When it comes to CRMs, Salesforce is the Swiss Army knife of email marketing. Need to slice through marketing tasks faster than you can say “open rates”? Or maybe you’re just craving that sweet ROI? Using Salesforce for email marketing can make those dreams a reality, thanks to all the tools and features it offers to help you optimize your campaigns.
Buckle up as we dive into how Salesforce can make your campaigns smarter, easier to build, and downright slicker.
Not sure you’ve got the internal resources to run your email marketing program with a powerful tool like Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC)? Our expert team has got you covered! Contact us today and let’s get an audit going.
What’s The Deal with Salesforce Email Marketing?
SFMC isn’t just any CRM - it’s an all-in-one powerhouse for email marketing. Think of it as your trusty sidekick, making your campaigns as effective as possible. From automation to AI, Salesforce offers everything but the kitchen sink.
As a Salesforce Marketing Cloud consultant agency, we believe SFMC is one of the strongest tools out there, and we’ve been certified Salesforce experts since we were founded in 2018, so we’ve been around to witness a lot of the changes the platform has made throughout the last few years.
Many big brands trust Salesforce Marketing Cloud as their preferred digital marketing automation and analytics software. And it might just be the magic wand your company needs too, whatever the size of your business. Simply put, using Salesforce for email marketing is great for generating leads and introducing prospective clients to your brand.
Turbocharge Your Salesforce Email Marketing
Once you get the hang of it, using Salesforce for email marketing is smooth sailing. Let’s explore how you can make the most of your SFMC subscription.
Tracking – Know What’s Happening, When It’s Happening:
Salesforce Marketing Cloud’s tracking features are like having eyes everywhere, but with next-level precision. You’ll get real-time updates on how your email marketing campaigns are performing, allowing you to see every click, open, and conversion as it happens. Unlike a lot of other ESPs, SFMC offers incredibly in-depth tracking reports, so you’re always clear on the numbers for critical KPIs like conversion rates, click-through rates, and open rates. Plus, with its seamless integration into the Salesforce CRM, you can tie tracking data directly to individual customer records, giving you a complete view of customer engagement across all channels. Unlike many other ESPs, SFMC’s tracking is designed to power up personalization and optimize every campaign - so you're not just tracking data - you're tracking smarter.
A/B Testing - Test, Test, And Test Some More:
A/B testing emails is your secret weapon when it comes to increasing open and click rates. Experiment with different components of your emails to find what your audience responds to best. This can include (but certainly isn't limited to) subject lines, layouts, and CTA buttons. It’s all about hitting that sweet spot to make your emails irresistible (and high-performing). At CodeCrew, we’ve run over 25,000 individual A/B tests for our clients (and counting), compiling a wealth of “benchmark-beating” battle-tested tricks. Imagine the stratospheric awesomeness we can whip up for you with all that data experience!
Einstein AI – Let Data Do The Talking
Einstein AI tech is built into every Salesforce application, including SFMC. It’s like your own personal data whiz, constantly analyzing your marketing data and turning it into real, actionable insights. This isn’t just about numbers - using AI is really about giving you back your time and helping you make smarter decisions to make your campaigns more effective. In fact, Salesforce's Generative AI Snapshot Research Series found that 51% of marketers are already using AI, with another 22% planning to jump on board soon. That’s nearly three-quarters of marketers letting AI handle the details so they can focus on what really matters. And with 71% of marketers saying AI will help cut down on tedious tasks, it’s clear that this tech is freeing up more time for big-picture strategic work.
What Sets Einstein AI Apart?
While other AIs in ESPs might be good at one or two things (think basic personalization or A/B testing), Einstein goes all-in on the entire customer journey. From optimizing send times to recommending personalized content, it’s built to make sure every part of your campaign hits just right. Here’s a closer look at how Einstein AI is designed to take on some of that heavy lifting:
- Send Time Optimization: Einstein AI analyzes your audience’s behavior patterns to predict the best time to send each email, ensuring every message arrives when it’s most likely to be opened, boosting engagement.
- Predictive Scoring and Segmentation: Using advanced machine learning, Einstein measures each recipient’s likelihood to engage, purchase, or unsubscribe, and then creates predictive audience segments. This helps you pinpoint and focus on high-value and at-risk subscribers, maximizing the relevance and effectiveness of every email.
- Content Recommendations: With Einstein Content Selection, emails become more personal than ever. It can help customize content for each user based on their past behaviors and engagement history, driving up click-through rates with every send.
- Journey Optimization: Einstein AI identifies patterns in customer journeys, highlighting the most effective pathways and likely drop-off points. These insights can help you continually refine your customer journeys, boosting conversions and creating seamless experiences.
- Proof in Numbers: Salesforce reports that companies using Einstein AI in Marketing Cloud see an average 28% increase in customer engagement and a 31% increase in conversion rates. This is because Einstein doesn’t just provide intel, it makes recommendations that are easy to act on in order to achieve real, measurable improvements in engagement and ROI.
Einstein AI adapts, acts, and amplifies your marketing power - making sure every piece of every campaign is working its hardest, so you can always stay one step ahead.
Content Creation – Emails That Yell ‘Open This’:
Start with a catchy subject line, personalize the content to make it relevant to specific segments, and craft a concise yet appealing call-to-action (CTA). Use images and videos to boost the appeal of your emails. As a full-service email marketing agency, we’re hands-on with our campaign creation process. Every Salesforce email marketing campaign we create is crafted from scratch with your strategy, audience, and KPIs in mind.
Automation Station: Salesforce Workflows:
This is where Salesforce really shines. Automated email marketing flows is one of the first things we focus on with a new client, which tells you something about their importance (spoiler: very). Automations keep your customers and clients engaged without you having to do very much at all (after the initial build). And here’s the real advantage: when they're done right, Salesforce automations make every email feel like it was crafted just for that individual, even if they’re one of thousands in your audience.
Unlike basic autoresponders, Salesforce automations go beyond a set-it-and-forget-it model. They integrate with Salesforce CRM data, enabling you to build workflows based on complete customer profiles. This means your automations can be built to respond not just to clicks or opens, but also to actions like past purchases and support interactions, creating a deeply personalized experience.
And it gets even better. Salesforce’s real-time analytics let you adjust workflows on the fly, responding to live engagement data. Whether it’s a complex lead-nurturing sequence, a cart abandonment series, or an upsell triggered by a recent purchase, Salesforce automations deliver the right message at the perfect moment - no manual sending required.
Once your automations are up and running, it frees you up to focus on more important tasks within your business. Plus, with Salesforce’s automated email marketing prowess, every aspect of the customer journey is covered, from welcoming new subscribers to re-engaging previous customers, and everything in between.
Launch Pad: A Quick Guide to Your First Salesforce Email Marketing Campaign
Ready to dive in? Here’s a basic roadmap.
- Know Your Audience: Who are you talking to? What do they want?
- Set Up Shop: Create email lists and templates, and get your settings in order.
- Craft Your Campaign: Define your campaign goals, write compelling content, and make sure everything looks great.
- Personalize It: Add a personal touch to make your emails stand out.
- Legal Stuff: Ensure that every campaign and automation is compliant with GDPR, CASL and CAN-SPAM.
Crafting your first Salesforce email marketing campaign can be overwhelming if you’re not sure what you’re doing. Let CodeCrew, your trusted Salesforce email marketing experts, guide you through the process from start to finish.
Price Check: Is Salesforce Worth the Investment?
Salesforce Email Marketing pricing is like a choose-your-own-adventure book. Most pricing is admittedly higher than the average ESP, but you have the option of picking the exact features you need, so you won't be paying for anything you don't use. Before you buy into Salesforce Marketing Cloud, however, we do need to mention that it uses a relatively old management system, which may not work for you if you're looking for a more nimble, easy-to-use ESP. We also typically recommend newer ESPs, as they’re more cost-effective and adaptable.
As we always say, though, no two businesses are alike and this could indeed be the best fit for YOU! If this is the case, we’re happy to be your partner on this adventure - let us help you get the most out of Salesforce for email marketing.
If you’re serious about your email program but working within a limited budget, check out our Klaviyo pricing for a solid alternative. And if you're still undecided, here are some other Salesforce & Klaviyo alternatives to sink your teeth into.
The Bottom Line: Salesforce Email Marketing Rocks
Salesforce Email Marketing is your golden ticket to crafting show-stopping campaigns. With its powerful features, automation wizardry, and seamless CRM integration, you can smash your marketing goals and build lasting connections with subscribers and customers.
However, while Salesforce email marketing is a powerful tool, it’s not exactly plug-and-play compared to other ESPs out there. With that said, we've spent nearly a decade working with Salesforce Marketing Cloud and know it better than most email agencies out there today. So when we say we're your #1 Salesforce solution, we're not kidding!
Even the sharpest in-house teams can miss a beat without the right mojo. That's where Salesforce Email Marketing pros like us can swoop in. From lead nurturing to brand buzz, CodeCrew’s got your back.
So, if you’re ready to crush your goals, snag jaw-dropping ROI, and unleash Salesforce’s full potential, let’s team up. Contact our experts today, and let's rock those campaigns and KPIs!
