When these two departments are in alignment, MarTech tools can be used to optimum efficiency. Marketers can use their expertise to drive market differentiation and create the best customer experience, while IT teams can focus on running, managing, and scaling the technology in a streamlined and cost-effective way. The entire organization benefits from this synergy, especially when it comes to maximizing the bottom line.
Why IT Departments Matter in Marketing
While marketing teams may be the ones responsible for creating innovative and engaging content, the success of that content now relies heavily on how it’s presented and delivered from a technological standpoint.
Data-based and dynamic creatives, for example, depend on fast and precise IT systems in order to be effective. No matter how clever the messaging may be, it won’t convert if the data is not accurate. So it’s essential that, whenever appropriate, tech leads be brought in as early as possible to help with data-based marketing strategies, including:
Evaluating New Marketing Technologies
The rise of cloud-based SaaS software has made it possible for marketing teams to find and deploy applications without any involvement from their tech teams. But this is a mistake, even for startups and small business, as it limits the criteria by which an application is evaluated.
Marketers, naturally, will be focused on how a platform performs in terms of its ability to enhance campaign efforts and provide measurable ROI. While these are important metrics, a much more comprehensive picture of the tool’s efficiency comes into view when measured alongside tech-minded criteria such as reliability, data security, integration, and support needs.
Assisting With Implementation
In order to ensure a smooth and efficient transition, a number of tech-focused factors need to be considered, including data migration, synchronization with other applications, permissions, mobile strategy, and integration with single sign-on systems. It’s also important to have a clear idea of how the application will be supported by IT teams once it’s been deployed moving forward.
Optimizing Analytics
Customizing Automation Tools
While there is no shortage of automation tools available for marketers to utilize, most require some level of customization to be fully beneficial.
Coming Together: 4 Quick Tips for Aligning Your Tech & Marketing Departments
- Meet Regularly: Have tech and marketing team leads meet at least one a month to review projects and align performance objectives.
- Create Joint Roadmaps: Map projects with IT’s involvement from the outset, outlining the skills and capabilities needed from each team.
- Assign Roles: Avoid conflict mid-project by clearly defining and documenting which team owns what. Make sure all team members understand their role and responsibilities.
- Invest in Cross-Training: Provide opportunities for marketers to upgrade their tech skills via marketing analytics, data science, or other relevant courses.