Marketing Cloud isn’t that hard.
Until you have a real-life project and deadline to hit…
It’s easy to get sucked into the “Clicks Not Code” dream.
Let’s be real.
Corporate Marketing Software requires coding.
Most people think you can create an email and send it out.
But companies are WAY more complex than that.
Companies have business processes.
Every process has an outcome.
If you want the same outcome every time, you need tools like Marketing Cloud.
And that’s where real life Marketing Cloud skills come in.
On the surface, Marketing Cloud seems like it’s "Plug and Play".
Set up an automation here…
Set up a journey there…
And you’re good to go.
Until you need to automate a REAL business process for a company.
That's when you realize that Marketing Cloud is not “Plug and Play.”
It’s very hands-on…
Very delicate…
And requires a lot of expertise.
Gaining expertise in Marketing Cloud is what we will talk about today.
Plus... The step-by-step process involved.
We’ll dive into:
How your Marketing Cloud skills are hurting you
Benefits of improving in Marketing Cloud
And How to Get Better at Marketing Cloud
Let’s get started.
How your Marketing Cloud skills are hurting you.
Most people don't realize that they’re missing out on a HUGE career opportunity.
They go their whole life without realizing their true potential.
What’s even worse is…
Those people have every tool they need.
But they never capitalize on the gifts they have.
Many people don’t see how their lack of Marketing Cloud skills is hurting them.
Lower salary
Fewer Marketing Cloud projects
Fewer job opportunities
Less job security
And Less respect from companies
That’s where I was in the past.
I knew Marketing Cloud, but I wasn’t using it to its fullest potential.
I was using the “Plug and Play” features in the system.
Email Studio
Content Builder
Automation Studio
Journey Builder
Reporting
But I wasn’t capitalizing on other tools like AMPscript and Marketing Cloud Connect.
I used them - but not to their highest potential.
I didn’t realize the benefits I was missing out on by not learning more skills.
Here are a few benefits of improving in Marketing Cloud.
5 Benefits of Improving in Marketing Cloud
A higher salary
Bigger projects
Job Opportunities
Better Job Security
Respect from Companies
It's not enough to know about the benefits of Marketing Cloud.
You need to know HOW to get better at Marketing Cloud.
That’s also where I was at.
I needed to know HOW to get better with Marketing Cloud.
Until recently…
My Recent Journey with Marketing Cloud
If you’ve been following my journey on the blog or on TikTok...
You’ll see that I’ve been learning A LOT of Marketing Cloud recently.
It hasn’t been easy.
I’ve been working in 2 roles in my new project:
Marketing Cloud Business Analyst
Marketing Cloud Developer
It’s actually a Solution Architect role.
I’ve been working with a Salesforce Architect and Project Manager recently.
We've been designing a new Marketing Cloud project.
The project is all about:
Starting different Journeys when an event happens in Service Cloud.
The process of designing a new project isn’t simple.
There have been plenty of late nights.
I’ve learned A TON about:
Project Management
Business Analysis
AMPscript
Marketing Cloud Connect
I've even gotten back into Salesforce CRM again (where I started my career).
This is stuff that I knew about.
But wasn’t an expert at it.
Well, let me tell ya what.
It feels like I know even LESS at the end of week 3 of this project than I did before lol.
But in all honesty, the more you learn about a subject, the more you realize you don’t know.
And that’s where I’m at.
But I'm proud because I’ve learned a lot since the beginning of week 3 of this project.
With all that said…
I’m here to give you a step-by-step strategy to gain expertise in Marketing Cloud (based on my experience).
This routine is based on:
What I’ve done this week.
The changes I’ve made.
And the lessons I’ve learned.
So lets go.
How to Get Better at Marketing Cloud
Step 1 - Get a Marketing Cloud Job
Let’s face it…
There’s only so much you can learn in:
A Bootcamp
Course
Trailhead
Etc...
It's okay to use those resources to learn the theory (and wrap your head around the subject).
But don’t think a boot camp, course, or trailhead is going to save you when a project hits you in the mouth.
I’m saying this from experience.
I taught Marketing Cloud boot camps for 3 years.
I saw dozens of people go to their clients after the boot camp.
When they got there, they realized how challenging a real-world MC project can be.
No amount of boot camp preparation can REALLY prepare you for a client with deadlines.
Don’t get me wrong…
Bootcamps have their place.
They’ll get you more prepared than if you jumped straight into a client project from the street.
But there’s still so much to learn when you’re actually doing a project for a real company.
It’s the concept of Theoretical vs. Applied Knowledge.
How you get a Marketing Cloud job is a different story for another day.
But for now, know this…
If you want to gain expertise in Marketing Cloud, you NEED to get a job doing it every day.
Step 2 - Get a Job That Pushes You
Now that we know getting a Marketing Cloud job is the most important thing to do.
The next thing to realize is this...
Make sure the job you get challenges you.
I know people who are coasting by at their Marketing Cloud job.
They’ve mastered a lot of simple things.
They know how to build emails and send them out.
But they never touch:
Data Extensions
Journey Builder
Automation Studio
AMPscript
Marketing Cloud Connect
They do what they’re used to, and they don’t progress.
They’re not gaining expertise.
They’re actually going backward.
As technology moves forward, they’re actually falling behind.
Remember this…
You’re either Moving Forward or Going Backwards. There’s no such thing as maintaining.
Think about that for a minute.
Everything in your life is either moving forward or going backward.
Nothing in life is stagnant.
If there’s one thing about life, it’s this:
Everything in life is changingChange is the only constant.
If everything is changing around you, why aren’t you?
If life is moving forward, why aren’t you?
Get a job that pushes you.
You’re doing yourself a disservice otherwise.
So get a job that forces you to grow (whether you feel comfortable or not).
Learn more about:
Salesforce CRM
Marketing Cloud Connect
AMPscript
SSJS
It’s only going to help you in the long run.
You’ll make more money and create a bigger impact in life if you push yourself.
Step 3 - Develop the Discipline of a Monk
If you want to get better, it requires sacrifice.
You have to give up the things you’re used to.
You might need to wake up earlier to study AMPscript so you can finish a project.
You’ll need to put your phone on "Do Not Disturb" while you focus on a task.
You’ll need to say “No” to long conversations that eat up your time.
You’ll need to go to bed earlier so you can wake up earlier to get ahead of the game.
There’s a lot required if you want to achieve greatness.
People think that Marketing Cloud gurus woke up one day and mastered the system.
But I can tell you that after putting in HOURS of studying this week…
I needed Monk-level discipline to understand this AMPscript code.
Thankfully, I buckled down and wrote the correct code, but it wasn’t a simple journey.
I didn’t wake up knowing how to code.
I had to GRIND for it.
And grinding requires discipline.
My biggest advice is to set up a routine for yourself.
Here’s the routine that helped me this week:
Do my night-time review of the day
Wake up and eat the frog. (Hardest thing first).
Write AMPscript Code for 2 hours per day
Read “Automating Marketing Cloud” everyday
Study Something AMPscript related each day
That’s been my routine, and here’s one thing I’ve learned.
The more you immerse yourself in a topic, the faster you’ll learn it.
There’s something about focusing your mind.
Tunnel vision on a topic will skyrocket your learning rate more than anything else.
The more you think about a topic, the faster it will sink in.
Who’s going to win in a Basketball game?
The person who practices basketball every day (and studies film at night)?
Or the Person who practices basketball 2 days a week and hangs out with friends at night?
I think you know the answer to that one.
The first person will win every time.
That first person needs to be you.
If you want to dominate with your skill - You need to obsess over it.Obsession requires discipline.Discipline = Freedom.That’s why, when you learn hard things while other people are slacking, you get a high salary.
The competition is lower at the top.
Get better, and the competition will start to drop off.
The better you get, the more opportunities you’ll see come your way.
Everyone wants a superstar.
Develop discipline and become the superstar.
Those are the steps I’ve been following this week (Week 3) of my Marketing Cloud Consultant journey.
Give those 3 steps a try.
Who knows?
They may help you succeed in Marketing Cloud.
It’s all about mindset.
Anyone can learn Marketing Cloud.
It takes the discipline to stick with it (among other things, of course).
If you want helpful resources that I used this week, look at the resource list I created below:
AMPscript Functions
Conclusion
Today, we talked about:
How your Marketing Cloud skills are hurting you
Benefits of improving in Marketing Cloud
and How to improve in Marketing Cloud
If this helps you in your Marketing Cloud journey, let me know.
Hit reply or message me on LinkedIn.
Kaelan Moss - MinuteAdmin Out ✌🏽
PS - This post is part of a series called “My Marketing Cloud Consultant Journey.”
Read through it - Especially if you want to see the day in the life of a Marketing Cloud Consultant.
This was a really insightful post! I really think that for anyone looking in, it's great too see that the component of eating the frog, and just putting in that work- is universal, no matter where you are in your journey! Discipline is everything!