> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.getprova.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Adding Custom Marketing Data

> Learn what Provalytics needs to ingest non-standard marketing channels such as email, SMS, organic social, billboard/OOH, and PR.

## Overview

Provalytics can ingest custom marketing data even when it does not come from a native ad-platform connector.

This is especially useful for channels such as:

* email
* SMS
* organic social
* billboard / OOH
* PR / earned media

The goal is to turn structured daily activity into a stable marketing input that can be included in reporting, modeling, and optimization.

## The general rule

For most custom marketing sources, Provalytics typically needs:

* `date`
* an exposure or delivery metric
* `channel name`
* `campaign name` `(optional)`
* `creative name` `(optional)`
* `clicks` `(optional, when meaningful for the source)`

The exact metric varies by source. When true digital impressions are not available, the platform can use the best consistent proxy for delivery or exposure.

## Best practice: backfill historical data

When historical data is available, best practice is to backfill it.

That matters because if the channel is going to appear in the ongoing dataset, it is better for the model to already have historical exposure to that source instead of encountering it only after the fact.

In practical terms, backfilling helps:

* train the model on the channel earlier
* improve continuity in the dataset
* reduce the chance that a newly added source appears too late to influence interpretation well

## Best practice: keep the same cadence as current data

Custom marketing data should be delivered on the same cadence as the rest of the active dataset whenever possible.

That keeps the dashboard current and helps the platform continue updating the relevant views as new activity comes in.

In most cases, the best operating model is:

* consistent recurring delivery
* stable file structure
* same update cadence as the rest of the connected data

## Source-specific requirements

Use the pages below for the most common custom marketing sources:

* [Email Marketing Data](/integrations/email-marketing-data)
* [SMS Marketing Data](/integrations/sms-marketing-data)
* [Organic Social Data](/integrations/organic-social-data)
* [Billboard and OOH Data](/integrations/billboard-ooh-data)
* [PR and Earned Media Data](/integrations/pr-earned-media-data)

## How data can be delivered

Once the data is structured, Provalytics can receive it through several supported delivery methods, including:

* [Recurring Email Delivery](/integrations/helpscout-file-feeds)
* [SharePoint Delivery](/integrations/sharepoint)
* [Google Sheets Delivery](/integrations/google-sheets)
* [S3 Bucket Delivery](/integrations/s3-source-access)
* [BigQuery Delivery](/integrations/shared-bigquery)
* [Snowflake Delivery](/integrations/snowflake-delivery)
* [Manual File Uploads](/integrations/manual-uploads)

If you are not sure which delivery path is best, start here:

* [Which Data Connection Path Should I Use?](/how-to-guides/which-data-connection-path-should-i-use)