How to Audit Your Marketing Tech Stack
Ever looked at your marketing tech stack and thought, "How did we end up with all this?"
1 tool for email, another for automation, 3 different attribution platforms because no one trusts the data, and a handful of AI subscriptions collecting dust.
Meanwhile, finance is side-eyeing the budget, and your team is only using a fraction of what you're paying for.
If your stack is more clutter than strategy, it’s time for a tech stack audit.
Because your tools should be working for you, not the other way around. Here’s how to clean it up, cut the dead weight, and make sure every platform is actually worth keeping.
Take Inventory of Every Tool
Before you can clean up your tech stack, you need to know what’s actually in it.
Pull up finance reports, IT records, and team expense logs.
Because I guarantee you there are tools in there no one remembers signing up for.
This means everything:
CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.)
Marketing automation (Marketo, Pardot, etc.)
Email & lifecycle marketing
Analytics & attribution software
SEO, content, & social media tools
Ad platforms & bid management
Customer engagement & sales enablement
Half of these were probably added for a quick fix and never reassessed. Time to check:
Are we actually using this tool?
Who owns it? (If no one knows, that’s a problem.)
When was the last time we logged in?
If a tool doesn’t have a clear purpose, it’s already on the chopping block.
Find the Duplicates & Dead Weight
Marketing teams love stacking tools.
But at some point, it stops being helpful and just clogs up your workflow. A lot of platforms now do the same thing, and some of the tools you had to have a year ago are now redundant.
Time to clean it up. Look at each tool and ask:
Does another platform already do this? (Do you really need both HubSpot and Marketo?)
Is anyone actually using it? (Or is it collecting dust?)
Does it integrate with your stack, or is it just making things harder?
Some of the biggest offenders:
Running multiple automation tools when one would work
Using several social media scheduling tools when you only need one
Paying for multiple attribution tools because no one trusts the data
If a tool isn’t saving time, improving execution, or driving revenue, consolidate or cut it.
Is It Worth the Price Tag?
Not every tool needs to be cheap. BUT every tool needs to be worth it. Just because something is expensive doesn’t mean it’s valuable, and just because it’s affordable doesn’t mean it’s necessary.
Look at what you’re spending and what you’re actually getting in return:
Annual cost – What’s this tool really costing you?
Revenue impact – Does it drive leads, conversions, or retention?
Efficiency gains – Is it saving time, or just adding complexity?
Customer experience – Does it actually improve engagement or workflows?
Example: If you’re dropping $50K a year on a lead enrichment tool that isn't improving conversion rates, that’s an easy cut. On the flip side, if a high-cost tool is directly driving revenue, maybe it’s time to double down and replace similar tools with it.
The simplest test? Turn it off (in theory) and see what breaks. If the answer is “not much,” you know what to do.
Build a Tech Stack That Won’t Hold You Back
Your marketing stack shouldn’t just work for today.
It needs to scale with where you’re headed. If a tool can’t grow with your business, integrate with new tech, or keep up with evolving regulations, it’s already outdated.
Ask yourself:
Can it scale? Will it handle more data, global teams, or new marketing channels as you grow?
Is it built for the future? Does it integrate with AI, automation, and first-party data strategies?
Is it compliant? Can it keep up with evolving privacy laws like GDPR and CCPA?
If a tool feels like it’s stuck in the past, it’s a problem waiting to happen. Cut anything that won’t keep up.
Lock It In & Keep It Clean
Cutting the bloat is one thing.
Keeping it from creeping back is another. Without a clear system, teams will keep adding new tools, forgetting old ones, and repeating the same cycle.
Create a centralized marketing tech playbook that includes:
A master list of approved tools — what’s in, what’s out.
Clear ownership — who manages contracts, usage, and ROI.
Rules for adding new tools — does it solve a real problem and integrate with your stack?
Then, sync with finance, IT, and sales to make sure marketing isn’t making tech decisions in a vacuum. A streamlined stack isn’t just cleaner.
It’s faster, more efficient, and actually moves the business forward.