How to develop an effective Martech strategy, 7 marketing ops habits you need to practice and more

Also - what is at the center of everyone's Martech stack?

In this edition:

1. How to Develop an Effective Martech Strategy

2. 7 Marketing Ops Habits to Practice Every Week

3. POLL - What is at the center of your Martech Stack?

4. For Paid Subscribers: How to succeed in defined ops roles and undefined ops roles

Learn from the experts! The Marketing Ops Huddle (town hall) this month is all about “Marketing Ops Lessons I Wish I Learned Earlier” - join the discussion.

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Helpful Advice of the Week

How to fix your ABM Strategy by Josh Hill.

Product marketing templates by Angela Sun.

New concept - Atomic Buying Journeys by Jon Miller.

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How to Develop an Effective Martech Strategy

Most companies build their Martech stack backwards. They get distracted by shiny tools, fancy features, and buzzwords—before they even know what they’re trying to achieve. This approach is upside down.

An effective Martech strategy isn’t about cramming as many tools as possible into your stack. It’s about starting with the problem you’re solving and working backwards from there.

Here’s a no-nonsense, step-by-step guide to getting it right:

1. Define Clear Objectives and KPIs

If you don’t know where you’re going, any tool will get you there (hint: that’s not a good thing). Start by defining what success looks like. What’s the business outcome you’re trying to achieve?

Your KPIs need to reflect that. For example:

• Lead generation: Increase qualified leads by 20%.

• Customer experience: Improve NPS by 15%.

• Efficiency: Reduce manual tasks by 50%.

The key here is simple: Everything in your Martech stack should drive a measurable business result. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t belong.

2. Adopt a Customer-Centric Approach

Remember: Martech should be about making the customer’s experience smoother, more seamless, and more personalized.

Ask yourself:

• Are we using tech to remove friction in the buyer’s journey?

• Are we communicating in a way that feels personalized, relevant, and timely?

Your Martech strategy should serve the customer, not the other way around. Build your stack around what will actually improve their experience.

3. Align Your Tech Stack and Governance

It’s easy to get caught up in tool overload. But more tools don’t mean more progress. What you need is alignment.

Each tool should integrate seamlessly and solve a specific business challenge. Governance matters just as much. Without regular audits and governance policies, your stack will become bloated, redundant, and full of inefficiencies.

Ask:

• Does this tool solve a real problem?

• Does it integrate with the rest of our systems?

• How are we governing this tech to keep it lean and effective?

Tech should simplify, not complicate.

4. Focus on Data Management, Reporting, and Analytics

Here’s the reality: Data is everything. But data is only valuable if it’s clean, centralized, and usable.

• Data cleanliness: Garbage in, garbage out. Make sure your data is accurate and reliable.

• Centralization: Break down silos so your customer data is easily accessible across the stack.

• Reporting: Use data to measure the metrics that matter. Otherwise, you’re making decisions in the dark.

Without accurate data, your Martech strategy is just a guess.

5. Process Design, Enablement, and Automation

Great Martech isn’t about the tools themselves—it’s about the processes they enable. Ask:

• Where are the bottlenecks in our marketing processes?

• How can we automate routine tasks to free up time for higher-impact work?

Automate what’s scalable, but don’t automate everything. The human touch still matters when it comes to creativity and relationships.

6. Cross-Functional Collaboration and Business Impact

Your Martech strategy can’t exist in a vacuum. Break down silos. The tools you use should empower not just marketing but sales, IT, and customer success.

Ask:

• How can Sales use this to follow up on leads faster?

• How can IT ensure our tech is secure?

• How can Customer Success use this data to improve retention?

Martech isn’t just for marketing. When done right, it impacts the entire business.

7. Continuous Learning and Optimization

The best teams aren’t just using Martech tools; they’re constantly learning and optimizing. What worked last year might not work this year.

• Are there new tools or features that can drive better results?

• What’s working? What’s not?

Never stop iterating. The teams that win are the ones that never settle.

Final Thoughts

An effective Martech strategy isn’t about throwing a bunch of tools together and hoping for the best. It’s about starting with clear objectives, building around the customer, and constantly optimizing for better results.

Focus on impact, not the number of tools. Simplify where you can. And always lead with the customer.

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7 Successful Marketing Ops Habits to Practice Every Week

1 - Be Proactive About Improving Systems and Processes

2 - Begin With Revenue and CX in Mind

3 - Put Projects that Drive High-Value Outcomes First

4 - Make Win-Win Decisions for Sales and Marketing

5 - Seek First to Understand the Intent Behind Requests, Before Jumping to a Solution

6 - Synergize with other SME's and Leaders

7 - Continually Sharpen Your Technical and Soft Skills

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POLL: What is at the center of your Martech stack today?