Explore Ways to Upload Data

Learning Objectives 

After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:

• Identify three methods for uploading data in Marketing Cloud Intelligence.
  
• Decide which upload method to use.
  

How Does Data Get into Marketing Cloud Intelligence?

To be able to upload your data into Marketing Cloud Intelligence, it’s important to know the different processes, so you can choose the best method. Let’s take a look at your options.

In this module, we assume you’re a Marketing Cloud Intelligence user with the proper permissions to take the actions described. If you’re not a Marketing Cloud Intelligence user, that’s OK. Read along to learn how you would take the steps in the product. Don’t try to follow these steps in your Trailhead Playground. Marketing Cloud Intelligence isn’t available in the Trailhead Playground.

No matter which data upload method you plan to use, you start in the same place: the Data Streams List. You will choose your upload method when you create a new data stream. Here’s how.

To start, in Marketing Cloud Intelligence click the Connect & Mix tab, select Data Streams List, and click Add New.

Once you click Add New, the available upload methods appear.

The main methods for uploading data in Marketing Cloud Intelligence are API Connectors (1), TotalConnect (2), and LiteConnect (3). Let’s look more closely at each option.

• API Connectors: This method allows you to connect to external platforms through the use of their APIs. With API connectors, the source fields are automatically mapped to the corresponding Marketing Cloud Intelligence fields, based on the data model. Pulling data into Marketing Cloud Intelligence using this method simply requires valid source-platform credentials for an API connector. Marketing Cloud Intelligence has a library of API Connectors with the most widely used platforms in digital marketing. This connector library is regularly updated with new connectors, and existing connectors are updated with any changes from the source platforms. If the platform you’re pulling data from has an API connector available, this is your go-to option.
  
• TotalConnect: This method allows you to upload any flat file into the system through the Marketing Cloud Intelligence data model, and thereby customize data ingestion. TotalConnect is typically used when you need to upload data from a source for which no API connector exists. It enables the automation of data ingestion in both push and pull modes through a variety of delivery methods—from external databases to file sharing platforms. Use this option to upload data from any source which must go through the Marketing Cloud Intelligence data model, and there is no API connector available.
  
• LiteConnect: LiteConnect allows for effortless uploading of files into Marketing Cloud Intelligence without using the predefined structure of the Marketing Cloud Intelligence data model or performing any data mapping. In a matter of just a few clicks, a file can be uploaded in its original format. Marketing Cloud Intelligence also automatically generates dashboards so you can instantly see your LiteConnect data visualized, reducing time to consumption from initial upload to almost nothing. If you need to quickly and easily display weather data alongside your marketing data, for example, LiteConnect is probably the option you should consider for the task.
  

Next Up

Now that you know the different options for uploading data in Marketing Cloud Intelligence, let’s examine each upload method, how it works, and how you set it up in Marketing Cloud Intelligence. First up, we cover API connectors in the next unit.