Get Automated with the VerticalResponse API

You're probably already up to speed on all of the great bells and whistles that you can add to your toolbox when using VerticalResponse for AppExchange.  However, if you have access to some engineering resources at your company, you might be interested to learn that VerticalResponse has an API that can save you time by making the experience much more automated.

The VerticalResponse API (Application Programming Interface) allows you to easily integrate email marketing functionality into your current website, software project, or Salesforce org.

That all sounds well and good, but you might be asking yourself how you might harness this powerful tool to help you with your day-to-day tasks.  Below are a few ideas that might have you knocking on your developer's door to get the VerticalResponse API project on their radar:

1. Automatically feed queries from your Salesforce Leads and Contacts to VerticalResponse - Are you sending a newsletter out to the same list each month, but are looking for a way to automatically add in new Leads or Contacts?  With the API, rather than having to pull a static list each month, you would instead have a "dynamic list", where new Leads and Contacts are automatically added to your VR lists in Salesforce.
2. Use a Content Management System to automatically send out a monthly newsletter to your list of users - If you are using a Content Management System (or CMS) to build a newsletter each month that you host on your own site, the API will allow you to automatically schedule and send that email out to your list when it's submitted from your website.
3. Create custom workflows to meet your company's needs - Maybe you have a contractor (graphic designer, etc.) who is creating your newsletter for you.  Salesforce seats don't come cheap, so allotting a seat to someone who uses it infrequently might not be entirely cost-effective.  With the API, you can create a new UI (user interface) for folks who don't have Salesforce licenses, through this UI, the can create the newsletter and send it out, without ever having to log into Salesforce.
4. Create customized reports that are not available in Salesforce or VerticalResponse for AppExchange - Is there information in your company's database that hasn't found its way into Salesforce?  With the API, you can include that data in your VerticalResponse for AppExchange reporting.  For example, maybe purchase data isn't pulled into your Salesforce org; with the API, you could create a report that would show which campaigns influenced the purchase process, showing what an asset your email marketing efforts are to your company's bottom line - who doesn't love that?

If you're interested in learning more about the VerticalResponse API, contact Alvaro to get started.  You can also check out more detailed information, including technical documentation and sample code, here.

Are you already using the VerticalResponse API?  Use the Comments box below to share more great implementation and usage ideas with the group!