June 5, 2012 4:15 AM

In today's rapidly changing tech space, even the most technical marketers can face confusion and indecision when trying to evaluate which tools their teams need most. To make matters more complicated, since different tools can serve different marketing functions, your toolset needs to evolve in tandem with your marketing strategies.

Don't be lured in by the tempting "bells and whistles" that some marketing tools sell themselves on - it's always better to focus instead on the features that make your most essential marketing tasks easier to carry out.

With that in mind, we've gathered a short list of the core tools that every multi-tasking digital marketer needs to stay competitive in their industry.

1. Content Management System

Now that the web has become more fragmented, and audiences are engaging with businesses and brands via a variety of channels, it's more imperative than ever to have one agile tool to manage and even syndicate your digital content. This includes your organization's website, social media, email campaigns and mobile sites.

In addition, there has been a growing recognition that web content management needs to rest with marketing teams, not IT departments or agencies. Next-generation CMS, including Marqui, make publishing web content faster and more efficient, and with SaaS models, deployment time is rapid, and users can access the software through any internet browser.

Also, with a next-gen CMS like Marqui, non-technical users can be empowered to manage their own web presence, using simple page editing tools, flexible page templates, digital asset libraries, version controls, configurable user permissions, staging environments and more. With some SaaS CMS, like Marqui, users can also enjoy the benefits of both technical and marketing support, so there's always a dedicated expert ready to help you.

2. Email Campaign Manager

Far from dead, email is still one of the most efficient and effective ways to engage your customers and prospects. Email plays a fundamental role in attracting new customers, nurturing leads, maintaining loyalty, along with driving customers to purchase.

Leading email campaign managers will have easy-to-use email editing tools, lead scoring, subscriber management, landing page builders, drip campaigns, along with tracking mechanisms for bounces, opens, click-throughs and conversions. It's never enough to send out an email campaign; you need to be able to measure your results as well!

3. Web Analytics

The importance of analytics cannot be overstated. Analytics tools can provide the deepest and most relevant insight into the success of your digital content, web design and structure, and email campaigns. The ability to track and measure every single web marketing activity, from the simplest email to the most complex campaign, is what sets digital marketing apart from a more traditional, non-measurable type of marketing. The good news is that the best next-gen CMS will have analytics tools built right in.

Are there any other tools that your organization just can't live without? Share them here!

Originally posted on Marqui's Web Marketing Blog

Blogger Profile: Marqui Web Marketing Blog
Marqui's Web Marketing Blog is brought to you by their marketing and consulting team to share ideas, best practices and trends from the world of web marketing. The blog aims to cover a broad array of topics relating to web marketing including content management, conversion optimization, SEO, email marketing and lead nurturing.

Posted by Sue Ansell at June 5, 2012 4:15 AM

Categories: Sales and marketing

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