Help with Lead Scoring Smart Campaigns - Newer Marketo User

Question

Hello fellow, Marketo-eers!I am fairly new to Lead Scoring and am hoping to get some help on setting up Lead Scoring Smart Campaigns that will gauge interest based on email open, link click, etc.I have created four smart campaigns for our scoring purposes:Delivered Email/Not Opened (-2 to Person Score)Delivered Email/Opened/No Clicks (+2 to Person Score)Delivered Email/Opened/Clicked Links - other than Unsub and Apply Now (+5 to Person Score)Delivered Email/Opened/Clicked Apply Now Link (+10 to Person Score)When I tested it, the score was -2 even though links in the email were clicked. Do I need to include a wait step to give people time to act (or not) with the email?Thanks in advance!

SanfordWhiteman · Accepted Answer

You have it backwards with Opens and Clicks.

Mail security scanners rarely pre-open emails, i.e. pre-download tracking pixels.The major exception is Apple mail clients (note: not IT departments) which pre-open all emails in order to protect end user privacy.

Mail security scanners almost always pre-click email links. That's the only way phishing and malware checks can work. Some scanners also log a Visit Web Page, since they've opened the page in a headless browser.

So while it's true that human Opens don't represent deep engagement, Opens as a metric is far less complicated by non-humans. If you don't at least have Marketo's bot filtering tuned and set to "filter" (not "log") it's reckless to trust Clicks at all!

Miray · Answer

Hi @laevinsdad Lead scoring is an exciting topic and can vary significantly depending on the company's needs, what to score, and what not to score. When it comes to email activity, there are several considerations to keep in mind to ensure your scoring model is both accurate and effective.

Email Opens

True Opens vs. IT System Opens: Many companies set their IT systems to automatically load images or content in emails, which can trigger an "open" event .
Given the potential for false positives, it might be best to avoid scoring email opens altogether. If you do decide to score them, use a very low score (e.g., +1) to minimize the impact of false opens.

Email Clicks

Scoring Email Clicks: Clicks are a more reliable indicator of interest compared to opens. They show that the recipient not only opened the email but also found the content engaging enough to click through.
Score email clicks minimally, such as +5. This helps to acknowledge the lead's engagement without over-inflating their score based on a single interaction.

Email Not Open

Decay Scoring: Not opening an email doesn’t necessarily mean the lead is uninterested. They might be busy, out of the office, or simply not checking their email frequently. Avoid decay scoring for email not opens. Instead, consider using a different metric, such as the frequency of email opens over time, to gauge interest.

Additional Considerations

Contextual Scoring: Consider the context of the email. If the email is highly relevant to the lead’s interests or needs, an open or click might be more significant.
Behavioral Patterns: Look at the lead’s overall behavior. Consistent opens and clicks over time are strong indicators of interest.

Hope this helps 🙂

Email Opens

Email Clicks

Email Not Open

Additional Considerations

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