Marketing technology is brilliant, but it can be a bit bewildering. There are just so many options out there.
The biggest problem, though, is that most businesses feel ‘locked in’ to the clunky systems they’re already using. Which is perfectly understandable, but nevertheless extremely limiting.
What happens next? Systems become neglected and underused. And people revert to spreadsheets. Which is crazy!
There’s so much that marketing technology can do to make our lives easier, whilst helping us achieve better business results… But if it’s built wrong, people will never want to use it.
So, I thought I’d paint a picture of how marketing technology can better support your B2B activities. Maybe by considering the potential gains, you’ll find the motivation and inspiration to invest in a bit of a tech shape-up.
(If you need a hand, reach out!)
7 Marketing Technology “Power-Ups”
1 – Simplify Your CRM
Let’s start with the elephant in the room. Your CRM should be the heart of your business. B2B businesses are built on relationships. If you hate your CRM, or aren’t using it, make a change.
Top Tip: Use your CRM to manage your messaging to-do list, and never forget to follow up again.
2 – Sync Your Email
Plug your CRM into the back of your email and let it populate data on your conversations, plus company details automatically.
3 – Find Contact Info
To expand your network, use “contact lookup” or “prospecting” tools to discover B2B contacts’ emails and LinkedIn accounts. You can reach out to them manually, or automate the process (though, be careful to make the automation as authentic as possible.)
4 – LinkedIn Chrome Extensions
Browse LinkedIn, find people, match them to your other systems. Happy days.
5 – Automated Welcomes
If you’ve done the hard part and got someone’s interest, keep the conversation going! With a simple sequence of welcome emails, you can explain more of what you do, build trust, and even obtain further information. All without lifting a finger.
6 – Make Decks Smarter
I must admit, I love a good PowerPoint. When well written and designed, they’re still a great way to communicate. BUT smarter tools can make them a) easier to make, b) easier to ‘version control’, c) easier to track views, shares etc. Worth investigating.
7 – Zapier Tools Together
Once you’ve got the ‘tech stack’ you want, integrate it together using Zapier so everything talks to everything else.
I’m already thinking of more… like advertising account links, custom workflows, AI personalisation… But let’s not overwhelm ourselves.
Has this sparked any ideas? Let me know!
