Do you feel like your Tech & Engineering partners don’t understand what you’re trying to build or don’t prioritize your requests? The “Tech & Engineering for Marketers” cheat sheet will help you frame your marketing impact in a way that Tech & Engineering teams can understand and appreciate.
Introduction to the Cheat Sheet series
As a marketer, we spend a lot of our time thinking about the customer, the psychology, and the creativity of the campaigns, activations, and initiatives we produce. We’re like artists painting a Picasso or musicians scoring a Mozart. Sometimes, in the midst of our artistry, we forget the science of marketing. We forget to ask ourselves the burning questions that our partners (e.g. Finance, Product, Tech, etc.) like to know:
Why is marketing important? How do you know it’s working? Why should we care?
We used to be able to say “we trust our gut” or “it’s standard” but those days are gone. Now, we need data to support and validate our intuition.
As part of this Cheat Sheet series, we will breakdown some of the most important parts of our partner teams’ jobs and goals so marketers will have a better way of communicating our impact to them as well as be better business partners.
Tech & Engineering
for Marketers
Role of Tech & Engineering
Tech & Engineering team’s remit is to develop, maintain, and improve technological systems and infrastructure within a business or organization [1]. These teams build digital products and features that customers will ultimately interface with, e.g. the mobile app, the desktop website. They also build automations and technologies used in the backend, such as pricing systems, management systems, databases, platforms, etc.
Meaning:
- Tech & Engineering team cares that internal business systems are working. These teams design and implement software and hardware solutions, manage networks and databases, and troubleshoot technical issues. Tech and engineering teams work closely with other departments to ensure that technology is being used effectively and efficiently to support business operations. They also play a crucial role in researching and staying up-to-date on the latest technological developments, as well as ensuring that systems are secure and compliant with industry regulations.
- Tech & Engineering team cares that externally-facing digital products are working. Nowadays, most people will interact with the digital products of a business (or organization) very early in their customer journey (e.g. visiting a website, downloading a mobile app), even if the end-product is a physical product (e.g. furniture).
[1] Though the majority of the article is written through the lens of a business, this cheat sheet holds true for non-profit or for-profit organizations.
What does this mean for Marketers?
As a marketer, it’s important to have a strong understanding of the technical aspects of your work and to be able to effectively communicate with your tech and engineering teams. Here are a few tips for how marketers can effectively collaborate with these teams.
- Understand the basics of your tech stack. While you don’t need to be a technical expert, it’s important to have a general understanding of the tools and technologies your team is using. This will allow you to better communicate your ideas and needs to the tech team and understand the limitations and capabilities of your systems.
- Establish clear goals and priorities. When working on a project with the tech team, be sure to clearly communicate your goals and priorities. This will help the tech team understand what is most important to the marketing team and allow them to prioritize their work accordingly.
- Foster open communication. Effective communication is key to any successful collaboration. Make sure to keep the lines of communication open with your tech team and encourage them to bring up any questions or concerns they may have.
- Work together to problem-solve. Challenges and roadblocks are a natural part of any project. When working with the tech team, be proactive in finding solutions and be open to their ideas and suggestions.
- Respect their expertise. Your tech team members are experts in their field, so be sure to respect their knowledge and experience. They can provide valuable insights and guidance that can help your marketing efforts succeed.
Vocabulary
- Agile – A project management approach that focuses on flexibility and rapid iteration in order to quickly deliver high-quality products.
- API (Application Programming Interface) – A set of protocols and tools that allow different software programs to communicate with each other.
- Bootstrapping – Building a company or project from the ground up with minimal resources or outside funding.
- Debugging – The process of identifying and fixing errors in code.
- Front-end – The part of a website or application that is visible and interactive to the user.
- Hackathon – An event where programmers and designers come together to quickly prototype and build new products or solutions.
- Iteration – The process of repeating a task or procedure in order to improve or refine it.
- JIT (Just-in-Time) – A manufacturing and inventory management system that focuses on producing goods as they are needed, rather than in large quantities in advance.
- MVP (Minimum Viable Product) – A product that has enough features to satisfy early customers and gather valuable feedback, but is not fully complete.
- Scrum – A project management approach that uses short sprints and frequent check-ins to quickly deliver working products.
Key phrases
- “If we automate ABC, we can achieve XYZ.”
- “Entitlement of this feature is XYZ.”
- “How can we integrate our marketing efforts with existing technology systems?”
- “Can you help us understand the technical limitations and opportunities of this project?”
- “Can you help us identify potential technical challenges and solutions?”
Related questions
- How can marketers effectively communicate their needs and goals to tech and engineering teams? One way marketers can effectively communicate their needs and goals to tech and engineering teams is by providing clear, detailed explanations and specifications of what they are looking for. It can also be helpful to provide examples or references to help the team understand the desired end result. Additionally, keeping an open line of communication and being willing to listen to the team’s suggestions and concerns can help facilitate a productive working relationship.
- How can tech and engineering teams help marketers achieve their objectives through the development of new technologies or tools? Tech and engineering teams can help marketers achieve their objectives through the development of new technologies or tools by creating custom solutions that meet the specific needs of the marketing campaign or project. For example, if a marketer needs a new platform to manage customer data, the tech and engineering team can work with them to design and build a solution that meets their requirements.
- How can marketers and tech and engineering teams work together to identify and solve technical challenges that may arise during a campaign or project? To identify and solve technical challenges that may arise during a campaign or project, marketers and tech and engineering teams can work together to define the problem, gather information, and brainstorm potential solutions. It can be helpful to involve subject matter experts or other stakeholders as needed to ensure that all perspectives are considered.
- How can tech and engineering teams help marketers better understand and utilize new technologies and tools that can enhance their marketing efforts? Tech and engineering teams can help marketers better understand and utilize new technologies and tools by providing training and support as needed. This may include helping marketers understand how to use new software or platforms, or assisting with the integration of new technologies into existing systems.
- How can marketers and tech and engineering teams collaborate to identify and prioritize opportunities for technical innovation that can benefit the business as a whole? To identify and prioritize opportunities for technical innovation, marketers and tech and engineering teams can work together to assess the current state of the business and identify areas where new technologies or tools may be beneficial. This may involve conducting market research, gathering customer feedback, or analyzing data to identify areas for improvement. Once potential opportunities have been identified, the teams can work together to develop and implement a plan to realize the benefits of the innovation.
