Whether you\u2019re an individual marketer or leading a team, \u201cmartech\u201d is all the buzz right now. What does this term mean? And why are we talking about it? Let\u2019s dive in.<\/p>\n
Martech, short for marketing technology, refers to the variety of tools that companies use to automate, streamline, and market their products and services. Google Ads, Sprout Social, HubSpot, Marketo, Salesforce, Asana, WordPress, Drupal, Power BI \u2014 it’s all martech.<\/p>\n
An individual team\u2019s collection of platforms is known as a \u201cstack.\u201d Martech stacks can range from simple to highly complex \u2014 with some enterprises having 20+ tools<\/a> in their stack, according to our recent LinkedIn poll<\/a>.<\/p>\n For additional perspective, we asked two martech experts to share how they define the term.<\/p>\n Greg Kihlstr\u00f6m,<\/a> an experienced marketing consultant and creator of The Agile Brand,<\/a> a marketing technology podcast, says:<\/p>\n \u201cMartech encompasses the platforms and processes that enable marketers to reach audiences using digital means. It serves a broad array of purposes \u2014 from collecting data, to displaying and distributing content and experiences, to reporting and acting on the results of the efforts.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Voloria Pettiford,<\/a> a Creative Circle freelancer and marketing consultant, says:<\/p>\n \u201cTo put it simply, \u2018martech\u2019 is the product of marketing tools and technology working happily together. There was a time when \u2018digital marketing\u2019 was trending. Martech is very similar \u2014 except now, automation, AI, and analytics have been added to the mix.\u201d <\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Martech isn\u2019t new; enterprises have been leveraging these tools for years. But in today’s world, leaders are turning a sharp focus to how the tools are used, how they work (or don\u2019t work) together, and the impact it all has on the customer journey \u2014 an experience that matters now more than ever<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n According to online software marketplace G2<\/a>, the martech solutions marketplace has grown 27.8 percent year-over-year, increasing from just over 11,000 solutions in 2023 to more than 14,000 in 2024.<\/p>\n Greg says he\u2019s seen a significant demand for martech consultation over the last six months. \u201cOrganizations \u2014 not just marketing teams \u2014 need assistance in understanding which martech tools are right for their company and how to make the best investments.\u201d<\/p>\n For example, Greg explains how many organizations are struggling to meaningfully understand and utilize AI in their stack. He says, \u201cI help them understand where AI-based tools and methods can make the biggest impact and achieve maximum ROI.\u201d<\/p>\n Voloria\u2019s sentiment is similar. She experienced a martech consulting boom in 2020 during the COVID pandemic, and it\u2019s been steady since. \u201cLeaders are reevaluating their platforms and the people on their teams,\u201d says Voloria. \u201cMost companies have martech tools, but they\u2019re not using them properly, or they\u2019re not investing in the right ones. They need help streamlining.\u201d<\/p>\n No matter what technology a marketing team has at its disposal, it\u2019s essential to have an experienced team of talent<\/a> in place to get the most out of it. \u201cIf just one marketing operations employee is deploying multiple tools, it\u2019s likely that each tool is not being used effectively, and that employee is probably on target to burn out fast,\u201d says Voloria.<\/p>\n What good is the technology if teams don’t have the bandwidth to leverage it?<\/p>\n When marketing leaders source new talent these days, they\u2019re increasingly looking for specialists with experience in the specific tools they\u2019re using. And the smart hiring managers are looking not just for platform-specific expertise, but for candidates with a proven ability to quickly upskill and learn a variety of technical applications. That\u2019s the best way to prepare for sustained success in our rapidly evolving digital environment.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re a job-seeker, read this: <\/strong>Many digital marketing and creative functions have evolved to either focus on or heavily involve martech. The jobs our clients are looking to fill may not specifically call out \u201cmartech\u201d in the job title or description, but you can bet you\u2019ll be asked about your martech skills in the interview process. If you\u2019re interested in learning more about how to position yourself for these trending roles, read this: Martech and Your Job Search: Trending Roles, Areas to Upskill, Tools to Master <\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Enterprises have their marketing technology under a microscope. They\u2019re focusing on which tools make the most sense for their organization, how the tools work together, and where to make the best investments \u2014 including their talent.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re an organization looking to streamline your martech, let us know<\/a>. Whether you have a specific martech challenge to tackle, need a full team of support, or are just looking to fill one critical role, we’re here to help.<\/a><\/p>\n If you\u2019re craving more on the latest trends in martech, join our conversation with Greg Kihlstr\u00f6m and Voloria Pettiford during our upcoming webinar on Tuesday, August 6<\/a>!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n About the Author. <\/strong> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Whether you\u2019re an individual marketer or leading a team, \u201cmartech\u201d is all the buzz right now. What does this term mean? And why are we talking about it? Let\u2019s dive in. What is Martech? Martech, short for marketing technology, refers to the variety of tools that companies use to automate, streamline, and market their products […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":58891,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[88,75,87],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-58886","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-creative-insights","category-employer-insights","category-perspectives"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhy are we talking about it?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\nKayleigh is a Creative Circle freelancer \u2014 when she\u2019s not chasing around her two young boys or laughing at Corporate Natalie<\/a> videos, she spends her time creating content for us! She specializes in sharing advice for our talent community, so if you\u2019re a creative with an appetite for blogs on market trends, job search guidance, and freelance life, subscribe to our newsletter<\/a> and follow us on LinkedIn<\/a> to ensure you never miss the latest.<\/p>\n