As companies scale, so does the complexity of their marketing technology (MarTech) stack. From CRM systems and automation platforms to analytics tools and customer data platforms (CDPs), businesses often invest in a wide array of software, much of which ends up underutilized or poorly integrated. The result? Wasted budget, inefficiencies, and missed growth opportunities.
This is where a MarTech specialist becomes essential. They help companies audit, optimize, and align their technology investments with business goals, ensuring that every tool in the stack delivers measurable value.
Here’s why growing companies need a MarTech specialist to stop the bleed on underused tools and unlock the full potential of their tech investments.
Most companies don’t realize how much money they’re wasting on tools they barely use. According to Gartner's 2020 Marketing Technology Survey, marketing leaders reported utilizing only 58% of their martech stack's full capabilities—a figure that remained unchanged from 2019. This underutilization suggests that a significant portion of marketing technology investments may not be fully leveraged, leading to millions of dollars in wasted spend annually.
Common causes of wasted MarTech spend include:
Without a clear strategy, companies accumulate “MarTech debt”—the cost of inefficient processes, unused licenses, and fragmented data.
A MarTech specialist conducts a comprehensive audit of your existing tools, processes, and workflows to identify inefficiencies. Their goal is to ensure that every platform contributes to marketing effectiveness and delivers a positive ROI.
Key areas of a MarTech audit include:
Regular audits and optimization of your MarTech stack can lead to significant cost savings and enhanced marketing performance. For example, Orchid Agency reports that, on average, 30% of a company's MarTech budget is wasted due to redundant or underutilized tools. Similarly, AI Marketing Engineers highlight that companies conducting periodic audits often find opportunities to better integrate tools, resulting in improved efficiency and reduced costs.
Many companies struggle with disconnected systems, where data lives in isolated platforms, making it hard to get a unified view of the customer journey. This fragmentation not only wastes resources but also leads to poor marketing decisions.
A MarTech specialist helps:
For example, integrating a CRM like Salesforce with marketing automation tools like HubSpot can streamline lead management, reduce manual tasks, and improve conversion rates.
Integrating marketing technology (MarTech) systems effectively can significantly enhance marketing performance. A McKinsey & Company report highlights that data-activated marketing, which relies on integrated systems, can boost total sales by 15 to 20 percent and substantially improve the return on investment (ROI) across various marketing channels.
Additionally, Salesforce research indicates that businesses with tightly integrated MarTech stacks experience 36% faster revenue growth and 31% higher profitability compared to those with fragmented systems. These findings underscore the importance of integrating MarTech tools to optimize marketing efforts and achieve superior financial outcomes.
Growing companies often fall victim to the “shiny object syndrome”—purchasing new tools because they’re trendy, not because they align with business goals. This leads to bloated tech stacks and wasted budget.
A MarTech specialist helps companies:
According to Chiefmartec, the average enterprise utilizes approximately 91 marketing cloud services. This growth, upwards to 1,295 cloud services utilized, suggests that many organizations may have overlapping functionalities within their MarTech stacks. A MarTech specialist plays a crucial role in ensuring that each tool serves a clear, strategic purpose, thereby optimizing the overall effectiveness of the marketing technology ecosystem.
It’s not just about cutting tools—it’s about getting the most out of the ones you keep. A MarTech specialist ensures that teams are trained, processes are optimized, and features are fully leveraged.
How they maximize ROI:
For example, many companies underutilize their marketing automation platforms, using only basic email features while ignoring advanced segmentation, lead scoring, and behavioral triggers. Optimizing these can lead to higher conversion rates without additional spend.
A MarTech stack should evolve with the business. As companies grow, their technology needs change, but many fail to reassess their stack regularly. A MarTech specialist ensures that technology investments are aligned with current business objectives.
Key alignment strategies:
According to Gartner's 2024 CMO Spend Survey, marketing technology (MarTech) accounts for 23.8% of the average marketing budget, a decrease from 25.4% in 2023. This significant portion underscores the importance of strategic alignment in MarTech investments to maximize marketing impact.
The MarTech landscape is constantly evolving, with new tools and features emerging regularly. A MarTech specialist doesn’t just set up the stack—they continuously optimize it to ensure peak performance.
How they drive continuous improvement:
This proactive approach ensures that companies don’t fall into the trap of “set it and forget it,” which often leads to wasted spend over time.
For growing companies, MarTech can be both a growth accelerator and a budget black hole; it all depends on how it’s managed. A MarTech specialist ensures that every tool in the stack is strategically selected, fully utilized, and delivering measurable ROI.
By auditing existing tools, optimizing integrations, aligning technology with business goals, and eliminating waste, MarTech specialists help companies reduce costs, improve efficiency, and maximize growth potential, all without cutting corners or sacrificing performance.