Build a in-house Marketo team

I recently discussed this at a customer engagement session in Auckland so I can share a slide on this topic...

Firstly, disclaimer - this isn't true for everyone and will vary depending on the structure of your team and organisation. But I can say that most of the super users I know meet most of this criteria. So it's a good starting point if you are looking to make a team of super users who are dedicated to Marketo, and not just one person to write emails, one person to handle logic, one person to handle reporting, etc. I call people who meet this description marketing automation unicorns - because they are rare and majestic creatures, and thus the image (which was actually a gif, but you can use your imagination there).

I've also been asked on the back of this whether I would prefer people who have past experience in Marketo or a fresh grad with this skill set. My honest answer is that I would prioritise these skills over past experience; I would rather train someone in the system from scratch who does have the right skills, than have someone with experience but not these skills. Having used Marketo doesn't automatically qualify you to be good at it, to be blunt.

If they've got these skills and the experience then I'd snap them up.

In general, there are people who are policy/process driven and are great at coming up with frameworks, best practices. Then there are people who are technically driven and are great at solving problems. You need a mix of them.

Another way of approaching it is what does your remit include? You find the skills for the team, you be the glue. Data integrity - find someone who understands database architecture, data hygiene best practices. Email marketing - find a full stack graphics designer + html/css developer.

Hi,

I  agree with what Jay and Grace mentioned in their posts. If you are a global company, i would definitely recommend you to hire or train existing Marketing folks on Marketo in each region/business units(at least on the basics- how to create an email and program, list uploads, smart lists etc) based on your org structure as they work closely with Demand Gen and field Marketing teams. I would also recommend you to get someone trained on Marketo and CRM(that you use) (in most instances Marketo admin doesnot have indepth knowledge about their CRM instance/s) who can be that go to person to help answer or address your teams(including web,field marketing,demand gen,Analytics etc) questions and come up with better processes for your organization. In most organizations, they often work in silos and it is hard and challenging when people have to navigate or reach multiple folks to get their answers and fix things if needed.

Thanks,

vineela.

I manage a team of consultants vs. working client side, but the concept is probably comparable - I like to have a team of people who can all do the basics (put together an email campaign, create a web content program, very basic HTML, lead scoring, etc) and then have a mix of "specializations". For example, I have a team member who is incredibly strong in coding and can build a template from scratch or deal with custom API issues. I have another who has a strong background with SFDC and can handle lots of lead management, data transfer issues, etc. This way there are several people who can handle the majority of projects we are tasked with, but when something a little trickier comes up, we have someone who we can pull in with more experience in that area.

all of these are good things to consider when building a centralized team.

You will also want a plan to do hub and spoke eventually because you cannot possibly support global teams from one time zone.

For methods on how to size properly, it'll be up to you and the number of teams you support.

Marketing Operations Team Size Calculator - Marketing Rockstar Guides

We have a similar situation: global centre of excellence, marketing automation out of one timezone to serve 5 marketing offices scattered around the world. I totally agree with the "everyone knows the basics, but they each have a specialisation" approach. Technical skills are key - you must have them somewhere in your team otherwise you will never do truly great things.

I think there's two key areas - the set up and flows and then the email templates and coding.

I think you need one logical person to set up campaigns, emails, check flows, schedule emails. People who learn quickly and understand how the program works. They should also understand how Marketo works with the CRM (usually SalesForce) to ensure data remains in shape (no duplicates, create fields in SF rather than Marketo etc). They should also be able to use Marketo's Email Performance and Email links performance reports.

Then you need someone who has experience in coding, on a basic level, so they can make updates to templates. I think it's worth outsourcing for the initial templates you require, a few types of emails (standard, events, webinars) and Landing Page s(registration page, confirmation page, standard). Including a spot for a photo banner allows you to update the email each time to cater for that specific event.

Hi Huihsing,

It really depends on what kind of campaigns you will be executing and what kind of budget you have. Without knowing details, I suggest following:

1. One person who can setup campaigns - Marketo Certified helps but not needed

2. A technical resource who is good with some coding, APIs (REST and SOAP) and graphics (photoshop)

3. All-rounder who is crossed trained above two roles and maintains data integrity with CRM

I recently setup a team from scratch and had to be creative with onshore and offshore resources. Working out flawlessly. Feel free to reach out.

Thanks!

Riz