Digital tools have advanced significantly and simply acquiring them is no guarantee of success – you also need the right partner to help you navigate and maximize these tools. The Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) is a potent platform, but its real potential is unlocked when used in partnership with experts who understand the ins-and-outs of both the platform and the digital marketing environment as a whole.
Let’s explore how you can identify the right marketing cloud partner and how it can add value to your business.
How to Identify the Right Marketing Cloud Partner
- Certified Salesforce Partner: Ensuring that your chosen partner is an accredited Salesforce partner brings credibility and assurance that they can deliver high-quality services. These certifications indicate that they have the skills and expertise necessary to help you get the most out of your Salesforce investments.
- Expertise and Experience: Look for a partner with a proven track record in SFMC, including campaign management, customer segmentation, and analytics. They should be familiar with different industry sectors and can share case studies or testimonials from satisfied customers.
- Shared Vision and Values: The best partnerships are built on shared visions and values. You want to work with a partner who understands your company’s goals and can help you achieve them, all while upholding your core values.
How to Get the Most Value From Your Marketing Cloud Partner
After finding your ideal partner, it’s time to extract the maximum value from this collaboration:
- Data-Driven Decision Making: With the right partner, you’ll be able to leverage SFMC’s analytical capabilities to make data-driven decisions. They will guide you on how to interpret and utilize the data to enhance your email marketing strategies and improve customer experience.
- Seamless Integration: Your partner should help you integrate SFMC seamlessly into your existing marketing processes and systems or migrate data and processes from your existing system. They should facilitate the transition process, ensuring minimal disruption to your business while identifying areas of opportunity to save time and costs while enhancing your system.
- Maximizing Return on Investment (ROI): Working with a skilled marketing cloud partner can help you maximize your ROI on your Salesforce investment. They can do this by implementing best practices, optimizing your use of features and tools, reducing redundancies, and improving your team’s productivity. This should be an ongoing process, with continuous monitoring and adjustment to ensure you’re getting the most out of your investment.
- Proactive Strategy Development: Your marketing cloud partner should be proactive in creating and adjusting your marketing strategies. Based on their expertise, they should be able to forecast trends, identify opportunities, and alert you about potential challenges before they become problematic. They should also provide regular strategic reviews and update your roadmap as needed to keep your marketing efforts aligned with your business objectives.
- Training and Support: A good partner doesn’t just set you up and then leave – they provide ongoing support and training. This ensures that your team is well-versed with the functionalities of SFMC, can handle any troubleshooting issues, and are updated on the latest features and best practices. They should also keep you updated on new features or ones that are being sunset, and what impact that will have to your system.
When it comes to marketing cloud operations, having the right partner by your side can be the difference between simply using a platform and truly leveraging its full potential. Choosing the right marketing cloud partner may seem like a daunting task, but the benefits it can bring to your business make it a worthwhile endeavor. With the right partner, your company’s use of Salesforce Marketing Cloud can be a transformative experience that drives customer engagement and growth.
