Using multiple enrichment platforms

[shweta_k]

We currently use Zoominfo for our enrichment in Marketo, but now want to supplement with another platform - preferably for EMEA data. Has anyone tried integrating 2 or more enrichment vendors with Marketo? If yes, I'd love to get some recommendations in terms of how to handle data from both platforms? I understand I'll have to use a data waterfall model - looking at thoughts and best practices in terms of implementations. What would ideal wait times look like given that these are API calls. Thanks.

[Michael_Florin · Accepted solution]

Yes, I worked in that scenario before. Here's my recommendation:

1. Zoominfo e.g. usually recommends to write data into their specific Zoominfo fields, like "ZI Job Title". Let's assume you now also connect DemandBase, you might be inclined to write their Job Title to "DB Job Title". Then you end up with three fields: "Job Title" (Marketo's native field), "ZI Job Title" and "DB Job Title". - This situation is not practical, I find. You have to decide which data provider to trust and which one field to use.

2. If you have more than one data provider you will have to create a hierarchy of trust. You can't have DB override data from ZI. So we have tried to compare match rate and data quality to create that hierarchy. I think we once decided to trust ZI first, DB second and Clearbit third. Which means: ZI can override data, DB only if field empty and Clearbit also only if field is empty aka: neither ZI nor DemandBase found a match. In order to do that, you will have to have your Order of Operations in a tight grip, i.e. you have to define exactly when to call which service.

And I don't think you really need wait times. Either the webhook comes back with a response or it doesn't. That was at least my experience, but you would need to monitor the process. I'd first try without any wait steps.

[shweta_k]

Hi Michael,

Thank you, this is very helpful. You are right about the hierarchy of trust - we kind of have that established as we are planning to use Zoominfo as the primary source and another vendor only if there's indication that the lead is from EMEA or if Zoominfo enrich fails. Our current order of operations has a couple of wait steps even for a single enrichment, which is something I'm looking forward to change once we get the other system in. 

[SanfordWhiteman]

You do not need Wait steps. But you do need to wait. Let me explain.

Marketo webhook responses update the lead database asynchronously. This means the Call Webhook step blocks until the HTTP request-response is complete before the next flow step runs. But it does not wait for the response JSON/XML to update the database.

In order to properly chain webhooks together to get your desired “cascade”, use the Webhook is Called trigger. That fires when the previous webhook is totally done. Don’t try to use Wait.

[shweta_k]

Hi Sanford,

This is very helpful. I had not thought of the Webhook is Called trigger. I will explore this as I go about redoing our enrichment flow. Our current logic accommodates for a 3 minute wait cycle to let the webhook fully process or exit if done earlier. I also understand that Webhooks take a low priority in Marketo's campaign processing queue. Any thoughts on implications of changing the priority to high? And will that ensure faster calls/processing of webhooks? 

Thanks,

Shweta.

[Darshil_Shah1]

I think you're confusing the campaign's priority with the time it'd take for the Webhook call to complete execution and return a response to Marketo. Overriding the default campaign priority and setting it to High would help run the campaign sooner in case of queues, but it'd not help with the webhook execution in any case, which primarily depends on the third-party service to which the call is being made in the Call Webhook flow step. Hence, you should still consider using Webhook is Called trigger, as Sandy suggests, over simply relying on arbitrary wait steps and overriding the campaign's priority order for predictable outcomes.

[shweta_k]

Hi Darshil,

Understand, yes I think that was an oversight on my part! 🙂 

I will design this flow using the Webhook is Called trigger as per the earlier suggestions! Thank you everyone for the recommendations.