By Lane Ellis

How can B2B marketers build a super-stack of marketing technology skills to create the most value and efficiency in 2023 and beyond?

Today’s B2B marketers who possess a wide array of marketing technology skills are more valuable to organizations then ever, as brands look both to increase bottom-line efficiency and retain top talent.

Placing more focus on those places in marketing that can drive greater value is needed now more than ever, according to Tina Moffett, principal analyst at Forrester Research.

“Instead of taking a red pen to your marketing budget, expand your view on how your marketing initiatives can drive incremental value for the business. Firms that create value for customers get business value in return, so keep your mindset on the customer and on delivering four types of value for them,” Moffet suggested, with those values breaking down to, “Economic value, by helping customers save money,” “Functional value, by increasing usefulness and reliability,” “Experiential value, by facilitating pleasant and helpful interactions,” and “Symbolic value that creates meaning for the customer in relation to others,” Moffet recent noted.

One recent survey found that 14 percent of U.S. B2B marketers said their marketing technology stack is exceedingly complex — in fact “more complex than a black hole,” the study specifically noted — with 40 percent having said their martech is too complex, while just 23 percent noted a good balance in their martech solutions.

Thankfully, B2B marketing technology stacks don’t need to be astronomically complex to be successful. There are relatively straightforward individual components that combine to create a powerful and cohesive martech stack that isn’t rocket science — but where should B2B marketers begin when looking to add to their skill-sets?

We’ve got you covered, as we take a look at how to build a B2B marketing super-stack of skills, with 20 tips to do more with less and get the most from your marketing with efficiency.

Let’s jump right in and stack the marketing technology deck in your favor.

1 — Amp Up B2B Social Listening

You’ll add value by making sure that your social media listening efforts are in order, and that you’re doing all you can within each social environment relevant to your organization or brand. Social listening is also a valuable skill to add to your B2B marketing super-stack.

A few areas where social listening may be a good fit include the following:

• Established social channels including LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram
• Emerging online channels including BeReal, TikTok, Twitch, Reddit, and Discord
• Research tools and databases including the Internet Archive / Wayback Machine and JSTOR
• Search engines and third-party search tools such as Semrush, Meltwater, and BuzzSumo
• Question research tools including KeywordTool.io, Answer the Public, and others

When you’re looking to learn exactly what your audience thinks about a particular topic, taking a direct approach with polls either through social …read more

Source:: Top Rank Blog

Author: Aaron