A long time ago, Pardot stood as a standalone marketing automation platform until Salesforce swooped in with an acquisition, marking the beginning of a powerful integration between marketing and sales platforms. Today, the attraction of incorporating Pardot alongside Salesforce is undeniable, promising enhanced lead generation capabilities with seamless integration and all this at a reduced price if you already own Salesforce. However, what happens next after you've acquired this shiny new platform? We’ve put together 3 main steps to help you use Pardot to its full potential.
It's crucial to recognize that technology shines brightest when it is incorporated together with a well-defined process and strategy! Sure, technology is a powerhouse on its own, but its true potential is unlocked when paired with a strong company strategy. In addition to enabling technology, it is crucial to emphasize a focus on business processes as well as people change management. And guess what? At LeadFabric, we're not just about the technology and its implementation; we're about ensuring your success by crafting the perfect strategic blueprint for your journey and helping you with the actual creation and definition of your processes.
Understanding the capabilities
Pardot isn't just another platform—it's a game-changer when used correctly and with the proper guidance and planning. After implementation, multiple organisations were able to achieve new result highs. Success stories such as these underscore the immense potential Pardot holds for organisations who understand its capabilities.
Pardot falls into the category of marketing automation along with many other possible platform solutions. It’s one of the best platforms for creating a fully automated marketing to sales process. For example, moving a lead from the top of the funnel all the way to sales where they can continue the process within Salesforce. Thanks to the initial integration of Pardot and Salesforce, this pass from one team to another can be seamless.
Another area where Pardot thrives is reporting. If processes are built correctly, you will be able to fully understand where a lead came from, what specific product/solution they are interested in and how you can provide them with the information they need. Of course, for this to work, you will need to have the right tools in place to ensure that you capture this information, and you will need to have the educational assets ready which they are looking for. A great platform for education and selling potential.
Overcoming the Initial Hurdles
It's natural to feel overwhelmed upon first encountering Pardot's interface. However, fear not, for mastering the software opens the doors to many opportunities for your organisation. Take the time to familiarise yourself with its functionalities, and soon you'll find yourself navigating Pardot with confidence and finesse.
Luckily, Pardot training is easy to come by. With the proper hands-on training on Pardot you can ensure that you’re aware of all the capabilities as well as all the hurdles that need to be considered. Of course, training will also ensure that these hurdles are easier to conquer. There are 3 main things to consider when first integrating Pardot. Scoring/Grading, Reporting tools and Email/Landing Page building capabilities.
Your scoring and grading systems in Pardot are extremely important. While scoring reflects a prospects interest in your company, grading signifies their potential value to your business. Ideally you would want your systems setup so that you use scoring to build awareness on how much someone wants to know about your business and you use your grading to know how much effort you should spend on those prospects who are showing interest. In order to implement this system correctly, you unfortunately cannot rely on Pardots “Out of the box” scoring methods and you will need to create the grading system yourself through automations as this is not something that is provided.
As mentioned before, Pardot is fantastic for reporting but only if you setup and use the correct reporting tools. One big example of this is custom redirects. A custom redirect allows you to take an existing external link and track it directly within Pardot. Remember the concept of knowing where your prospects came from? Well, this is possible with custom redirects! However, these need to be built well and with consistency so training and general adaptation for your company is required. Did I mention that we can help with that?
Finally, let's discuss Email and Landing Page building. This area can be complex. With Pardot, you'll need a team member with HTML expertise to craft visually appealing Emails and Landing Pages. Additionally, all content must be adapted and tested for various platforms, often necessitating HTML adjustments. Fortunately, LeadFabric can handle this. We do not only assist in building and designing customised templates to reflect your brand's identity but also ensure their functionality across all platforms, including mobile.
Leveraging Pardot for Growth
Once you've acclimated to Pardot, it's time to leverage its features for maximum growth. From automating marketing campaigns to nurturing leads and analysing performance metrics, Pardot offers a plethora of tools to fuel your organisation's success. As the ones mentioned above. Whether it's lead scoring, email marketing, or social media integration, Pardot empowers you to optimise every aspect of your marketing strategy seamlessly.
Once you have successfully implemented and understand the capabilities and know how to cross the first initial challenges, you will have the perfect foundation to build on. Activities and strategies such as nurture programs, lead lifecycles and sales relationships will improve much faster once you have conquered the steps of Pardot integration. All these strategies can lead to a much better customer experience and overall higher quality leads to your Marketing and Sales teams.
As a certified Pardot Partner, we at LeadFabric are happy to guide you through these steps and will ensure that you make the most out of your Pardot system and that you have the strongest possible integration with Salesforce. Let us assist you in enhancing not only the quantity but also the quality of your leads. This will foster a more robust Marketing and Sales relationship, while also providing deeper insights into the value of your marketing campaigns and overall efforts. Contact us for more information and if you need any support from us!
