Is Salesforce Marketing Cloud Good For Internal Communications?

With many organizations already using Salesforce for Customer Relationship Management (CRM), rolling out Salesforce Marketing Cloud for internal communications seems like a natural leap. In this guide, we’ll help you understand whether Salesforce Marketing Cloud is right for your internal communication efforts and employee engagement strategy.

Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) is widely recognized as a powerful tool for external marketing and customer engagement. Salesforce helps organizations deliver personalized experiences to their customers, but is it effective for internal communication and employee engagement? 

Since it was designed primarily for marketing, Salesforce Marketing Cloud used for internal communications lacks key features like specialized employee newsletters, real-time and important employee feedback tools, and advanced employee engagement analytics. 

What is Salesforce Marketing Cloud for Internal Communications?

Salesforce is known as a powerful Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool to streamline sales, marketing, and service processes. In recent years, Salesforce has ventured into internal communications, offering tools to facilitate employee engagement. 

Salesforce’s internal communications solutions are typically extensions of its CRM platform, allowing companies that already use its cloud-based infrastructure to connect and engage with employees. Through tools like Chatter, Salesforce can also be used for employee onboarding processes, and broader employee success programs. However, the platform is not broadly designed for internal communications. In other words, Salesforce for internal communications can be a bit limited than use-case specific solutions.

Is Using Salesforce Marketing Cloud for Internal Communications Right For Your Business?

For organizations already invested in the Salesforce ecosystem, it may make sense to configure Salesforce Marketing Cloud for internal communications. However, these enhancements typically require costly customizations and extensive technical expertise. This makes Salesforce for internal communications less accessible for teams looking for simplicity.

Salesforce focuses on marketing automation and external audiences, meaning Salesforce for internal communications is not the primary usage. Salesforce for employee engagement lacks core features tailored to employee communications, such as interactive newsletters, easy-to-use email templates, or advanced internal tracking tools.

Overall, whether Salesforce Marketing Cloud is the right choice for your business depends on your specific needs. Let’s look at the pros and cons of using Salesforce for internal comms. 

Pros: Salesforce for internal communications 

Segmentation and limited personalization capabilities: Using Salesforce Marketing Cloud for internal communications offers basic segmentation tools that could be repurposed for internal communications. This allows for some targeting of messages to employee groups, though the system is primarily designed for external audiences.

Analytics features: Salesforce provides access analytics, which could potentially offer insights into internal email performance. However, these tools are primarily geared toward tracking external marketing efforts, so they may not provide the most relevant metrics for internal communication.

Integration with existing Salesforce systems: If your company already relies heavily on Salesforce, integrating Salesforce for internal communications could provide some convenience. This allows for a unified system to manage both external and internal messaging.

Scalability for larger companies: Salesforce Marketing Cloud is built to handle large-scale operations, which could be beneficial for companies with a large number of employees. Note though that this scalability was primarily designed with external campaigns in mind.

Cons: Salesforce for internal communications

Not designed for internal communications: While using Salesforce Marketing Cloud for employee engagement offers some benefits, It lacks tools like real-time feedback, pulse surveys, and the robust tracking needed to truly enhance the employee experience through Salesforce.

Complex setup and customization: Adapting Salesforce Marketing Cloud for internal comms requires significant customization and technical expertise. This complexity can make it difficult for internal communication teams to efficiently create and distribute employee messages without relying on IT support.

Steep learning curve: The platform’s powerful features come with a steep learning curve. Internal communication teams may find it time-consuming to learn and manage a tool that’s not built for their needs, slowing down workflows and hampering agility.

Costly for internal use: Salesforce Marketing Cloud is a premium tool with pricing that reflects its customer-facing capabilities. For internal communications, where specialized tools like ContactMonkey provide more tailored features at a lower cost, Salesforce may not offer the best return on investment.

Lack of integration: Salesforce for employee engagement requires workarounds without a robust selection of integrations that make for optimized internal email communications, surveys, and analytics. 

Unsubscribe option: In compliance with email regulations like CAN-SPAM and GDPR, emails sent through Salesforce should include an unsubscribe link at the bottom. This allows employees (or any recipients) to easily opt-out of future communications instead of having an internal comms manager choose which messages reach employees.

Should You Use Salesforce Marketing Cloud for Internal Communications?

Using Salesforce Marketing Cloud for internal communications is possible, but it may not be the most efficient or cost-effective option. Software specifically designed for internal communications, like ContactMonkey, is more cost-effective and tailored specifically for employee engagement, productivity, and retention. Below is a list of pros and cons of using an internal communications-specific tool.

Pros: ContactMonkey for internal communications

Designed specifically for internal communications: As an internal newsletter software solution, ContactMonkey is purpose-built for internal communications, making it easier to manage employee newsletters, track engagement, and ensure communications are reaching the right people.

Simple email creation: With its email builder, ContactMonkey allows internal communicators to quickly create visually appealing employee emails and newsletters without needing technical expertise.

Advanced analytics: ContactMonkey offers detailed analytics on employee engagement, including open rates, click rates, and read times, tailored specifically for internal communicators. This gives internal comms teams the data they need to optimize communications without being bogged down by unnecessary marketing metrics.

Employee feedback integration: ContactMonkey integrates employee feedback tools such as pulse surveys, emoji reactions, and comment boxes directly into email templates, making it easy to gather and track employee feedback in real-time.

Seamless integration with Outlook & Gmail: ContactMonkey integrates directly into widely-used email platforms like Outlook and Gmail, allowing internal communications teams to create and send employee emails without needing to switch platforms or deal with complex configurations.

🎁 BONUS: If you’re looking for more on whether to use an Outlook plugin or the web-based app for internal comms, our experts weigh in. Read this article to learn more! 

Multi-channel capabilities: In addition to email, ContactMonkey offers SMS communication functionality, allowing internal communicators to reach employees via multiple channels. This flexibility ensures that messages are seen, even by employees who may not be regularly checking their email.

User-friendly and quick to set up: ContactMonkey is easy to set up and use, with a minimal learning curve compared to Salesforce. This enables internal communication teams to start working on their internal communication campaigns almost immediately without the need for technical expertise or extensive training.

Cost-effective: For businesses focused on internal communication, ContactMonkey offers a more affordable solution tailored to internal comms needs, without the additional cost burden of external marketing features. 

🐒 PRO TIP: Try our ROI calculator if you’re looking to prove how much disengagement is costing you and how an internal comms tool can help you turn that around. 

Cons: ContactMonkey for Internal Communications 

Focused solely on internal communications: While ContactMonkey doesn’t offer external marketing tools like Salesforce, this focus on internal communications means all features are specifically designed to enhance employee engagement and communication. As an employee engagement software solution, ContactMonkey ensures that its tools are perfectly suited to the needs of internal comms teams, rather than being a generalized platform.

Analytics designed for action: While ContactMonkey’s analytics may not be as extensive as Salesforce’s advanced marketing metrics, they are specifically tailored to internal communication needs. The platform focuses on providing actionable insights on employee engagement and feedback—exactly what internal communicators need to measure the success of their initiatives.

Simplified customization: ContactMonkey’s user-friendly interface and straightforward customization options make it accessible for teams who don’t want to spend time learning a complex system. While it may not offer the deep customization of Salesforce, it’s perfectly suited for teams that prioritize ease of use and rapid deployment over complicated workflows.

Not built for ultra-complex structures: ContactMonkey is optimized for small to mid-sized organizations or larger companies with straightforward internal communications needs. While larger enterprises with highly complex internal structures may require additional customizations, ContactMonkey is designed to be scalable and effective for most businesses without the overwhelming complexity of other platforms.

SMS capabilities: Although ContactMonkey’s SMS functionality may not be as extensive as Salesforce’s SMS marketing tools, it’s perfectly designed for reaching employees quickly and effectively. It ensures that important internal messages get seen by the right people, particularly for mobile or remote workers, without the complexity of marketing-focused SMS platforms.

Salesforce Marketing Cloud vs ContactMonkey for Internal Communications: Which Should You Use?

Choosing the right platform for internal communications can make an impact on employee engagement, operational efficiency, and overall business success. The tools you select should not only streamline how messages are delivered but also ensure that communications are engaging, timely, and measurable. Plus, you’ll want to make sure the tool you choose can meet your internal communications goals. 

Now, time to decide – which tool is better for internal comms? 

Use Salesforce Marketing Cloud if:

• You already use Salesforce CRM and need an integrated system that manages both internal and external communications.
• Your organization has complex internal workflows that require multi-channel communication and journey-based automation.
• You have a large budget and can justify the cost of using Salesforce Marketing Cloud for both internal and external campaigns.
  

Use ContactMonkey if:

• Your primary focus is on internal communications, and you need a cost-effective, easy-to-use platform specifically tailored to internal comms.
• You want deep analytics on employee engagement and feedback but don’t need the advanced marketing features of Salesforce Marketing Cloud that end up being costly and complex to pull.
• You’re looking for seamless integration with email tools like Outlook or Gmail, which are already in use within your organization.
  

For most internal communication teams, especially those with simpler needs or tighter budgets, ContactMonkey is a more effective and specialized solution. Built specifically for internal communications, ContactMonkeyprovides intuitive tools and employee-centric features, such as pulse surveys, real-time feedback, and seamless integration with Outlook and Gmail. Salesforce for internal communications can’t offer robust features as simply or easily as other third-party solutions.

Why Implement an Internal Communications-Specific Tool?

In short, you can’t fit a square peg into a round hole.

This saying illustrates the inherent mismatch between purpose and function when using a tool for something it wasn’t designed to do. Just as a square peg will never fit seamlessly into a round hole, trying to adapt a marketing platform for internal communications often leads to inefficiencies and frustration. Marketing tools, like Salesforce Marketing Cloud, are built to manage customer engagement, sales pipelines, and external marketing campaigns. These tools excel in those areas but are not naturally equipped to handle the unique needs of internal communications, such as employee engagement tracking, real-time feedback, or simplified email creation for internal newsletters.

Forcing a marketing tool to behave like an internal comms platform often means compromising on features, adding unnecessary complexity, and making costly customizations just to get it to work adequately. This process can slow down internal teams, reduce efficiency, and ultimately lead to less effective communication with employees. 

Instead of trying to “force the fit,” it’s more practical to choose a tool that was designed with internal communications in mind—one that effortlessly supports the way employees interact with information and how organizations need to engage their workforce.

7 Reasons Why an Internal Comms Tool Outperforms Salesforce for Employee Engagement

Just like how you wouldn’t keep trying to push that square peg into a round hole, businesses shouldn’t try to make a marketing tool do the job of an internal communications platform when there are solutions that are specifically designed to do it better. Here, are 7 reasons why internal comm specific tools may work better than Salesforce Marketing Cloud for internal communications:

1. Internal comms tools are purpose-built for two-way communication

Unlike general marketing tools, internal communications platforms prioritize two-way communication between employees and the organization. These tools are designed to create channels where employees can not only receive information but also share feedback or respond to surveys. 

🐒 PRO TIP: Unlike Salesforce Marketing Cloud used for internal communications, which is primarily focused on one-way messaging to external audiences, ContactMonkey ensures that employee feedback is continuous and actionable.

2. Internal comms tools offer audience segmentation for different employee groups

Internal communication tools often come equipped with advanced content customization features that go beyond simple audience segmentation. Internal communications and email platforms can deliver tailored messages based on department, location, job role, or even individual preferences. This ensures that each message is relevant to the recipient, making internal campaigns more effective and personalized, leading to higher engagement rates.

3. Internal comms tools provide dedicated support for employee onboarding and training

Internal communication tools are uniquely positioned to assist in employee onboarding and training by delivering personalized learning materials, onboarding guides, and ongoing development resources. With the ability to automate these communications, internal comms tools ensure that new employees get the information they need when they need it, making the onboarding process smoother and more efficient.

4. Internal comms tools guarantee enhanced security for sensitive internal information

One of the biggest advantages of an internal communications-specific tool is the enhanced security it offers for handling sensitive employee and company information. These platforms are built with the understanding that internal data should remain confidential, offering stronger encryption and access controls compared to external marketing tools that focus more on customer data.

This is especially critical for organizations that need to comply with strict data protection regulations. 

🐒 PRO TIP: Salesforce is generally considered safe for internal security communication, but its effectiveness largely depends on how it’s configured and used within an organization. 

5. Internal comms tools enable automation with a focus on employee well-being

While many platforms offer automation, internal comms tools take it a step further by incorporating features that support employee well-being and help you effectively communicate about employee benefits. These might include automated pulse surveys to regularly check in on employee morale or wellness reminders. These automated touchpoints help maintain a supportive company culture without requiring manual intervention from internal comms teams.

🐒 PRO TIP: Using Salesforce Marketing Cloud for employee engagement lacks these well-being-focused automation features, as it is more geared toward marketing journeys rather than fostering a healthy internal workplace culture.

6. Internal comms tools offer specialized reporting for internal metrics

Internal communication tools offer reporting features designed around employee metrics, such as engagement with internal policies, attendance at internal events, or completion of mandatory training. This data helps internal comms teams track message delivery and the long-term impact of those communications on employee behavior and company culture.

7. Internal comms tools deliver streamlined crisis communication

When it comes to urgent or crisis communication, a dedicated internal comms tool can deliver real-time updates. Plus, it will ensure high-priority messages are seen by everyone in the organization. These platforms can manage communication hierarchies, sending alerts based on urgency and relevance, which is especially important for keeping employees informed during emergencies or major organizational changes.

🐒 PRO TIP: Using Salesforce to enhance the employee experience during a crisis may not work as intended. If communication channels within Salesforce aren’t configured for urgency, messages may not reach employees promptly. Further, relying solely on Salesforce for crisis comms may lead to fragmented messaging. 

Recap: How ContactMonkeySupports Your Internal Comms Practice 

After seeing the benefits of choosing a tool specifically designed for internal comms, what else can ContactMonkey do for you? Let’s recap:

• Two-way communication: ContactMonkey fosters two-way communication by integrating employee feedback directly into emails with pulse surveys, emoji reactions, and comment boxes, enabling interactive exchanges between employees and the organization.
• Content customization: With its segmentation and list management capabilities, communications are personalized to ensure relevance for each recipient, which significantly enhances employee engagement. What’s even better is that you can save time on content creation with the ChatGPT integration!
• Multi-language capabilities: ContactMonkey’s multi-language capabilities ensure that internal communications can be tailored to a diverse, global workforce. Internal comms teams can easily create and send emails in multiple languages, allowing employees to receive messages in their preferred language. 
  

When you implement a true internal comms tool at your organization, watch your levels of employee engagement increase with every initiative you deploy. Ready to get started? Book a free demo, today!