On July 11, DESelect had its first in-person Salesforce user group meetup for Marketing Cloud (SFMC) users in Austin, Texas this year. The speakers explored the world of Marketing Cloud certifications and how to use that knowledge to master and maximize SFMC for career growth and better customer engagement.
Did you miss the meetup? No worries! In this recap, we’ll reiterate the unique framework that will help you pass Marketing Cloud certifications, gain a deep understanding of the platform, and best engage your audiences.
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How to prepare for Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) certification
Kaelan Moss, Salesforce Golden Hoodie Recipient 2023, and founder of MinuteAdmin presented how to obtain any of the four Marketing Cloud certificates!
Step 1: Follow the 5-Step Marketing Cloud project framework
- Administration setup – understand how to properly implement Marketing Cloud across an entire organization
- Data management – understand, manage, and expand the data available for use
- Content creation and delivery – create and test messages that go out to subscribers
- Automation – develop customer journeys and expand marketing output
- Reporting – analyze performance through standard and custom reporting
Step 2: Understand the exam outline
Familiarize yourself with the exam outline specific to the certification you are pursuing. Getting acquainted with the outline will help you identify the essential concepts and skills you need for your desired course.
Step 3: Convert exam sections into real-life questions
Transform bullet points from exam sections into real-life questions so you can grasp the concepts and their practical applications.
For example, try changing “Evaluate elements and techniques of email marketing to design effective emails and email programs” to “What elements and techniques are essential for designing effective emails and email programs in Marketing Cloud?”
Step 4: Gather resources for studying
Kaelan then explained to the Salesforce user group how to gather relevant learning resources to optimize studying, while sticking to the topics covered in the exam outline.
How to get the most out of Salesforce Marketing Cloud certification
Step 1: Understand the bullet points
Before diving into the specifics of any Marketing Cloud course, you should understand the bullet points and questions presented in the exam scenarios. These questions help you navigate the topics efficiently.
Step 2: Use the “5 W’s and H” formula
Use the “Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How” formula to approach unfamiliar topics. This method will help you break down the scenarios and develop relevant questions for yourself or your team.
Typical questions may include:
- What is an email program, and how does it relate to a marketing campaign?
- What are the different elements of an email message that impact deliverability?
- How do you set up data extensions in Marketing Cloud?
Step 3: Research and study
Try the tips below for an in-depth study.
- Utilize Google and Salesforce for helpful documentation and technical information.
- Watch YouTube tutorials for more experiential knowledge.
- Leverage ChatGPT for help with specific questions.
- Enroll in specialized courses to gain practical insights.
Step 4: Apply the framework to your industry
Understand the use cases relevant to your business and how to implement them in Marketing Cloud. This approach ensures you are well-prepared to handle real-world scenarios within your industry.
Step 5: Implement frequency capping and campaign prioritization
Frequency capping solutions like DESelect Engage help optimize your marketing content and prioritize sends with the highest ROI, ensuring effective customer engagement and proper saturation while reducing the risk of unsubscribes.
Ensure proper audience saturation with the right contact strategy
Next up, DESelect CEO Anthony Lamot spoke to the Austin Salesforce user group about how a comprehensive contact strategy not only ensures subscribers receive enough emails, but that messages are capped at a desired frequency to avoid marketing fatigue and the accompanying unsubscribes.
Why does this process matter? In addition to ensuring ideal customer experiences, frequency capping formalizes what is often guesswork and avoids cross-team collision through campaign prioritization. There are also fiscal benefits, as ideal cadences optimize revenue opportunities and maintain audiences’ subscriber base values through minimal unsubscribes.
Conclusion
Salesforce Marketing Cloud offers incredible opportunities for users to enhance their marketing skillsets and effectively engage with customers. The steps highlighted from this Salesforce user group meetup can help you pass your SFMC certifications and become a Marketing Cloud expert.
Embrace the learning process, explore your industry-specific use cases, and unleash the full potential of Salesforce Marketing Cloud. Join (or at least sign up for future content from) the Austin Trailblazer Community Group here.
