Unlocking the Power of Marketo Executable Campaigns
In the realm of marketing automation, campaigns serve as the cornerstone of targeted outreach and engagement strategies. Traditional campaigns typically consist of a Smart List, a Flow, and a Schedule, setting them up for execution at a predetermined time. However, there's a new game-changer on the scene: the Executable Campaigns.
An Executable Campaign follows the familiar structure of its counterparts but with a twist. Instead of being scheduled or activated directly, it patiently awaits its cue. This unique campaign type can only be triggered by another campaign using the Execute Campaign flow step, ensuring a seamless and orchestrated marketing effort.
![executable-campaign-marketo](https://www.kapturall.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/executable-campaign-marketo.png)
Advantadge of using Executable Campaigns vs Campaigns requests
With the introduction of Executable Campaigns in the May 2021 Adobe Marketo Engage product release, marketers have gained a new tool for orchestrating their automation workflows. While both Executable Campaigns and Campaign Requests involve a parent-child relationship between campaigns, there are crucial distinctions that set them apart.
But, first of all, what is a Campaign Request? Marketo request campaigns serve as callable campaigns within the workflows of other smart campaigns, acting as parent campaigns. They execute a sequence of tasks concurrently with the actions of the parent campaign's workflow, ensuring parallel execution of tasks.
![request-campaign-marketo](https://www.kapturall.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/request-campaign-marketo-1.png)
The primary divergence lies in the flow execution. In an Executable Campaign, the child or "requested" campaign must complete its execution before the subsequent flow step is initiated. This sequential execution ensures that actions within the child campaign are finished before progressing to the next step. This control over flow timing is a significant enhancement over the traditional Campaign Request feature, where timing could lead to potential issues and unpredictability in the campaign sequence.
Another advantage of Executable Campaigns is the ability to pass tokens from the parent to the child campaign. This feature facilitates data consistency and enables more dynamic and personalized campaign executions. Whether it's for lead scoring programs or data updates triggered by specific actions, this token-passing capability enhances the versatility and precision of campaign automation.
![executable-campaigns-parent-token-marketo](https://www.kapturall.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/executable-campaigns-parent-token-marketo-1.png)
In summary, while both campaign types offer ways to manage campaign dependencies, Executable Campaigns provide a more controlled and predictable flow execution. This feature empowers marketers to build more robust and reliable automation workflows, ensuring that each step is completed before advancing to the next, ultimately leading to more efficient and effective marketing operations.
How to Create an Executable Campaign
- To create an Executable Campaign, right-click on your desired program and choose "New Smart Campaign."
- Name your campaign, check the "Executable" checkbox, and click "Create."
- Define your Smart List and Flow as you would in any Smart Campaign.
- When cloning an existing Smart Campaign to make it executable, remember to select the "Executable" checkbox even after naming it.
![how-to-create-an-executable-campaigns-in-marketo](https://www.kapturall.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/how-to-create-an-executable-campaigns-in-marketo.png)
Tips and Tricks for Executable Campaigns
- The Smart List acts as a filter, determining qualification for the campaign. If a lead qualifies, the Executable Campaign activity record will display "Qualified: TRUE," and "FALSE" if they don’t.
- Campaign scheduling rules apply to Executable Campaigns, found under Smart Campaign Settings in the Schedule tab.
- Executable Campaigns are limited to the workspace they are created in and cannot be called across different workspaces.
- When using the "Remove from Flow" action targeting an Executable Campaign, it will impact both the child and parent campaigns.
- Harness token inheritance for flexibility. For instance, if you have a common scoring flow triggered by various assets, set a default token score in both the child and parent campaigns. This allows you to override the child's score in the parent campaign.
- Executable Campaigns support up to three nesting levels: Parent campaign > Child > Child > Child.
- Ensure your Smart Lists for Executable Campaigns are always valid; otherwise, no leads will qualify. It's advisable to create separate, fully-defined Smart List assets and validate them. Then, use the "Member of Smart List" filter within the Executable Campaign to easily swap between Smart List definitions.
Kapturall can assist you in implementing Executable Campaigns in-house. As Marketo experts and Adobe partners, we're here to help you revolutionize your marketing strategies with this innovative feature. Contact us to find out more!
Denise Brouchy
Director of Operations at Kapturall
Denise Brouchy has over 10 years of expertise in auditing, consumer goods, and online education. She has worked at major companies such as PwC and AB InBev, and currently helps companies maximize new technologies for their marketing activities. Possessing strong management and strategic planning skills, Denise is dedicated to helping businesses achieve their goals by implementing innovative solutions and keeping up with industry trends.