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Top 3 Implementation Tips for Salesforce Marketing Cloud

Written by
Sunitha Thapa

Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) enables powerful marketing — from automated customer journeys to personalized, cross-channel campaigns. But without a solid setup, things quickly go wrong.

In my experience with SFMC projects, one pattern comes up time and again: companies rush to launch their first campaign or customer journey without fully considering how the platform is set up behind the scenes. The result? Duplicated contacts, poor data quality, or even GDPR headaches down the line.

Here are three key areas that are essential to get right from the start:

1. Choose the Right Subscriber Key From the Start

Your subscriber key is what identifies each contact inside SFMC — and choosing the wrong one can cause major issues later on. It might seem like a small technical detail, but in practice, it determines how you manage contacts, avoid duplicates, and maintain a clean, unified customer profile.

A good subscriber key should:

  • Be unique and stable over time

  • Not be based on email addresses (which can change)

  • Work consistently across systems and channels

Many companies default to using email addresses — a common but costly mistake. As people change emails, you risk fragmented profiles, duplicates, and inflated subscriber costs, since Salesforce bills Marketing Cloud on total number of Contacts within the system.

In case CRM is the source of data for SFMC, use a system-generated ID from your CRM. It supports cleaner data and a unified customer view. This one decision lays the foundation for reliable reporting, personalization, and long-term scalability.

2. Build a Clear and Compliant Preference Center

A well-designed preference center isn’t just good practice — it’s essential for maintaining trust, meeting privacy regulations, and keeping your audience engaged.

Too often, companies wait to implement this until later in the process. But doing it early helps you avoid unsubscribes, reduce legal risk, and offer a better user experience from day one.

In SFMC, you can go far beyond the out-of the box preference center. A strong custom preference center should:

  • Let users easily opt in or out of specific content types

  • Be user-friendly and accessible at any time

  • Respect data privacy and GDPR requirements

  • Include a full unsubscribe option for those who want to opt out completely

For example, someone may want to receive updates about alumni events but not fundraising campaigns. SFMC allows you to reflect these choices with precision — especially when custom logic or scripting is used. 

And the earlier you build it, the better. Retroactively adding preferences can lead to data loss, user frustration, and compliance problems. A solid structure protects both relationships and reputation.

3. Plan Your Data Model Carefully

Strong marketing depends on strong data — and in SFMC, that starts with a smart, scalable data model.

Too often, teams jump straight to content and journeys without thinking through how data is stored, related, and accessed. But your ability to segment, personalize, and report accurately hinges on the structure behind the scenes.

Some key questions to ask early:

  • Will you use Lists or Data Extensions? (DEs offer more flexibility and are better for complex or relational data)

  • How should your data tables relate to each other? (e.g. one subscriber to many orders)

  • How will segmentation be handled across campaigns?

  • What retention policies do you need to stay compliant and avoid data bloat?

 

A well-planned model ensures your data sources speak the same language. It allows you to connect different tables — like subscriber profiles, engagement history, or transactional data — into a unified view. This is essential when you want to target campaigns precisely or trigger automations based on behavior.

It also reduces technical debt later. Poor data design leads to broken segments, inefficient queries, or manual workarounds that cost both time and accuracy.

Whether you're sending personalized emails or integrating with CRM systems, a clean, well-structured data model is what makes it all possible — and sustainable.

Ready to Get Started with SFMC?

SFMC can deliver immense value — but only with a solid foundation. By choosing the right subscriber key, building a compliant preference center, and planning your data model, you set the stage for long-term success.

These may not be the flashiest parts of your setup, but they power everything else: clean data, relevant content, and sustainable growth.

At Growberry, we help companies implement SFMC in a way that’s not just functional - but future-ready. Whether you’re starting fresh or optimizing, we’re here to help. If you want to explore what’s possible for your business, feel free to reach out to me directly (sunitha@growberry.io) 

Let’s build something that lasts. Get in touch.