Overview

Understanding how to synchronize Marketing efforts with Salesforce campaigns is essential for effective lead management and alignment with sales.

Marketo Engage records can be added to SFDC campaigns in two main ways: via program-level sync or via flow steps and each has pros, cons, and special considerations to keep in mind when you are defining the best process for your marketing operations.

Campaign Sync Methods

Before we dive into the details of each approach, it’s important to note that for either method to be successful:

1. Campaign sync must be enabled in Marketo Admin.
2. Only one method can be used per Marketo program + SFDC campaign combination.

Program Level Sync

This method uses the native Marketo-SFDC sync to push Marketo program and program member data to the SFDC campaign and campaign member objects. It is a 1-to-1 connection between the Marketo program and the SFDC campaign, meaning changes in either system will be reflected in the other.

Benefits:

• API Call Efficiency: Sends more record updates in each update batch, reducing SFDC API calls and minimizing the risk of hitting your daily API request limit or causing bottlenecks.
• Status Harmony: Campaign status updates in SFDC sync to Marketo program statuses (and vice versa) ensuring a consistent and up-to-date view of your campaigns.
• Custom Field Connection: Ability to sync Marketo program member custom fields directly to SFDC campaign member custom fields (limited to 20 total PMCF per Marketo instance).
• Simplified Processes: Ability to create SFDC campaigns directly from the Marketo program, ensuring consistency in name, statuses and eliminating the need for Marketo users to log into SFDC.

Possible Limitations:

• Sync Timing: Updates aren’t synced to SFDC immediately; they wait for the next regular SFDC sync, which might not be ideal for those who need real-time data.
• All or Nothing: Unable to filter program members to sync with your SFDC campaign, meaning all program members will be synced, regardless of their program status. This could be a limitation if there are programs or channels for which you’d only like to sync some members. For example, if you only wanted to sync program statuses considered to be a success.
• Status Match: Status values must match exactly between the campaign and the Marketo channel/program, requiring careful alignment in both SFDC and Marketo.
• Sync Backlog: Can be affected by ongoing sync backlog, which might delay or impact the overall performance of your campaign syncs.
• Limited Connections: Cannot sync a program to more than one SFDC campaign at the program level or have the same SFDC campaign sync to more than one Marketo program.

How to Set Up Program-Level Sync in Marketo

1. Navigate to the desired program in Marketo.
2. Click on the Program Actions dropdown and select Sync to SFDC Campaign.
3. In the pop-up window, select the SFDC campaign you want to sync with.
4. Click Sync.

Solving for Errors

When you’re trying to sync a Marketo Program with an existing Salesforce campaign that contains leads, you might encounter an error message if the campaign has one or more statuses that don’t align with Marketo’s program channel statuses. As we’ve discussed earlier, a perfect match between all program channel statuses in Marketo and all campaign member statuses in SFDC is essential for the program-level sync to work.

To fix status errors, you can either:

1. Modify Salesforce Campaign Member Statuses: Log in to Salesforce and remove or rename the incompatible Campaign Member Statuses to align with the Marketo Program Statuses used for the channel type associated with your Marketo Program.
2. Adjust Marketo Program Statuses: As a Marketo Admin, you can modify the Program Statuses in Marketo to match the Salesforce Campaign Member Statuses already in place

However, we advise against making impromptu adjustments to program statuses and campaigns for one-time purposes. Establishing consistent statuses for each Marketo program channel and Salesforce campaign type, and ensuring a shared understanding of each status’s meaning and requirements, should be part of your overall marketing operations strategy. Overarching changes should be made with careful consideration.

For unique use cases or one off scenarios, consider using the Flow Step Sync.

Flow Step Sync

This method uses explicit flow steps in the Marketo program to sync specific Marketo program members to a specific SFDC campaign with a specific status.

Benefits:

• Precision Control: Greater control over which program members (program statuses) are synced to campaign members, allowing for more targeted syncs.
• Real-Time Updates: Sends immediately, making campaign member statuses visible in SFDC in near real-time for those who need up-to-the-minute data.
• Failure Diagnosis: Easier to diagnose sync failures, ensuring that you can quickly identify and resolve any issues that arise.
• Multiple Campaigns: Can more easily/clearly sync to more than one SFDC campaign, such as a parent campaign and a specific child campaign, offering greater flexibility in your campaign structure.

Possible Limitations:

• Campaign creation: Requires separate campaign build and does not require consistent names, statuses….
• API Calls: Sends each person one at a time, increasing the risk that the daily API request limit will be exceeded or request bottlenecks occur.
• Sync Failures: Large influx of records can lock the SFDC campaign and cause sync failures.
• No Retry: Does not retry if sync fails.
• No Direct Custom Field Sync: Cannot directly sync Marketo program member custom fields to SFDC campaign member custom fields.

How to Set Up Flow Step Sync in Marketo

1. Navigate to the desired program in Marketo.
2. Click on the Smart Campaigns tab.
3. Create a new smart campaign or edit an existing one.
4. In the Flow tab, add the Change Status in SFDC Campaign flow step.
5. Configure the flow step by selecting the SFDC campaign and the desired status.
6. Click Save.

Method Comparison

So how do you decide which approach best fits your needs?

Ultimately, the best campaign sync method depends on your unique business case and priorities. When deciding, consider the advantages and disadvantages of each approach. Select the method that best meets your marketing organization’s requirements, taking into account factors such as ease of setup, API call efficiency, real-time updates, and failure recovery.

If you need assistance evaluating the best options for your organization, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team. We’re here to help you make an informed decision that meets your business needs and ensures seamless integration between your marketing and sales efforts. Contact us today to learn more.