Marketing Operations Truths and Myths

Ever find yourself correcting misunderstandings about your job?

» Of course you do. You work in Marketing Operations.

The role of Marketing Ops is subject to endless myths, mysteries, and all-around confusion, so we’re setting the record straight on some of the most common Marketing Operations misconceptions and revealing a few universal truths you can share with your cross-functional colleagues.

Demystifying Marketing Operations Truths and Myths

Truth: Reporting is Hard

Even with all of the tech in our toolkit, analyzing the customer journey is hard. Really hard. Disconnected tools and conflicting data points drain countless hours of Marketing Operations time.

To accurately measure performance, Marketing Ops teams need a solution that goes beyond basic MQLs to track every step of the customer journey, so you know exactly what campaigns work, where to allocate budget, and how to close the gaps in your marketing and sales strategy.

Myth: Marketing Operations = Data Analysis / Automation / Technology

Marketing Ops is often confused with various disciplines; from data analysis to automation to tech stack management. In reality, Marketing Operations is the sum of all these functions (and so much more).

Marketing Ops real superpower lies in their ability to align technology with people and processes that help hit KPIs and convert.

Spanning the Four Pillars of Marketing Operations, Marketing Ops professionals require a diverse skill set to ensure strategies are executed smoothly, resources are optimized, and insights are actioned for continuous improvement.

Truth: Salesforce isn’t Built for Marketers

If you’ve never experienced a Salesforce-induced fever dream, are you even a Marketing Operations leader?

Salesforce is primarily built for sales teams, so its attribution capabilities are limited at best. It also tends to operate in a silo, with poor integration across the other tools in your stack. And of course, if you operate in the B2B space, Salesforce struggles to track longer sales cycles.

To overcome these issues, Marketing Ops teams rely on solutions like Full Circle Insights to gain a more complete view of the customer journey, all while keeping your data securely in Salesforce.

Myth: Only Large Enterprises Need Marketing Operations

Marketing Operations is no longer the exclusive domain of large, complex enterprises. Today, businesses of all sizes rely on in-depth insights, scalable processes, and data-informed campaigns to succeed.

In fact, small and midsize companies are arguably under more pressure to optimize budgets and automate workflows compared to their generously-resourced counterparts.

No matter how many employees you have, or which industry you operate in, the core principles of Marketing Operations ring true.

Truth: Marketing Ops Generates ROI

When it comes to budget, Marketing Operations gets a bad rap as a cost center. It’s true that running a Marketing Operations department comes with certain expenses.

Tech stacks don’t come cheap, but, a well-run Marketing Ops team more than pays for itself in the form of campaign optimization, lead generation, and intelligent budget allocation. After all, the fundamental purpose of Marketing Ops is to help businesses operate more efficiently, which is key to sustainable revenue growth and long-term profitability.

Myth: Marketing Operations is an Isolated Entity

Think Marketing Operations is a standalone team that works independently in the background? Think again.

Marketing Ops impacts every aspect of your business: Sales teams get better quality leads, Finance has a clearer view of budget performance, and Leadership understands how marketing efforts impact strategic goals.

If your business treats Marketing Ops as an autonomous unit, you’re missing out on valuable insights and collaborative opportunities to drive revenue.

Truth: There’s No Such Thing as the Perfect Attribution Model

First-touch, last-touch, multi-touch, and everything in between – attribution is a Marketing Operations minefield.

The truth is that each model has its strengths and weaknesses and relying on just one will probably leave you with incomplete data. Understanding each attribution model and how they align with your needs is the first step toward better insights.

High-performing Marketing Ops teams take it to the next level with at-a-glance dashboards that provide a holistic view of campaign attribution within a single platform.

Debunking the Myths of Marketing Operations

When it comes to marketing, big-budget campaigns and high-visibility launches tend to take the spotlight. As Marketing Operations works tirelessly behind the scenes, misconceptions thrive surrounding their role.

By identifying Marketing Operations myths and truths, we can debunk misunderstandings so businesses can align cross-functional teams and truly take advantage of the powerhouse that is Marketing Operations.

Watch the Secrets of Marketing Ops webinar on-demand to learn more truths and myths about Marketing Operations.