Raviteja Dodda (Ravi) is the cofounder and CEO of MoEngage, an insights-led customer engagement platform.
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Making a change can cause anxiety, even if you know that, in the long run, the change is for the best. For brand marketers who must make a substantial change to their tech stack, the struggle is often between the relative safety of staying the same and the fear of the unknown. It’s one thing to know that a solution in your marketing tech stack either isn’t working well or has become obsolete. It’s quite another to remove that solution entirely and replace it with something else, especially when 61% of marketers say they regret a technology purchase within 12 to 18 months.
At a certain point, brand marketing teams need to realize that the pain of staying in the status quo when their tech tools are inadequate outweighs the pain of doing the work to make an upgrade. Let’s face it: There are literally tens of thousands of martech vendors to evaluate. However, once you make the decision and select the right solution to meet current and future needs, it can be exhilarating and liberating.
Despite the concerns associated with switching marketing software, there are compelling reasons why marketers might decide to make a change. Here are seven key reasons why marketers should stop clinging to outmoded solutions and embrace change:
1. Improved Functionality And Features
One reason to embrace new technology is the improved functionality and features. Marketers may choose to switch their technology stack if the new software or platform offers enhanced capabilities that better align with their marketing goals and strategies. This could include advanced automation, better analytics and reporting, more robust personalization options or improved integrations with other tools.
2. Greater Scalability And Growth
As businesses grow, their needs evolve. Marketers may opt for new technology that can scale with their growing demands, whether it's accommodating larger customer databases, handling higher website traffic or supporting more complex marketing campaigns.
3. Improved Cost Efficiency And ROI
While there may be up-front costs associated with switching solutions, marketers may determine that the long-term cost efficiency and ROI outweigh the initial investment. This could be due to factors such as reduced licensing fees, improved productivity and efficiency or the ability to consolidate multiple tools into a single platform.
4. Gaining A Competitive Advantage
By adopting innovative tools and platforms, marketers can stay ahead of their competitors, leverage emerging trends and deliver more impactful and personalized experiences to their target audience.
5. Access To Better Data Management And Insights
Data is a valuable asset for marketers, and having a technology stack that enables effective data management and analysis is crucial. Marketers may change vendors to gain better data integration, cleansing and segmentation capabilities. This allows them to derive actionable insights, make data-driven decisions and improve overall marketing performance.
6. Enhanced Collaboration And Communication
Marketers often work in cross-functional teams, so their tech stack needs to facilitate collaboration and streamline workflows. Marketers may opt for new tools that offer better project management, communication and collaboration features. This can lead to improved team efficiency, smoother processes and more effective campaign execution.
7. Increased Satisfaction And Better Support
Vendor support and partnership play a role in the decision-making process. Marketers may leave a vendor if they are dissatisfied with the level of support or strategic partnership they currently receive. A strong vendor relationship, reliable customer support and a road map for future enhancements can be influential factors in the decision-making process.
Balancing Fear With Optimism To Become A Better Marketer
Change is inevitable, and marketers need to adjust and optimize regularly to be successful. To avoid regret, it's important to have a technology evaluation strategy. Clarify the goals you want to achieve and how technology will help. Ensure that the tools and functionality you're reviewing are properly aligned with your goals and with the resources of the people who will be using the tech. Most of all, your technology should be able to provide you with the visibility and measurement you need to determine what's working and what's not in your customer engagement campaigns.
Marketers can confidently change their software by staying ahead of evolving consumer behavior, embracing innovation and creativity, adapting to new channels and technologies, meeting customer expectations and carefully evaluating the potential benefits.
The key is to balance the fears and concerns with the obvious (and sometimes unforeseen) benefits of change, ultimately driving toward improved marketing performance and success.
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