Why Your Company Needs to Clean Up Marketo, Not Replace It

Marketo has been a trusted partner in the marketing automation space for many businesses. It’s robust, powerful, and capable of driving significant growth when properly utilized. However, like any tool, its effectiveness can diminish over time due to neglect, mismanagement, or simply the accumulation of outdated processes. If your Marketo instance isn't performing as well as it once did, it might be tempting to consider replacing it with a new platform. But before you take that drastic step, consider this: your Marketo instance probably doesn’t need to be replaced—it just needs a little TLC.

The Power of a Well-Maintained Marketo Instance

Marketo is a feature-rich platform, offering everything from lead scoring and lead management to complex inbound and outbound marketing programs. When these features are fine-tuned and optimized, they can deliver outstanding results, providing your marketing team with the insights and automation they need to drive growth. However, if your instance has become cluttered with outdated or poorly managed assets, you’re likely not seeing the full potential of what Marketo can do.

A common mistake businesses make is to assume that the platform itself is the problem when, in reality, the issue lies in how it’s being used. This is where a thorough audit and cleanup can make all the difference.

Why Clean Up Instead of Replace?

1. Cost Efficiency: Replacing Marketo with a new platform involves significant costs—not just in terms of purchasing new software, but also in training your team, migrating data, and integrating with existing systems. In contrast, cleaning up your existing Marketo instance is far more cost-effective and can yield equally powerful results.
2. Leverage Existing Expertise: Your team is already familiar with Marketo. They understand the interface, the workflows, and the integrations. By cleaning up and optimizing your current system, you can capitalize on this existing knowledge base rather than starting from scratch with a new tool.
3. Maintain Continuity: Switching platforms can disrupt your ongoing marketing campaigns and lead to downtime. By focusing on improving your current setup, you avoid the disruptions that can come with a complete system overhaul, ensuring that your marketing efforts continue without a hitch.
4. Maximize ROI: You’ve already invested in Marketo—both financially and in terms of the time your team has spent learning and implementing it. By optimizing your existing instance, you can maximize the return on that investment, ensuring you’re getting the most out of the platform.

Where to Start: Hire a Consultant for a Marketo Audit

Cleaning up a Marketo instance isn’t just about deleting old assets or tweaking a few settings. It requires a deep understanding of the platform and how your business uses it. That’s why it’s often beneficial to bring in an experienced consultant who can perform a thorough audit of your instance. Here’s what a consultant can do for you:

1. Lead Scoring Audit: Your lead scoring model is crucial to identifying the most qualified leads. Over time, lead scores can become skewed due to changes in buyer behavior or inaccuracies in your scoring criteria. A consultant can review and refine your lead scoring model, ensuring it accurately reflects the value of each lead.
2. Lead Management Optimization: Proper lead management is key to moving prospects through your sales funnel efficiently. A consultant can audit your lead management processes, identifying bottlenecks, redundancies, and opportunities for improvement.
3. Inbound and Outbound Program Review: Both inbound and outbound marketing programs can suffer from neglect or poor configuration. A consultant will assess your current programs, ensuring they are aligned with your business goals and optimized for peak performance.
4. Data Cleanup: Over time, your Marketo database can become cluttered with duplicate records, outdated information, and irrelevant data. A consultant can help you clean up your database, ensuring that your marketing efforts are based on accurate and up-to-date information.

The Outcome: A Lean, Mean Marketing Machine

After a thorough audit and cleanup, your Marketo instance will be running like a well-oiled machine. You’ll see improved lead quality, more efficient lead management, and more effective marketing campaigns. And, perhaps most importantly, you’ll have a system that’s ready to support your company’s growth for years to come—without the need for costly replacements.

In conclusion, don’t rush to replace Marketo just because it’s not performing at its best. Instead, take the time to clean it up, optimize it, and get it back into peak condition. With the help of a skilled consultant, your Marketo instance can once again become the powerful marketing automation platform you need to drive your business forward.