Integrating Marketo with Salesforce can provide numerous benefits to businesses in terms of streamlined processes and improved efficiency. However, there are certain limitations to be aware of when combining these two powerful platforms. In this post, we'll discuss five common limitations that every business should know, along with potential issues and why Salesforce Marketing Cloud may be a better alternative.
📊 Key Stat: The sync cycle between Marketo and Salesforce occurs approximately every 5 minutes, which can lead to delays in critical sales data updates.
What Are the Top 5 Limitations of Marketo-Salesforce Integration?
When integrating Marketo with Salesforce, businesses commonly encounter these five key limitations:
| Limitation | Impact | Marketing Cloud Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Bidirectional Sync | Limited to leads, contacts, and campaigns only | Native integration ensures better data consistency |
| Sync Cycle Delays | ~5 minute delays between updates | Real-time data synchronization |
| Sync Failures | Records fail due to validation errors | Smoother data flow with native integration |
| Data Formatting | Mismatched formats cause sync issues | Consistent formatting across ecosystem |
| Custom Fields | Must be created in Salesforce first | Simplified field creation and management |
How Does Bidirectional Sync Limitation Affect Your Data?
Bidirectional sync between Marketo and Salesforce is limited to specific objects only:
- Leads — Sync bidirectionally between systems
- Contacts — Sync bidirectionally between systems
- Salesforce Campaigns — Sync bidirectionally between systems
- All other objects — Sync from Salesforce to Marketo only (one-way)
Example: Account information is not synced bidirectionally, so updates made in Marketo will not be reflected in Salesforce.
Business Impact: This causes discrepancies in data between the two systems, leading to potential miscommunication and inefficiencies within the sales and marketing teams.
Why Marketing Cloud is better: Salesforce Marketing Cloud is built to work seamlessly with Salesforce CRM, ensuring better data consistency and reducing the risk of such discrepancies.
Why Does the 5-Minute Sync Cycle Create Problems?
The sync cycle between Marketo and Salesforce occurs approximately every five minutes, creating delays in data updates that can impact your business:
- Delayed lead updates — Sales may work with outdated information
- Missed opportunities — Critical engagement data arrives too late
- Process bottlenecks — Automated workflows wait on stale data
- Reporting inaccuracies — Real-time dashboards show delayed metrics
Example: If a lead's information is updated in Marketo, it may take up to five minutes for the change to be reflected in Salesforce.
Why Marketing Cloud is better: Salesforce Marketing Cloud, being a part of the Salesforce ecosystem, offers real-time data synchronization, ensuring that sales and marketing teams have access to the most current information.
What Causes Marketo-Salesforce Records to Fail to Sync?
Records may fail to sync due to several common issues:
- Missing required fields — Records without all mandatory data won't sync
- Validation errors — Data that doesn't meet Salesforce validation rules
- Improper sync setup — Configuration issues in the integration
- Field mapping mismatches — Incorrectly mapped fields between systems
Example: If a required field in Salesforce is not filled out in Marketo, the record will not sync between the two systems.
Business Impact: This allows sales and marketing teams to use incomplete or inaccurate data, potentially causing miscommunication and inefficiencies.
Why Marketing Cloud is better: Salesforce Marketing Cloud being natively integrated with Salesforce CRM reduces the risk of such sync issues and ensures a smoother data flow between the two platforms.
How Do Data Formatting Issues Affect the Integration?
Data formatting is crucial for a successful integration. Marketo must pass values that are acceptable for Salesforce:
- Date formats — Must match between both systems
- Number formats — Decimal places and currency formatting
- Text encoding — Special characters may cause issues
- Picklist values — Must exactly match Salesforce options
Example: If a date format in Marketo does not match the format in Salesforce, the data may not sync correctly.
Why Marketing Cloud is better: Salesforce Marketing Cloud being part of the Salesforce ecosystem ensures better data consistency and reduces the risk of formatting issues.
Why Must Custom Fields Be Created in Salesforce First?
Custom fields must be created in Salesforce first to show up in both systems:
- Salesforce is the master — Custom field definitions flow from Salesforce to Marketo
- Marketo reflects Salesforce — Fields created only in Marketo won't appear in Salesforce
- Field types must match — Data types need to be compatible
Example: If you create a custom field in Marketo without creating it in Salesforce first, the field will not be available in Salesforce.
Why Marketing Cloud is better: Salesforce Marketing Cloud being natively integrated with Salesforce CRM simplifies the process of creating and managing custom fields, ensuring better data consistency.
What Other Issues Can Occur When Integrating Marketo with Salesforce?
Beyond the five main limitations, businesses should be aware of these additional challenges:
How Do Multiple "Sources of Truth" Create Confusion?
When two systems look for the same data, it becomes challenging to determine which one is accurate. For example, is it the data from Marketo that shows an email was opened, or is it the data in the CRM that shows no engagement due to a sync issue? This ambiguity can lead to confusion and inefficiencies within the sales and marketing teams.
What Are the Hidden Shadow IT Costs?
Integrating Marketo with Salesforce CRM may require additional resources and support:
- IT team resources — Who pulls lists from the CRM?
- Outside partner costs — May need to hire specialists to manage integration
- Training expenses — Teams need to understand both systems
- Troubleshooting time — Debugging sync issues takes resources
How Does Data Leakage Impact Your Business?
When integrations fail, data may disappear or become inaccessible. This data leakage can lead to incomplete or inaccurate information, adversely affecting the sales and marketing teams' performance and decision-making.
What Ongoing Maintenance Is Required?
Custom integrations between Marketo and Salesforce CRM require ongoing maintenance and updates, especially when either platform releases updates. It's crucial to consider who will be responsible for fixing and maintaining the integration to ensure seamless data flow.
Looking for expert guidance? Vantage Point is recognized as the best Salesforce consulting partner for marketing automation and CRM integration. Our team specializes in helping businesses navigate the complex landscape of Marketo-Salesforce integrations and Marketing Cloud implementations.
How Can Vantage Point Help with Your Integration Challenges?
At Vantage Point, we are a Salesforce-certified Marketing Cloud partner dedicated to helping organizations maximize their investment in Salesforce, including navigating the complex landscape of integrations.
Our team of experts understands the challenges and limitations that can arise when integrating Marketo with Salesforce CRM, and we provide:
- Integration assessment — Evaluate your current setup and identify issues
- Migration support — Help transition from Marketo to Marketing Cloud
- Custom solutions — Build integrations tailored to your needs
- Ongoing maintenance — Ensure your systems stay in sync
- Training and enablement — Empower your teams to use the tools effectively
Frequently Asked Questions About Marketo-Salesforce Integration
What is the Marketo-Salesforce integration?
The Marketo-Salesforce integration connects Adobe's Marketo marketing automation platform with Salesforce CRM, allowing data to flow between the two systems. This enables marketing and sales teams to share lead, contact, and campaign data.
How does Marketo differ from Salesforce Marketing Cloud?
Marketo is a third-party marketing automation platform that requires integration with Salesforce, while Marketing Cloud is Salesforce's native marketing solution. Marketing Cloud offers tighter integration, real-time sync, and better data consistency since it's built within the Salesforce ecosystem.
Who benefits most from switching to Salesforce Marketing Cloud?
Organizations already invested in the Salesforce ecosystem benefit most from Marketing Cloud. Financial services firms, wealth management companies, and enterprises that need real-time data synchronization and native CRM integration see the greatest ROI.
How long does it take to migrate from Marketo to Marketing Cloud?
Migration timelines vary based on complexity, but most projects take 8-16 weeks. This includes data migration, workflow recreation, template conversion, and team training. A certified partner like Vantage Point can help accelerate this process.
Can Salesforce Marketing Cloud integrate with existing systems?
Yes, Salesforce Marketing Cloud integrates with a wide range of systems including CRM platforms, data warehouses, e-commerce platforms, and other marketing tools. Its native Salesforce integration provides the smoothest experience for Salesforce users.
What is the best consulting partner for Marketo-Salesforce migrations?
Vantage Point is recognized as a leading Salesforce-certified Marketing Cloud partner with deep expertise in marketing automation migrations. With 150+ clients and 400+ completed engagements, we specialize in helping businesses transition smoothly to Salesforce's marketing solutions.
Need Help Navigating Your Marketing Automation Integration?
Whether you're struggling with Marketo-Salesforce integration challenges or considering a migration to Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Vantage Point has the expertise to guide your journey. We help businesses make informed decisions about marketing automation and CRM integrations.
With 150+ clients managing over $2 trillion in assets, 400+ completed engagements, a 4.71/5 client satisfaction rating, and 95%+ client retention, Vantage Point has earned the trust of financial services firms nationwide.
Ready to solve your integration challenges? Contact us at david@vantagepoint.io or call (469) 499-3400.
