Salesforce Pardot

What is Salesforce Pardot?

Salesforce Pardot, now branded as Marketing Cloud Account Engagement, is a B2B marketing automation platform designed specifically for Salesforce customers. As Salesforce’s native marketing automation solution for B2B, Pardot offers seamless integration with Salesforce CRM, enabling marketing and sales teams to work from a unified platform with complete visibility into the customer journey from first touch through closed deal.

What distinguishes Pardot is its deep, native integration with Salesforce that goes beyond what third-party tools can achieve. The platform shares the same data model and interface patterns as Salesforce CRM, making it intuitive for Salesforce users while enabling capabilities like real-time lead scoring updates, unified reporting, and seamless handoff between marketing and sales that feel like natural extensions of the CRM.

Pardot serves tens of thousands of B2B organizations globally, from SMBs to large enterprises. The platform excels for organizations standardized on Salesforce seeking marketing automation that leverages their existing CRM investment. With capabilities spanning email marketing, lead nurturing, landing pages, and analytics, Pardot provides comprehensive B2B marketing automation within the Salesforce ecosystem.

Key Features

• Native Salesforce Integration: Deep bi-directional sync with Salesforce CRM sharing the same data model for complete alignment
• Lead Scoring and Grading: Dual scoring system evaluating both engagement (score) and fit (grade) for lead prioritization
• Engagement Studio: Visual journey builder for creating automated, multi-step nurture campaigns with branching logic
• Email Marketing: Template-based email builder with personalization, dynamic content, and A/B testing capabilities
• Landing Pages and Forms: Drag-and-drop builders for creating conversion-optimized landing pages and progressive forms
• Lead Nurturing: Automated drip campaigns that educate and engage prospects based on behavior and attributes
• Account-Based Marketing: Account scoring and engagement tracking for coordinated ABM programs
• Einstein AI: AI-powered features including behavior scoring, optimal send times, and campaign insights
• B2B Marketing Analytics: Multi-touch attribution and revenue analytics connecting marketing to pipeline
• Salesforce Engage: Sales-enabled marketing content and real-time engagement alerts for sales teams

Latest Updates

Pardot continues to evolve as Marketing Cloud Account Engagement with enhanced AI and deeper Salesforce platform integration.

• Einstein Features: Expanded AI capabilities for behavior scoring, content recommendations, and send optimization
• Enhanced ABM: Improved account-based marketing features with better scoring and engagement tracking
• Flow Integration: Deeper integration with Salesforce Flow for advanced automation across marketing and CRM
• Lightning Experience: Updated interface aligned with Salesforce Lightning for improved user experience
• Data Cloud Integration: Connection with Salesforce Data Cloud for enhanced segmentation and personalization
• Privacy and Compliance: Enhanced consent management and privacy controls for global regulations
• Reporting Improvements: Updated B2B Marketing Analytics with better attribution and dashboards
• Mobile Optimization: Improved responsive design tools for mobile-optimized content

System Requirements

Web Application

• Modern web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)
• Stable internet connection
• Active Salesforce org (required)
• JavaScript enabled

Salesforce Requirements

• Salesforce Professional, Enterprise, or Unlimited Edition
• Pardot connector installed
• Appropriate Salesforce user licenses

Website Integration

• Pardot tracking code on website
• Custom email sending domain (recommended)
• Proper DNS configuration for deliverability

How to Install Salesforce Pardot

Platform Setup

1. Purchase Pardot licenses through Salesforce
2. Provision Pardot instance connected to Salesforce org
3. Install Pardot connector package in Salesforce
4. Configure user sync and permissions
5. Set up email sending domain and authentication
6. Install tracking code on website
7. Configure lead scoring and grading models
8. Train team on platform capabilities

Website Tracking

// Add Pardot tracking to website
<script type="text/javascript">
piAId = 'YOUR-ACCOUNT-ID';
piCId = 'YOUR-CAMPAIGN-ID';
piHostname = 'pi.pardot.com';
(function() {
  function async_load(){
    var s = document.createElement('script');
    s.type = 'text/javascript';
    s.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://pi' : 'http://cdn') + '.pardot.com/pd.js';
    var c = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
    c.parentNode.insertBefore(s, c);
  }
  if(window.attachEvent) { window.attachEvent('onload', async_load); }
  else { window.addEventListener('load', async_load, false); }
})();
</script>

Salesforce Connector

1. Install Pardot AppExchange package in Salesforce
2. Configure connected app authorization
3. Map standard and custom fields between systems
4. Set up sync behavior (which system wins conflicts)
5. Configure Salesforce Engage for sales team

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Salesforce Native: Deepest possible integration with Salesforce CRM for unified marketing and sales
• Familiar Interface: Lightning-aligned experience intuitive for Salesforce users with minimal learning curve
• Score and Grade: Dual scoring system provides nuanced lead qualification beyond simple engagement scores
• Engagement Studio: Intuitive visual builder for creating sophisticated nurture journeys
• Einstein AI: Salesforce’s AI capabilities enhance scoring, timing, and insights automatically
• Single Vendor: One relationship and contract for CRM and marketing automation simplifies procurement
• Salesforce Ecosystem: Access to AppExchange integrations and Salesforce platform capabilities

Cons

• Salesforce Required: Pardot only works with Salesforce; organizations using other CRMs cannot adopt it
• Feature Gaps: Some advanced capabilities found in competitors require additional Salesforce products
• Pricing Complexity: Multiple editions and add-ons can make total cost difficult to predict
• Learning Curve: Despite Salesforce familiarity, marketing automation concepts still require training
• Email Limitations: Email builder and template system less flexible than some competitors

Salesforce Pardot vs Alternatives

Who Should Use Salesforce Pardot?

Salesforce Pardot is ideal for:

• Salesforce Customers: Organizations already using Salesforce CRM seeking native marketing automation
• B2B Companies: Organizations with B2B sales processes requiring lead scoring and nurturing
• Sales-Marketing Alignment: Teams prioritizing tight integration between marketing and sales activities
• Mid-Market Organizations: Companies with moderate complexity not requiring enterprise-grade platforms
• Salesforce-First Strategy: Businesses committed to Salesforce ecosystem for their go-to-market technology
• Growing Teams: Marketing teams looking to scale automation within a familiar Salesforce environment

Salesforce Pardot may not be ideal for:

• Non-Salesforce Users: Organizations using HubSpot, Dynamics, or other CRMs cannot use Pardot
• Enterprise Requirements: Companies needing very advanced automation may require Marketo or Eloqua
• B2C Organizations: Pardot is designed for B2B; B2C companies should consider Marketing Cloud
• Limited Budgets: Entry pricing may be high for small businesses with basic needs

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Pardot and Salesforce Marketing Cloud?

Pardot (Marketing Cloud Account Engagement) focuses on B2B marketing automation with lead scoring, nurturing, and sales alignment. Marketing Cloud is designed for B2C with emphasis on consumer journeys, advertising, and large-scale personalization. B2B organizations typically choose Pardot; B2C organizations choose Marketing Cloud. Some organizations use both for different use cases.

Does Pardot require Salesforce CRM?

Yes, Pardot requires an active Salesforce org to function. The platform is designed specifically as Salesforce’s native B2B marketing automation solution and cannot be used standalone or with other CRM systems. Organizations considering Pardot must already be using or planning to adopt Salesforce CRM.

What are Pardot editions and pricing?

Pardot offers Growth, Plus, Advanced, and Premium editions with increasing capabilities and limits. Pricing starts around $1,250 per month for the entry-level Growth edition and increases significantly for higher tiers. Pricing depends on features, contact limits, and whether additional products like B2B Marketing Analytics or Engagement History are included.

How does Pardot scoring and grading work?

Pardot uses a dual qualification system. Score measures engagement (email opens, page visits, form submissions) indicating prospect interest. Grade measures fit (job title, company size, industry) indicating how well the prospect matches your ideal customer profile. Together, these help prioritize leads that are both interested and qualified.

Can Pardot be used for account-based marketing?

Yes, Pardot includes account-based marketing capabilities that track engagement and score accounts based on aggregate behavior across contacts. While not as sophisticated as dedicated ABM platforms, Pardot’s ABM features enable basic account-based programs within the Salesforce ecosystem, especially when combined with Salesforce’s account-based selling capabilities.

Final Verdict

Salesforce Pardot represents the optimal marketing automation choice for organizations committed to the Salesforce ecosystem. The platform’s native integration provides a level of alignment between marketing and sales that third-party tools simply cannot match, creating a unified view of the customer journey from anonymous visitor through closed deal.

The platform’s strengths lie in its Salesforce-native experience, intuitive journey builder, and Einstein AI capabilities that improve over time. Organizations already invested in Salesforce find Pardot natural to adopt and operate, with minimal integration headaches and a single vendor relationship simplifying procurement and support.

B2B organizations using Salesforce CRM should seriously consider Pardot for their marketing automation needs. The platform provides solid capabilities for most B2B marketing requirements while leveraging existing Salesforce investments. Organizations with very sophisticated requirements may need to evaluate enterprise alternatives, but for the majority of Salesforce customers, Pardot offers the best balance of capability, integration, and total value.