How to become a Marketing Cloud Administrator

Hi, I’m Kaelan! I’m a passionate Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Instructor and for the past few years I’ve taught people from all backgrounds, from complete novices to experienced Salesforce Admins, all about Marketing Cloud, how to become a Marketing Cloud Administrator, and even how to pass the Marketing Cloud Administrator Certification Exam.

I began my career as a Salesforce Administrator, then transitioned into a Marketing Cloud Administrator, and now I’m a Marketing Cloud Consultant. I’ve worked with organizations big and small and witnessed first-hand how clients use Marketing Cloud across all types of industries.

In this post, I want to target one of my favorite audiences, current Salesforce Administrators who are curious about adding Marketing Cloud skills to their resume. Here are my top tips on how to transition from a Salesforce Admin into a Marketing Cloud Admin or gain in-demand Marketing Cloud Admin skills! Let’s go!

How to become a Marketing Cloud Administrator

Accept the fact that everything will look completely different

As an experienced Salesforce Admin, we get used to the system looking a certain way and knowing it like the back of our hands. We know that the Setup menu is in a certain spot, and our tabs are in familiar places. But as you learn how to become a Marketing Cloud Administrator, you’ll notice that when you get into Marketing Cloud, everything looks completely different.

You have to accept that while Marketing Cloud is a whole different platform and the user interface (UI) does look different than Sales Cloud or Service Cloud, you will soon be super comfortable. I struggled with getting used to navigating at first and would sometimes get frustrated.

But once I realized I couldn’t change anything, and that’s just how it was, I started to learn the system much faster. If you can start to recognize how the system looks and get in there every day, you’ll be 100 times better because of it.

Study for 45 minutes per day

To learn Marketing Cloud and become a Marketing Cloud Administrator, you’ll need to use all the resources at hand. If you don’t have access to a fully functioning Marketing Cloud account like I did at my job, you can still learn a lot with Trailhead. While there is no Trailhead Playground for Marketing Cloud, there is a great deal of Marketing Cloud content on Trailhead to get you started. 

Take the Learn Admin Fundamentals in Marketing Cloud trail, where you’ll learn everything from how to set up a new Marketing Cloud account and add users, to sending emails and tracking your results. 

Trailhead has great Marketing Cloud resources, especially if you decide to study for the Marketing Cloud Administrator exam. And don’t forget the classic standby, official Marketing Cloud Help docs, which are great for troubleshooting your day-to-day tasks. If you’re looking to accelerate your learning with guidance from experts like me, check out Trailhead Academy’s Marketing Cloud expert-led classes, particularly Prepare for your Marketing Cloud Administrator Certification Exam (CRT250) to get exam-ready. As a bonus, the cert prep class includes a voucher to take the Marketing Cloud Administrator certification exam!

Keep your Salesforce Admin skills sharp too

It’s not easy for employers and recruiters to find someone who knows how to administer Marketing Cloud. Finding someone with skills in Marketing Cloud and Sales Cloud is even harder. Companies are looking for people who know both systems because the systems talk to each other. You need to be that person!

And even though you’re learning new Marketing Cloud skills, keep your Salesforce Admin skills sharp so you’ll always be in high demand no matter where you go. Continue to keep up with the latest innovations impacting Salesforce Admins, complete Salesforce Admin-related trails and related superbadges, and follow the latest Salesforce Admin news and resources.

The fastest way to learn how to do something is to find someone who’s already done what you’re trying to do. The Trailblazer Community has Marketing Cloud experts, including people who started out as Sales Cloud Administrators, who you can reach out to for advice and best practices. There’s no reason to embark on this journey alone. Sure, you can read blogs online by brilliant authors (ahem…) but you can also have real conversations online and in person with people who have lived the experience you’re trying to have by joining other Moment Marketers in the Marketing Trailblazers group. 

You can also meet amazing Salesforce Certified instructors in the Trailblazer Community who specialize in Marketing Cloud. A crowd favorite is always the amazing Brian Richardson who is famous for making complex topics easier to understand with…raps. You have to see it to believe it.

Another way to get better at something is by having an accountability buddy. A lot of people rely on external commitments to be motivated to complete their goals. Have you ever noticed how telling other people you’re going to do something makes you much more likely to do it? Find others working on their Marketing Cloud skill sets and studying for their Marketing Cloud Administrator Certification and create a support system and cheering section to help you reach your goals. 

Before you set off on your journey, let’s recap my favorite resources.