Looking to get your Techtarget leads into Salesforce without wrestling with clunky CSVs or losing your mind? You’re in the right place. This guide is for marketers, ops folks, and anyone else who’d rather spend their time working leads than fighting with integrations.
If you’re tired of vague “integration best practices” and just want clear steps (with some honest warnings), keep reading.
Why Bother Integrating Techtarget with Salesforce?
Let’s be blunt: manually importing leads is a pain, and it’s easy to mess up. Integrating Techtarget with Salesforce means leads flow in automatically, your sales team gets info faster, and you stop babysitting spreadsheets.
But — and this is important — these integrations aren’t always plug-and-play. You’ll bump into API quirks, field mismatches, and the occasional “why did this break?” moment. I’ll walk you through it, so you skip the biggest headaches.
Before You Start: What You’ll Need
Don’t jump in blind. Make sure you’ve got:
- Admin access to Salesforce: You’ll need rights to create fields, users, and apps.
- Access to Techtarget’s export or integration tools: Usually via Priority Engine or similar.
- A clear idea of your lead process: Know which fields (company, email, lead score, etc.) you want to sync.
- Time to test: Don’t roll this out Friday at 4pm.
Pro Tip: If you’ve got a sandbox or test Salesforce org, use it. Don’t test in production unless you like cleaning up weird duplicates.
Step 1: Map Out Your Lead Fields
First, figure out what data you actually care about. Techtarget gives you a lot — not all of it is worth shoving into Salesforce.
- Start with essentials: Name, email, company, title, phone.
- Decide on extras: Lead score, buying stage, topics, etc.
- Map fields: Make a simple chart — “Techtarget Field” → “Salesforce Field.”
If the fields don’t line up, you’ll need to create custom fields in Salesforce. Don’t just dump everything in. More fields = more clutter = more confusion for your reps.
Step 2: Prep Salesforce
Now, set up Salesforce so it’s ready for the incoming data.
2.1 Create Custom Fields
- Go to Setup > Object Manager > Lead (or Contact, if that’s your flow).
- Click Fields & Relationships > New.
- Add custom fields for anything Techtarget provides that Salesforce doesn’t have out-of-the-box (e.g., “Intent Score,” “Last Engagement Topic”).
Naming Tip: Use clear, human-friendly names. “TT_Intent_Score” beats “Custom_Field_17__c.”
2.2 Set Up Lead Assignment Rules
If you want to route leads (by region, product, etc.), set up assignment rules now. It’s easier than cleaning up a pile of unassigned leads later.
Step 3: Get API Access (Both Sides)
3.1 Techtarget API Access
- Contact your Techtarget rep or check your Priority Engine dashboard for API documentation.
- You’ll need API credentials (key, secret, endpoint URL).
- Some packages make you pay extra for API access. If you don’t have it, you’re stuck with CSVs — which is doable, but not as smooth.
3.2 Salesforce API Access
- You’ll use a Connected App in Salesforce to allow API pushes.
- In Salesforce, go to Setup > App Manager > New Connected App.
- Set up OAuth permissions. At a minimum, you’ll need “Access and manage your data (API).”
- Save your Client ID and Client Secret.
Heads up: If you’re not familiar with OAuth, bring in your Salesforce admin or someone who’s done API work before. It’s not rocket science, but the setup can get fiddly.
Step 4: Set Up the Integration
There are two main ways people connect Techtarget to Salesforce:
- Native Connectors (if available)
- Middleware/Third-party Tools (like Zapier, Workato, Tray.io)
- Manual CSV Imports (only if you must)
Let’s break down your options.
4.1 Native Integration (Techtarget-Salesforce Connector)
- Some Techtarget tools (like Priority Engine) offer a direct Salesforce connector.
- In your Techtarget dashboard, look for an “Integrations” or “Salesforce” section.
- Follow the prompts to authenticate Salesforce using the Connected App credentials you set up.
- Map Techtarget fields to Salesforce fields — double-check these mappings. One typo and you’ll have “Intent Score” showing up in “Zip Code.”
- Set sync frequency (real-time, hourly, daily).
What works: When it’s available, this is the least painful option.
What to watch: Native connectors can be rigid. If you want fancy logic (like “Only sync leads with score >80”), you may need to get creative or use middleware.
4.2 Using Middleware (Zapier, Workato, etc.)
If there’s no native connector, middleware tools can bridge the gap.
- Set up a “Zap” or “Recipe” to pull leads from Techtarget (via API or email parser).
- Have the tool create or update Leads in Salesforce.
- Map fields carefully — test thoroughly before going live.
Pros: - Flexible logic and filtering. - Often easier to tweak than native connectors.
Cons: - Can get expensive fast. - Another moving part to maintain. - Some middleware tools don’t support all Salesforce objects or custom fields.
Pro Tip: Document your flows. Six months later, you’ll forget what that “Intent Score > 75” filter does.
4.3 Manual CSV Imports (The Last Resort)
If you’re stuck without API access, you’ll be downloading CSVs from Techtarget and importing them into Salesforce.
- Export the leads from Techtarget.
- Clean up the CSV (field names, duplicate checking).
- Use Salesforce’s Data Import Wizard or Data Loader.
What works: Works in a pinch. Good for small volumes.
What doesn’t: Tedious, error-prone, and you lose real-time lead flow. Only use this if you have no other choice.
Step 5: Test, Test, Test
Whatever method you chose, don’t skip this step.
- Send test leads through from Techtarget.
- Check Salesforce — are the leads showing up? Are all fields mapping correctly?
- Try edge cases (missing fields, weird characters, duplicate leads).
- Confirm notifications/assignment rules fire as expected.
Pro Tip: Involve a sales rep or two. They’ll spot issues you won’t.
Step 6: Go Live (But Watch Closely)
Once everything looks good in testing, switch to live data. But don’t walk away:
- Monitor for errors or missed leads.
- Keep an eye on lead quality — are you getting junk? Are scores making sense?
- Set up basic alerts (in Salesforce or via your middleware) for failed imports or API errors.
Warning: Most issues crop up in the first week. Don’t assume it’s perfect — check daily.
Step 7: Maintain and Improve
No integration is “set it and forget it.” Schedule regular check-ins:
- Review field mappings every quarter. Techtarget sometimes adds new fields, and your sales process will change.
- Clean up bad data before it piles up.
- Ask sales what’s actually useful — cut fields that nobody uses.
- Track sync failures and fix them fast.
What to Skip (and Why)
- Over-automating: Don’t try to sync every possible field “just in case.” More data isn’t always better.
- Ignoring data quality: Garbage in, garbage out. If Techtarget sends junk, don’t just blame Salesforce.
- Relying only on alerts: Actually check the data occasionally. Alerts miss stuff.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Getting Techtarget and Salesforce talking isn’t rocket science, but it’s not magic either. Start with the basics, make sure leads flow where you need them, and fix what breaks. Don’t let “perfect” kill your momentum — get a simple version live, then tune it over time.
And remember: technology’s supposed to help you, not create more work. If something feels too complex, it probably is. Keep it simple, and your sales team will thank you.