A major inefficiency in marketing is underutilizing features of existing, paid-for tools. Marketers are so focused on churning out content and hitting immediate goals that they don't learn about new platform capabilities that could improve their workflow, leading to a lower ROI on their tech stack.
The common fear of AI replacing creative jobs is misguided. The real power of AI for marketers isn't just generating copy or images, but serving as a thinking partner. It can accelerate gaining context and relevance, helping marketers think better, be smarter, and make more informed decisions.
The selection process for marketing technology often goes wrong when decision-makers are seduced by flashy, new features they may never use. This is exacerbated by excluding daily, hands-on users from the evaluation, leading to a tool that doesn't fit the team's actual workflow and needs.
Relying on email opens and clicks for lead scoring is a major mistake. These metrics are unreliable because bots can trigger them, providing a false signal of engagement. A click does not equate to high purchase intent, leading sales teams to waste time on unqualified leads and causing frustration across departments.
No single marketing platform can fulfill all of a modern team's needs. Instead of seeking an "all-in-one" solution, marketers should prioritize platforms with robust integration capabilities. The ability to connect best-in-class tools for specific functions is the key to a sophisticated and effective MarTech stack.
Marketing automation platforms often fail to satisfy teams because roles like demand gen, email marketing, and ops require different functionalities. A single platform struggles to excel in all areas, leading to dissatisfaction, which is compounded by platforms over-promising an "all-in-one" solution.