Why Salesforce Is a Top Choice for Marketers: The Value of Implementing Marketing Cloud

Your marketing goals are set, but can your marketing technology keep up? When it comes to your email service provider (ESP) or marketing automation platform, there's a lot to consider. From data flows and integration capabilities, to ease of use, to support, and beyond—implementing or migrating to new marketing platforms is no small decision. While there is no one-size-fits-all platform for every business, all of the platforms available offer varying levels of customization that allow them to adapt to all types of business models.

Salesforce Marketing Cloud in particular is one of the most powerful platforms on the market, and arguably the most customizable. According to the Litmus report on the 2021 State of ESPs, Marketing Cloud is the leading platform amongst medium and large-sized businesses. There are a lot of benefits to using Marketing Cloud that differentiate it from others, and below, we’re sharing some of the top reasons we help thousands of marketers every year make the switch to Marketing Cloud.
 

1. The integration with Salesforce CRM.

Salesforce is the #1 CRM globally. With all of their Cloud options, ranging from Sales Cloud and Service Cloud, to Tableau and CPQ, to more industry-specific clouds such as Manufacturing Cloud and Health Cloud, the Salesforce platform can truly be used to power an entire business (including Lev!). Every marketer knows that having a connected organization is a key driver in providing unparalleled customer experiences. With seamless data flows and integrations, Marketing Cloud is often a no-brainer for marketers looking to be fully integrated into the rest of their company.
 

2. A single, 360-degree view of the customer.

Speaking of having a connected organization, Salesforce offers an unparalleled ability to gain a true, single view of the customer. Aside from the multiple Clouds they offer and their integrations, Salesforce is constantly innovating on their platforms to help businesses capture and understand a 360-degree view of their customers. From connecting customer service to sales to marketing, to adding tools like CDP and Customer 360 Audiences, Salesforce has positioned their entire platform to meet these goals–and they continue to invest in bringing the right tools together to achieve this. For any organization that is interested in being at the forefront of digital transformation, investing in Salesforce is the way to go. 
 

3. Data at your fingertips.

Not only does the Salesforce suite offer tools like Data Studio, Datorama, Einstein, and Tableau to provide easy-to-digest and actionable insights, it also allows for highly-customizable reporting. The flexibility in building and adapting the data models within Marketing Cloud and the Salesforce platform to meet the needs of your business are unparalleled. Coupled with the ability to truly generate and capture a 360-view of your customer, choosing Salesforce is an easy decision for any data-driven marketing teams.
 

4. The ability to customize and innovate on top of the platform.

Salesforce is a tremendously powerful tool that offers endless opportunities for customization and the ability to adapt the tools to meet the needs and objectives of your organization. This gives companies the foundation and flexibility to power even the most complex businesses. It also offers opportunities to create efficiencies, such as leveraging tools like Campaign Studio to effectively migrate and duplicate assets from within and outside the platform, or building tools like Two-Way MobileConnect to enable two-way SMS between brands and their customers. We’ve also seen some incredibly innovative solutions from marketers using the platforms—such as using Cloud Dashboards to create a centralized location for internal stakeholders to access existing content and submit customization requests, or enabling brand scalability by leveraging the dynamism of Marketing Cloud to support dozens of brands. The possibilities are endless.
 

5. Centralized, omnichannel marketing.

While Marketing Cloud started as an email marketing tool, it continues to evolve into so much more than that. According to the Litmus report, Salesforce Marketing Cloud is the top choice for marketers with highly-integrated marketing programs. Not only does Marketing Cloud integrate with tools like Sales Cloud and Service Cloud that help power an entire business, but Marketing Cloud also offers tools like Datorama, Ad Studio, Interaction Studio, Social Studio, Einstein Analytics, and so much more as a centralized platform to create a truly omnichannel experience—and help marketing teams consolidate their tech stacks while maximizing their abilities to connect with their customers. The capabilities of SFMC extend far beyond creating email journeys, and range from website personalization, to first-party data capture, to ad retargeting, to social listening—just to name a few. Marketing Cloud was also cited as a top choice for marketers who leverage dynamic content, interactivity, and market in multiple languages.
 

6. An unparalleled community.

There’s nothing worse than investing in a platform, only to find out that your options for ongoing customer support are limited, or that you can’t find other users of the platform to talk through use cases and solutions with. Not only does Salesforce offer incredible learning opportunities through Trailhead, and the ability to connect with other users through their user groups and online communities, but the Salesforce ecosystem is huge. There are tons of consultancies (like Lev) to help you continuously maximize your use of the platform and help ensure you’re fully leveraging the platform to meet your business goals. When you invest in Salesforce, it’s highly encouraged to invest in a partner that understands your goals with the platform and will help you think strategically about how you can continue to maximize your use of the platform.

When it comes down to it, Marketing Cloud offers a powerful, centralized platform to support an entire customer journey, and enables marketing teams to effectively manage their cross-channel marketing efforts. It’s a market leader for a reason, and the platform will only continue to evolve over time as Salesforce continues to be steadfastly focused on helping organizations operate with a 360-degree view of their customers and power their digital transformations. 

However, making the decision to invest in Marketing Cloud is one that should not be taken lightly, and ensuring an appropriate implementation of the platform to ensure it’s set up to meet your business goals is ultimately what will help ensure your success with the platform.