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There’s some fear in the air. I’m sensing major mixed emotions swirling for many with the announcement of Marketing Cloud Growth Edition and the vision of marketing automation on...
ICYMI: Salesforce dropped a hot product announcement yesterday. And she’s called Marketing Cloud Growth Edition. There was a flurry of blogs and social postings following the official drop of...
I just returned from an action-packed week at Connections (Salesforce’s banner event for marketers) and I gotta say — it feels good to be back with the Ohana. It’s...
It’s official — Pardot is going to be called Marketing Cloud Account Engagement going forward. This is a big, bold change. I have a lot of respect for whoever...
Salesforce announced today that they’re changing the name “Pardot” to… drumroll… Marketing Cloud Account Engagement. Along with this rebrand, they’re changing the names of about a dozen products —...
Your Marketing Automation Platform (MAP) doesn’t exist in a vacuum. And neither do we. The Spot for Pardot is following a natural evolution we’re seeing in the marketing technology...
I think we need to do more to celebrate the work that Pardot and Marketing Operations pros do. I’ll explain why. But first, a random story.
Last week was ParDreamin’ 2020, the first Pardot specific conference ever. The event brought together 3600+ members of the Pardot community from 65 countries for 4 days of content....
Day 4 of ParDreamin’ kicked off today with a Demo Jam. Sercante’s own Celine Newsome and Mike Creuzer helped to lead us through 3-minute demos from our sponsors. The...
ParDreamin’ sessions kicked off today bringing in over 3,400 people represented across 65 countries. Over the course of the week, we will hear from 58 speakers as they share...
A virtual community event focused on all things Pardot
Pardot users were greeted this morning with a new announcement banner on their home screen when logged into Pardot: This banner linked them to a help & training article...
Have you heard the news? At long last, Pardot Sandboxes have arrived — sparking joy in the hearts of many admins. Here are 9 need-to-knows to keep in mind...
Campaign Influence reporting is a game-changer, and arguably one of the most underutilized parts of Salesforce. When leveraged effectively, it helps marketing prove the ROI of their efforts and...
A few weeks ago, my team posted an offer for a Pardot Admin Bootcamp Scholarship. The idea was that we’d offer 1-3 spots in our paid training course for...
The economic ripple effect of everyone screaming “the sky is falling” is making that a reality for many businesses. Many B2B companies are experiencing drops in sales and interruptions...
A Salesforce AE recently asked me if we had a best practices guide for migrating to Pardot from Eloqua, Hubspot, or Marketo. My team at Sercante does these frequently...
Pardot is designed to be an easy-to-use, flexible tool to power email marketing and automated communications with clicks not code. But let’s be real: code is pretty darn handy,...
I’ve always been kind of “meh” on the term account-based marketing (ABM) because it is so frequently misused. Some vendors try to use the label “ABM” to define a...
One of the newest additions to the Sercante team, Skyler Nakashima, recently wrote an awesome post on How Pardot’s New Handlebars Merge Language Improves Personalization. Spoiler alert: it’s exciting...
Right before I started Sercante, I had a little career and emotional bump in the road. At the time, it felt catastrophic. Soul crushing. In retrospect, it was a...
Inspired by the upcoming WITness Success conference, I recently posted a list of Women-Owned Salesforce Partners & ISVs. Spoiler alert: this list isn’t super long, and I’d love to...
This week is WITness Success 2019, the annual gathering of Salesforce Women in Tech. I’ve never been before, and I’m really excited to attend. My friend Mel Fellay (the...
I could not be more impressed with the Qualified team and the conversational marketing tools they are building for Pardot. The Qualified team recently invited me to discuss all...
You may want to devote time to keeping a clean mailable list in Pardot on a regular basis. Pardot has a default limit of 10,000 mailable prospects in an...
Dynamic lists in Pardot rock. They’re one of my favorite things to demo to a customer who has been working with Mailchimp or a legacy MAP that’s not connected...
The countdown to Connections is on. What is Connections, you may ask? If you’re in digital marketing, commerce, or service, this is the Salesforce event for you. This year,...
A lot has gone down the weekend — and I’m not just talking about Game of Thrones.
I love going to Salesforce events — both the ones put on by the mothership and the ones organized by the community. It’s so easy to get caught up...
If you’re a current Drift user or have been eyeing the platform, good news — Drift has an integration with Pardot. Let’s break down the key elements of the...
Dear Salesforce Admins everywhere, I realize you may not have had to work that closely with us marketers before. And that not all of us have taken the time...
The Pardot Google Analytics connector is awesomesauce. And it’s remarkably low maintenance — but there are some nuances, and it’s still one of the things I get the most...
We have more data than ever to gauge marketing performance. The Don Draper era: “I know half of my advertising is wasted, I just don’t know which half” …just...
I’m noticing a trend. People hate their marketing automation platform implementation partners. On at least a weekly basis, a prospective customer or a Salesforce AE with a red account...
As a Pardot consultant, I run into a lot of people who are stuck. They’re not getting the value they wanted out of the tool. They’re not sure what...
A question I often hear from companies considering implementing Pardot: “Should I buy Premier Support, or work with a consultant instead?” This is a false dichotomy. There are pros...
Okay, real talk time. Not all companies who implement marketing automation are met with wild success and find themselves on the stage at Dreamforce. For every one of those...
If you’re a long time reader, you know that I geek out about innovative ideas for Pardot, and from time to time advocate for an enhancement or two. This...
In the category of super random side projects, I made a coloring book. Nope, not the kind for the little humans in your life. It’s called “Why Marketing Automation...
I went into a retail store a few weeks ago. I should have known better, but I was leaving for a vacation and desperately needed to buy a swimsuit....
As B2B marketers, we spend a lot of time thinking about the buyer’s journey… maybe drawing cool looking funnels… mapping our content to different decision making phases… you know...
I’m going to make up a new buzzword. Ready? Cascading suppression lists. Bear with me — it’s a made-up term, but a super necessary thing when you’re sending multiple...
A recent post focused on pros and cons of insourcing and outsourcing Pardot work. The TL;DR of that one: there are great reasons for and against either approach. But...
There are a million reasons to not do something. But many of the ones we say out loud are… how do I put this… not real. Let’s talk about...
I’m working on a secret project. It involves crayons. Maybe some colored pencils. Very illicit stuff. Okay fine, I’ll just tell you what it is. It’s a coloring book....
Today is a momentous day for this little blog. One year ago today, I wrote and shipped my first post. Since then, I’ve posted 84 articles about the platform...
There are so many Dreamforce sessions that it is borderline overwhelming. In the best possible way. When I’m picking sessions to attend, I tend to favor sessions that involve:...
Last year, I wrote a blog about why Pardot users should care about #INBOUND17. This year, I had the opportunity to attend the Hubspot’s annual conference in person. I...
So picture this scenario: Pardot says you can’t email someone. But you want to. So how do you override what the system says so you can send your gosh...
This is a curated list of awesomeness for the Pardot diehards attending DF18. If you’re NOT attending the Superbowl of Salesforce, I apologize in advance for the crippling FOMO you...
A few months ago, I posted a confession that I Have an Email Marketing Crush on CB Insights. And now, there’s another brand that’s making my heart throb. It’s Chubbies, ladies...
Okay, real talk: the IdeaExchange needs some work. If you’re not familiar with the IdeaExchange, it’s a pretty amazing concept — users submit ideas, other users vote on...
Ariana Huffington’s open letter to Elon Musk struck a chord with me. I mean… to be fair, she wrote a book on naps, so it was a little self...
“You automated everything so well that we’re just going to let it run and leave it alone. That’s the point of marketing automation, right?” My team just wrapped up...
“How do I know if I’m emailing people too much?” …is one of the frequent concerns I hear when people are ramping up email marketing and/or launching a new...
I’ve had an opportunity to speak at several user groups and regional community events about GDPR, and the one question that always comes up is: “When is this coming...
Do I grow the skills needed to manage marketing operations in-house, or do I partner with an agency/consultant? This is a never ending debate for marketing teams and business...
The original working title of this blog was “Why Wasn’t This Documented, Abridged Edition.” “Scantily documented surprises” sounded like a nicer way of saying the saying the same thing....
Okay. I’m taking deep cleansing breaths right now over a really unfortunate discovery. I’m talking about when suppression lists meet AMPSEA. Wait, what’s AMPSEA? Some people love it. Most...
I’m attending Connections and Texas Dreamin’ this week and couldn’t be more excited. When talking about these events with other consultants and business owners, several have dismissed them saying:...
One of my favorite marketing campaigns of all time is the “Will It Blend?” series on YouTube. In case you missed it — in 2010, this company called BlendTec...
It was the best of email marketing, it was the worst of email marketing. If your inbox is anything like mine, it’s been absolutely crushed by all this GDPR...
One of the tricky and little-known-things about Pardot is how the system handles blank values. If you’ve never had a reason to, you probably haven’t thought about it. But...
It’s tempting to hold back on shipping a new piece of content or a nurturing program until it’s perfect. But guess what, dudes – it will never be perfect....
Engagement Studio is one of the best things to happen to the Pardot platform since I’ve been a customer. But it’s a bit nuanced… and without paying attention to...
GIFs are a staple of Twitter and Slack, and sometimes they convey your message JUST RIGHT in a way that no words or static image can.
Pardot and Sales Cloud. They’re made for each other. Like peanut butter and jelly, cookies and cream, whiskey and Diet Coke — both function better with the other tightly...
![Connected Salesforce + Pardot Campaigns [In Beta] and How They’re Going to Rock Our Worlds](https://thespotforpardot.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/photo-1488563191899-79b83cb52fb9-700x700.jpg)
I have never NOT been asked this question during a Pardot implementation: “Wait, I don’t get it… what’s the difference between Salesforce and Pardot campaigns?” Short story: they have...
One of my favorite Pardot AEs texted me about the Pardot user sync as soon as it was publicly announced, asking what I thought of it. I told her...
I recently had the opportunity to present to the Atlanta Pardot User Group on GDPR, CASL, CAN-SPAM and other email marketing compliance obligations (alternate presentation title: “Is the sky...
Sara McNamara and I were chatting about this question the other day: Why is there so much turnover in marketing automation roles? An optimist might conclude marketing automation managers...
It’s spring cleaning season, ladies and gentlemen. So roll your sleeves up, throw on some Cardi B, and let’s freshen up that Pardot org of yours. A Pardot org...
Marketing automation was designed to support sales and achieve efficiency in reaching prospects at scale. But the benefits don’t stop there. Nurturing can be used for many other types...
Accessibility of digital content is something that hasn’t really been on my radar before. Like, at all. Didn’t even know it was a thing. I first heard about it...
One question I frequently get asked is: “What does a typical Pardot admin (or consultant, feeelancer, et. al) make?” Now THERE’S a loaded question. The myth of the “typical”...
Last week, I had the opportunity to join the Industrial Sage Podcast to riff on marketing automation and lead gen. When I hear “podcast” I usually think audio only…...
I met someone at a Pardot event a few weeks ago who told me about a fascinating start-up. It’s called SalesTing (Sales + Marketing, get it?) and their mission...
Listicles. I hate them. Truly despise them. But then also kind of love them. If you’re not familiar with this buzzword, a listicle is an article that — you...
One unique quirk about Salesforce is that their fiscal year ends January 31. According to Benioff’s Behind the Cloud, this move was to better align with customer buying patterns...
My favorite thing about working with Salesforce and Pardot is that it’s not just about a product — it’s about being a part of a community. Pardot admins, we’re...
I love a good challenge. Especially one about how to leverage Pardot functionality to its fullest potential to level up your marketing. So when the wonderful Kevin Baldacci from the...
The last two weeks I have been sick as a dog. Like sit on conference calls in a pile of blankets on your bed and hug your actual dog...
“Hey, how are you?” “Doing good, how are you?” I think I’ve had that conversation approximately a gajillion times. My New Year’s resolution is to STOP already, and I’d...
Wondering what to get that marketing automation guru in your life? Well, unless you can bundle up some inbound leads… here are some gifts that are sure to please:...
Okay, before people start clutching their pearls, let me clarify… A/B tests are not a waste of time. But bad ones are. And there are a lot of bad...
Seriously, do it… I dare you. Public service announcement: Great marketers don’t make things pretty. They make them strategic. They make them compelling. They make them generate revenue. They...
Using Eventbrite to manage your events, and Pardot for your emails and marketing automation? The good news: they integrate! The bad news: only sorta. Let’s break it down. Setting...
“You guys, we can’t. It’s like actually illegal.” –Me, to a room full of raised eyebrows, doing my darndest to convince sales reps not to spam everyone and their...
Is it stuck in your head now? Good. I’m building a content calendar for 2018 and I want to hear YOUR burning Pardot, Salesforce, and marketing automation questions. What...
I’m going to let you in on a little secret. It’s taken me my entire career to learn this. The silver bullet to success with marketing automation is… THERE...
I get excited when working with a new client and seeing that they have BEAUTIFUL emails. But that excitement quickly withers when upon further inspection, these emails are a...
A few weeks ago, I shared a post on Pardot and GDPR compliance. Since then, a few people have asked me how this relates to CASL and if it’s...
Salesforce is good at selling Pardot. So good, in fact, that some customers that sign on really aren’t ready to make the leap. A year later when they’re re-upping...
A few weeks ago, MailChimp announced that the default for its subscriber lists will be single-opt-in. This is a reversal from its past policy to require double opt-in –...
Left to my own devices, I’m the kind of person who saves everything to her Desktop and has at least 5 Word docs titled “Notes Latest V2a” at any...
Get clarity on this, because you really are going to need it to be successful with any marketing automation platform.
My heart skipped a few beats as I looked over the list of keynotes to be streamed from Dreamforce this year… Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday [Source] Okay, but where’s...
Dreamforce has all kinds of surprises, but there is one thing that is consistent year after year: mascots. Lots of mascots. With the debut of Trailhead, the number of...
One of the things I love about the broader Salesforce community (our #Ohana) is the generous knowledge sharing that goes on. It’s incredible – in addition to their “day...
Ironic: the farther I get in my career, the less I get to do some of the things I love and get to that elusive “flow state.” (Alright maybe...
True story, this is an actual text I got from my mom recently: Um…yeah. I’m not sure what this means. It might be some sort of code for “hey...
But if you’re walking into an organization with a cobweb-encrusted subscriber list and a bunch of sales reps with their hands outstretched for leads - what do you do?
Compliance? *gag* There are few things I like thinking about less than regulations impacting email marketers. But, it’s important for our businesses to CYA and it’s good for us...
I’m seriously dying of premptive FOMO knowing that there are so many amazing things cooking for Dreamforce. Like PAW-dot? That is just too perfect. The only thing that can...
Even with an abundance of documentation, there will always be some degree of trial and error with new features. Real life is pretty much always much nuanced than your...
I’m on so many email newsletters. It’s frankly ridiculous. But somehow, I can never find it in my heart to scroll to the bottom of the message and hit...
I learned a new buzzword today: “technical debt.” I don’t know how I went so long without hearing it, because it is ALL. AROUND. ME. Technical debt is...
Not going to call out specific products here, but lately I’ve had a few folks in the Salesforce ecosystem call my attention to new market entrants with an eyeroll-inspiring...
“MVP” is a term thrown around a lot in the software and start-up world. The concept is basically “what is the bare minimum we can do to get people...
You know you’re realllllly into Salesforce when you mourn that you “have to” go to Croatia and Austria on vacation and miss Dreamforce. I’ve already warned my hubby that...
Pardot Admins are some of the most humble people I’ve worked with. “Well, we’re just doing the basics.” “We’ve probably set it up all wrong.” “We don’t know...
Last week, I had the opportunity to speak to a group of ~100 college students on a panel about finding your niche in digital marketing. After the panel members...
This is an awesome (but tricky) topic that was suggested by Ian A. It’s kind of a loaded question. You meet people all the time who are certified in one...
In the Success Community, Brittany R. reached out to me and asked if I was planning to blog about secure Pardot URLs and how this relates to the Chrome...
Okay, let me start off by saying I have massive FOMO that I’m not at #Inbound17. Honestly, I don’t even like conferences that much when I’m at them… but...
Today I joined a webinar on the Pardot Product Roadmap, and I was FLOORED by some of the amazing features that are coming down the pipeline. The Pardot team...
“The world has changed.” “The old playbook is fundamentally broken.” “The way we do business has radically transformed.” Yeah okay, these are true in some cases. But they are...
As you may have heard, Apple made a move that significantly limits the ability advertisers and companies have to place cookies on your devices. Changes are coming down the...
Exactly like it’s spelled, dammit. PAR-DOT. Every time I hear a marketing automation “expert” utter the word “Par-dough” I want to bang my head against my desk. It’s not...
Every Salesforce and Pardot geek knows that Dreamforce is when the biggest, baddest product announcements come to light. With just 6 weeks until the big event, I feel like...
If you’re early in your marketing automation journey, you’re probably gobbling up blogs and advice everywhere you can find it. One of my favorite ivory tower best practices is...
So you’re ready to add a Pardot Administrator to your team. You’ve polished up your job description, you’ve broadcasted it far and wide to your network, you’re getting resumes...
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