What is the best way to import List Purchase Leads without updating Lead fields of Leads already in our database?

[Nate_Oosterhous]

We have run into the issue of importing a list of List Purchase Leads into a static list and some of those List Purchase Leads exist in our database and then the List Purchase Lead data overwrites/updates those existing Leads in our database.  How can we make the import not update fields that already have an owner?  We do not want to update/change those fields since we trust more what the Rep has for the Lead record rather than what the List Purchase says.  We don't want to corrupt that existing Lead Data.  Essentially we only want to import the List Purchase Leads if we know for a fact that they are not already in Marketo.
 

[Adam_Vavrek1 · Accepted solution]

Hi Nate,

There might be an easier way to do this but I'm not sure. Maybe someone else will chime in. This is what I'd do in your case:

You can create a Smart Campaign that has a Filter for Email Address and copy/paste all of your email addresses in the list purchase into that Filter. Skip over to the Schedule tab and click the link of leads. These leads are the ones that exist in your database. Separate these leads from the others into two different files; you will treat each upload differently. For the ones that don't already exist in your database, import those as normal. For the leads that do exist in your database, import as "Untrusted" so fields you select aren't updated. See here for more on untrusted list imports.

I hope that makes sense!

[Anonymous]

Thank you! That is very creative solution and one that should work well for my tradeshow leads that may have wonky emails and/or company names, not mention New Contact/Customers for our preexisting Account Contacts. - Really cool!

[Nate_Oosterhous]

Hi Adam,

Your awesome!  That was the resource I was looking for (in your "here" link).  I will have to make use of that resource and run some test imports with some test Leads to get a visualization of how it functions. 

The only negative when adding the email addresses from the List Purchases to the Email Address filter to see if any are pre-existing is when you have thousands of email addresses to add to the filter.  It's a negative because the Email Address filter only holds roughly 2,000 email addresses, meaning I would have to use many Email Address filters with "ANY" filter logic.

Thank you and I will make use of that resource you pointed to!

 

[Anonymous]

yes, 2,000 is the limit for one filter, but you can use multiple filters to break your list and choose the "Or" filter rule

[Adam_Vavrek1]

You're very welcome, Nate!

[Josh_Hill13]

You can also field block the fields you do not wish to update.

Admin > Field Management 
then select a field and go to the menu and choose Field Block.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the reminder on field blocking. I think practice with blocking the updates for the preexisting leads and not for the newbies.

[Nate_Oosterhous]

Thank you as well Josh!  I will just have to go through some tests to figure out what all works best for us!

[Steven_Vanderb3]

Nate,

Please review our Email Use and Anti-Spam policy and remember that email marketing to leads by way of list purchasing that have not opted-in is forbidden.