Due to the advent of technology, choosing the right marketing solution to scale your business is more tedious than ever. Long ago, all you had to do to market a product was to put up a sign or a billboard, tell a couple of people, and that’s it. Now, there are thousands of marketing solutions available, which can become very overwhelming, especially for small businesses.
These days companies spend a significant amount of money on marketing. The process of marketing is gradually becoming automated. Despite the amount of automation implemented, the marketing team is still required to develop and implement the automation rules.
The best way to jump-start a marketing campaign is to equip the marketing team with all the necessary tools they need. A marketer without the right tools is like a belly dancer without a torso! Salesforce Marketing Cloud is one of the best marketing tools available. The big question is: Is salesforce right for your business? Does it align with your goals?
This article highlights some of the most crucial factors to consider before implementing a Marketing Cloud Consulting Company. Before you hire a marketing cloud consultant, ask yourself these questions:
- Do you Have the Capital to Implement a Marketing Cloud?
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This is one of the main questions you should ask yourself before implementing a marketing cloud solution. Implementing a marketing cloud consultant like salesforce might seem very beneficial at first. Still, you need to fully understand the ins and outs of the platform before integrating it into your business.
Cloud technologies like salesforce are often costly to implement and maintain sustainably. There are several fees like early termination fees, service fees, customer support, etc. These fees are usually too much for a small startup to handle. So if your business can’t sustain the cost of hiring a marketing cloud consulting company, you should avoid it.
Salesforce has tons of benefits, but hiring a marketing cloud consultant might become a pain in the ass if your business is relatively small.
- How Long Does it Take to Implement
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In business, time is very vital. However, most marketing campaigns are scheduled to be launched on specific dates due to cost, season, and market strength; even if you have the capital to implement a marketing cloud, factor in the time required to get the system up and running.
Implementing marketing cloud technology is a very complex and time-consuming process. Implementing salesforce to your marketing campaigns scheduled to launch in a short time might not be the best option. The consulting company has to set up all the installations and equipment needed to make your campaigns seamless.
Implementing a marketing cloud consultant isn’t recommended if you’re running on a deadline.
- What are the Limitations to Marketing Cloud Solutions?
As you know, nothing is created perfect; everything existing is bound to have flaws; salesforce is no exception. One of the significant limitations to salesforce is that it is difficult to customize. Salesforce was designed to cater to the needs of large enterprises. It’s meant to be customized and not just dished out to users.
Salesforce is extremely difficult to customize to suit your particular marketing aim. To get the most out of the Salesforce platform, you need a unicorn, someone who understands the company’s business requirements and is well versed in customizing salesforce to meet those requirements. Unfortunately, these kinds of people don’t just come around every day.
Before implementing marketing cloud solutions, try to research extensively the limitations associated with that platform.
- What Kind of Security Measures do they Utilize?
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The cloud is considered one of the safest places to store data because it has been perceived as “immune” to hacking; this isn’t the reality. Any data on the internet is prone to hacking, no matter how secure the consultant tells you it is.
If you look at it closely, you’re storing all of your company’s data in an invisible server that you don’t know where it is. Some companies might not be willing to take that risk. Ensure that your salesforce environment is adequately secured and is continuously tested for security vulnerabilities.
Just one breach into your salesforce environment, your entire company’s files could be encrypted with ransomware; usually, you can only unlock these files by paying a hefty ransom through crypto exchanges. No one wants that! Try to secure your marketing cloud environment properly.
- What Kind of Customer Support Do They Offer?
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Salesforce and marketing cloud technologies as a whole are still emerging technologies. As a result, there aren’t many people with the technical know-how to work their way around a problem in your salesforce environment.
For example, salesforce offers users a free support plan with a 2-day response time. This plan is not meant to rectify issues or problems with the system but rather to guide the user to help them find the right solution.
However, some issues are not easily fixed by listening to someone over the phone dishing out instructions. Some problems require expert attention to solve the underlying problems correctly. However, big companies encounter some of the most complex problems; these can’t be solved by watching a tutorial.
These large companies often have to employ secondary services specializing in Salesforce Administration to tackle such problems. Before implementing a marketing cloud, ensure that the consultant has a good support service.
Conclusion
Marketing cloud technology is a beautiful service if appropriately implemented. However, implementing it the wrong way might have you licking your wounds. We hope this article has answered some of the questions you frequently ask about marketing cloud consultants.
