Marketo for Startups & ABM Strategies: Patricia’s Marketing Automation Insights

Q: Patricia, could you start by telling us about your background and your experience with Marketo?

A: Absolutely. I’ve been a practitioner, primarily in the tech sector within the San Francisco Bay Area, working with five to ten startups over the years. My journey with marketing tools began before Marketo became a major player. I’ve worked with various platforms like Pardot, Eloqua, and Netsuite. Marketo came into the picture after exploring a range of other tools, and since then, I’ve seen the marketing automation landscape evolve significantly.

In my roles, I’ve also been involved in using other tools for different purposes, from Drift for conversational marketing to ZoomInfo for data hygiene. I’ve handled analytics through platforms like Fivetran, Snowflake, and Domo, which were much-needed upgrades from the days when we used Excel spreadsheets for everything. Now, with the buzz around AI and large language models, we’re seeing an explosion of startups that are bringing these technologies to the forefront. It’s an interesting time for marketers to figure out which tools are truly worthy of adoption.

Q: With your extensive experience, how do you see the role of a marketer evolving, especially when it comes to revenue alignment?

A: The days when marketers could simply generate leads and pass them off to sales are long gone. Nowadays, marketers are on the hook to follow the leads all the way through the sales process, whether it’s checking if the SDRs are making their calls or if the sales cadence is being followed correctly.

One of the biggest challenges I’ve encountered is the visibility of leads after they’re handed over to sales. We can map out the process, but there are times when marketers lose sight of what happens next. If there isn’t a direct connection in place to track lead performance post-handoff, it becomes a struggle to understand whether those leads are actually converting. I’ve seen situations where sales teams didn’t follow up on event-generated leads, even though events typically have some of the highest conversion rates.

Marketers have to inch closer to the sales line, sometimes blurring it altogether, to ensure that leads are nurtured. This also means preparing branded emails and making sure that sales teams are equipped with the materials they need to close deals. There’s a persistent tension, particularly around lead sources and attribution. I’ve heard countless debates over whether to keep or remove the lead source object. In my experience, it’s better to just simplify things—focus on the contacts and take the multi-touch approach to ensure everyone gets credit where it’s due.

Q: Attribution modeling is often a contentious topic among marketing experts. What’s your perspective on attribution, and how do you implement it in Marketo?

A: Attribution is essential, especially in a multi-touch environment. It’s not just about first-touch or last-touch attribution; it’s about showing the journey of a lead through various touchpoints and programs. I advocate for the multi-touch model because it helps marketing teams show which programs convert and provides transparency.

In my work with Marketo, I often use external tools like Snowflake, Fivetran, and Domo for attribution modeling because they offer more flexibility. Marketo’s built-in attribution has its limits, but it’s still a crucial part of reporting to executive teams. Attribution is vital for proving marketing’s role in revenue generation, but it’s important to understand that every organization views it differently. My approach is to capture the lead source and use a multi-touch model so that everyone involved in the process, from marketing to sales, can share in the success.

Q: You mentioned Account-Based Marketing (ABM) as a savior in aligning marketing and sales. How do you implement ABM effectively in Marketo?

A: ABM has been transformative because it forces marketing and sales to align on target accounts. It’s no longer about random leads; it’s about focusing efforts on a predefined set of accounts that both teams agree on. When we deployed ABM at a previous company, it worked wonders because everyone was on the same page about the accounts we were targeting.

The key to successful ABM in Marketo is to keep it simple and build a repeatable model. It’s not about running one-off programs; it’s about creating an ongoing strategy where marketing supports sales with relevant content and follow-ups. It requires consistent nurturing, and it’s most effective when you leverage tools like Marketo to personalize interactions across channels. ABM also eliminates the debates around lead sources because, at that point, both sales and marketing are chasing the same opportunities.

Q: How do you handle situations where sales teams don’t follow up on leads, and how does it impact your marketing strategies?

A: It’s a struggle, honestly. There are times when marketing generates high-quality leads, and they just sit there because sales teams don’t follow up. I’ve been in situations where, after weeks of preparation, a sales rep will come back and say, “The leads were crap.” Meanwhile, they haven’t even worked those leads thoroughly. It can be frustrating, and sometimes you feel like you’re banging your head against a wall.

My approach is to set clear expectations and align marketing and sales from the outset. We can’t afford to have miscommunication or missed opportunities. At times, I’ve had to jump in and keep leads warm myself or inject an Account Executive (AE) into the process to prevent leads from going cold. The problem is systemic—it’s about getting everyone to agree on processes and sticking to them.

Marketing has to be adaptable. If sales aren’t working the leads, we need to find ways to improve our strategies. Sometimes, that means revisiting the lead handoff process or implementing a more rigorous follow-up mechanism. It’s all about continuous improvement and keeping the communication lines open between marketing and sales.

Q: Data management is another crucial aspect. Could you share your thoughts on maintaining data hygiene in Marketo?

A: Data hygiene is fundamental because poor data quality leads to ineffective marketing. One of the main issues I’ve seen is when marketers are handed the keys to Marketo without adequate training. They start building programs and folders without a clear structure, and over time, things get messy.

The best practice is to have a data governance plan. This involves archiving old records and setting standards for data quality, so you aren’t constantly cleaning up bad data. In Marketo, it’s important to use tools like Smart Campaigns for data updates and decay scoring to manage lead quality over time. You need to know when a lead is no longer engaged and remove or nurture it accordingly.

Q: What are your thoughts on Marketo’s pricing model, and how does it impact its adoption among startups?

A: Marketo’s pricing model can be a bit restrictive, especially for startups. It charges based on the data you have in your system, which includes every lead and contact once it’s synced with your CRM. This can quickly become expensive as your database grows. It’s one of the reasons some companies move to HubSpot, which prices differently.

Before setting up Marketo, you need to assess your CRM data and clean it up to avoid excess costs. Startups should only bring in essential data to Marketo and keep the rest in the CRM. If you’re not careful, Marketo will alert you the moment you exceed your data threshold, potentially leading to unexpected costs. I’ve seen companies pull Marketo out entirely because it became too expensive.

Q: Looking ahead, what do you see as the biggest challenges for marketers using Marketo, and how do you think they can be addressed?

A: One of the biggest challenges is simplifying the platform to make it more accessible for marketers who don’t have technical expertise. Right now, Marketo can be complex to set up and manage, especially if you’re trying to leverage its full range of capabilities.

Another challenge is leveraging anonymous data effectively. Marketo does a good job of capturing anonymous web interactions, but many organizations don’t utilize this data to its full potential. In my experience, anonymous data is the key to identifying new opportunities and driving revenue. Marketers need to focus on building strategies around this data, whether that means adding contacts through tools like ZoomInfo or aligning anonymous interactions with ABM targets.

Ultimately, marketing success in Marketo comes down to proper planning, alignment with sales, and a clear understanding of data management. It’s about being adaptable, showing value at the revenue table, and continuously refining your strategies.