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ExactTarget has designed and built a multi-tier architecture which delineates user interface, business logic and data access. As a result, the business logic objects can be called from processes other than our user interface. This allows the same program code to be run, regardless of whether it is executed by a user navigating the site or a remote process triggers from a client application.
This documentation is designed to help you integrate with the ExactTarget XML API, as well as to integrate your ExactTarget emails with your external datamart, customer relationship management system (CRM), or content management system.
About the ExactTarget API
Many organizations face the challenge of merging their disparate data sources in order to manage their marketing and CRM needs. Integrating customer data from your CRM package or contact management system with your email marketing software is critical to creating a personalized dialogue with your customers and prospects.
ExactTarget's design features a layered, modular application that allows us to integrate with external data sources easily. The API allows for connections to external systems via commonly used protocols. However, given that the number of methods and formats for communication is nearly infinite, we have a seasoned development staff with more than 20 years' experience in systems integration that can assist you in custom integration efforts.
Note: The XML API is not supported in the Enterprise 2.0 edition.
Business Scenarios
A variety of business scenarios must be supported through data and systems integration. The majority of our clients' needs revolve around data integration with one of a variety of systems that are designed to support customer communication. These systems commonly include the following:
- CRM packages, such as Applix, Baan, Onyx, and Siebel.
- Marketing datamarts, databases, and campaign management systems, such as SAS.
- Content management systems.
- Portal management software.
We have not designed solutions for any specific product because even two clients in similar industries, using similar CRM packages, may have vastly different requirements around their data integration needs. Rather, we have designed interfaces that allow you to design a solution that best fits your needs.
The types of integration with these systems cover a variety of different business scenarios. However, there are common themes to the needs. They fall into general categories.
- Manage data: Load messages, content, and subscribers into the ExactTarget system.
- Remote sending: Generate communications to your constituents (subscribers) both manually and through remote, automated processes.
- Receive and record subscriber tracking events: Track and measure, individually and in aggregate, the resulting activity that occurs from each communication. The activity can be as simple as an email open or can include the steps that follow a click-through and ultimately result in a sale. This information is accessible within the ExactTarget application, but you may want to receive notification and store the information within your own systems.
Manage Data
The majority of our clients store vast amounts of information about their customers in CRM packages. Further, they store vast amounts of information about their products and services in content management systems. We provide many methods to get this information into the ExactTarget system through our web-based interface.
For instance, using the interfaces we provide, you can build email messages, load subscriber information, and upload custom content to be delivered to those subscribers in the ExactTarget application.
Many clients need a more automated system to perform these tasks. Our API provides a means to transfer large lists of subscribers to the ExactTarget system and then subsequently manage those lists automatically. You can also upload updates to your customer information into ExactTarget so that this updated information can be used to customize and target your communications.
Once the customer information is available, messages can be built which contain custom content for those subscribers. The custom content can be easily built and managed within the ExactTarget content libraries through the web-based interfaces. If you use content management systems, you can choose to have your information remain under your CMS's management and be dynamically included in an email at the time the email is sent.
Remote Sending
ExactTarget provides secure mechanisms for our clients to send emails remotely and perform other activities within our system. Virtually any activity that can be performed through the web-based interface can be performed through our API.
One common client scenario occurs when a CRM system identifies a list of customers that should be notified of an upcoming product launch. The system should generate the list and automatically transfer and load it into the ExactTarget system using the API so that no special user tasks are required.
A second scenario can occur when a client's campaign management software decides to trigger a communication. For instance, you may want to send an email to one or several of your customers based on an event that occurs within the campaign management system. Here, triggering the email communication should be automatic and not require users to move between systems.
Track Subscriber Events
You may want to record and store these individual tracking events at the subscriber level. For instance, it would be useful for users of the CRM system to know when a particular customer received an email and whether the customer clicked on a link related to a certain service or product that you sell.
This information, which is recorded and stored within the ExactTarget Reporting Data Warehouse, can be transferred, in aggregate or individually, into your CRM system using tracking API calls.
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