Blog/website/whitepaper vs email blast channel

[chris2929]

Hi there,

I'm building out channels in Marketo right now, as well as our utm structure and overall attribution model. I'm wondering if you all use both some kind of email blast (one off) channel in addition to a blog post channel. And if for example I send an email with a CTA that points to a new blog post, which channel would that go under?

Thank ya!

[Darshil_Shah1 · Accepted solution]

There is no one channel strategy that fits all, based on how you plan to structure your programs, track the progression steps, and measure success for them (e.g., do you want to measure the progression through the email sends and blog post assets and the success for each is same or different?)

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@chris2929 wrote:

And if for example I send an email with a CTA that points to a new blog post, which channel would that go under?

Well, since the engagement for the blog post originated from the email (assuming it was an email sent from the one-off email blast) in the first place, it should technically be attributed to the channel that is used by the program that houses the email. Also, in general, measuring program success based on the click/open engagements isn't a very good idea due to email scanners/bot activities leading to false positives.

[chris2929]

Thanks Darshil,

What kind of statuses would you recommend in place of clicks/opens?

[Darshil_Shah1]

If the webpage leading from the CTA of the email has a form on it, then you can use the filled-out form from the CTA in the email (use UTMs in the email CTA) as one of the success status values. It's not the end of the world if you use opens and/or clicks as progression steps for a channel like an email blast; it's just that I'd not recommend using those as program successes, as you'd not want to pollute the data based on which you make marketing decisions with the email scanner (bot) engagements.

[chris2929]

I understand, much appreciated. My final question is what would an 'email blast' channel even be used for as all emails we send via Marketo would be pointing to some other category like blog, whitepaper, webinar, event etc..?

[Darshil_Shah1]

You're right; in most cases, sending an email blast (a single message to a large audience) wouldn't fall neatly into categories like blog, whitepaper, webinar, or event in Marketo. However, there are still legitimate uses for an "email blast" channel, even if it might not perfectly align with traditional Marketo categorization. Here are some scenarios where it might be helpful:

1. Urgent announcements: If you have important news that needs to reach your entire audience promptly, like a company update, product recall, or critical security issue, an email blast can be an effective way to do it.
2. Promotional campaigns: For time-sensitive promotions or flash sales, a blast email can quickly reach a large group with a clear call to action.
3. Welcome/onboarding emails: Sending a general welcome message or onboarding series to new subscribers using a dedicated "email blast" channel can make it easier to manage separately from content-specific campaigns.
4. Surveys and feedback requests: You could use an email blast to send out a quick survey or feedback request to your entire audience and track responses without linking it to a specific blog post or whitepaper.
5. Re-engagement campaigns: If you have a segment of inactive subscribers, a dedicated email blast channel can be used to send targeted re-engagement campaigns without cluttering up your other categories.

The decision of whether or not to use an "email blast" channel in Marketo depends on your specific Marketing needs and how you manage your email marketing strategy. If you find it helps you stay organized and track the performance of your one-off email campaigns effectively, then it can be a valuable addition to your Channels list. I hope this helps! 🙂

[chris2929]

Super helpful, thank you for everything!