Attack Your Stack

by Jason Ogden | Dec 5, 2023

Shiny object syndrome is a real concern, especially regarding your company’s marketing stack. Whether it’s underutilization, excessive spending on tools that don’t work seamlessly together, or a lack of performance optimization, there’s often unnecessary bloat in your stack.

As the year comes to a close, it’s an opportune time to scrutinize your stack for both waste elimination and the identification of new opportunities for improvement in the coming year. Having worked with numerous clients over the years, we’ve encountered various marketing technologies. Here are some factors, beyond the obvious, that I urge you to consider as you review your stack to determine what makes the most sense for your business in the next year.

Process.

One of the most common issues I’ve encountered is in the area of processes. Simply acquiring a tool won’t yield the desired results for your revenue teams. A well-defined business process, with an assigned owner/enforcer, is crucial for the tool to be effective. I firmly believe that the process should be designed before evaluating tools. Regardless of the approach, a well-designed and adhered business process is essential to support the tools and achieve meaningful results.

What Do You Expect?

Before making any decisions, formalize your expectations when evaluating each tool in your stack. This should include a list of qualitative attributes that the tools will bring to your business, along with quantitative measures that can be tracked over time. This exercise not only helps in making informed decisions when acquiring new tools but also allows you to look back and assess how well they align with your original buying thesis.

Innovating or Plateaued?

This assessment is crucial, not only for new purchases but also for existing tools. Ask yourself if the tool or platform continues to bring new capabilities, enhance user experience, and offer additional benefits. Stagnation can lead to a loss of customers, and evaluating the trajectory of a tool or company early on can help you avoid obvious dead ends in the near term.

Can You Go Deeper?

While somewhat similar to the previous point, this question involves assessing what the tools have to offer relative to your initial purchase. Are there features that already exist but could grow in significance over the next six or 12 months? Explore whether different modules or add-ons could impact other areas of your business. This approach can prevent you from finding yourself in dead-end situations that necessitate a change of tools.

Ask yourself:

• Do you consult both vendors and internal stakeholders when evaluating new technologies?
• Do you have a process for continuously monitoring and evaluating your stack, or is it only done when budget cuts are imminent?

By addressing these considerations, you can streamline your marketing stack, ensuring that each tool serves a purpose and contributes to the overall efficiency of your marketing efforts.