Marketing Cloud Growth is gaining momentum – and if you’re using Account Engagement (Pardot), now’s the time to start preparing. Salesforce is migrating key functionality toward the core Salesforce platform, making Marketing Cloud Growth a prime destination for organizations looking to level up their marketing automation.
Whether this migration is already on your roadmap or you’re simply future-proofing your tech stack, the steps you take now will define your success later.
Understanding the Shift to Marketing Cloud Growth
Salesforce has been steadily aligning its marketing products with the core Salesforce platform. This strategy – often called “object alignment” – lets marketers tap into established Salesforce services like CMS, permissions, and Flow automation. Marketing Cloud Growth sits at the center of this convergence, offering a flexible, scalable foundation that’s deeply integrated with Data Cloud.
For Account Engagement users, this means a significant shift in how data is modeled, campaigns are automated, and assets are stored. The earlier your team starts adapting, the smoother your transition will be.
1. Set Up Your Data Model in Data Cloud
Marketing Cloud Growth is powered by Data Cloud – and functional segmentation and campaign activation depend on it. But working with Data Cloud introduces a new lexicon and architecture that’s unfamiliar to most Pardot users:
- Data Model Objects (DMOs) represent structured, unified data sources.
- Data Lake Objects (DLOs) allow for mass data ingestion into Data Cloud.
Understanding and configuring these components is critical. Unlike Pardot lists or segmentation rules, this setup is foundational. Changes to your schema down the road can be difficult and disruptive. Investing in expert help (whether internal or through a qualified consulting partner) ensures your data model is future-ready and scalable.
2. Convert Files to Salesforce CMS
Marketing Cloud Growth uses Salesforce CMS as its file repository – just like the Lightning email builder in Account Engagement. That means any images or assets your team currently manages in Pardot need to be transitioned.
Fortunately, Salesforce has simplified this process. As of the Summer ’24 release, you can now copy files directly from Pardot into Salesforce CMS without needing to download and reupload them. This preserves file references and ensures existing assets aren’t disrupted – assuming you have Data Cloud enabled.
Why move to CMS?
- Centralized asset management: One repository across all Salesforce products.
- Improved collaboration: Assets can be shared across teams and builders.
- Future compatibility: Required for Marketing Cloud Growth email builder.
3. Get Comfortable with Flow
Marketing Cloud Growth introduces a new automation concept: Campaign Flow. While it draws from Salesforce’s powerful automation engine – Flow – there are key differences in how it’s used by marketers.
Campaign Flows allow you to chain marketing activities (like sending emails or updating records) based on triggers such as form submissions or audience segments. While simpler than admin-led Flows, understanding the basics will drastically improve your ability to design effective customer journeys.
Key concepts to explore:
- Flow elements: Rules, wait steps, and actions used within Campaign Flow.
- Trigger points: How segments and forms initiate Flows.
- Limits: Campaign Flow doesn’t yet include all capabilities of Salesforce Flow.
| Automation Type | Best Used By |
| Campaign Flow | Marketing teams creating journeys from forms and segments |
| Salesforce Flow | Admins building advanced, multi-object automations |
Learning Flow now prepares your team for a highly automated, centralized marketing operation that doesn’t rely on isolated engagement programs.
4. Strengthen Collaboration with Your Salesforce Admin
If you’ve been using Pardot mostly independently, it’s time to break down those silos. Marketing Cloud Growth requires closer collaboration with your Salesforce admin for access management, Flow configuration, and data monitoring.
Scenarios where you’ll need admin support:
- Permission assignments: Marketing users need access to Campaign Flow and related setup settings.
- Advanced Flows: For actions beyond what Campaign Flow offers, admins can build linked Salesforce Flows.
- Data Cloud maintenance: Someone must manage data streams and credit usage across the org.
In larger orgs, there may be multiple CRM owners, so clarify roles early. Knowing who’s responsible for Data Cloud administration and Salesforce automation support removes barriers before they arise.
Use the Transition to Refocus on Strategy
While the technical enablement is critical, don’t lose sight of the larger opportunity. The move to Marketing Cloud Growth isn’t just an infrastructure upgrade – it’s a chance to reimagine how your marketing team works. With centralized data, shared assets, and scalable automation, your campaigns can be more relevant, timely, and connected to the rest of your Salesforce environment.
Take this time to audit your current marketing processes. Identify duplicated efforts, siloed data, or outdated segments. A well-executed migration can unify your efforts and unlock real momentum across marketing and sales.
Ready to Take the First Step?
Marketing Cloud Growth brings Account Engagement users closer to the Salesforce ecosystem than ever before. But that shift requires thoughtful preparation – especially around data alignment, asset management, and cross-functional collaboration. If you’re considering the migration (or already on the path), we’re here to help guide you through every stage. Get in touch with us to plan your move with clarity and confidence.