Using Topic and Interest Scoring in Marketo: Prioritizing the Right Messaging

This article explores how interest-based scoring can be used to tailor content and outreach more effectively, improving engagement and conversion rates.

The Role of Interest Scoring in Personalization

“Interest scoring allows us to see what topics or content are resonating most with our leads,” the Director of Marketing and Revenue Operations explained. 

By assigning scores based on the specific content that leads engage with—whether it’s product-related, industry insights, or thought leadership—the team was able to build a more detailed profile of each lead’s interests.

This information was then used to prioritize which messaging or product line should be promoted to different leads. 

“If a lead is showing a lot of interest in one of our specific product features, we can tailor our follow-up messaging to focus on that feature, rather than sending them generic content,” they said.

Building the Interest Scoring Model in Marketo

The interest scoring model was built by assigning different point values to various types of content interactions. For example, a lead might receive a higher score for attending a product webinar than for simply opening an email. 

“The idea is to give more weight to actions that indicate higher levels of engagement or interest,” the Director of Marketing and Revenue Operations explained.

Once a lead’s interest score reached a certain threshold, they would be automatically moved into a nurture stream tailored to their specific area of interest. 

“It’s about making sure that the content we’re sending is as relevant as possible to where the lead is in their journey,” they noted.

The Impact of Interest-Based Scoring on Engagement

Since implementing the interest scoring model, the team has seen a significant improvement in engagement rates. 

“Our open rates and click-through rates have gone up because we’re sending more targeted content,” the Director of Marketing and Revenue Operations shared. 

By prioritizing leads based on their interests, the team was able to deliver more personalized and effective messaging, leading to higher conversion rates.

Additionally, interest scoring has helped the team better understand which topics are driving the most engagement across the broader audience. 

“It gives us insights into what our audience cares about most, which helps inform our overall content strategy,” they said.

Conclusion

For the Director of Marketing and Revenue Operations, using topic and interest scoring in Marketo has been a powerful tool for personalizing outreach and improving engagement. By tracking which content resonates most with leads and tailoring messaging accordingly, the team has been able to deliver more relevant and effective campaigns, driving higher engagement and conversions.