Marketing Cloud specialists use their Salesforce Marketing Cloud knowledge to enable businesses to reach prospects more impactfully across multiple channels, engage customers with laser-focused marketing, and measure the return on marketing efforts.
There’s no doubt that Marketing Cloud specialists are deserving of their compensation – they carry out a core function that enables organizations to get more out of their Marketing Cloud investment (which, relative to the market, is a premium platform, at a high price point). The responsibilities of a Marketing Cloud will vary depending on their role (admin, consultant, developer, etc), however, generally speaking, their work requires data management, knowledge around the most commonly used modules (“builders”), and marketing acumen.
What do Marketing Cloud specialists do? Let’s start by outlining what ‘Marketing Cloud Consultants’ do, compared to ‘Marketing Cloud Admins’, Developers, and Architects.
- Marketing Cloud Administrators: Take ownership of the Marketing Cloud platform internally, as an employee of a Salesforce customer organization.
- Marketing Cloud Consultants: Implement and optimize Marketing Cloud in an effective and scalable way that is in line with their clients’ requirements.
- Marketing Cloud Developers: Extend Marketing Cloud beyond declarative (point-and-click) configuration – including building integrations, and developing dynamic/personalized experiences utilizing HTML, CSS, and AMPscript.
- Marketing Cloud Architects: Responsible for the “big picture” solution design with multiple integrated systems and large data volumes (advising on ETL best practices).
What Marketing Cloud Administrators do:
Marketing Cloud Admins take ownership of the Marketing Cloud platform internally, as an employee of a Salesforce customer organization.
This role is common within organizations that have larger Salesforce implementations, and the Marketing Cloud Admin will work alongside other Salesforce Administrators to ensure both connected platforms can work in harmony.
- Ensure that the platform is fit for purpose, anticipating the future needs of the team.
- Have a ‘helicopter’ view of all marketing campaigns in progress.
- Manage reporting and analytics to meet the needs of the marketing team and/or executive team.
- Have an understanding of content personalization (ie. AMPscript)
- Solid knowledge of Journey Builder.
- Configuring new business units
- User management.
- User training.
Related certifications: Marketing Cloud Administrator; Marketing Cloud Email Specialist.
What Marketing Cloud Consultants Do:
Marketing Cloud Consultants implement and optimize Marketing Cloud in an effective and scalable way that is in line with their clients’ requirements. With a consultant involved, Marketing Cloud becomes like a block of plasticine to an organization, molding to exactly how their business operates.
This is the services arm of the Salesforce partner ecosystem. You could say that a consultant’s ‘product’ is their expertise, sold to clients as time and advice. They could work for a Salesforce Consulting Partner (aka. Solution Integrator), an agency, or independently (as a ‘one-(wo)man-band’).
The responsibilities of a Marketing Cloud Consultant can range from configuration tasks, through to work that requires a level of emotional intelligence when gathering requirements or keeping a project on track. With seniority, consultants will become involved across the entire project lifecycle, yet less hands-on with configuration:
- Entry-level Marketing Cloud Consultant: 0 – 2 years experience (possibly up to 3 years). Configuration tasks based on specific requirements, implementing additional builders/studios, building journeys, simple segmentation, testing, user training.
- Senior Marketing Cloud Consultant: 3+ years experience. Solution design (with integrated platforms), lead requirements gathering, writing statements of work.
Related certifications: Marketing Cloud Consultant (plus Administrator, Email Specialist)
What Marketing Cloud Developers Do:
Marketing Cloud Developers extend Marketing Cloud beyond declarative (point-and-click) configuration, and in turn, tailor the platform to an organization’s specific needs.
- Configure and set-up data models (data extensions, shared data extensions, Contact model).
- Configure data import.
- Work with customers and platform data (SQL, views, Send Log).
- Proficient in basic SQL, including join statements.
- Building integrations between Marketing Cloud and third-party platforms (experience using Marketing Cloud APIs), including scenarios using REST and SOAP API.
- Marketing content: dynamic/personalized assets (emails, landing pages, CloudPages, forms) utilizing HTML, CSS, and AMPscript).
- Marketing Cloud web experience (data forms, custom preference pages).
Source: Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Developer Udemy course
Related certifications: Marketing Cloud Developer
What Marketing Cloud Architects Do:
Marketing Cloud Architects are responsible for the “big picture” solution design with multiple integrated systems and large data volumes (advising on ETL best practices). They control the data model, and release management for very large Marketing Cloud implementations.
The role is a hybrid between that of an SFMC technical consultant and business analyst. No surprise that it involves a high amount of stakeholder management, as Marketing Cloud Architects will be driving digital transformation that extends beyond marketing operations.
Becoming a Marketing Cloud Architect is not possible without many years experience, and exposure to different projects/Marketing Cloud implementations.
Marketing Cloud Career Path
Let’s see which turns you may take in your Marketing Cloud career path:
