Email - Sending Web Application built with Marketo API : How to Generate a Recipient List?

[Muhammad_Ardhin]

Hello,

Background Story

I'm currently building a web page to send email using Marketo API functionalities. My idea is that, the page would allow the creation part of an email, and also the email sending part. I succeed in the email creation step. The user first need to clone an Email Program, create an email item to be put under that Email Program, and then I provide an interface to edit each of the new email item's editable contents. No problem here

Main Question

As for the next step, the email sending part, I face an issue : How do I let users choose their own recipient (leads in Marketo)?

To send an email blast, first of course we have to set up the Smart List. This must be done via Marketo, but is there a way to more automate this process, so that users can choose their own list of leads, and the job to do left is only to approve the Email Blast?

My Idea and It's Problem

I could think of letting users choose a list of leads taken from Program Members of Static Lists, and then I would add those leads programmaticaly to an already created Static List, after cleaning up the list to prepare it for a new recipient list. From there, a Marketo User will simply include the filter 'Member of List' before sending the Mail Blast. This scenario could work IF there is only 1 user to the web application, sending 1 email at a time.

..But how about a scenario where multiple users are sending multiple emails at a time (for example, opening the web page in several tabs in a browser to send more than 1 email)? As there is no API available to create or clone a Static List, how can I accommodate multiple users with only 1 Static List to play with?

Anyone have an idea on how I can provide a way for the web page user to choose their own list of recipients?

Thanks

[SanfordWhiteman]

Interesting... seems like more people are creating external UIs these days (working with clients on a few similar projects).

When you talk about "choosing" leads the fundamental question is how much of your Marketo db you're exposing to the app. If you are mirroring the lead database (email addresses and lead IDs are core requirements, and the more lead fields you replicate the more you can offer as filters) then you can let them choose/browser/filter and call Request Campaign with the leads they select.

Or you can tie a Batch Campaign to a Static List (one BC per app user), let them add and remove from that list, then schedule the campaign. 

If you want people to be able to make their own fully customized lists as subsets of the lead database, don't see how you avoid exposing (a mirror of) the lead database to the user.

[Muhammad_Ardhin]

Hi Sanford, thanks for your answer

However, I am actually looking for a way for users of the web page to be able to insert the list of recipients to Marketo

Ok, they have made their choices, they have chosen their leads, now, how do I make their selection available in Marketo?

[SanfordWhiteman]

What do you mean by "available"? 

[Muhammad_Ardhin]

Hi Sanford Whiteman​

Let's say currently there are 10 users opening the web page,

• Each of this 10 users are not Marketo users. They create and edit an Email through the web page using the functionalities I provide via the API.  (this part is actually done. I manage to create an interface for non marketo users to create and edit email)
• Each of them opens the page in 2 browser tabs, each corresponds to an Email Program (generated via API). Thus, there will be 20 email programs in use
• Each of this 10 users wants to send an email to their respective choices of leads. Let's say I retrieve 100 leads from a specific Industry, and I provide them to the users in the form of 100 check box items, so each of them can choose from 1 - 100 leads

I would like to make each of their selections (list of leads) available in the email programs they are currently working at. I know I can do this by using Static List (once a use made their choices, the API to edit Static List is called) but only for a user. The Scenario is this : After the Static List is populated by the recipients, a Marketo User can simply set up the Smart List of the Email Program to include the filter 'Member of List' and refers to the edited Static List.

But as there is no API to create / clone a Static List, this kind of scenario could not be applied to the situation in which multiple users are generating email programs and choosing recipients on the fly. That is why I am looking for alternative solution without using Static List

Each of this 10 users wants to send an email to their

[SanfordWhiteman · Accepted solution]

Upsert the leads to Marketo.

Call Request Campaign with an array of leads.  That collection is used for that particular send. It doesn't need to be part of a list.

I don't get why you want anything to be persistent in Marketo, since you have multiple users and unlimited sends.

[Muhammad_Ardhin]

Thank you very much Sanford Winfield​! I was oblivious to the fact that Request Campaign can be called with an array of Leads. Thanks very much!

[SanfordWhiteman]

No prob & thanks for marking Correct.