Marketing Cloud Connect allows Salesforce users to leverage the advanced marketing power of Marketing Cloud and the customer relationship tools in Sales and Service Cloud by linking the clouds together. By providing key integration points between these platforms, Marketing Cloud Connect paves the way for stronger customer relationships. In this article, we'll look at some of the key benefits and considerations when using Marketing Cloud Connect.

Key Benefits

Synchronized Data

First, and most immediately useful, Marketing Cloud Connect allows Marketing Cloud users access to near real-time data from Sales or Service Cloud. With synchronized data extensions, users don't have to manually export data from Sales or Service Cloud into Marketing Cloud in order to send to those contacts.

Send Marketing Cloud Emails from Sales and Service Cloud

Marketing Cloud Connect also allows users to send Marketing Cloud emails and text messages directly from Sales or Service Cloud. This allows Sales and Service Cloud users to send on-brand, personalized emails with data in Sales or Service Cloud.

View Tracking Information in Sales and Service Cloud

It also allows Sales or Service Cloud users to view the near real-time tracking and engagement information on those sends.

Engage Contacts in Marketing Cloud Journeys

Marketing Cloud Connect allows users to automatically add Sales and Service Cloud contacts into a Marketing Cloud Journey.

Considerations with Marketing Cloud Connect

Subscriber Key Migration

Marketing Cloud Connect requires that a subscriber use their Sales Cloud Contact or Lead ID as their Subscriber Key in Marketing Cloud. If a contact is already in Marketing Cloud with the subscriber key as their email address, you will end up with duplicate subscribers. There are multiple solutions to address this problem. We will discuss one solution - automatically removing duplicates in Marketing Cloud - in more detail in part two of this series.

Syncing Additional Data Back to Sales and Service Cloud

Marketing Cloud Connect excels at getting data from Sales and Service Cloud into Marketing Cloud, but is more limited in what it automatically syncs back. In part three of this series, we will show you how to use Ampscript and SSJS in an Automation to sync additional data back to Sales and Service Cloud.

View Full-Resolution of a Sent Email in Sales and Service Cloud

Marketing Cloud Connect allows Sales and Service Cloud to display a thumbnail of emails sent to a Lead or Contact. In some cases, these may be too small to show users any useful detail. In the final article of this series, we'll cover how to set up an in-line Visualforce page to display a full-resolution Marketing Cloud email in Sales and Service Cloud.

Conclusion

Marketing Cloud Connect allows administrators to connect their clouds with clicks not code. What users end up with is a stronger platform that helps organizations innovate faster and connect more deeply with their customers. Contact DB Services if you would like help implementing and extending Marketing Cloud Connect to fit your organization's needs.