[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]Why are Eloqua asset naming conventions so important? Well… imagine having a folder with 1,000 images and 775 files (e.g., HTMLs, PDFs, Word documents, Excel sheets) and you need to find all the assets related to the “Widget ABC Product Campaign” that launched in the Fall of 2016. Without a consistent and proper naming convention, finding these assets could be daunting and time-consuming.
Creating a consistent naming convention that meets your organization’s needs can be extremely difficult (and usually a task no one wants to take on), but I can truly say (from experience), investing time to define a consistent naming convention will be well worth it as your Eloqua database continues to grow. As the volume of assets increase, you will appreciate having a consistent naming convention when you search for assets related to a specific Campaign.
The purpose of this blog post is to help you implement a new (and better!) approach to naming your assets in Eloqua. Here are my top 5 recommended steps to implementing a consistent naming convention:
Step 1: Determine if you need to rename old assets
If you have been using Eloqua for under a year and your Eloqua assets do not have a consistent naming convention, you and your team will need to determine if it makes sense to go back and rename your assets to the new naming convention. If you have been working with Eloqua and have over 100 assets, taking the time to rename your old assets will be beneficial.
If you decide to rename your old assets, go to Steps 2 and 3 below. If you decide that you do not need to rename your old assets, this will briefly impact reporting while you transition old assets out and create new assets that follow your new naming convention. Consider archiving old assets that are no longer in use in an archive folder so you have a “clean” folder structure.
Step 2: Create the “Eloqua Governance Team”
Grab a few of your colleagues to form the “Eloqua Governance Team” (EGT) and conduct a white-boarding session to define your naming convention structure and strategy. There are two types of Teams:
- Multiple business units: Members of the team should represent Eloqua users from all business units (e.g., if you have 5 business units using Eloqua, you should ideally have 5 colleagues in the room with you).
- One business unit: Eloqua power users who create campaigns to bring the business’ marketing vision to life should be included in this team.
Step 3: Schedule the Strategy Session
Once your EGT is formed, schedule a 5 to 6-hour strategy session to begin designing your naming convention strategy and structure. Click here to get a sample Agenda and a Naming Conventions Workbook to help you get started!
Step 4: Implement the new strategy!
After EGT members have agreed and approved the new naming convention strategy, send out a detailed internal memo with the guidelines and naming convention workbook to all Eloqua users. Schedule a 1-hour training session or create a short video to send internally to all Eloqua users on the purpose of using naming conventions and how they can use the workbook.
In the memo, include a hard implementation start date. For example, let your Eloqua users know that as an organization, you will start using the new naming convention on MM/DD/YYYY indicating all assets from that date on must use the newly approved naming convention. If you are renaming old assets, include a detailed summary of how this will be done and where the old assets can be found.
Keep the lines of communication open – you need to listen and obtain feedback from users. If your Eloqua users don’t have a go-to person, they will be less likely to adopt the new process.
Step 5: Evaluate and Improve
It is important to assess how things are evolving as the new workbook is implemented and new assets are created. Proceed with caution! Make critical updates to the naming convention process in the approved workbook. When new business units and/or audiences are added to your organization, have a quick EGT meeting and add new values to the workbook. Do not change current values. Changing values will impact assets that are in the process of being built and this in turn will create confusion among Eloqua users and land you back at square one… a dirty database.
Example: Biotechnology Company
Background: A biotechnology company Marketing Automation Team sends out emails for four business units and the emails are product- and campaign-specific. Their corporate communications team sends emails for corporate related announcements (e.g., Press releases, annual reports, etc.). The marketing automation team needs to provide reporting to the executive team and business unit leaders on a quarterly basis.
- The Importance of Eloqua Naming Conventions: 5 Ways to improve your Eloqua asset database
Defining a naming convention strategy and structure can be challenging, but the most difficult part is getting started. I hope this post helps you hit the ground running.
For more information on how we can help you with your naming conventions and other Eloqua needs, Contact Us today. Happy Naming![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]