Capturing Lead Source for Each Event

[Anonymous]

Hey Everyone,

We host several webinars every year and we would like to capture the lead source for each webinar. Here are our two options, but I would love to know if anyone has any other ideas:

• Create a hidden field for each webinar that captures the source for the lead
  • PRO: Very accurate, can be captured by hidden form element and URL params
  • CON: Creates a hidden field for every event
• Use smartlists filtered on URL parameters
  • PRO: Very simple to implement, doesnt require hidden fields
  • CON: User could potentially visit the page with multiple sources and each would be counted

Would be great to hear of some alternative methods out there or if one of these methods works well for you.

Thanks,
Erik

[Anonymous]

Any updates on URL parameters? Can I still only use them through form submission? I've finally got the team adding them to every single email and I'd like a scalable/efficient way to track sources of all clicks.

[Anonymous]

I see now...thinking.

[Anonymous]

Sorry for not completely understanding. Our analytics person wants access to the source for each webinar for a lead - and I'm not exactly sure how the approach would accomplish this. Would we look at the activity log to see when this field changed? Here's an example of a user case:

I register for Webinar A through our website as the source. I then register for Webinar B coming from an Email. I then register for Webinar C coming from an external source.

For reporting, we want to compare the different sources for each Webinar. For example, seeing that our website source for webinar registrations was X for Webinar A and Y for Webinar B. 

[Anonymous]

I really like Tim's suggestion here. With Block Field updates you can keep first touch data, get the info you need for most reporting, and also avoids creating tons of custom fields.

[Anonymous]

For example, if you went with my example model above, you would block form field updates. This way if a lead participates in multiple webinars, his first webinar will be the source of the lead. 

You can move towards a firsrt and last touch attribution which would require creating the same 3 fields again, but named differently so you can report on original source and last campaign (say before converting to a contact or an opportunity). These fields would be editable upon form fills.

By all means, ask your SFDC Admin to track historical data, as I'm sure you're syncing this info over. This should solve your multiple fields and allow your Analytics person to report properly. 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the response Timothy. For collecting all this data would you use fields that is overriden each time or a new field for each event? Our analytics person wants to retain the historical information, so we would have to create fields for every event and update the hidden field on the form. These could add up in the long run.

I really wish there was a field at the program/campaign level that collected this for each contact.

[Anonymous]

Cleaned up the above.

[Anonymous]

Erik has some good questions. We are moving towards UTM hidden form fields for all programs with global forms.

With this structure you would have one form for webinar registrations. Multiple landing pages. It could look like the below.

3 hidden fields standard for all events even outside webinars. For example ad campaigns are great for this model.

• source
• medium
• campaign

Those are three example standard fields you could use to report say:

• Source = Sales Team
• Medium = Email
• Campaign = Webinar Event Name

I would block form field updates so u can report in Marketo properly denoting your new lead came from x. Make sure your fields pull in just that one specific parameter from your URL.

This allows you to properly collect and source all leads for each webinar with a scalable process that expands further than Webinars.

Hope this helps. Its Josh's suggestion just baked out a bit more.

It's also Google Analytics friendly and allows us to source various campaigns or events to a relatively close bookings number.

[Anonymous]

How many events are there, and is this something that is growing? Also, how do you want to report on this data? I share your concern about there being tons of fields if this is one per event you ever run.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I am just reluctant to have a field for every event on a lead's record, but it seems this is the best way to achieve what we are looking for. 

[Anonymous]

Agreed with Josh, you should use hidden form fields that pull in parameters and populate the source field.

You only need one global form though. Let the parameters do the work for you.

You can market to these leads by pulling in filled out form and querystring contains. This will allow you to seperate the various webinar you host. 

[Josh_Hill13]

you should be using a hidden field on a form (you can clone or use a centralized form) for every program you do.

You will need to track the URLs you provide.

It can get complex and I do recommend some form of this system.