Cross-Channel Success: Salesforce Data Cloud + Marketing Cloud

Defining cross-channel marketing

In a nutshell, cross-channel marketing is the process of coordinating and delivering consistent marketing messages across multiple channels to create a seamless customer journey. 

It involves using a combination of digital and offline channels, such as email, social media, mobile, direct mail, and in-store experiences, to engage customers at different touch points throughout their buying journey. 

One of the key benefits is delivering a cohesive, consistent customer experience; reaching customers in the right place, at the right time, with the right message. If a prospect or customer doesn’t view a campaign email, they’ll be exposed to the messaging via social media or SMS. Even if they do view the initial email, the supporting channels act to reinforce and validate the call to action, driving better results.

When leveraging multiple channels with integrated messaging in this way, it improves overall marketing return on investment. Cross-channel marketing campaigns have been shown to have a major impact on conversion rates, retention, and advocacy. 

The challenge with cross-channel marketing

In order to achieve great cross-channel marketing, businesses need to have a deep understanding of their customers and their preferences. This requires collecting and analysing data from multiple sources, such as website analytics, social media, and customer feedback, and pulling all of the insights into a single place.

The good news is, a combination of Salesforce Data Cloud and Marketing Cloud can provide businesses with the tools needed to collect, unify, and analyse customer data, in real-time, from multiple sources. This enables businesses to create a single, comprehensive view of the customer, which can be used to deliver personalised experiences across multiple channels.

Data Cloud vs Marketing Cloud

Salesforce Marketing Cloud enables businesses to create and deliver personalised and automated marketing campaigns across channels such as email, social media, digital advertising and SMS. With its advanced analytics and segmentation capabilities, businesses can gain insights into their customers' behaviour and preferences, and use this information to tailor their marketing messages accordingly. 

Data Cloud, on the other hand, provides businesses with access to a vast database of consumer data, making it possible to target marketing campaigns more effectively and reach the right audience at the right time.

By combining the power of Salesforce Marketing Cloud and Data Cloud, businesses can achieve powerful, informed cross-channel marketing that resonates with the audience. 

Working hand-in-hand, the data and insights provided by Data Cloud are used to create personalised marketing campaigns that are delivered through Marketing Cloud across multiple channels. 

What is Salesforce Data Cloud?

Salesforce Data Cloud is a customer data platform that helps businesses leverage real-time customer data. Some of its key features include:

• Data management - Salesforce Data Cloud allows businesses to collect and manage real-time customer data from multiple sources, including online and offline channels. This data can be used to build a comprehensive view of the customer, including their preferences, behaviours, and interests.

• Segmentation - With Salesforce Data Cloud, businesses can segment their customer data based on a range of criteria, such as demographics, behaviour, and engagement. This allows marketers to deliver targeted messages to specific segments, improving the effectiveness of their campaigns.

• Activation - Salesforce Data Cloud enables businesses to activate their customer data across multiple channels, including email, social media, and advertising. This ensures that the right message is delivered to the right audience at the right time, maximising the impact of marketing campaigns.

By leveraging Salesforce Data Cloud, businesses can enjoy a range of benefits, including:

• Improved targeting - By segmenting customer data and delivering targeted messages, businesses can improve the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns, resulting in higher engagement and conversion rates.

• Increased ROI - By delivering targeted messages to the right audience, businesses can maximise the impact of their marketing spend, resulting in a higher return on investment.

• Enhanced customer experience - By delivering personalised messages across multiple channels, businesses can enhance the customer experience, building stronger relationships with their customers.

Pair Data Cloud with Marketing Cloud and you have a comprehensive view of real-time customer data, segmentation capabilities, and activation features, ideal for delivering personalised, cross-channel marketing campaigns.

Let’s not forget that in order to succeed in today's competitive landscape, marketers need to be able to adapt quickly and respond to changing customer needs. A cross-channel marketing approach that taps into both Marketing Cloud and Data Cloud means staying ahead of the curve and adapting to insights in real-time.

For personalised support with Data Cloud and using this alongside Salesforce platforms like Marketing Cloud, reach out to the MarCloud team of certified experts.