Choosing the Right List Import Approach

[Anonymous]

There are five main ways a new lead can be created in Marketo:

• Manually in the lead database
• Through list import
• Through form fill-out
• Through creation in CRM as a lead or contact
• Via the API

Two of these methods automatically dedupe on email address: list imports and form fill-outs. There are several pieces of Marketo functionality that work better when you do not have duplicates. As such, we recommend that whenever possible, new records from marketing are created in Marketo via list import or form fill. This also allows for better tracking on the acquisition of new leads and reporting on marketing-sourced or sales-sourced leads. Here's a table showing the recommended method for entering data based on its source:

Lead Source	Recommended Entry Point into Marketo/CRM
Marketing event	Via import into Members tab of the Event Program in Marketo
List purchase	Via import into Members tab of the List Purchase program in Marketo
Website	Via form fill-out in Marketo or on your website, but posted into Marketo via API post
Sales activities – small quantities	Via manual creation in CRM
Sales activities – larger quantities	Via import into CRM by a user who understands how to do it properly OR via import into Marketo into a program dedicated for CRM leads (to ensure that these are accurately attributed to sales and not marketing)

Whenever possible, you should import directly into the program using the members tab within the program. When you import into the members tab, the program status will be defined as part of the list import. This process also automatically assigns the acquisition program for any new leads to that program. However, when you import directly into the program, rather than into a static list, all members must be given the same program status. If, for example, you have a list of event attendees and no-shows, you should split these into two separate .csv files and import the attendees and no-shows separately.

When you import into the program and not into the members tab, you will need to set program membership and acquisition program for all of the leads separately. Generally, this is done either manually via a Change Data Value flow step or through a smart campaign based on membership of a specific static list.

Importing into a static list instead of a program should only be used for leads that were not acquired through a marketing activity, such as data that already exists in your database, which you just want to add to a static list.

One of our other consultants created this image, which I think is a great summary:

[Brian_Law_MKTO]

Very helpful article Kristen. Thanks!

[Grégoire_Miche2]

Hi Kristen,

One of the point to take into account is the reversibility of import. In some case when you rent lists, you may have a contract commitment to guarantee that at the end of the rental period, you will be able to delete any imported lead that were not already in your database and did not react to your campaigns during the rental period.

In this case, the trick it to use a smart list with a "lead was created" filter and a "List =" constraint on that list. But this requires that you have an import list, which is not the case if you import directly as program members. You could use acquisition program, but this is a value that can modified by flow steps, so it's not bullet proof.

The reversibility might be needed in other cases as well.

For this reason, even in the the case of 3rd party list imports, I recommend to always use an import list within the 3rd party import program.

-Greg

[Anonymous]

You can use the Member of Program filter the same way you use a Member of List filter in that case. It's just as easy to remove a member from a static list as from a program import and we have just as much record of it. I don't really see a big benefit to using a static list in this scenario.

[Grégoire_Miche2]

Hi Kristen,

The member of list or member of program is not the solution. I want to get the leads that were CREATED during the import. So, as I say, I use a lead was created with "List Name" constraint.

-Greg

[Anonymous]

I raise you your created at with Acquisition Program

[Grégoire_Miche2]

Hi Kristen,

Acquisition program can be tempered with with a simple "change data value"

The necessity to remove (delete) the leads at the end of the trial period is a contract obligation, so you have to be accurate.

-Greg

[Anonymous]

My point was more, make sure you're also doing acquisition program, since you'll need that for reporting. That's what's driving the recommendations around list import approach - the most fool-proof way to get good reporting. If you're importing into a static list for the reasons you're stating and are a savvy enough Marketo user to also go in and do the extra step of adding them to an acquisition program, you'll get the right results. But many users don't know why acquisition program is important so they won't remember to do that, which is why we prefer to recommend that people default to list import strategies that automatically define acquisition program.

[Grégoire_Miche2]

Hi again Kristen,

Fully agree on that

-Greg

[Anonymous]

Hi,  Can you clarify why static lists in my instance allow us to choose Acquisition Program before import?   In many cases we do not import into the members tab.   

[Grégoire_Miche2]

Hi Trinity,

I gather this is because your are an admin and have the "advanced import" permission.

-Greg