87 percent of marketers report better performance thanks to the marketing technology they’re implementing.

Marketing technology has been a defining factor in successful content creation this year. You need data-driven strategies because it’s the only way for marketers to measure if what you produce works.

Marketers are taking notice – 60 percent plan to spend more on marketing technology in the next two years, and nearly 4 in 10 are making a conscious effort to improve their tech knowledge. It’s just as important to have the right tools as it is to know how to use them. You can’t make good use out of their data if you don’t know how to interpret it.

New research from Ascend 2 shows this methodology has caught on because 87 percent of marketers report better performance thanks to the technology they’re implementing.

Marketing Tech Pic 1 Ascend 2

Integration remains top challenge

Although companies are making progress toward more data-driven strategies, they still struggle with deploying it in a way that benefits their day-to-day work. Integrating marketing technology into an existing platform is the top challenge for half of marketers, and only 25 percent say they’ve extensively integrated their disparate marketing technology systems. Another 22 percent say they haven’t integrated at all.

Integration IS difficult, which is why so many marketers struggle to do it successfully. It requires back-end technical work that – unless you’re well-versed in web development – requires support from your tech team. Even if it’s hard to get buy in from other departments to do the work, it’s worth it because it will help you generate better results from your marketing campaigns by allowing you to:

  • Publish your content in a professional way that promotes the best user experience
  • Track your coverage across top categories
  • Measure results for specific assets or across campaigns, time periods, etc.
  • Tie those results to actions that are meaningful to your business

Email is at the top of marketing technology. Here’s why:

Email marketing isn’t the newest or most exciting format – but it’s still one of the most effective – and at 83 percent, it’s the most popular format to utilize marketing tech. The study noted that “in addition to dedicated email applications, email functionality is integrated into many other technologies such as marketing automation and CRM systems.”

Here’s a breakdown of the most popular marketing technologies companies utilize:

Marketing Tech Pic 2 Ascend 2

If you’re neglecting email marketing, it’s time to get on board. Here’s a few reasons why email can’t be overlooked:

  • 48% of marketers say email is most successful lead gen tactic
  • Between 2014 and 2015, mobile email conversions increased 70%

Marketing tech gives brands a competitive advantage

Marketers aren’t throwing money at tech because it’s the hot trend – but because it’s proven successful. Tools that give marketers better insights into their audience’s preferences are only going to get more advanced, and brands that don’t take advantage of these resources will fall behind competitors.

Interested in learning about the marketing technology Brafton uses? Let’s chat.

Molly Buccini is Brafton's community manager. She joined the team with a background in digital journalism and social media. She's a theatre nerd, pop culture junkie and lover of summertime.