The Why of API
Once upon a time companies and brands used to have well defined departments, ecosystems if you will, for different functions like marketing, sales, content, tech support, and so on. These departments rarely interacted with each other, and when they did, it was more of a conflict than collaboration. You could, therefore, get away with specializing in a particular field, leveraging expertise over versatility.
Unfortunately, this tale of yore is quickly fading into the background as more and more organizations are opting for marketing strategies that directly utilize digital channels. Traditional cable service operators are discovering the benefits of streaming (and the ad-makers have to adapt, quickly, to the new medium), traditional newspapers are carving out digital channels for circulation (print marketers are compelled to adjust accordingly) and today, companies are ‘born’ digital—meaning there is no room for those who keep themselves confined to their clearly outlined departmental zones of comfort.
Companies are now seeking out suitable pathways which will not only allow them to form inter-application data links, but also provide the end-user cross-system access to these data-driven interfaces. For instance, opening Google Maps from a smartphone will give suggestions for booking a ride with Uber. Alongside the two databases being linked, the user is able to access the data-driven functionalities of one using the tools of the other. This bridge is created using application program interface, or API, powered tools, which is basically a piece of code that implements abstraction layers to allow interaction with the underlying functionality, without the developer having to be aware of system intricacies.
Which is exactly what makes APIs such a potent tool for marketers.
The Digital Market Scenario
Marketing and selling through digital platforms can take place within a number of frameworks. A large sector of ecommerce comprises selling via digital-only platforms, and ecommerce sellers need a comprehensive set of tools to make their products available across geographies, devices, and operating systems. Once available, there needs to be an efficient orchestra of sellers, pricing, payment gateways and the like for the transaction to be completed. Once complete, a complex logistics system is initiated either by the ecommerce company itself, or by a third-party vendor. Then comes consistent monitoring and validation till the delivery is made, following which the ecommerce vendor seeks reviews via emails.
Obviously such a chain of events, even in this reductive sketch, requires a well-oiled mechanism of inter-database interaction, where multiple sets of disparate values can come together, and put the product in the end-user’s hands. To this end (i.e. for customer relationship management or CRM), a number of API tools are already in the market. Salesforce offers a number of API tools for CRM services, including real-time data streaming and social platform ‘Chatter’. Ringio offers a CRM API for routing phone calls. FullContact, Rapportive, and Piins offer APIs for contact management, while Ofuz has API tools for invoicing. Clearly, there is no dearth of choices and marketers are sure to find one that meets their unique demands.
The Why Not of API
In an ideal world, a brand’s tech team would be responsible for taking these decisions, either independently or by reaching out to a third-party IT vendor. The challenge with this model is that often it is more profitable for third-party solution providers to offer ad-hoc access to raw data functionalities, than would be to create a stable and comprehensive API which the client can purchase. So, while most APIs available today will probably meet your marketing requirements, from creating email lists to tracking sales for SMBs, it is likely you will need an expansive API portfolio to ensure smooth end-to-end operations for your users. This has given rise to the API management suite trend—in effect negating the enticing promise of simplicity that APIs came with.
Yet there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel as API management tools evolve, and incorporate the streamlined attitude towards software solutions which gave rise to the API in the first place. One API for a portfolio of APIs, or differently put, one app for all apps in a martech stack—that is the direction in which the API horizon is shifting. Apps like Zapier and IFTTT support integration of stacks with cross-department differentiation. They take care of the grunt work—ensuring a glitch-free operational flow between component APIs, which in turn handle data-flow across applications.
All of this does not sound like it would be easy on the pockets. When marketing companies were once responsible for handling big-ticket physical campaigns, like a billboard or a video ad which necessitated a single instance of high expenditure, repeated and consistent ROI was ensured. Digital marketing works on a different model, where a campaign’s 15-minutes-of-fame does not guarantee substantial ROI in the long run, and only when the right content reaches the right audience at the right time, can there be any tangible impact. This necessitates access to agile tools, capable of identifying the target niche from aggregated databases, and with the ability to deliver curated content which encourages traffic. Is it worth it in the long run?
Making API Work for You
The key to harnessing the potential of APIs as a resource is not alien to the marketing vocabulary: communication. While it is not feasible for a marketing professional to start learning how to code, remaining completely in the dark of what lies outside your domain is not a viable alternative either—mainly because the domain as we knew it has largely ceased to exist. As technological decisions move beyond technical problems, business stakeholders and developers must put their heads together to remain afloat, and even thrive, in today’s competitive market. And here are 5 strategies to do just that:
- Realize that API is the key to digital marketing, without which a functional and aesthetically pleasing interface is next to impossible
- Understand your specific end-goal, whether it is to increase your customer base, remove a particular bug, or decrease turnaround time
- Communicate your target to your developers, in a language they understand
- Collaborate with developers to ensure you share the same business objectives in the long run
- Listen to the tech community, and familiarize yourself with API offerings that might be perfect for you
When done right, APIs can accomplish a lot from limited resources. Today, there are tools available in the market or publishing, user management, and URL management—all so that your social media bases are covered and your brand reaches the largest pool of digital audience possible. Keeping yourself confined in a bubble of legacy marketing practices at this crucial juncture in social development, would not be wise.
Learn more about how APIs can be successfully mapped across your marketing technology stack with Mark Geene from CloudElements and Kyle Burnett from Allbound in one of the Breakout sessions on November 2, 2016 at CO:LLABORATE 2016, Phoenix. CO:LLABORATE provides inspired business leaders with the education, digital best practices, and networking opportunities needed to say goodbye to yesteryear’s channel sales and marketing strategies and hello to the next generation of connected selling.
