With all the talk about the “shiny new toys” on the MarTech horizon, what often gets lost is making the most of what you’ve got – the platforms already sitting in your existing technology stack.

We asked marketers to tell us how they use their marketing technologies.

Unsurprisingly, a majority of you (59%, to be exact) said that you’re only making use of “things you need” from the platform. Completely reasonable, but in a world of optimization and efficiency, making the most of tools in which you’ve already invested is a huge advantage.

Of course, making the most of every tool isn’t as simple as flipping a switch.

It takes a comprehensive understanding of your company’s challenges, and a familiarity with the capabilities of your martech stack.

In other words, you need help from someone that understands both your business objectives and the technology landscape. Sound familiar?

That’s right, a perfect opportunity for your marketing agency to add value to the relationship.

Understanding the full potential of the technology at your disposal is no small task.  You don’t know what you don’t know.  As long as you’re using the things you absolutely need, it’s easy to slip into complacency and feel that you’re getting your money’s worth from the platform.

We see this in the data in our survey.  29% of marketers that admit to underutilizing their marketing technology.  Only 8%are using it “to its fullest”.

We’ve advocated for using your marketing agencies as a frontline filter against the waves of new marketing technology hitting the industry.

This becomes doubly useful as they become versed in both the full feature set of these platforms, and in the challenges unique to your business.

Yet another advantage to bringing on an enthusiastic, proactive agency that constantly looks to go above and beyond to add value.

I challenge you to dive into your existing technology – either on your own or, ideally, in collaboration with your marketing agencies – and ensure that you’re making the most of money that you’ve already spent.

There may be a redundancy in your stack, enabling you to cut one platform loose and slash costs.

There may be a cheaper platform that gives you everything you need from the more-expensive option. Whatever it may be, it will likely enable you to streamline your marketing toolset and unlock the full potential of your existing platforms.

After all, there’s no value quite like free, and uncovering newfound efficiencies in a platform you already own is just that: free.

If the idea of a no-cost service appeals to your company, we’d love to talk to you about our agency search process. We’ll find you a right-fit agency ready to help you sift through the MarTech funnel and deliver results.  Give us a call (513-559-3101) or drop us a line (msneider@rswagencysearch.com).