Tokens on Steroïds

Tokens on Steroïds

The purpose of this idea is to gather all requirements for the next level of program token management. Here they are :

New types of tokens required :

  • URL token types () so that managing URLs for CTAs no longer requires a 1 page how-to guide
  • Image / File token types, so that updating a image in a email or LP can be done easily without error ()
  • Form tokens types to enable changing the form in an LP without editing the LP. See
  • List and smart list tokens ()
  • Formula tokens ()
  • All tokens providing program information, tags etc... ()
  • Multi line text tokens (not rich text, but just multi-line)
  • List of values tokens ( Thx Andrew Sielen​)
  • Select field tokens, so that the standard user cloning programs has the possibility to choose values within a limited list (in conjunction with limited rights, see below). See , thx Robb Barrett
  • Color picker tokens (), which settings could be restricted to a limited set of values.
  • Program level or campaign level UTM tokens that would be automatically appended to emails links
  • PURL tokens (see )
  • Asset (email, Landing page) tokens, that would provide the asset name, the asset ID, the asset template (see )
  • Tokens that could store value lists to be used in forms 2.0 select field values (see )
  • User/sender tokens should also be available for MSI emails: (Thx Josh Hampleman ),   (Thx Aqeel Akbar) and
  • Change the Date Token to a DateTime.  When used for a webinar it'd be nice to be able to put in the time of the webinar, not just the date, so that we could use the token on reg page.
  • Have a Time Token that automatically parsed it into local timezones. If I set the token for 12:00 CST it'd be nice if it showed up as 1:00 EST on the landing page, based on their locale.
  • Tokens to set CRM users that could be used in lead assignment flow steps. See

Furthermore, we should be able to access campaign/program member values as tokens, including SFDC custom fields on the campaign member object (see ​)

We should also be able to access all SFDC campaign fields as tokens in Marketo programs. See , , , and this one and this one: ​.

Of course, all these would be used in flow steps (such as change data values, interesting moments, SFDC task creation, etc...) and in assets

Token management also needs some significant improvement :

  • We should be able to know easily where a token is used (see , thx 54930​​ and , thx Jordan Lund
  • Token name change should be propagated to where they are used (see , thx Boris Kiperas​​)
  • We should be able to nest tokens (, thx 77896c23b3a73646ac738677aabf9c4454ddc324​​ and , thx 3f4b511b1ff3aa191ec9a659bd8f25e857df9b7e​)
  • Token definition should be separated from token value entry. We should be able to control who can create / delete tokens or edit token names or settings (see ) and it should also be possible to control who has the right to edit token values.
  • Cloning tokens should be easy (see , thx Cecile Maindron​) and moving them should be done without having to recreate them (see )
  • It should be possible to override token values down to each asset (see , thx @Alan Brown)
  • We also would need to have the token inheritance to be brought to full power with root folder tokens (see )
  • It would be welcome if the tokens could be ordered in programs or folders to make them easier to manage. See
  • Ability to create validation rules on token, to ensure correct entries (Thx Robb Barrett​)
  • Token input should be submitted to some validation. See
  • It should be possible to append some help text to tokens. See

Finally, token usage should also be strengthened :

  • "My tokens" could be used as default values for field tokens (see )
  • My Tokens to be used to be default values for forms 2.0 fields, including hidden ones (Thx 14675​) see here
  • More token drop lists everywhere tokens can be used.
  • Using local tokens in forms 2.0    (Thx Dan Stevens​). Great one
  • It should be possible to use tokens in filter and trigger parameters and constraints. See (Thx Jeff Shearer​) and more globally in all smart lists in smart campaigns. See (Thx Dan Stevens​)
  • UTM tokens should automatically be appended to all email links. see
  • It should be possible to update {{my.token}} values from within a smart campaign. See
  • Use of tokens to populate form field list of values ()
  • Program, lead and company tokens should render in MSI. See (Thx Alex Stanton)

All these improvements, combined, would lead Program + tokens technology to a unmatched productivity tools for marketers in small to very large teams.

-Greg

49 Comments
Grant_Booth
Level 10

@robert: If I understood you correctly, I think you just want to look at the Used By tab of the form?

Robert_Kelen3
Level 4

Yes, you're right. I didn't realize that trigger/filter usage was also

reflected there. Thanks for setting me straight.

On Fri, Apr 15, 2016 at 3:27 PM, Grant Booth <marketingnation@marketo.com>

Anonymous
Not applicable

Hi Grégoire Michel

My name is Joe Richardson and I have been tasked to rethink the Tokens experience. This is an amazing breakdown of asks and issues that you have compiled. Great job on that. Is it possible we can take this offline on a phone conversation? Contact me at if you are interested.

Also, from a global viewpoint, I would be interested about the top ten pain points in order of importance and why they hurt so bad (From this list). No worries if you are limited on time.

Great work here!

Grégoire_Miche2
Level 10

Edited to add this:

-Greg

Grégoire_Miche2
Level 10

HI Joe Richardson,

It's not that easy to list the top pain points, excepted for a couple of limitations and bugs (mainly the issues related to token deletion and "used by" inaccurate information.

My take when writing this list is that tokens were initially designed as a set of potential loosely structured variables. But it proved over time to be an extremely powerful mechanism, with more potential that the initial design probably envisioned. It has become a most valuable feature of Marketo, one that makes a real difference with the other products on the market.

But to make this complete, as users and consultants, we really need the tokens to be moved to the next level, with asset token types (to references, images, files or forms), other token types (such as colors or URLs), security (so that some tasks such as defining or deleting tokens are left to experiences users), user friendliness and control (such as picklists)

-Greg

Anonymous
Not applicable

Hey Grégoire Michel,

What do you think about the following?

- Writing to a token in a flow step

- Cross program tokens (which could actually be accomplished by writing to a global token)

Either of these would drastically improve the ability to centralize, automate and scale marketing programs

Grégoire_Miche2
Level 10

Hi Michael,

The first one was already listed at the bottom pf the post and the individual idea is here:

I am not sure what you call "cross program tokens", but folder tokens that are shared between programs are already available. Although I agree that instance level tokens are missing. See

-Greg

Grégoire_Miche2
Level 10

Added a few ones on MSI:

-Greg

Dave_Roberts
Level 10

Would it be possible to have a " Token Display | Rendered-Token Display" boolean somewhere in the interface (much like the Desktop/Mobile view in the EMail 2.0 Editor) which would display tokenized values from within the editor experience without having to kick it into some kind of preview mode. I find myself wishing that I could

1) See tokenized values instead of the token in the asset preview

2) Edit those values from within the asset editor without having to leave the editor experience (maybe a "Token" pane in the Elements/ Variables Modules panel - with Local & Global tokens just like the Variables). It'd be nice to also be able to send those changes back 'upstream' rather than having to "walk-it back" to the top of the waterfall.

Grégoire_Miche2
Level 10

Hi Dave,

Nice one. Could you enter it as a separate idea so that I can reference it and we can vote?

-Greg