When stepping into an admin role in an unfamiliar instance, the most important first step is to understand how that instance is set up. This post walks through the admin section of a Marketo instance and points out some best practices and red flags to look for as you start to audit your inherited instance.
Reviewing the Admin Section
Once you’ve logged into Marketo, click on the “Admin” tab at the top of the screen to find the Admin Settings. The easiest way to check on these settings is to work your way down the list.
Admin Section | What To Look For | Tips |
Users & Roles | · Which roles are there and what are the permissions? · Are there users in there that shouldn’t have access? · Are there employees who should have access but don’t? | You can create custom roles with high levels of granular permissioning. If you do, be sure to add descriptions so it’s easy to understand the purpose of that role. |
Workspaces & Partitions | - Are your workspaces partitioned or do you employ a shared database?
- How is the data in each of these spaces controlled?
| |
Smart Campaign Settings | - Is there a limit set on the number of leads that users in your instance can run through a batch campaign?
| Setting this can help prevent accidental sends to the entire database (yes, it’s happened before)! |
Email Settings | - Is SPF/DKIM set up? If not, partner with a member of your IT team and learn more about the setup process on the Marketo Product Docs.
- If SPF/DKIM are set up, are they set up correctly? Be sure to double check for typos!
| You can test your deliverability with third party tools like Litmus or Email On Acid and ensure you’re passing spam checks.
Want to improve your deliverability even further? Consider setting up your DMARC! If you haven’t heard of DMARC, check out this blog post to learn more.
|
Communication Limits | - Are there communication limits set? If not, it’s a great idea to establish limits to ensure you don’t over-email your database.
| |
Tags | - Which tags, channels, and statuses do you have? Are they being used?
- Do you have success statuses properly noted?
| Having your tags and channels properly in place will help you effectively use out-of-the-box reports like Program Performance Report and add-ons like Opportunity Influence Analyzer |
Field Management | - How many fields exist in your instance? To find this, click Export Field Names. This will download an Excel file with SOAP API, REST API, and Friendly Label field names.
- How many fields are actually being used in your instance? To find out whether a field is in use, click into the field and check the Field Used By line.
- Are there any fields currently in your CRM that need to be synced to Marketo? Are there any fields in Marketo that need to be synced to your CRM?
Note: Keep in mind that it’s recommended to add new fields to Salesforce CRM first and have it automatically sync to Marketo. If you have a field in Marketo that needs to be added to Salesforce, you’ll need to reach out to Marketo Support and provide them with the API and Friendly Label names.
| · Tip: Any changed info in a synced field is synced over regularly. If you have a lot of fields being changed constantly, it can slow down your sync, so it’s a good idea to audit all your Salesforce and Marketo fields and check to see what needs to be synced and what can be skipped over. · Tip: In some cases, Marketo Support can export a list of the 50 most updated fields in your instance. This can help you determine whether the fields that are taking processing power to update are actually being used in your marketing programs. · Tip: You can only change the field type on a custom field that is NOT in use. For example, if you’re trying to change a field from a string field to a boolean field, you’ll need to go to each program that’s using that field, remove the field from those programs, make the change to the field, and add it back into your programs. |
CRM | - Are you on the native connector, a custom connector, or a third party data connector?
| |
Sales Insight | - Do the scoring systems make sense?
- Are there any Email add-in licenses issued?
| |
Landing Pages | - Do you have a Fallback page and a Homepage set up? If not, any failed links will go to the default Marketo 404 page (which, admittedly, is pretty rad).
- Is your instance set up with SSL certification for both LPs and forms? if you don’t know, contact your CSM or Customer Care (customercare@marketo.com) and check out this Marketo Product Doc.
| |
Munchkin | - Make sure you have the Munchkin code set up on your site so you can track lead activity. Not sure how to do that? Check out the Marketo Developer Docs.
| |
Web Services | - How many APIs are making calls against your instance per day? Are you close to your daily limit?
Note: The API Call Information provided here is only for REST API calls. Marketo no longer supports SOAP API. Find out more on the Marketo Developer Docs.
| |
Launchpoint | - Which Launchpoint integrations are set up, if any? Are any set to expire?
- Are there any tools that are no longer in use that you should clean up?
| If you have any social media pages connected to Marketo, make sure you’re using a general email address for the company and NOT a personal email address. Otherwise, you’ll lose access to that integration if the person who owns that email address leaves the company. |
Treasure Chest | - All the features here have a use and a function. Read the description of each to determine if it is a fit for your organization.
| |
What interesting things have you seen in your admin settings?
.png)