As a boy growing up, my father always told me to chase after my goals and aspirations. “If you are passionate about it, you should go out and do it,” he would always say. Fortunately, I am pursuing my interests in digital marketing and technology. And one of my favorite things to do is read about other people pursuing their dreams in marketing utilizing all of the technology available today. I love to read about entrepreneurs. Working in downtown Cincinnati, the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well right in my backyard. We live in a world where any individual that sees a problem in the workplace can create a marketing technology startup company with a great idea, well written code, some startup funds, and a lot of hard work.

Over the past several years, we have seen a dramatic increase in marketing technology. Take a look at this. You are looking at the 2015 edition of the marketing landscape supergraphic. Pretty amazing huh? That supergraphic doubled in size from last year and is representing 1,876 companies. That means there are double the solutions available for marketers to pick and choose from as there was just one year ago.

As amazing as that infographic is, it raises a very important question for marketers. With so much marketing technology, what software should you invest in? All of these companies have outstanding demos and appear to be able to solve one of your many marketing problems. Your marketing budget is tight so its important to invest in the technology that will get you real digital ROI. And we believe that these 5 types of technology are must haves for anyone in the marketing industry today.

1. Content Management System

Most marketing today is digital. Having a strong website is the foundation of a successful digital marketing strategy. Before a customer buys from you, they interact with your company. They could have found you via search engine, social media, or directly. Either way, they have checked out your site. Having a content management system allows marketers to quickly make changes to their website when they alter their marketing strategy. Marketers have evolved to become “marketing webmasters” and that means you can’t code and take up developers time for every small change that needs done on your website.

2. Email Marketing

Not all customers are created equal. In fact, not all leads are created equal either. What does this mean for marketers? Marketers need to be able to segment leads into groups and ensure that your message is relevant to the people you are sending it to. An email marketing automation tool can help you do that. With a good email marketing software (with automation features, a plus), you can build a workflow around similar leads and send them relevant content that will lead them down the funnel and nurture them until they are ready to buy.

3. Analytics

Without marketing analytics, are you really even a marketer? Seriously. Marketing analytics tells you what is working and what isn’t so you can adapt your digital marketing strategy accordingly. Without analytics, your strategy might be missing your target audience completely. You can answer the questions that are so precious to a business. How are our marketing initiatives performing today? Are you devoting time and money to the right channels? Are we earning a desirable Return on Investment? Analytics and marketing is a match made in heaven.

4. CRM

You might be surprised how many companies do not have a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system and manage this business function on spreadsheets. Your memory is not perfect. A CRM allows you to store precious information about your customers. It shows where your customer is in the buyers journey so you can be sure to market to them accordingly. Marketers need CRM systems to understand more about their buyers lifecycle, managing communications, and seeing their path to purchase. And unfortunately, your lack of CRM might be costing you sales.

5. Marketing Automation

Marketing automation is great. It makes marketers jobs a lot easier. Marketing automation uses data and what you already know to deliver a real time personalized experience. Marketing automation platforms or MAPs help marketers listen to what prospects are telling us and MAPS help us listen and respond with the most relevant message at the right time. Marketing automation can help with lead nurturing, keeping everyone on the same page and save your team time by reducing the amount of errors.

Bottom Line

There is a lot of marketing technology out there. And I think there will be a lot more in the future, too. With a tight budget, make sure the marketing technology you invest in is going to bring you the highest possible ROI and integrate together in the future. Start with these 5 must have types of technology before taking on any other solutions.