Technology versus Strategy – the Struggle is Real

Does your strategy define your technology, or is it the other way around?

As shiny, new technologies breach the horizon, content leads are finding that the question of technology vs. strategy is becoming even more acute.

According to B2B Marketers Speak‚ a report forming part of Digital Clarity Group’s (DCG) 'Voice of the Marketer’ research program sponsored by censhare, marketers feel they have the right content tools in place but still identify technology as being the biggest barrier to using content effectively.

So why is this? The research finds this disconnect to be largely the result of bad or practically no alignment between tech and strategy. A surprising but apparently widespread problem. But DCG has not just identified this issue, its report also highlights some steps which can help you bridge this gap and meet your content goals, such as:

Regularly Assess your Tech: Schedule hard dates to spend time assessing your current content tools and stick to them. DCG points out that most companies just do this on an ad hoc basis when it should really be done on a yearly basis (or more often for faster-moving industries). And if it seems daunting, the advice is that you don’t need to go the whole hog every time. Cover the systems most commonly used – they’re most likely going to be the ones that have the biggest impact.

Check in with stakeholders: Marketers and content managers are likely to be the ones working with your digital content tools the most. The report found that marketers aren’t always involved in gathering requirements for new technology solutions, even if they’re they primary users. Make sure they have a clear voice when assessing whether your technology is up to snuff.

Don't Be Seduced: Remember, you want the right tool for your business, not just the newest piece of tech. DCG found that 50% of marketers struggled to get content to the right people at the right time, even though they had a lot of tech already at their fingertips. It calls on marketers to be ‘ruthlessly efficient’ when choosing tech and focusing energy. A simple tweak to the process could make a bigger difference than buying in another snazzy bit of kit.

So, to conclude? The rapid pace of technology demands that you regularly evaluate your both tools and strategy. If you don’t, your competitor definitely will.

Check out the full B2B Marketers Speak report below for more insights into streamlining your content management process.