Salesforce Marketing Cloud

Powerful, but complex

Pros:

This software is an online SAAS, and is some of the most powerful Marketing Software on the planet. The software is best used in an environment where personalized, but mass email communication is needed--typically for B2C situations. Pardot is an ideal product for B2B solutions. Although the product can be configured and used by end-users, it is best to work with a partner.

Cons:

There are many updates needed in order to make the software work in a more user-friendly fashion, particularly when compared with less powerful solutions, like Constant Contact, MailChimp, etc. A Salesforce partner will cost additional money to implement the solution, but it is a good investment.

SFMC

Comments: This is a very serviceable software and will serve it's purpose. It can do a lot, so depending of the size of your organization it might be too much for the cost.

Pros:

In addition to being able to import a distribution list, this product integrated with our CRM (Recruit) so we were able to send to segregated lists and it showed what emails were sent in Recruit. This made it easier for our reps to see when correspondence went out to their pipelines. It is rather simple to create and distribute emails.

Cons:

Some of the functionality was a bit wonky, and emails viewed differently between various email clients. Line spacing was the biggest thing that varied quite a bit. Everything would look great in SFMC, but when an email was received in Outlook, Mac Mail, or Gmail, all three would display it just a bit differently. Not sure who's problem this is. It also doesn't embed video either. The workaround is to create a screenshot as a graphic, then add a link to it.

Large Campaigns work well with Salesforce Marketing Cloud

Pros:

Rather than using a standard marketing automation tool, we switched to Salesforce Marketing Cloud. Besides its powerful automation feature, it is also tightly integrated with Salesforce CRM. Sending personalized marketing campaigns is breeze with Salesforce Marketing Cloud.

Cons:

To segment the data, Working knowledge of SQL is required. Integration of GTM and API's is heavily reliant on tech team.

Expensive and cumbersome with little support

Comments: Love what the product is capable of doing. But it takes a significant amount of time and money beyond the cost of the product to set it up and maintain it. I am dissatisfied with the representatives of SF who have zero customer service skills and can’t even answer a question when asked. They are rigid and not willing to work with clients to provide solutions. They just want the contract. I will not be renewing with them.

Pros:

It’s capabilities once it’s configured which takes a significant amount of time and money by hiring outsourced vendors to help set it up. SF offers little or no support and sends links in response to your questions.

Cons:

They sell the product speaking in terms of monthly payments hen switch it to annual payments when you purchase the product. They do what’s in their best interests not the client’s. They sell you products that you don’t need but you won’t figure that out until you learn how to use them and set them up which takes a few months with the help of a consultant that you must pay for separately because it’s nothing included in the price and the products are not intuitive by any means. You will also need at least one employee dedicated to setting it up and maintaining the program. The very consultant that SF recommended that I hire at an extra fee to set up the program told me that I didn’t need six of the accounts that SF insisted I needed. They simply do not care if you ever use the products or are satisfied with the products until it’s time to renew your contracts. There are too many other alternatives from companies that actually care about having a long term relationship who will sell you what you need now and help you build the platform as you grow. SF has no such interest. I will not be renewing with them.

Marketing Cloud

Pros:

The best feature about Marketing Cloud is Journey Builder - this allows us to automatically schedule sends, conduct A/B testing and it provides overall metrics for your email sends. There is also an immense amount of documentation on the product which makes troubleshooting eassy.

Cons:

Certifications aren't very easy to get and how they conduct the tests aren't the best. You're monitored through your webcam for the duration of the exam and the questions seem like they're intentionally trying to trip you up.