Marketo

When to Use Recurring Batch Smart Campaigns

Updated February 22, 2026
Batch Campaigns Smart Campaigns
When to Use Recurring Batch Smart Campaigns

Marketo offers two types of smart campaigns: trigger campaigns and batch campaigns. While trigger campaigns run in response to specific actions, batch campaigns collect leads based on set criteria and run at scheduled intervals. Batch campaigns can be set to recur, making them ideal for ongoing data management tasks.

Why Use a Batch Campaign?

Batch campaigns are ideal when immediate action isn’t necessary, helping reduce system load. Scheduling batch campaigns to run overnight or during low-traffic periods can optimize system performance. They’re especially useful for tasks like data cleansing and normalization, where real-time updates aren’t essential.

Normalizing State Values

Data often enters Marketo in various formats, especially for state names. Here’s how to standardize state abbreviations using a recurring batch campaign:

  • Alabama

  • Alaska

  • Arizona

  • Arkansas

  • California

  • Colorado

  • Connecticut

  • Delaware

  • District of Columbia

  • Florida

  • Georgia

  • Hawaii

  • Idaho

  • Illinois

  • Indiana

  • Iowa

  • Kansas

  • Kentucky

  • Louisiana

  • Maine

  • Maryland

  • Massachusetts

  • Michigan

  • Minnesota

  • Mississippi

  • Missouri

  • Montana

  • Nebraska

  • Nevada

  • New Hampshire

  • New Jersey

  • New Mexico

  • New York

  • North Carolina

  • North Dakota

  • Ohio

  • Oklahoma

  • Oregon

  • Pennsylvania

  • Rhode Island

  • South Carolina

  • South Dakota

  • Tennessee

  • Texas

  • Utah

  • Vermont

  • Virginia

  • Washington

  • West Virginia

  • Wisconsin

  • Wyoming

In the Flow step, create a ‘Change Data Value’ action for each state, setting the value to the preferred format (e.g., “WI” for Wisconsin). While creating each option can be time-consuming, it ensures consistency across your database.

Normalizing Country Values

Similar to state values, country names may appear in multiple formats, such as:

  • US

  • U.S.

  • USA

  • United States

  • United States of America

Create a recurring batch campaign to catch these variations and set the data value to a standardized format, like “USA.” This method works well for any field with numerous variations, such as job titles.

Recurring batch campaigns help maintain a clean database and reduce system load, making your Marketo instance more efficient.