TECH TALK: Tapping the Minds of Leading Marketing Technologists.

• Author: Lufkin, Rachel
• Position: Cover story

Marketing technologists are like the unicorns of the legal marketing landscape. You may have seen one from a distance, once, and wondered: Where do they work? What do they do? How did they come to be? Or even, do they truly exist?

We were lucky enough to wrangle up a few of these magnificent professionals to get answers to our most burning questions on the intersection of marketing and technology in the legal field.

Panel of Marketing Technologists

Patty Azimi

Marketing Technology Manager, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

Deb Dobson

Marketing Technology Manager, Fisher & Phillips LLP

Troy Brophy

Marketing Technologies, Hanson Bridget

Sunny Bane

Director of Marketing Operations, DLA Piper

Jacqueline Madarang

Senior Marketing Technology Manager, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings

John Witts

Marketing Technology Manager, Fox Rothschild LLP

Jacob Berschauer

Marketing Technology Manager, Venable

Cyndy McCollough

Director of Marketing and Business Development, Buckley Sandler

For curious marketers at firms without a designated marketing technologist, how should they get started?

Patty Azimi: I recommend finding a mentor in your IT department. If a firm doesn't have a dedicated marketing technology specialist, the IT department is likely handling the responsibilities tied to marketing software. The administrator of these programs can help train you to gain the experience and background you need to move forward in a marketing technology role.

Deb Dobson: The best way to get started is to use social media to find thought leaders in the area of marketing and emerging technologies. This is a great way to educate yourself on current and emerging technologies and the ways they are being used. Don't be afraid to get in and play with new technology. For instance, I was an early adopter of Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and other platforms. I didn't know what I was doing when I started, but neither did the other early adopters. We each taught each other as we learned something new.

Troy Brophy: Sign up for demos and free versions of as many services and products as you can. Let sales reps walk you through features and explain how things should work. This will give you an idea of what's out there, and how it can support your firm.

Jacqueline Madarang: Start with what you have now and create a roadmap of key things that are important to you and your firm. Prioritize these and create a plan. Plan for a long-term strategy that you can execute in multiple years. Also...