Multiple channels, one landing page/call-to-action... Multiple programs?

[Dan_Stevens_]

We have a common landing page (non-Marketo) that has a Marketo form on it in order to download a white paper. Email, social, banner advertising, and PPC will be used to promote and drive users to this page and convert. What is the most effective way to set this up in Marketo? Should we create 4 separate programs? We do have channels setup in Marketo to accommodate all 4 of these channels. I came across some recent discussions on this same topic, but I'm still not clear.

[Anonymous]

You could create four programs (Email, Social, Banner, and PPC), and then assign the appropriate channel to each program.

For reference - http://community.marketo.com/MarketoTutorial?id=kA250000000KypkCAC

[Melanie_Chapman]

Yes, we use separate programs to manage leads that come in from different channels, even if they're pointing to the same content asset.

You could use referrer parameters (explained in this product doc) to help keep track of which leads came from which channel.

[Anonymous]

Hi Dan-

I realize this post is a little old, but was wondering what approach you took to set up Marketo programs that promote the same content across multiple channels - this is becoming more and more a common use case at my current company and I'd love to hear your thoughts!

[Dan_Stevens_]

Hi Mollie - it really depends.  Not only on the tactics used, but where, physically in Marketo, the programs have been created.  We have multiple country workspaces - and as you probably know - you cannot reference programs across workspaces (which is what we would normally use for some of our master/proxy programs that route engagement to the proper channel-specific program based on a specific attribute (like UTM parameters or any other custom attribute).  For example:

We have some syndicated paid advertising where we're promoting three pieces of content via a gated form (and all form submissions are entered into Marketo using the Forms2 API).  A master "paid advertising" program is created to capture program members and define their program status each time someone converts:

We also have master content programs setup at the global level to centrally track engagement for key content like this - here are two of them that relate to this specific campaign:

So in this case, the paid advertising program is getting credit for bringing these people into Marketo (via the form submit); and then based on the custom attribute that defines which content they registered for, we request the appropriate smart campaign in one of the three content programs (assuming they downloaded/viewed with the content) and are given a program status of "engaged".

Email campaigns, on the otherhand, are often executed within the country workspaces and therefore, we're not able to call the campaigns in the global programs like this.  So in that case, the email is given credit when the link is clicked; and the global content program - which is always listening (via trigger campaigns) for specific content downloaded on our website - is given credit for the actual download.

The same approach is applied as additional tactics/channels are used to promote the same content.  Ultimately, it's the central content programs that are given final credit, but at the same time, we are able to analyze which channels/tactics are most effective.  We've been using UTM parameters extensively for any paid advertising, paid social, and organic social - and will eventually be part of any link that is created.  Hopefully, some day, Marketo will strengthen its native support/capability for UTM parameters - which is why these ideas exist:

[Anonymous]

This is great- thanks so much for the thorough explanation Dan! I have a similar set-up for Content Programs- one for each new asset we create- that house the assets themselves and then a set of smart campaigns that are attributing the content download to different channels (Paid Advertising, Social, PPC, etc.) based off of URL parameters. My goal was to eliminate cloning a program per channel with the same form and landing page for the purpose of attribution. I will certainly be up-voting the articles about improving the URL builder and UTM parameters as that would certainly make my life much easier.