But that’s ok!

We live in a world obsessed with shiny new tools. In marketing, that more often than not translates to a fascination with martech. From sophisticated automation platforms to complex analytics dashboards, the promise is always the same: solve all your marketing woes with the right technology.

But let’s be honest: while martech plays a crucial role in B2B marketing – and without a doubt, its precision and clarity, tracking and attribution, have been a revelation – it’s really not the silver bullet many believe it to be. In fact, *whispers* relying solely on technology to drive results is a recipe for disappointment.

The Martech Mirage

It’s so easy to get caught up in the hype. Martech vendors love to paint a picture of effortless lead generation, personalised customer journeys, and rocketing ROI, all achieved through the magic of their software. But while the ‘stack’ of these tools can contribute to those outcomes, parting with budget on a monthly basis just doesn’t magically conjure them out of thin air.

The reality is that martech is primarily infrastructure. It provides the pipes, the wires, and the control panels, but it doesn’t create the actual content that flows through them. It can tell you when to send a message and who to send it to, but it can’t tell you what story to tell, the nuances of what that message should be.

The Human Element: Where Martech Falls Short

This is where the human element becomes essential. Martech can:

• Automate repetitive tasks: freeing up marketers to focus on tasks where they better add value.
• Segment audiences: allowing for more targeted messaging.
• Track campaign performance: providing valuable data insights for review, amend, test and repeat exercises.

But it cannot:

• Develop compelling messaging: crafting narratives that resonate with your target audience requires creativity, empathy, and a deep understanding of their needs.
• Create engaging content: whether it’s a blog post, a video, or a white paper, directing and creating content to meet the need demands human understanding, ingenuity and expertise. An email needs a compelling subject line, aligned with supporting content in other formats – that takes some thoughtful planning.
• Build genuine relationships: while martech can facilitate communication, it’s human interaction that fosters trust and loyalty, and people build with people in mind.

So What Marketing? The Real Value Proposition

So, if martech isn’t the silver bullet, is anything close? The answer is simple: smart marketing. And “smart marketing” combines the power of technology with the irreplaceable value of human creativity, understanding of the little nudges in our lives, and strategic thinking.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

• Define clear objectives: What are you trying to achieve? Martech can help you structure, deliver and track progress, but it can’t define your goals for you. Choose your battles to give yourself the best chance of a win, then deploy martech to execute with your focus in mind.
• Develop a strong content strategy: What stories do you need to tell to engage your audience? How does the narrative grow out over time – consistency at its core and valuable insights on a repeated schedule. Martech can help you distribute that content, but it just can’t structure, direct and create it.
• Remember relationships: Scratch the surface, and most services and products are 80-90% similar within the space. But people still buy from people, and companies showing that they have connection and understanding. How can you trigger and connect with your target audiences on a human level? Martech can facilitate communication, but it can’t replace genuine interaction.

The Bottom Line

Martech is a powerful tool, but it’s just that: a tool. It’s a means to an end, not the end itself. To truly succeed in B2B marketing, you need to combine the efficiency of technology with the creativity, strategy, and human touch that only marketers can provide. Don’t fall for the martech mirage. The shiny tech stack is a costly beast, with value for sure, but don’t assume it will run the show for you. Instead, embrace the ethos of “so what marketing”—a smart marketing approach that prioritises strategy, content, and human connection.