Marketing automation is a crucial step in today's fast-paced digital marketing world. It is a necessity for targeted campaigns so that the best leads can be forwarded to the sales team for better ROI and maximum revenue generation. Nothing does it better than Pardot.
Pardot customers have recently seen a 25% reduction in Sales Cycles, a 40% increase in marketing productivity and email subscribers, and a whopping 63% increase in website leads!
Also Read: Salesforce Pardot vs Hubspot for Marketing Automation
You have already taken the first steps towards Marketing Automation Success by choosing Pardot. Here's what you should plan for in a Pardot implementation:
A Pardot implementation is a collaborative project. It would be best if you had inputs from the Sales, Marketing, Product, and Operations team to implement it the right way. Pardot is excellent with documentation and support, so hopefully you have already received some guidance from the Solutions team and your account manager. Since the main intention is to pass more qualified leads to the Sales team, make sure that they are aware of this new and improved marketing process that you would be rolling out.
Every implementation begins with the Technical setup of Pardot. For that, you would need help from your Webmaster and IT admin team. They will be responsible for implementing the tracking code on your website, creation of the vanity tracker domain, and implementing email authentication.
If you intend to integrate your CRM system with your Pardot marketing automation system, it is integral to work with your CRM admin to do so. If you use Salesforce, the implementation gets a lot easier. You would need the admin's help to set up the Pardot app on Salesforce, map Lead and contact fields, add necessary fields and buttons to show Pardot data in Salesforce and assign permissions to the right people who need to view the data. If you are using a CRM other than Salesforce, explore other integration options with your admin before implementing it. You will have multiple options to choose from, like custom coding or an integration platform like Zapier.
Tip: If you do not have a dedicated Salesforce admin that can help out, this is the step where most implementations face glitches. Seek help from an integration consultant like AppShark, who can make sure that your Pardot and Salesforce instances are in perfect sync!
Pardot offers a myriad of features. Please do not get overwhelmed by them. If you are migrating from one system to another and are in a time crunch, make sure you have a backup of everything that you intend to import or replicate in Pardot. If there are email campaigns that you need to schedule or send right away, make sure you prioritize and get them set up right away.
Having an implementation road plan is always a great idea. Defining steps according to the priority of your Sales and Marketing team is an essential part of a smooth implementation.
Get all your team members together to gather case studies, images, guides, content files, etc., that you want to have in Pardot. If you haven't already been doing it, this might be a good time to arrange them by Folder so that you can replicate the same system within Pardot to keep them organized. Hosting files within Pardot is essential without which, you can’t take advantage of tracking and campaign reporting available within Pardot and Salesforce.
Do the same with your database too. Organize lists and keep them ready. Pardot only counts mailable prospects towards the database limit, so if you wish, you could also bring over your opted out prospects to store them within Pardot. If any of them ever fill out a form and re-engage, they can easily opt themselves back in, or you could do it yourself.
Pardot has a list of connectors that you can integrate very easily with your account. From CRM connectors like Salesforce to Event connectors like EventBrite, you can set up many integrations by merely entering your login information and making minor changes within the system. Even if your connector is not listed, Pardot does have an API that can help in connecting with a lot of third party applications so that you never have to compromise on anything.
Testing is key. Let your Sales team check if they are receiving the assignment notifications and the correct prospect information synced from Pardot. The Marketing team needs to ensure that the website is being tracked accurately, and the sequence of steps in the Engagement Programs are correct. While the operations team confirms that the product onboarding email campaign is sending emails in correct intervals, you can now be sure that you are almost there with your implementation!
You have finally reached the last stage of your implementation. Now that you are confident that your Pardot account has been set up properly and is functioning just the way you want it to, it's finally time for the last stage of your puzzle: your prospects.
Remember when we asked you to organize your database? Separate them into lists and keep them ready? This is your time to finally import them into Pardot, map fields and add them to the corresponding lists in Pardot. With your prospects now in Pardot, you are all set to launch your first email campaign and be amazed by the results!
If you’re looking to get setup efficiently and without any hitches, hiring Implementation Salesforce Consultants like AppShark for your Pardot implementation is always a good idea. We have partnered with Salesforce for 11 years now, and our team has successfully implemented Pardot for various organizations from different industries. Our implementation consultants are not only technically proficient, but they are marketing experts too. They are your perfect advisors who can align your marketing strategy with automation needs so that you can meet your Marketing KPI's. They have a thorough understanding of Pardot, coupled with an understanding of today's market and how you can stand out in today's competitive world.
Schedule a 1 hr free Pardot Session with us here! At AppShark, our Salesforce Implementation team can also aid with Mailchimp Salesforce Integration and other platform integrations. Set up a consultation with our team to learn more about how we can help your business get the most out of Salesforce.