Feedback on nurture setup

[John1]

Hello, it's been quite a while since I built a nurture program and I would like to get a check on my setup if possible. I am building a simple nurture and I would like to recycle a lot of our old emails since we have years of content that we can re-use.

Let's call it the Food and Beverages Nurture

Operational campaigns:

- Add to stream 1 criteria: If Status is marketable, and industry is Food and beverages, and person is created this year, and SFDC type is not contact, and region is LATAM, add to stream 1. Batch campaign to run nightly.

- Remove from program: If status is unsubscribed or email invalid, move them to the unsubscribe stream (there's no content and is just a holding cell) and mark their status as Engagement Program > Unsubscribe. Trigger campaign.

Transition rules (keeping it simple): 

- Stream x to Stream x: Member of Stream and (filled out form associated with one of the assets in the stream or exhausted all content in the stream) move to next stream. Batch nightly.

- Stream x to Completed Stream: (Member of any stream and marketing status is changed to MQL) or (Member of final stream and exhausted all content) move them to the completed stream. Nightly batch.

As for the streams, I will be reusing old default program campaigns. Should I create a shell default program and nest it in the engagement program and add in the email campaign, or should I create the batch campaign in the original campaign program (which is in another folder)?  Thinking that it's the former but just wanted to make sure.

I've also read this and in the warning section I want to make sure I understand: It's basically saying in the nested program in the engagement stream, create a trigger that automatically adds people who have downloaded the white paper into the nested program as a member with an excluded status. That way when they are about to run through the email smart  campaign, they won't qualify because they are already a member of the shell program

I have created the following batch campaign rules: Marketable is true, opt-in for white paper communications (would this be a conflict? People can be marketable in our system, but not opt-in for certain types of comms like white papers, events, etc.) , region is LATAM, industry: food and beverage, send email. I didn't include the not was delivered email filter because I know that marketo doesn't send the same email twice to the person.

Planning on replicating the above email campaign for each of the emails. 

Can I get some thoughts on this setup? 

[Miray]

Hi @John1 

Overall, you have a great setup. For the default shell program vs. the original campaign program, I would keep everything in the nurture program. This also ties into your nested program considerations, which are spot on. If you know some people have already consumed your asset and you do not want to send it again, you can easily add them to the default program and exclude them from the email send. This is one of the great benefits of using nested programs.

[Darshil_Shah1]

Your setup looks solid, but I do have some recommendations below:

• Add to Stream 1 Criteria: The batch approach ensures that new records meeting the criteria are added. However, consider adding a constraint for "Not in Engagement Program" to prevent re-entry if someone gets removed and requalified later.
• Remove from Program: This is a good approach. Just ensure the Unsubscribe stream is inactive (i.e., no cadence), and consider adding another rule to remove them from all other streams before moving them to the Unsubscribe holding cell.
• Transition rule, Stream X to Stream X: Since you're using "filled out form" or "exhausted content," ensure that each stream's content aligns with progressive intent (this will ensure good nurture engagement and performance).
• Stream X to Completed Stream: The logic works. Just ensure that if someone becomes an MQL, there is a corresponding sales alert or routing process in place so that they are engaged in a timely manner. This is beyond the scope of the engagement program setup, but I thought I'd just add it here for the sake of completeness.

"Should I create a shell default program and nest it in the engagement program, or should I create the batch campaign in the original campaign program (which is in another folder)?"

Yes, create a shell default program inside the engagement program.

• This keeps everything centralized and prevents dependencies on external folders.
• Your engagement program will track success and membership correctly.
• It ensures the email batch campaign runs in the context of the engagement program.
• If the original program is used for other purposes, it might cause unwanted triggers.

Nesting Default programs in the engagement program for better control and reporting.

"It's basically saying in the nested program in the engagement stream, create a trigger that automatically adds people who have downloaded the white paper into the nested program as a member with an excluded status."

Yes, this is correct: This prevents Marketo from sending email to people who have already taken the desired action (like downloading the white paper).

• You should include a Smart Campaign inside the nested program that updates membership for anyone who fills out the form.

Campaign Setup:

• Smart List: "Filled Out Form [White Paper]" (or any other Default program status that’s apt).
• Flow: Change Program Status = Member > Excluded
• This prevents them from qualifying for the email campaign.

"Marketable is true, opt-in for white paper communications (would this be a conflict?)."

Possible Consideration: If someone is "Marketable" but has not opted in for white papers, they won’t qualify for the email, which might exclude potential leads, but since they're not opted in for the whitepapers, you shouldn't worry about it as long as the opt-ins are managed properly and there are no data inconsistencies. Also, clarify whether you want to exclude only those who explicitly opted out or if you want to include everyone who hasn’t opted out.

No Need for "Not Was Delivered Email" Filter:

• You're correct—The engagement program won’t send the same email to the same person twice; however please see the considerations for using the nested Default program in the Engagement program.
  • When using a nested program, the decision to send an email to a person is based on the program membership and program ID.

    • If you’re not a member of a program, you will receive any emails that are part of the program once

    • If you’re a member of the program, you won’t receive the email

    • If you are no longer a member but received the email earlier through that program, you won’t receive the email

Hope this helps. Please let us know if you have any questions.

[John1]

Reviewing it right now, thank you so much! I do have a question though. For the email batch campaign, am I allowed to use a smart list as part of the criteria or does it have to be active email filters?

So let's say we want to send the email to people who are defined as marketable and have opted in to white paper emails. In the batch campaign, I can add opt-in for white papers is true, but our definition of marketable leads is a smart list that has a bunch of additional filters. Can I use member of smart list + opt in to <comm type> or do I have to recreate the smart list and add in the opt-in?

[Darshil_Shah1]

I think you should use the existing Marketability smart list. This helps centralize the logic to just that smart list. If, in the future, the criteria for Marketability change, you just have to update that single smart list instead of having to update all the SLs if you go with the decentralized approach of setting up a different Marketability smart list everywhere. 

[John1]

Thank you so much for your responses! Was wondering if you might know anything about the whole nurture purgatory situation outlined here.

For me, the biggest concern is that our definition of marketable is a combination of being a member of a smart list (which has a bunch of logic in there) and the comms opt in (white papers, product emails, etc.). 

For the comms opt in, let's say that we have three emails in a stream. Each of them all have different opt-in, let's say the first one is for white papers, second one is product, third one is a webinar email (so if someone were to receive all of these emails, they will need to have Opt-in is true for all three fields). Would this cause a problem? My biggest concern is that since all three of those shell default programs will have to have three separate opt-in is true filters, some people will not qualify and get stuck and not move down the stream. I've read from somewhere that it has since been updated and that now that no longer happens and that they'll just skip onto the next cast, do you know if that's true?

Similarly our marketable smart list is going to be used in both the batch to add people to the first stream and in the email send campaigns as well so worried that if they were added in initially to the stream as marketable but at some point they are no longer a member of that smart list that it will create some problems!

Oh I just re-read your comment on nested program. Since it's possible for someone to have received the email in the past but didn't download or visit the page, it would make sense to add in a not was delivered email, right? Would that also cause a similar problem like the ones mentioned above?