• Google Keyword Planner
• Google Analytics
• Facebook Audience Insights
• Pushengage
• Yandex Metrica
• Sprout Social
• Nanigans
• Marketo
• Etc.

How many digital marketing tools do you know and use? The answer that most marketers give is not enough. There is always a new tool that could transform the way you work. But it’s time to change your mindset. While new tools are designed and built every day, it’s your ability to work effectively with what is available that can make a great deal of difference. If you think you’re doing your very best with marketing tools, here are some new ideas that will blow your mind.

#1. You’ve got a tonne of unrelated data

With on average 15 to 20 digital marketing tools being used in small business environments – and over 100 tools for larger companies – it can be difficult to get an overview of your audience. One tool might be tracking their activities on the website, while the other shows how users engage with your social media posts. As a result, marketing teams often work with a variety of separate metrics and data that can’t be combined via their respective tools. If you’re struggling to get a 360° view of your audience, you might want to take SQL training courses. SQL can help you to combine data from different sources.

#2. You track the wrong KPIs

You rely on KPIs to monitor your marketing performance. However, you need to remember that not all metrics are relevant to your business. Indeed, marketing activities are designed to support your business growth, and consequently to deliver a profit. Consequently, tracking KPIs that don’t affect your gain is a waste of your marketing activities. For instance, monitoring your popularity on social media is pointless if you don’t develop a strategy to convert your followers. Social media likes don’t pay the bills, and that’s precisely why you want to question the business use of your metrics.

#3. You don’t act on it

One of the main mistakes digital marketers are guilty of making is to transform their department into a large data collecting platform. Here, it’s not the relevance of the metrics that causes an issue. It’s the belief, coming from marketers themselves, that if they had a different tool, then they’ll be able to do more. However, blaming the technology is not the way to go. Ultimately, each tool provides valuable data. But when the team doesn’t use the data properly to create informed strategies, there is no room for growth. Your role is to collect, analyse, and interpret data to define the best direction for the business. When marketing teams focus their efforts on collection only, data lose their business functions.
 

#4. You’re not quite sure what they’re for

On average 48.6% of digital marketers admit they don’t have the necessary knowledge to fulfil their role. In fact, with over 50% expression difficulties with their digital strategy, data analysis and SEO activities, it’s fair to say that digital marketers are their biggest obstacles. While tools are getting easier to use, the lack of training on data topics makes it impossible for marketers to keep up.

So, if you find yourself thinking that everything could be fine if you had a different tool, it’s worth checking that you really understand how to make the most of your tools, your data and your strategy. Don’t become the worst enemy of digital success!