditional marketers of yesteryear.

How to become a Marketing Technologist

One does not simply become a Marketing Technologist overnight. It also does not mean that you have to come from a background in IT, however that would help a lot if you did. The idea is to have an idea of what technology is available and what it does. A Marketing Technologist knows how to bridge the gap between the technologies that are available and reaching their target market. The website ChiefMartech.com has been talking about the idea of the CMTO (Chief Marketing Technologist) for years and recently put together this graphic illustrating the current Marketing Technology Landscape. Scott Brinker (@chiefmartec) of ChiefMartech.com stated that in August of 2011 he found approximately 100 companies that had technology products or services related to marketing. That number has grown to over 950 in January of 2014 (Link). A Marketing Technologist understands what technologies could be leveraged to help better market their companies offerings.

Marketing Technology Landscape Infographic 2014

The nerds win again

Everything from the infrastructure that manages our data to the social media our target demographics use to converse on is technology based. We know that in order to market effectively and continue to scale that we must have a solid understanding of this landscape. Not all technology out there is relevant to what your business is doing, but it is important to understand which technologies could help you gain deeper insight into your companies data and whereabouts of your target demographic online.

We must become customer obsessed

As marketers we have to continuously change and adapt because customer expectations are changing almost daily. “A customer-obsessed enterprise focuses its strategy, its energy and its budget on processes that enhance knowledge of and engagement with customers and prioritizes these over maintaining traditional competitive barriers,” says Sheryl Pattek, VP and Principal Analyst at Forrester (@SherylPattek). Our end customer must be at the center of our marketing efforts.

Embrace Technology in your Company

Mayur Gupta (@inspiremartech) stated, “…it’s not about digital marketing but marketing in a digital world.” The ongoing evolution of technology most likely will not let up anytime soon. Startups will continue to attempt to disrupt the “current” way of doing things and I welcome that. The more we stand still, the further away we get from our customers. This is why we must be customer obsessed which means do whatever it takes to connect and engage with our customers. Failure to do this will open the door for our competitors.

Whether you take the challenge to become a Marketing Technologist, or you hire someone who fits the role described above, it is important to have access to someone who is dedicated to understanding the technologies needed to create marketing strategies that improve overall customer experience and reach.