Lara Black

What marketing automation platform are you using and how long has it been a part of your tech stack?

I have been using Pardot for over seven years now.

What are the key features you utilize and find critical on a daily basis? Why? 

My key features are Scoring Categories, Engagement Studio, Dynamic Lists and Forms. Scoring Categories tell me which of my several offerings the prospect wants. Dynamic Lists let me detect that interest automatically and feed it into a nurturing program in Engagement Studio. Forms let me collect more data over time and determine how well a prospect meets my “best customer” profile. I can also determine what to send them and when based on a combination of data and forms they have completed, and automate it all with Pardot.

Do you believe that you are maximizing the use of your MAP? Why or why not? 

There’s always room for improvement! There are only so many hours in the day to do all the awesome things that are possible. We’re using most of it, and that’s due to knowing the tool so well.

What are the challenges limiting your abilities to leverage the full functionality of your chosen MAP? 

Man-hours. We’re growing, but there’s always more to do. I need more people, and identifying people with the skill set we need as new employees is challenging.

What are the features/functionalities you are looking for your MAP to incorporate in 2019 to improve performance? Why? 

Better alignment between Salesforce and Pardot for reporting purposes. They’re making great strides with the new Connected Campaigns feature, and I know more features are being released soon. It’s going to change how marketers measure the success of their efforts. No longer is it enough to just send emails. Now, they’re able to see how well that email performed, how a piece of content influenced a closed/won opportunity and how many touches a prospect had before making that sale. 

What is your New Year’s resolution for marketing automation?

Find more great people to help me build something awesome. Launch some more advanced nurturing campaigns. Solve customers’ problems along the way, so they can reap the benefits of marketing automation.