---
title: How to get started with a marketing data stack
description: We talk to a lot of people about Marketing Data Stacks and, to us, they are always really interesting conversations.
image: https://www.engaging.io/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/hi-tech-abstract-engine-1-2.jpg
---

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# How to get started with a marketing data stack

By Todd McPhee on Sep 16, 2025

Narrate this article

![](https://www.engaging.io/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/hi-tech-abstract-engine-1-2.jpg)

We talk to a lot of people about Marketing Data Stacks and, to us, they are always really interesting conversations. What makes it interesting is that we have yet to have the same conversation twice. By that, I mean no one ever talks about their needs or proposed solution and we say, ‘that’s exactly the same as Company XYZ’.

When talking through what a marketing data stack solution might look like for our clients, we go through an audit or needs analysis survey to determine the needs that are specific to them. So we thought you might find those questions a handy way to help you work out your own organisation's needs.

How you answer these questions will help determine what’s important and what your needs are. Remember, this is just a starting point. If/when you need to dive deeper, give us a call on +61 2 9922 3438. Here goes (BTW, try and answer the questions honestly):

**Q1. Do you advertise or promote your services online?**  
a) Yes and we think we have a pretty good mix.  
b) Yes and we think we could do it better.  
c) No, but we probably should..  
d) No and we don’t think we need to.

**Q2. Is Social Media a part of your Marketing mix?**  
a) Yes and we think we have a pretty good mix.  
b) Yes and we think we could do it better.  
c) No, but we probably should..  
d) No and social media should be kept for posting selfies and photos of dinner!

**Q3. Do you have a Customer Relationship Management Tool (CRM) to help you understand your customers?**  
a) Yes and it rocks.  
b) Yes, but we would like to get more out of it.  
c) No, but we probably should.  
d) No, we use a spreadsheet tool like Excel.

**Q4. Are you able to automate your marketing actions, such as email and web content, via a marketing automation system?**  
a) Yes, we are all over marketing automation  
b) Yes, we have a system, but are unsure about how to use it  
c) No, we just serve everyone the same content  
d) No, I don’t know what a Marketing Automation system is.

**Q5. How do you send emails to your customers?**  
a) We use our CRM/Marketing Automation system  
b) We use an Email Tool like MailChimp  
c) We send individual emails to every customer  
d) We don’t email our customers

**Q6. When advertising, do you serve many different display ad sizes and messages?**  
a) Yes, quickly and cheaply.  
b) Yes, but it costs us a fortune to develop them all.  
c) No, we only have a few ad sizes and one message.  
d) No, we don’t advertise.

**Q7. How deep can you dive into your campaign analytics?**  
a) We track how all channels play their part in sales/conversions  
b) We use Google Analytics to track where traffic is coming from  
c) We rely on our agency for reports  
d) We have analytics but we don’t really use it  
e) We don’t use any analytics tool

**Q8. You’ve been asked to present the latest campaign findings to the board tomorrow. What data can you present?**  
a) We have a real time reporting dashboard, so our findings will be ‘live’.  
b) We would present the last report from our agency as one day isn’t enough notice for them send through the latest data.  
c) I think we will be working back late tonight trying to pull together all our data!

**Q9. How do you stay on top of your Social Media activity.**  
a) We use Social Media Management Software to analyse all publish across all platforms  
b) We use each social media platform separately and rely on their insights  
c) Again, Social media should be kept for posting selfies and photos of dinner!

**Q10. Do you know how people behave on your website?**  
a) We can see how people do and don’t interact and where they drop off  
b) We know what they click on, but don’t know their true behaviour  
c) We don’t know if anyone visits our site

**Q11. Part of your marketing function is collaborating with other partners, such as agencies or internal departments. How do you mostly communicate with them?**  
a) We use collaboration tools such as project management and messaging software  
b) We use email, email attachments and phone calls  
c) We use carrier pigeon and smoke signals

How did you go? Hopefully this helped you highlight the areas you do well and some of the areas that could be explored further.

In the next few weeks we will be posting an interactive survey that will map out a marketing data stack solution for you (oooohh tricky…..)! So stay tuned...

If you can't wait that long, [drop us a line](mailto:engagewithus@engage.io)!

#### Other Blogs

#### [Onshore sensitive data storage with HubSpot CRM cards Ralph Vugts Sep 30, 2025 See More](https://www.engaging.io/blog/onshore-sensitive-data-storage-with-hubspot-crm-cards)

#### [Data visualization to aid business decisions Todd McPhee Sep 30, 2025 See More](https://www.engaging.io/blog/data-visualization-to-aid-business-decisions)

#### [HubSpot CRM migrations + 3 more The foundation: why data comes first when implementing multiple data sources... Melissa Erickson Jul 15, 2026 See More](https://www.engaging.io/blog/the-foundation-why-data-comes-first-when-implementing-a-crm)

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