After completing the 100-Day Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) series, you may find yourself asking, “What’s next?” The journey to mastering Salesforce Marketing Cloud doesn’t end here—it’s just the beginning of a continuous learning process. SFMC is a robust platform with frequent updates, new features, and evolving marketing technologies, so staying current and deepening your expertise is essential.
This article will help you design a learning path to guide your growth beyond the series. Whether your goal is to achieve certification, dive deeper into advanced features like Journey Builder or AMPscript, or simply keep your skills sharp, a well-structured learning plan will keep you on track.
Let’s take a detailed look at how you can continue your Salesforce Marketing Cloud journey after completing this 100-day series. #SalesforcewithSumit
Reflect on the Series
Before diving into your next steps, it’s essential to reflect on the knowledge and skills you’ve gained over the course of this series. You’ve covered everything from Day 1: Understanding CRM and the Rise of Salesforce to Day 90: Best Practices for Keeping Data Clean in SFMC. Now is the time to assess your strengths, areas for improvement, and topics that interest you the most.
Think about the subjects you were most engaged with. Was it learning how to build email campaigns, diving into data management, or personalizing customer journeys? Were there areas where you felt you could use more practice, like setting up advanced automations or exploring the capabilities of Einstein AI?
Taking this time to reflect will help you prioritize your learning goals and determine where you should focus next. You might also revisit certain articles from the series to refresh your understanding. For example, if you found Journey Builder complex, it might be worth re-reading Day 30: Introduction to Journey Builder and Day 37: Advanced Journeys: Multi-Step and Cross-Channel.
Building Your Learning Path
When planning your next steps, it’s important to think long-term and set specific goals. Your learning path could focus on:
Mastering core concepts: Solidifying your foundational knowledge.
Specializing: Diving deep into a particular area of SFMC, such as AMPscript or personalization.
Pursuing certification: Working towards Salesforce Marketing Cloud certifications like the Email Specialist or Marketing Cloud Consultant.
Let’s explore each of these possibilities.
1. Strengthening Core Knowledge
If you feel you still need to cement your understanding of core SFMC concepts, now is the perfect time to revisit fundamental areas. These might include data extensions, email studio, or audience segmentation.
Data Management
Data management is the backbone of effective marketing campaigns, and Salesforce Marketing Cloud offers powerful tools to help marketers organize, segment, and utilize their data effectively. From Day 16: Introduction to Data Management in SFMC to Day 29: Advanced Data Management in SFMC, you learned how to work with data extensions, filters, and SQL queries.
Now, it’s time to put that knowledge into practice. Try creating complex filters or building your own data queries from scratch. Practice working with data extensions in different campaign scenarios. Keep experimenting with segmentation strategies to ensure that you fully understand how to organize and optimize customer data for future campaigns.
Email Studio
Email marketing is a foundational feature of SFMC, and mastering Email Studio is essential for executing effective campaigns. You covered this in depth from Day 12: Overview of SFMC Email Studio to Day 14: Creating and Managing Emails in SFMC.
Consider revisiting your email-building skills by creating campaigns from scratch, focusing on personalization and dynamic content. You can dive deeper into A/B testing, which we discussed in Day 15: How to Test Emails Effectively in SFMC, to refine your strategies and test different versions of your emails to see what resonates with your audience.
Journey Builder
One of the most powerful features in SFMC is Journey Builder, which allows you to map out personalized customer experiences across channels. From Day 30: Introduction to Journey Builder to Day 43: Journey Builder Use Cases, you’ve explored a variety of use cases, triggers, and optimization tactics.
To solidify your knowledge, build additional customer journeys on your own. Try integrating real-time event triggers, a topic covered in Day 40: Real-Time Event Triggers in SFMC Journeys, and experiment with multi-step journeys that engage customers at various touchpoints.
2. Specializing in a Niche Area
While it’s important to have a solid understanding of all aspects of SFMC, specializing in a particular area can make you stand out. Salesforce Marketing Cloud is a vast platform, and focusing on a specific niche like AMPscript, Journey Builder, or Einstein AI can help you become an expert in a key area.
AMPscript
AMPscript is a powerful scripting language within SFMC that allows you to create highly personalized content in emails, landing pages, and SMS. From Day 72: Introduction to AMPscript for Advanced Personalization to Day 76: Advanced AMPscript Techniques, we covered the basics of this tool, but there’s always more to learn.
Dive deeper into AMPscript by experimenting with complex scripts, creating dynamic content, and using advanced personalization techniques. Try incorporating AMPscript with data extensions, which we discussed in Day 75: Using AMPscript with Data Extensions, to pull in customer-specific information dynamically. This will allow you to create emails that are not only personalized, but also responsive to customer data in real-time.
Journey Builder Optimization
If Journey Builder caught your interest, you might want to specialize in creating and optimizing journeys for maximum customer engagement. We’ve already explored real-time event-driven journeys and multi-channel journeys, but you can go deeper by integrating Sales Cloud or Service Cloud into your journeys, which we discussed in Day 39: Integrating Journey Builder with Sales Cloud/Service Cloud.
You can also focus on advanced optimization techniques. In Day 41: Best Practices for Journey Optimization, we touched on A/B testing for journeys, and Day 35: Testing and Optimizing Journeys provided a roadmap for improving performance. Spend time analyzing key metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates, then apply your findings to optimize each stage of the journey.
Einstein AI
Einstein AI is another powerful tool within Salesforce Marketing Cloud that provides predictive insights and recommendations to help you personalize your marketing efforts at scale. From Day 51: Using Einstein AI in SFMC for Predictive Insights to Day 69: Using Einstein Copy Insights for Better Email Content, we’ve explored its potential.
To specialize in Einstein AI, start by experimenting with Einstein Engagement Scoring and Einstein Recommendations. Dive into Einstein Send Time Optimization, which was covered in Day 62: Setting Up Predictive Send Times with Einstein, and learn how AI can help you improve the timing and relevance of your campaigns.
3. Preparing for Certification
Salesforce Marketing Cloud offers several certification options that validate your expertise and can advance your career. In Day 95: SFMC Certifications – What Are They and How to Get Certified, we discussed the various certifications available, such as the Marketing Cloud Email Specialist, Marketing Cloud Consultant, and Marketing Cloud Developer.
Choosing the Right Certification
The certification you pursue will depend on your current role and career goals. If you work primarily in email marketing, the Marketing Cloud Email Specialist certification will likely be your focus. However, if you’re more interested in campaign management and strategy, the Marketing Cloud Consultant certification could be a better fit.
Creating a Study Plan
A successful study plan involves a mix of hands-on practice, studying the exam guide, and completing Trailhead modules. Trailhead offers free learning paths tailored to each certification, and you can supplement this with resources like Focus on Force for practice exams and study guides.
If you’re preparing for the Marketing Cloud Consultant exam, you’ll need a deep understanding of Journey Builder, Automation Studio, and Audience Segmentation. Revisit topics like Day 43: Journey Builder Use Cases and Day 28: Use Cases for Automation Studio to ensure you understand how these tools are applied in real-world scenarios.
4. Staying Updated with New Features
Salesforce Marketing Cloud is constantly evolving, with new features and updates being rolled out regularly. Staying informed is critical to maintaining your expertise. In Day 94: How to Stay Updated with SFMC Features and Updates, we discussed several ways to keep your skills current.
Salesforce Release Notes
Salesforce releases updates three times a year. Make it a habit to read the release notes and learn how new features can benefit your campaigns. For example, a new Journey Builder feature or an enhancement to Einstein AI could improve the way you manage customer interactions.
Trailhead
Salesforce’s Trailhead platform offers courses and challenges that allow you to stay up-to-date with new features. Regularly check Trailhead for new modules related to SFMC, and complete them to enhance your knowledge.
Salesforce Events
Events like Dreamforce and the Salesforce World Tour offer insights into the latest trends and innovations in Salesforce Marketing Cloud. Attending these events, either virtually or in person, is a great way to stay ahead of the curve and learn from other professionals.
Conclusion
The end of this 100-Day Salesforce Marketing Cloud series is just the beginning of your learning journey. Whether you choose to revisit core topics, specialize in a niche area, or work towards certification, it’s important to approach your learning with curiosity and commitment.
Remember, the key to mastering SFMC is continuous practice, staying updated with new features, and setting clear, attainable goals. By crafting a well-thought-out learning path, you can deepen your expertise, increase your value as a marketer, and unlock new career opportunities in the Salesforce ecosystem.
Stay curious, keep practicing, and continue exploring the limitless possibilities of Salesforce Marketing Cloud.
#SalesforcewithSumit