How to become a Pardot Specialist

The certification process is an intensive training that provides a broad and deep insight into the possibilities offered by Pardot.

Previously, some of my colleagues and myself have told you about our experience in applying for and obtaining some of the most important certifications in the field of email marketing. In this case, I will tell you about my experience acquiring the Pardot certification and some details that may be useful if you are considering applying for it.

At Digital Response we follow the philosophy of continuous evolution. We believe that things can always be done better and that includes continually training ourselves to be better professionals. Certifications are a clear example of this. In this case, Pardot is one of the most recognised platforms for B2B marketing, and also, being experts in Marketing Cloud, it seemed to us a very good complement to be able to take full advantage of the tools offered by Salesforce and have an even better perspective on the possibilities of this environment. 

Training

To access the Pardot certification exam, it is not a requirement to have passed any previous course, although specialised training is highly recommended, as well as having some experience in its use. In my case, I had little experience with the tool and I decided to attend an online training course (there is also a face-to-face course available). ISDI training about Pardot. This, together with the autonomous study of the documentation available on the tool at Trailblazer Community and in Trailhead have made it possible for me to pass the certification in a couple of months.

ISDI's training offers a good knowledge of the Pardot environment and "hands on" exercises that provide a very broad perspective of the tool and a complete vision of the opportunities it offers.

In brief, the steps I followed were as follows:

• Completion of the Pardot course at ISDI (1 week)

The syllabus covers everything from the configuration of the Pardot Lightning App to the generation and processing of leads through specific tools provided by Pardot, such as automations or Scoring and Grading. These are precisely the strong points that make it stand out from other tools aimed at B2B marketing.

• Reading the Trailhead and additional documentation provided by Salesforce

This is the hardest part, as understanding the concepts and going into the details can be confusing due to the amount of information available.

• Carrying out mock up examinations

In the case of Pardot it is much more difficult to find reliable sample questions from the exams than in the case of Marketing Cloud, but these two pages below have been of great help to me: Jenna Molby y Salesforceblogger - Rikki.

The Examination

The examination consists of 60 questions that you must answer in 90 minutes with a passing note of 72%, ie, 43 correct questions. The different areas covered in the course and the documentation have different weights in the exam (more or less questions):

• Visitors and Prospects: 8%
• Administration: 11%
• Pardot Forms, Form Handlers and Landing Pages: 20%
• Customer Management: 24%
• Email Marketing: 20%
• Engagement Studio: 17%

The added value of certification

In the certification process, I have learned to take advantage of all the tools that Pardot offers for the treatment of potential or current customers. For example, thanks to easy-to-implement automations and scoring and grading strategies, lead and customer processing can be almost entirely automated, providing marketers with valuable user information based on their interaction with the company's various online materials (forms, landing pages, promotions on third-party sites...).

For Digital Response, it has meant having full knowledge of the tool and being able to implement complex automations that greatly reduce the daily effort dedicated to lead management, easily detecting sales opportunities and channelling them towards specific flows that boost their likelihood of conversion. An added value that gives our clients the opportunity to have within their reach one of the best B2B marketing tools managed by specialists.

Ale Castellano
Lead Email Developer
Salesforce Marketing Cloud Consultant & Email Specialist
Pardot Specialist