Marketing Tech Is So Bright, You Gotta Wear Strategic Shades [Rose-Colored Glasses]

I noticed a stat not way back that mentioned entrepreneurs spend 30% of their work week studying, implementing, or trying to find new expertise to make content material creation and administration simpler and sooner. I can’t discover it now, so perhaps I imagined it.

However even when that isn’t true, it feels true.

My expertise with two content material groups during the last month reveals why this occurs.

One staff makes use of a complicated tech stack with a contemporary content material administration system, a digital asset administration system, and even AI-driven writing assistants. The opposite depends on a patchwork of shared cloud storage, HTML snippets in Excel spreadsheets, and historic collaboration techniques.

The groups produce the identical quantity of content material – they’re getting the job executed. However neither staff feels just like the expertise they’ve serves them effectively.

Consequently, they’re each susceptible to the dream of a tech resolution.

Many content material entrepreneurs envision how significantly better their work could possibly be if solely that they had the fitting expertise. They see themselves fortunately utilizing instruments that automate processes, create insightful dashboards, or magically ship the fitting content material to the fitting individuals, on the proper time, on the fitting channels and units.

They spend a lot time enthusiastic about tips on how to get the shiniest new expertise they overlook to think about tips on how to use expertise to get essentially the most from their work and their staff.

Too many marketers think about how to get the most exciting tech, not how tech can help get the most from their team, says @Robert_Rose via @CMIContent @Canto. Click To Tweet

The issue arises when individuals purchase into the guarantees of recent tech with out first asking a very powerful questions: Do we’d like this? Why?

For instance, I lately realized a few new expertise that helps automate responses to data-access requests from shoppers who assume a model isn’t utilizing their private information accurately. On its floor, the answer sounds neat.

However earlier than shopping for tech like this, a wise advertising and marketing chief ought to ask: “Why is our technique resulting in so many disgruntled client requests? Is automated response tech the only option to handle their frustration?”

In different phrases, “Why do we’d like this expertise?” The reply would possibly (or won’t) have something to do with tech.

Cathy McKnight, who works with me at The Content material Advisory, suggests a multistep course of when deciding on new expertise. (Does it shock you to be taught that writing the request for proposal doesn’t occur till step seven?)

The primary steps she suggests are important, but they’re not often executed. I’ll stroll you thru this essential a part of her recommended process.

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Validate the necessity for expertise

Validating your want for brand spanking new expertise looks like an apparent place to begin, but it surely’s not.

Concern of lacking out is powerful, and it leads entrepreneurs to search new tech as a result of they’ve seen new tech. The tech they depend on at present appears like a run-down neighborhood bar, whereas the newest tech resolution appears like the most well liked nightclub on the town.

Don’t fall prey to FOMO. Earlier than making any selections, take a look at your current strategy, your plans, and your capability to get the job executed at present. Ask these questions first:

Do you could have a expertise downside?

Or is there one more reason you’re not working in one of the best ways?

One consumer I labored with thought of a expertise resolution that might allow them to restrict who may push the large pink publish button. However they requested this query – and determined they didn’t want a tech resolution. As a substitute, they began telling individuals who may (and couldn’t) push the large pink publish button.

Are you able to resolve the issue by adjusting the method?

This query reveals you probably have process problems (or you probably have any processes in any respect).

Let’s say you’re in search of methods to assist a staff member resolve which web site pages want updating extra effectively. First, ask how they do it at present. In the event that they take a look at a spreadsheet delivered to them by e-mail, obtain all that info to their laptop computer, and prioritize the modifications based mostly on their expertise, you don’t actually have a course of.

And meaning expertise shouldn’t be the primary reply to that downside.

May (or ought to) you replace current expertise, or do you want new expertise?
I can’t inform you the variety of occasions I’ve seen advertising and marketing groups exchange their CMS as a result of they conflate it with their web site’s design. When advertising and marketing management needs to revamp the web site, they use it as a chance to exchange the poorly carried out CMS.

Shouldn’t you no less than see if an improve or reimplementation would suffice?

Don’t buy new marketing tech until you validate the actual need, says @Robert_Rose via @CMIContent @Canto. Click To Tweet

Create the enterprise necessities

When you reply these questions and land on “Sure, we’d like new expertise,” you’re able to listing what you are promoting necessities.

I gained’t cowl that course of intimately because it’s well-known: Audit and interview stakeholder teams to uncover the necessities in every of the related processes.

Ask whether or not the prevailing processes are one of the best ways. You might discover altering a course of to higher match how expertise suppliers deal with that course of is simpler than forcing tech to accommodate a non-optimal course of.

Determine your focal wants

This third step is presumably a very powerful a part of assessing your new expertise wants.

You would possibly assume you could have wants that no different enterprise does. (And also you’re not alone – practically each advertising and marketing staff believes it’s a particular rainbow-colored unicorn.)

Spoiler alert: 90 to 95% of what you are promoting necessities are frequent. And this can be a good factor.

Nonetheless, you possible could have a couple of processes distinctive to what you are promoting. They usually could also be too necessary to lose in a brand new expertise implementation. These are your focal wants – the necessities that differentiate the applied sciences into consideration.

Focal needs will help you differentiate marketing tech under consideration, says @Robert_Rose via @CMIContent @Canto. Click To Tweet

Tech options might (or might not) be the reply to your issues

It’s simple to be blinded by shiny new applied sciences and approaches. However bear in mind this: Your content material expertise stack gained’t differentiate your technique or content material. It might make issues simpler – or it might make issues harder.

However focusing squarely in your technique and associated wants at all times works as a pleasant pair of shades – you’ll see previous the glitter and finally discover the gold.

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Cowl picture by Joseph Kalinowski/Content material Advertising and marketing Institute