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  • Automations, Industry News, New Features, Release Notes

Salesforce Automation Game-Changer: Einstein GPT and Data Cloud Capabilities for Flow

In a move that extends beyond the chatbots used to formulate interview questions or write email subject lines, Salesforce is expanding automation capabilities by integrating Einstein GPT and Data Cloud with Salesforce Flow.

So, what does the announcement from Salesforce mean for marketers? 

Bringing Einstein GPT and Data Cloud capabilities into Salesforce Flow means marketers can use the automations to create impressive real-time experiences for customers. And they’ll accomplish that using clicks rather than coding skills.

It’s something that will make the tools easily scalable for Salesforce customers at every growth stage.

How and when can Salesforce customers access it?

The announcement actually involves two initiatives Salesforce is launching. The first is a tighter integration between Salesforce Data Cloud and Flow. And the second is the integration of Einstein GPT and Flow. 

According to John Kucera, senior vice president of product management at Salesforce, customers can use Flow currently with Salesforce database data. The integration updates between Data Cloud and Salesforce Flow are opening up the possibilities, and incorporating Einstein GPT is adding an efficiency edge to the technology. 

Kucera said the Einstein GPT capabilities will be available on an early adopter basis in early fall as part of the Salesforce Winter ‘24 release. He went on to say that the Data Cloud integration will probably be offered as part of a standard Salesforce subscription, and Einstein GPT for Flow may carry an additional charge once those details are worked out.

Einstein GPT and Data Cloud Capabilities

Salesforce introduced Einstein GPT in March 2023 as the world’s first generative AI CRM technology, which infuses proprietary Salesforce AI models with generative AI models from OpenAI and other large AI models. And Data Cloud takes customer data from any source inside or outside the Salesforce platform and harmonizes it in real time.

So what in the world does that mean for marketers?

That means marketers can use information from Data Cloud to generate content and build workflows via Einstein GPT. Since Data Cloud reacts to data changes in real time,  marketers can serve content that adapts dynamically and creates personalized experiences every time.

For example, a marketer could use Einstein GPT to generate an email with dynamic content blocks that update in real time when a Data Cloud field updates based on customer activity.

John Kucera said to SiliconANGLE, “You can give it a prompt such as ‘I want to create a guided workflow for a new customer or create a rule to follow up with an email to customers who haven’t responded in five days.”

Infusing Einstein GPT and Data Cloud with Salesforce Flow

The new integrations are going to turn things up a notch for marketers. Here’s what happens when we incorporate Salesforce Flow into the Einstein GPT and Data Cloud mix. 

What is Salesforce Flow?

Salesforce Flow is a declarative automation tool. It allows you to create complex automations inside the platform using clicks rather than code, so users can get in there without the need for developer skills.  

Marketers use Salesforce Flow for things like managing campaign activations, automating customer onboarding steps, or creating a custom task series for sales teams. 

How can marketers use Salesforce Flow with Einstein GPT and Data Cloud?

Using the Einstein GPT and Data Cloud integration alongside Salesforce Flow is changing the game for marketers who use the platform. That’s because marketers will be able to use conversational chatbots to automate complex workflows and trigger actions in real time.

Users and admins can describe the type of flow they want to build, and then they’ll sit back and watch the chatbot complete the tasks. Or, it can be used to build formulas or search for functions. It removes much of the manual and tedious work that goes into creating complex flows and automations.

Source: Salesforce

For example, a field in Marketing Cloud Engagement detects that a customer added items to their shopping cart, but they left the page without completing the purchase. That triggers an immediate email notification, created via generative AI, that goes to the customer and offers a discount code for them to complete the purchase.

In summary, the three benefits to marketers include: 

  • Reduced flow build time
  • Access to more options to automate with flow
  • Improved real-time personalization for customer interactions  

Get ready for generative AI inside your Salesforce org

We’re on the edge of our seats with anticipation for combining Einstein GPT with Salesforce Flow and Data Cloud capabilities. 

These technologies make us feel like we have a front row to the future of CRM and marketing automation. So, in the meantime, we’ll be thinking about all the ways we can use conversational AI to do all the things us busy marketers do. 

Have any aha use cases you’d like to share? How do you think Einstein GPT, Data Cloud, and Flow are going to work together in your org? Let us know in the comments! 

You can also drop us a line if you’re wondering how you can incorporate these tools into your marketing operations strategy.

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  • Career Development, Community, Community Spotlight, Industry News, To export

Congrats to The Salesforce MVP Class of 2023

Like many big software companies, Salesforce has an honor they bestow to most influential supporters. They call this the Salesforce MVP program. The Trailblazer Community team recently announced the 2023 Salesforce MVP program inductees, and we were thrilled to see many of our favorite marketing voices on the list.

Marketers don’t always get the recognition they deserve, which is why we’re on a mission to showcase all of the amazing things marketers do. We’re especially excited to highlight the people who are shining the limelight on Salesforce marketing tools for a change.

Background of the program

If you haven’t already noticed, there’s a whole lot to learn about using marketing automation and CRM tools. Salesforce does everything they can to make resources available to customers so the tools are easier to use and customize, but everyone learns in their own way. 

Sometimes we need real people who have been working closely with these tools to teach us what’s possible with them. (You know, like, other customers and people with an outsider’s perspective)

That’s where the Salesforce MVP program comes in. These are all people who share what they know about the platform and personally connect with others who are still learning. 

According to the Salesforce MVP Code of Conduct, MVPs are “lifelong learners who go above and beyond to share their expertise and help the entire community succeed… [and] leaders in the Trailblazer Community who encourage each other, celebrate others’ successes, work collaboratively to make our community and the world a better place, and have a lot of fun along the way!”

Here’s the MVP Hall of Fame and Member Directory, which goes into complete detail about the program.

How Salesforce MVPs are Selected

Wondering how people get a spot in the program? Here’s how the process works:

  1. Salesforce opens nominations for MVPs around November each year.
  2. Community members either self nominate or can share stories to nominate others.
    • Current MVPs do not need to take action, they are automatically reviewed for renewal.
  3. The Trailblazer Community team completes the first round of nomination reviews. 
  4. Then, the nominations go through a second round of reviews from a team of Salesforce employees who are active in the Trailblazer Community
  5. After that, current Salesforce MVPs provide feedback to new nominations and nomination renewals. 
  6. The Trailblazer Community team completes a final review before the Salesforce leadership team makes final calls and approvals.

The 2023 Salesforce MVP Class

Congratulations to everyone who was selected to join the 2023 Salesforce MVP Class! 

MVP NameMVP Name
Aaron CrosmanMichael A. Grandel
Andy Engin UtkanMihoko Yamashita
Ankit TanejaOleh Mykytyn
Asterisk LoftisPatricio Sapir
Ben LaMothePhaneendra Arigachetta
Gian Piere Vallejos BardalesRachel Park Brayboy
Johann FurmannSamantha Shain
Kannan NarayananSkye Tyler
Kristi BrownSwati Taunk
Kristin HubbardThomas Theunen
Lilith Van BiesenVicki Moritz-Henry
Maham HassanWarren Walters

Marketers Who Made the New 2023 Salesforce MVP List

We were thrilled to see two people we know from the Salesforce marketing community who made the list. Special congratulations to Ben Lamothe and Vicki Moritz-Henry and thanks for all the work you do for the community!

In fact, we know these two MVPs thanks to their work with the MarDreamin’ conference. Both have presented at MarDreamin’ in past years and have contributed in other ways. 

Our team reached out to them to get their thoughts on their new Salesforce MVP honors. Here’s what they had to say:

Ben Lamothe

“Being selected as a Salesforce MVP is an honor and is truly humbling. Giving back to the Salesforce and Account Engagement (Pardot) Trailblazer community that has changed my life and given me so much, is so important to me.”

Vicki Moritz-Henry

“When I transitioned careers into Salesforce, I was astounded by how supportive the community was. There were so many people who encouraged, mentored and taught me over the years. I honestly wouldn’t be where I am now if it wasn’t for them. My motivation is to spread that impact and be that same person for others.”

Andrea Tarrell Added to the Salesforce MVP Hall of Fame

Last but most certainly not least, we wanna send a huge congratulations to the person who started this whole blog (and Sercante) in the first place. Andrea Tarrell has been an influential voice in the Salesforce community for close to a decade, and she’s served as a Salesforce MVP enough years for Salesforce to add her to the MVP Hall of Fame in 2023.

Launching The Spot for Pardot blog is only a small fraction of everything Andrea has contributed to Salesforce Trailblazer Community through the years. She’s spoken at countless events including Dreamforce, Connections, Dreamin’ conferences and user group meetings. Andrea even launched the first virtual conference for marketers on Salesforce in 2020 — MarDreamin’ (formerly ParDreamin’).

Keep being helpful and the rest will fall into place

The Trailblazer Community team received over 2,400 MVP nominations in 2023, so of course some people were disappointed to learn they weren’t among the 24 new MVPs who were selected. The most important takeaway though is to keep going! While the MVP program brings inherent benefits along with it (i.e. free entry to conferences, getting asked to participate in high-profile marketing content), the true benefit is that helping others helps you, too.

When the community grows, we all grow together. And there’s room for us all to be successful in the community. So, keep sharing what you know. Start a Salesforce blog (or you can write for this one!). Apply to speak at community events. Volunteer with a Salesforce mentorship program, like Merivis, for instance.

The possibilities to give back are endless. Tell us how giving back to the tech community has enriched your life in the comments section.

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  • Industry News, New Features

New Product Alert: Nonprofit Cloud and Education Cloud

Guess what? Big changes are coming to two Salesforce industry clouds. Salesforce is launching massive revamps this spring to target users working in the nonprofit and education sectors. The new Nonprofit Cloud and Education Cloud are a reimagining of the data model for these industries. 

What’s even better is that they are now inclusive of tools and features that you won’t find in the existing managed packages for those products.

Wait, didn’t Salesforce already offer Nonprofit Cloud and Education Cloud?

You may have seen mentions of these products before, but here’s how they’re different now. 

In the past, Nonprofit Cloud and Education Cloud were a set of solutions Salesforce packaged under an umbrella with those names. Or, many nonprofits relied on the managed package Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP) in combination with Sales Cloud. Additional managed packages and services were stacked to build custom and highly individual solutions. 

For example, a university marketing department may have used Marketing Cloud Account Engagement (Pardot) while other divisions on campus are using Sales Cloud and third-party CRM for student admissions.

While the new offerings do not include customized marketing solutions like Pardot and Marketing Cloud, they do offer a single license solution that can take the place of Sales Cloud and third-party tools. 

Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud

The new Nonprofit Cloud takes the learnings from this industry and creates a single, unified product that is truly tailored to nonprofit needs. Get the full scoop from the Salesforce Spring ’23 Release Notes.

Say hello to a new product based on your feedback, and that is all about YOU, not adapting an existing product to fit. 

Salesforce Education Cloud

Education is also stepping into the spotlight at long last. You can take a closer look in the Salesforce Spring ’23 Release Notes.

To replace Salesforce Education Data Architecture (EDA) + Sales Cloud, the all new Education Cloud rolls out a single product for student recruitment and admissions.

Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud and Education Cloud Launch Dates & Product Details

So, when can you get your hands on the all-new Nonprofit Cloud and Education Cloud offerings? 

Today! New clients can evaluate these new products starting March 14, 2023.

Read more about the new Nonprofit Cloud and pricing here.

Who should consider Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud?

Here are questions you can ask yourself if you’re considering a move to the new Nonprofit Cloud:

  • Are you looking for a unified approach to program and case management that leverages the newest industry cloud tools like the Actionable Relationship Center? 
  • Is your team at a good place to go through a new implementation? 

Who should consider Salesforce Education Cloud?

You can ask yourself these questions if you’re thinking about moving to the new Education Cloud:

  • Are you looking for a unified solution to recruitment and admissions that leverages the newest industry cloud tools? 
  • Do you have the resources to complete a new implementation? 

Help! What if I already have NPSP or EDA as part of my solution?

Sit back, relax and enjoy new product demos (only if it doesn’t stress you out). Hopefully the demos will get you thinking about the possibilities the new offerings can bring.

Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP), Education Data Architecture (EDA), and other existing products that currently support these industries will continue to be supported with no sunset on the horizon. 

Wait a minute — something’s missing here! 

More features will continue to be added to the impressive roster for Nonprofit and Education Clouds. 

For Nonprofit Cloud, you can expect to see fundraising, outcomes and engagement coming soon. And for Education Cloud, next up is Student Success. 

Learn more at the upcoming Salesforce.org Education Summit.

Get help figuring out your next steps

So, we may know where you can get help understanding these tools and how they fit into your team’s overall marketing and operational strategy. 

Whether you’re already using a set of Salesforce solutions and products or thinking about implementing one of the new ones, you can reach out to team Sercante for help understanding what’s best for your long-term vision.

Are you already using NPSP or other Salesforce solutions at a nonprofit or school? Tell us about your experiences with the tools in the comments!

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  • Community, Community Spotlight, Industry News

The Spot & Jenna Molby: An Iconic Duo

You thought putting tea and honey together was good? Well, we’re pleased to announce Jenna Molby’s whole library of Salesforce blog posts and tools now live on The Spot with insights from 50+ marketing pros.

The same way André 3000 pairs perfectly with Big Boi, or Brie with Champagne, Jenna Molby and The Spot are the Yin to each other’s Yang.

This is gonna be super helpful next time you’re trying to create a fancy landing page. Or finally earn the certification you’ve been eyeing. With one place to go for all the guidance you’re looking for, the sky’s the limit to what you can do.

Jenna Molby and The Spot are together at last

So what exactly does this partnership mean? Here’s what to expect:

New guest author on The Spot

Jenna Molby now has a HUGE bubble on The Spot. Seriously — her spot is almost the size of our OG blogger, Andrea Tarrell. Go see for yourself here! 

Like Elsa and Anna, Jenna Molby and The Spot are the perfect compliment to one another. Don’t just take our word for it though. Jenna explains it all in this video.

You’ll find all of Jenna Molby’s Salesforce blog posts on The Spot from now on. You’ll also get redirected to The Spot when Salesforce posts on Jenna’s website come up in search results.

The reason all of my Salesforce content is moving to The Spot is that Andrea and her team at Sercante have always been great at supporting not only me, but the greater ecosystem. – Jenna Molby

Top 5 blog posts in the collection

Wondering what’s included in the collection that’s moving to The Spot? Here are the top 5 blog posts from jennamolby.com, which are all posts that now live on The Spot website. 

1. Ultimate Guide to Capturing UTM Parameters in Pardot

UTM parameters are tags you add to a URL. Use this guide when you’re ready to implement them to use in Pardot.

Read Blog Post

2. How to Use Pardot Form Handlers

Pardot form handlers allow you to use forms to post your data to Pardot. We’ll give you the lowdown on how they work and when to use them.

Read Blog Post

3. Salesforce Pardot Specialist Certification Practice Exam

Ace your Salesforce Certified Pardot Specialist exam by using this practice exam to test your Pardot knowledge

Read Blog Post

4. 6 Ways to Use JavaScript to Enhance Your Pardot Forms

Want to do something with your Pardot form that is not available in the editor? Try using JavaScript! Here’s a guide to get you started.

Read Blog Post

5. MQL Reporting in Salesforce: Tips, Tricks and Examples

In this post, we’ll share example MQL reports and some tips and tricks for creating reports in Salesforce.

Read Blog Post

All the tools in one place

Anyone who knows Jenna Molby’s name already has her tools bookmarked in their browsers. Now, you’ll find things like her calendar link, form style, and landing page style generators living in harmony with freebies from Sercante Labs.

You can find all of the free tools on this page.

Here’s a sampling:

Google Calendar Link Generator

Use this Google Calendar Link Generator to create calendar links that can be used on your web pages, landing pages and emails.

Try it Now

ICS Link Generator for Microsoft Outlook & Apple iCalendar

Use this ICS Link Generator to create calendar files that are compatible with Microsoft Outlook & Apple iCalendar.

Try it Now

Bulletproof Pardot Email Button Generator

Create beautiful buttons for your Pardot emails. Simply select your button style to generate HTML for a Pardot email or landing page template.

Try it Now

Pardot Form Style Generator

Use this tool to customize your Pardot forms in four easy steps.

Try it Now

2 Free Pardot Landing Page Templates For Events

Create beautiful responsive landing pages in Pardot by using one of these two free landing templates specifically built for use in event marketing campaigns.

Try it Now

Jenna claimed her spot — and so can you

No matter your goals, you can claim a spot among the community. Whether you’re here for guidance through new features, ongoing solutioning help, or resume-building criteria, The Spot has you covered. 

Here are resources you can use that go beyond blog posts and free tools. Now, get in there and do all the ingenious marketing automation things you know are possible. And let us know when you need support that goes beyond what these resources can do.

Become a guest blogger

We’re looking for passionate marketing technology bloggers to share their knowledge and experiences with others in the community.  Visit this page to learn more about contributing to The Spot.

Join the Pardashian community

The Pardashians Slack is a community where Marketing Cloud Account Engagement (formerly Pardot) and Marketing Cloud users can grow their skills together. Click here and complete the application to join.

Watch MarDreamin’ replays

Get ready for a 3-day virtual conference focused on all things marketing on the Salesforce platform. You can access session replays here and learn at your own pace.

Find or post a job

The Spot for Pardot Jobs is a place to find your next gig or team member when you use Salesforce marketing tools. 

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  • Community, Events, Industry News

6 Memorable Marketing Moments from Dreamforce 2022

Salesforce gave lots of love to marketers at Dreamforce 2022. From the unveiling of a real-life Brandy to the massive Marketing Lodge with daily events, marketers had lots to do at the conference.

There was so much going on at Dreamforce, in fact, that you may feel like you missed something important. And that’s totally okay. We’ve got you covered.

Six memorable Dreamforce 2022 moments for marketers

Here’s your snapshot of all the important marketing things that happened at Dreamforce 2022. This is what you REALLY need to know about Dreamforce as a marketer so you can put the FOMO to rest.

Moment 1. Salesforce Genie Announcement

Genie is a powerful tool that takes all your data from multiple sources and allows you to organize it and leverage it real time across multiple clouds, apps, and automations in Salesforce. 

This product announcement is essentially a Salesforce Customer Data Platform (CDP) rebrand with added functionality.

Learn more about the announcement here.

Image credit: Salesforce

Moment 2. Salesforce and WhatsApp Integration

Marketers will be able to leverage the power of WhatsApp to create and send customized messaging and offers with their brand customers through customized experiences. 

This integration is compatible with Journey Builder within Marketing Cloud and slated to be available by the end of the year.

Get all the partnership details here.

Image Credit: Salesforce

Moment 3. Marketing Keynote: Deliver Moments That Count

This marketing keynote session took us through many of the changes that are happening on the marketing front for Salesforce users. It served as a deep-dive into the Salesforce Genie and WhatsApp partnership announcements. 

Two special moments the team at Sercante had a close eye on include:

  • Our client, Grammarly, shared how they use the power of the Salesforce platform to hyper-personalize their customer journey (Start at 27 minutes).
  • Our friend, Shibu Abraham, Marketing Cloud User Group Leader in Malaysia, received the famous Salesforce Golden Hoodie during the Marketing Keynote for his contributions to the greater Salesforce community (Start at 39 minutes).

Watch the full marketing keynote replay here.

Moment 4. Slack Canvas For Marketing Announcement 

Teams across your organization can take advantage of Slack Canvas to create “canvases” where you can share assets, access important information and collaborate real time via video. From there, you can integrate with other apps found in the Slack marketplace to create automations to increase productivity and trigger additional actions. 

Your team can leverage your Salesforce data in multiple ways as you discuss your next campaign straight from Slack.

Get all the details about the Slack Canvas announcement here.

Moment 5. Marketing Cloud Innovation and Roadmap: Wow Every Customer

This keynote continues to hammer away at how Genie can supercharge your Marketing Strategy regardless of what Salesforce Marketing solution you prefer: Marketing Cloud Engagement or Account Engagement (Pardot). 

One of the key things around these workshops is the different applications of Genie and how it can collaborate with Einstein to help specific teams using the Salesforce platform get the most from their data. Additionally, several of the Einstein use cases traditionally used within Marketing Cloud Engagement have begun to make their way into Account Engagement.

Watch the full roadmap replay here.

Moment 6. Creating a Home for Marketers at Dreamforce

You probably saw us at Dreamforce (or at the Home for Marketers) and wondered what is Sercante?

Or maybe you saw pink elephant footprints on the sidewalks and wondered what that was all about.

Well, that was us! 

Elephant footprints led marketers to their home for the week

What was the Home for Marketers at Dreamforce?

Team Sercante hosted a space for marketers (and allies) to hang out, grab a drink, and escape the hecticness of Dreamforce. And our friends from DESelect, Stensul, and Appinium came along for the ride!

The Home for Marketers took place at The Pink Elephant Alibi on Minna Street. We had many repeat visitors and many one-time friends stop by, effectively connecting with over 2,000 marketers and Salesforce Users! 

View the photo gallery and look for your friends here. 

Night of Enchantment: A Dreamforce Party for the Ages

Thank you to everyone who partied with us at the Night of Enchantment party at Dreamforce!

You experienced limitless magical elixirs from the enchanted champagne wall pushed. And you danced with enchanted forest fairies over 15 feet tall. With Dreamforce now behind us, we hope you walked away with fond memories and new friends that evening.

While the escape transported you into a living forest only found in fairy tales, fear not. You didn’t dream all of it. The energy you brought to the dance floor was magical. And thankfully unlike Cinderella’s slippers, the magic of this party didn’t end at midnight. 

The enchanted forest included 3 dance floors across the building, and over 1,000 people tore it up throughout the night. As we all go back to our IRL tasks, we invite you to check out the party photo gallery. 

What else were the Sercante dragons up to at Dreamforce?

Sercante accepts two awards at DF22

Salesforce Partner Innovation Award: Retail

Sercante received a Salesforce Partner Innovation Award for our work in the retail space and for creating positive impacts in our customers organizations. We are fortunate to have tons of awesome customers and humbled to receive this award. Read about the winners here.

Merivis Partner of the Year Award

Merivis Executive Director Kate Perez took the IRL opportunity at Dreamforce to present Sercante Founder and CEO Andrea Tarrell with the 2022 Merivis Partner of the Year Award. The honor was given to the team for providing technical support to Merivis to help them reach their mission and goals as an organization. Merivis supports #veterans and #milspouses preparing for new careers in the Salesforce ecosystem. 

Dragons lead three Dreamforce speaker sessions

Sercante had the opportunity to run 3 sessions at Dreamforce this year. Here’s a quick recap:

  • Blog About Salesforce – Our content manager, Ambre Juryea-Amole, led a session describing how we tackle our content strategy for The Spot (for Pardot). She provided a series of helpful tips on how to make the most out of your content when targeting the Salesforce ecosystem. Get the blog version of her presentation here. 
  • Turn Marketing into a Recession-Proof Competitive Advantage – Three of our CRM and Marketing Automation Strategists (Angelica Cabral, Marcos Duran, and Richard Feist) provided the audience with pillar tactics and strategies to ensure that Marketers are prepared for any changes in their organizations.
Angelica, Marcos, and Rich dropping knowledge to a packed audience
  • Discover How CDP Unifies All Customer Data in One Place – Sercante Founder and CEO Andrea Tarell, and Director, Marketing Cloud Practice, Kirsten Schlau, tackled how CDP can help you create a true profile of your customers and unify your data across multiple datasets.
Andrea Tarrell and Kirsten Schlau explaining the power of CDP

See you at the next Salesforce event

We hope you had a great time with us during Dreamforce. We’ll catch you at the next Salesforce community event.

If you are looking for support on your next Salesforce project or just want to brainstorm with one of us, feel free to reach out!

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  • Community, Industry News, Pro Tips, Strategy

Salesforce Product Retirement: Social Studio Sails into the Sunset

The Salesforce platform social media scheduling tool, which we all know as Social Studio, has officially entered sunset mode and has a retirement date set for 2024. 

While the writing’s been on the wall for over a year, it may still be a shock for people who keep everything on the Salesforce platform and rely on Social Studio. We’ve seen a wave of big news, like product name changes, from Salesforce lately. And this news increased our collective jaw drops.

But, but, but… why would Salesforce retire social studio and duck out of the third-party social posting game? This seems like an odd decision.

In reality though, it’s a practical decision that team Salesforce has been working toward for a while. In this post, we’ll break it down for you so you can accept it and adjust your marketing strategy as you plan for the future.

Why is Salesforce no longer selling Social Studio licenses?

We (as-in, the Sercante marketing team) recently discovered the news about Social Studio’s journey into the sunset while shopping for social media scheduling tools. 

During our shopping process, we learned that Salesforce hasn’t made any updates or enhancements to Social Studio in over a year. Then, we contacted a Salesforce AE who informed us that Salesforce is not selling Social Studio licenses after January 31, 2022. 

So, we moved forward with one of our other social media scheduling tool options and said “sayonara” to the idea of using Social Studio.

Social Studio end-of-life dates

Here are important dates you should know about if you’re a Salesforce Social Studio customer:

  • August 1, 2022 – no Social Studio product renewals after this date
  • November 18, 2024 – end-of-life target date for Social Studio

You will still have access to Social Studio until the end of your contract date or November 18, 2024 (subject to change), whichever comes first. 

Other social media scheduling tools do it better

Salesforce tries to do it all within the platform. But social media scheduling is (arguably) one of the things their competitors do better. 

While there’s no official statement about the reasoning, we’re guessing team Salesforce has rightfully accepted the superiority of competing platforms.

Who will feel the greatest impact of the Salesforce Social Studio retirement?

Some people are going to feel Salesforce Social Studio’s retirement more than others. While other third-party social scheduling platforms include functionality that’s superior to Social Studio, there’s a few major things the competition hasn’t figured out yet.

Here’s who will feel greater effects of the Social Studio retirement moving forward.

Social Studio users who include organic Facebook carousels in their marketing strategy

We have a client who uses Salesforce Social Studio. They have had great success with the inclusion of organic Facebook carousel posts in their marketing strategy. But, they now have to revisit their social strategy based on the news.

We’ve evaluated several third-party social scheduling apps and haven’t found any that can handle posting organic Facebook carousel posts. Let us know in the comments if you have a solution for that.

People who integrate Social Studio with Salesforce Service Cloud and Sales Cloud

As you’d expect, Social Studio has easy-to-use integrations with other Salesforce clouds, and now teams that rely on those integrations need to revisit their setup.

The two main things you can currently do through Social Studio integrations with other Salesforce clouds is create Sales Cloud leads and respond to or create Service Cloud cases. These features may seem insignificant to some, but they are game changers to teams that rely on them.

If you’re using Social Studio integrations with other Salesforce clouds, then you’re going to need to find an alternative before the tool goes away forever.

Best Social Studio alternative for Salesforce users

The good news is that Salesforce is already working to create alternatives to Social Studio by teaming with third-party social scheduling platforms.

Depending on your company size, industry, and goals, we have a few recommendations for alternatives you can implement before Social Studio is completely retired. You’ll want to evaluate a few alternatives to Social Studio before jumping on board with one. 

For example, you may not need the robust capabilities of one platform if all you do is share simple text social media posts. Or, you may need an advanced platform if you’re scheduling social media posts for an enterprise-level company with many social channels and lines of business.

A few of our favorites are:

One thing we’re already excited about is all of these alternative platforms have better reporting capabilities than what was available in Social Studio. For example, most of these alternatives give you a holistic view of engagement reporting across ALL social channels. Whereas, Social Studio only offers engagement reporting for individual channels.

Sprout Social and Salesforce partnership

Salesforce and Sprout Social logos

Salesforce and Sprout Social recently announced they’ve joined forces to create an integration between the two platforms. According to the release, the integration connects Sprout to Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, and Slack.

The great part about this partnership is that many of the same functionalities from Social Studio will be available through the integration with Sprout Social.

The Sercante team jumped on board with Sprout Social, and we’re happy to report that it meets all of our social scheduling needs. It’s easy to use, we can manage multiple brands, and it has other helpful features, like the integration with Canva.

How to connect Sprout Social to Salesforce

The integration is already live and ready for you to integrate Sprout Social with your Salesforce org. This integration allows you to create Sales Cloud leads and respond to or create Service Cloud cases just like you did with Social Studio. 

You can find instructions for integrating Sprout Social with Salesforce here. 

Goodbye Social Studio, and fare thee well

Whelp Social Studio, it was a good run. But Salesforce is giving you the it’s not you… it’s me treatment. And we’ve already moved on.

For the team at Sercante, the partnership between Sprout Social and Salesforce made choosing a third-party social media scheduling tool easy. The integration means it will do all the same stuff Social Studio does — plus a bunch of other features that make our lives easier. 

However, you may find an alternative platform that meets your needs better. And that’s to be expected. 

What third-party social media platform are you using? What are your favorite features and what do you wish yours could do better? Tell us in the comments.

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