We sat down with Tim, our Solutions Consulting Director, to discuss Salesforce Marketing Cloud’s Certifications — what they are, why they’re important, how we make them a priority at DA, and more. Check out his thoughtful answers below:
Why did SFMC create a certification program?
The certification program really lets people showcase their knowledge. In a way, it levels the playing field by creating parameters around what expertise in a specific product means. Anyone can just say they’re proficient in a product or service, but a certification ensures a reliable rubric across the board for defining expertise.
Certifications also provide partners a way of easily demonstrating the depth of knowledge and breadth of support they can bring to the table. That way, Salesforce can effectively identify the best partners to address a client’s needs.
What does a SFMC certification indicate?
Looking at the certifications people hold gives a clear indication of what skills they are bringing to the table to support a project as a whole. If, for example, I’m building an email and it’s very script heavy, I’m going to look for someone who has the developer certification and someone who has an admin certification. Certifications help build out a team with the skillsets needed to tackle a project.
How many hours of training go into each certification?
It really depends on the person’s background. If you come in with a marketing background and understand the nuances of data personalization, email components, CAN-SPAM requirements, etc. then it might take less time to achieve certification than someone fresh out of school with no email marketing experience. Someone new to the industry might spend six months preparing while someone with a lot of experience might be able to complete it within a month. But generally it depends on person and on the certification itself.
It’s definitely a commitment, though. And I think, especially as you as you keep progressing through the certifications and building on one another, the time commitment increases as the skillsets become more specialized.
How is Digital Additive’s certification training program unique?
Our trainings are very team-focused. We’re not shy when it comes to announcing who is working on what certifications. We encourage collaboration in terms of going through the materials together and having study sessions. I think that might set us apart a little bit; we might be a bit more team-oriented when it comes to learning than you might find elsewhere.
Why should clients choose an agency with SFMC certifications? How does it benefit them?
Again, certifications offer a clear metric for evaluation when it comes to a person’s ability in a specific aspect of marketing cloud. It helps a client know what they’re getting the skillsets they need, not just someone claiming they’re an expert. It’s almost like a standardized test to put everyone on a level playing field so you can know there’s a tangible set of skills behind a SFMC certification.
At Digital Additive, we pride ourselves on being experts in what we do, and getting the most from Salesforce Marketing Cloud is what we do best. With over 35 certifications and counting, we stay on the cutting edge of SFMC capabilities to provide the most effective solutions for our clients. Want to see what we can do for your company? Contact us today.
