The Web. Social Media. Mobile. Together, they’ve changed the world, connecting all of us. Technology is changing markets and buyer preferences at a rapid pace, and the rate of change will only continue to increase. Recently, venture capitalist Jeff Bussgang wrote for Inc.com: “Within the $1 trillion marketing industry, the impact of software eating marketing has now reached the boardroom. With the explosion of digital marketing, it is clear that technology is radically transforming the marketing function and the role of the marketing professional.”

“Software eating marketing” sounds a bit like the end of the world, at least the B2B world as we know it. As SiriusDecisions advises its clients, just as technology advancements are changing the way buyers behave, there’s a wealth of new technology to help marketers design, develop and implement more sophisticated strategies. The technology explosion isn’t eating marketing – it’s fueling marketing’s ability to reach buyers in more innovative ways, and providing opportunities for marketing to positively influence and measure its impact on the business.

I see examples every day of B2B marketing organizations leveraging technology to achieve best-in-class performance. Here are just some of the things technology has enabled for the modern-day marketer:

  • Web analytics enable marketers to gain greater buyer insights by analyzing the hundreds of actions a buyer might make on a Web site.
  • Marketing automation platforms (MAPs) provide ways to improve productivity and efficiency, enabling multi-touch, multi-channel campaigns, and providing sophisticated lead management and scoring capabilities.
  • Social networks provide a new source of demographic data and offer marketers new ways to become part of a conversation with their buyers before and throughout the buying cycle.

    • While change is challenging, it’s also exciting. Embrace the change and consider how the full range of new marketing and sales technologies can help you evolve your strategy.

    What are some of the ways your business is using technology to improve sales and marketing results?