Tech Stacks Examples
Although most of us prefer to think about a stack of pancakes, today we are going to talk about tech stacks. You have probably come across the term a couple times, but do you really know what it means? In today's world, technology is the backbone of any business, and a tech stack is an essential component of that technology. Put simply, a tech stack is a set of software tools and programming languages used by a company to develop, implement, and manage its applications, services, and infrastructure. In this article we are going to further discuss what a tech stack is, give some examples of a tech stack, and go over the ways in which your tech stack plays a role in your business.
A tech stack typically consists of several layers, each with its own set of software, tools, programming languages, and frameworks. The various layers should be designed to work together to create a cohesive and efficient technology infrastructure that can support the company's daily operation, such as communication between teams, emailing customers, keeping track of sales metrics, and so on.
Marketing Tech Stack?
Within the broader focus of the term “tech stack”, we can further divide the term by tech stacks focused on specific areas of a business. For instance, a marketing tech stack is a collection of different software tools and technologies used by a company’s marketing team to manage and automate various processes.
A fully-fledged marketing tech stack would usually include a combination of the following:
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software
A good relationship requires work from both sides. But when you have thousands, or perhaps millions of customers, it gets a bit tricky using a pen and paper to keep a record of all their details. A CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system is used to manage and analyze interactions with customers and potential customers. It is the foundation of the stack as it allows businesses to store and organize customer data, track customer interactions across multiple channels, and provide insights into customer behavior and preferences.
Marketing Automation Software
You got a “happy birthday” email from your favorite sneaker company last week and were absolutely stunned. The three pairs of sneakers you bought last year must have really made an impression, because “Michelle” from the marketing team remembered your birthday and sent you a 15% discount voucher! Well, I am sorry to tell you that, most likely, that email was probably automated, and Michelle probably could not identify you in a mugshot even if she was paid to. How was that possible though? Welcome to marketing automation software. Marketing automation software is a key component of a marketing tech stack that enables businesses to automate a range of marketing activities, such as emailing you on your birthday, lead generation, lead scoring, lead nurturing, and more.
Social Media Management Tools
Social media is everything these days. Even my granddad is making Instagram videos, and he often reminds me; “you won’t be laughing at me when I go viral”. This is normally when I remind him to take his medication. His last video has over 6 views and he currently has 9 followers. Because of all the data, he sometimes struggles to keep track of it all.
As a company grows it should also focus on social media engagement, and as your social media presence grows you will probably need help from social media management tools. These software applications help businesses manage their social media presence across different platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and others. These tools are designed to simplify the process of creating, publishing, and, very importantly, monitoring that social media content.
Within the context of a marketing tech stack, social media management tools are an important part of managing a business's social media presence as they assist in streamlining many tasks, such as scheduling posts, monitoring brand mentions, engaging with followers, and analyzing performance metrics in these areas.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Software
It is the all-powerful, all-knowing, all seeing, omnipotent force of our world. No, I am not talking about the illuminati or the lizard people. I am talking about Google. Search engine optimization (SEO) software is a type of tool that helps businesses optimize their website and online content. This is done in order to improve their search engine ranking -in other words, how likely they are to show up in search engine results. Good use of SEO software can play a vital role in helping a company's online presence is visible to potential customers when they search for relevant keywords on search engines like Google, Bing, or Yahoo. But, as we have alluded to, it is mostly just Google search results that matters, and SEO may as well be called Google Engine Optimization.
*Fun fact - Global Internet Usage Dropped 40% During Google's Five-Minute Outage in 2013.
Analytics Tools
It is hard to make progress without insights into your actions. For instance, if I eat 20 pancakes a day for 6 months, I want to know how much weight (or teeth) I have lost. All right, enough about pancakes. Analytics tools are another important component of any modern marketing tech stack. These tools help businesses measure and analyze data related to their marketing efforts, such as website traffic, social media engagement, email campaign performance, and more.
Using analytics tools helps to provide valuable insights that enable businesses to make data-driven decisions instead of decisions based on how someone feels in a particular moment. For example, analytics tools can help identify which channels are driving the most traffic or which content is resonating with their target audience.
There are various types of analytics tools available, including web analytics platforms like Google Analytics, social media analytics tools like Sprout Social or Hootsuite Insights, email marketing analytics tools like Pardot, Mailchimp, and more.
Some Examples of Tech Stacks Used by Top Companies
Using the website stackshare.io, we can find examples of tech stacks used by well-known companies. In most large companies the tech stack is quite complex and consist of many parts, so we will not be listing every single solution in each tech stack, but rather mention some of the more familiar companies. So, what tech is being employed in these top tier companies?
Airbnb Tech Stack
Invision – used for prototyping & collaboration
Google Analytics - used for web metrics
Braintree - used for payments & finance
Slack - used for communication
MixPanel - used for product analytics.
Salesforce Tech Stack
Invision - used for prototyping & collaboration
Docusign - used to sign, share and store documents in the cloud
Google Analytics - used for web metrics
Twilio - used for communication
Zuora - used for billing, commerce & finance
Uber Tech Stack
Asana - used for project management
Zendesk - used for customer support
PayPal – used for payments
Twilio - used for communication
Google Analytics - used for web metrics
MixPanel - used for product analytics.
LinkedIn Tech Stack
Oracle - used for deploying products
Google Analytics - used for web metrics
Adobe Experience Manager - used for content management
Okta - used for managing user sign-in
Unbounce - used for landing page optimization
Benefits of a Marketing Tech Stack
Now that we have discussed what a tech stack is, as well as seen some examples, let us go over some of the benefits of using a marketing tech tack.
As you might have already figured - a marketing tech stack offers numerous benefits to businesses. As each company is unique and has different priorities, the benefits of each layer will differ from company to company. That said, one of the primary benefits in most cases is increased efficiency, as a good marketing tech stack allows your marketing teams to automate various tasks and workflows that would usually take a fair deal of manual labor, like automatically sending an email to your customer on their birthday (if they provided you with that data).
Another benefit of a good marketing tech stack is better data tracking and analysis, allowing businesses to make data-driven decisions and optimize their marketing strategies according to the data. Furthermore, it can improve the overall customer experience by enabling businesses to deliver personalized and targeted content to their customers that feels more relevant and authentic.
Challenges of Implementing a Marketing Tech Stack
Implementing a marketing tech stack can be challenging for companies, especially for those that are new to using technology in their marketing efforts. One of the main challenges is the cost, as investing in various software tools and technologies can be expensive. Integration issues may also arise, as different components of a marketing tech stack may not work well together. Additionally, companies may face challenges related to lack of expertise and resistance to change from employees.
Best Practices for Implementing a Marketing Tech Stack
To successfully implement a marketing tech stack, companies should define their goals and objectives, choose the right components that align with their goals, involve key stakeholders from different departments, and invest in employee training and development. Additionally, it's crucial to regularly assess the performance of the marketing tech stack and make necessary adjustments to optimize its effectiveness.
Conclusion
Marketing is becoming increasingly complex and data-driven, and having a marketing tech stack has become essential for businesses of all sizes. As all companies are different, and the tools they use in their stack will differ between them. By implementing a marketing tech stack, businesses can automate various marketing tasks, track and analyze data more efficiently. When this is all done right, it improves the overall experience for your customer. While implementing a marketing tech stack can be challenging, it is worth the effort, and companies can follow best practices to ensure a successful implementation. It's essential for businesses to consider implementing a marketing tech stack to stay competitive and relevant in today's digital landscape.
