Marketing-Cloud-Email-Specialist Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Email Specialist (SP23) Questions and Answers

Mobile Aware is an email design technique that uses a single-column layout, large fonts, clear calls to action, and minimal images to optimize the email for mobile devices. Mobile Aware is the easiest and quickest way to create mobile-friendly emails, as it does not require any coding or media queries.

Journey Builder is a tool that allows marketers to create personalized, cross-channel customer journeys based on real-time behavior and data. Journey Builder can use a Recurring Entry Source to inject contacts from multiple data extensions into a journey on a daily basis. Journey Builder can also use Messaging and Flow Control Activities to send emails and mobile messages and control the timing and frequency of the communications.

 To update an email link’s URL after a send, you need to navigate to the Job Links tab in My Tracking and update the URL there. This will change the URL for all recipients who have not yet clicked on the link.

Utilizing exit criteria for the journey is a way to simplify the journey that has a decision split prior to every email send to remove certain subscribers from the journey. Exit criteria can define when contacts should exit the journey based on specific conditions, such as unsubscribing or making a purchase. This will eliminate the need for multiple decision splits on the journey canvas. [Source: Trailhead]

The action that the retailer should take to ensure deliverability is not impacted is to send to subscribers, asking for them to confirm opt-in1. Confirming opt-in is a best practice that helps the retailer maintain a clean and engaged email list, which can improve their email reputation and deliverability2. By asking subscribers to confirm their interest in receiving the loyalty series, the retailer can avoid sending unwanted or irrelevant emails that may result in spam complaints, unsubscribes, or low open rates. Confirming opt-in also helps the retailer comply with the CAN-SPAM Act and other privacy regulations that require consent from email recipients3.

Creating a new, friendly From Name for the updated program is not the correct answer, as it does not help with ensuring deliverability. While having a clear and recognizable From Name is important for branding and trust, it does not affect the deliverability of the email itself4. Moreover, changing the From Name too frequently or drastically may confuse or alienate subscribers who are used to seeing a consistent sender identity.

Purging inactive subscribers to avoid high bounce rates is also not the correct answer, as it does not help with ensuring deliverability. While removing invalid or non-existent email addresses from the list can reduce bounce rates, it does not address the issue of subscriber engagement or consent. Purging inactive subscribers may also result in losing potential customers who may still be interested in the retailer’s products or services, but have not opened or clicked on their emails recently. A better approach is to segment and target inactive subscribers with re-engagement campaigns that offer incentives or value propositions to renew their interest. References := 1: Email Deliverability Best Practices for Email Studio - Salesforce 2: Email Deliverability in Salesforce: Ensuring Successful Email Campaigns 3: CAN-SPAM Compliance System Guide - Salesforce 4: Marketing Cloud Deliverability Options - Salesforce : How You Can Keep Email Subscribers Engaged | Salesforce : Build and Analyze Customer Journeys using Marketing Cloud … - Salesforce

 Content Builder > Recent Sends is the correct answer. This option allows you to view the delivery rate and other metrics of the most recent email sends from your business unit. You can also drill down into each send to see more details, such as the number of delivered, bounced, opened, or clicked emails. Automation Studio > Activities is not a valid option, as this option only shows the status and schedule of your automation activities, not the metrics of your email sends. Email Studio > Overview is not a valid option either, as this option only shows the summary and trend of your email performance across all business units, not the specific metrics of your recent email sends. You can learn more about this in the [Email Reporting Tools] module on Trailhead.

 Creating the data extension as ‘Is Testable’ is the option that ensures the data extension appears as a Recipient Test Data Extension in the Test Send menu. This option allows the marketer to use the data extension for testing purposes only, and not for actual sends. Saving the data extension in the Test Folder or associating it to the Campaign does not affect its availability for test sends.

Overwrite is the best import option to ensure the data extension only contains currently active customers, as it deletes all existing records in the data extension and replaces them with the new records from the import file. This ensures that only customers who are included in the daily feed remain in the data extension. Append or Add and Update would not work for this scenario, as they would either add new records without deleting old ones or update existing records without deleting old ones.

A key differentiator to get a dedicated IP rather than using a shared one is sending volume. If you send more than 250,000 emails per month, you should use a dedicated IP to ensure better deliverability and reputation. A dedicated IP means that only your emails are sent from that IP address, so you have full control over your sender reputation

 Interactive Email Form block is the content block that the team should use to capture information directly from the inbox for some subscribers. Interactive Email Form block allows marketers to create forms within emails that can be filled out and submitted by subscribers without leaving their email clients. The form data can then be stored in a data extension for future use. Smart Capture block is used to create forms within landing pages, not within emails. Einstein Content block is used to display personalized content based on subscriber behavior and preferences, not to capture information from subscribers.

Create CloudPages to collect and subscribe users is the correct answer. CloudPages is a feature that allows you to create web pages and landing pages using Marketing Cloud tools and data. You can use CloudPages to collect information from users who visit your pages from social channels, such as Facebook or Twitter, and subscribe them to your email lists or data extensions. You can also use CloudPages to create preference centers, profile centers, or unsubscribe pages for your email subscribers. You can learn more about this in the [CloudPages Basics] module on Trailhead.

After the file import, using the filter activity to populate shared data extensions that are available to child BUs is the best option to ensure data is available at the child BU level. This way, the parent level BU can import the data once and then filter it based on the criteria for each child BU. The child BUs can then access the shared data extensions without having access to the parent level BU. Using the transfer file activity to move data into data extensions in child BUs would require creating separate files for each child BU and transferring them individually. Creating automations that import the data directly into the child BUs would bypass the parent level BU, but it would also duplicate the import process for each child BU.

The email address has not been updated in All Subscribers is the correct answer. All Subscribers is the master list of subscribers in Marketing Cloud, and it stores the email address, subscriber key, and status for each subscriber. If a subscriber changes their email address, it needs to be updated in All Subscribers as well as in any other data extensions or lists that store the subscriber information. Otherwise, Marketing Cloud will still send emails to the old address stored in All Subscribers. You can learn more about this in the Manage Subscribers module on Trailhead.

The configuration that should help with limiting a spike in volume to the website is Send Throttle1. Send Throttle allows you to specify the number of emails to send per hour, which can help you control the traffic to your website and avoid overwhelming your server or exceeding your bandwidth limit2. By using Send Throttle, you can also improve your email deliverability and avoid being flagged as spam by ISPs that monitor sudden spikes in email volume3.

Sender Authentication Package is not the correct answer, as it does not help with limiting a spike in volume to the website. Sender Authentication Package is a feature that helps you authenticate your email sender identity and domain, which can improve your email reputation and deliverability4. However, it does not affect the rate or timing of your email sends.

Web Collect Sign-Up Form is also not the correct answer, as it does not help with limiting a spike in volume to the website. Web Collect Sign-Up Form is a feature that helps you collect email subscribers from your website, which can increase your email list size and engagement. However, it does not affect the rate or timing of your email sends. References := 1: Send Throttle - Salesforce 2: Marketing Cloud Email Specialist Certification Guide & Tips 3: Email limitations in marketing cloud - Salesforce Developer Community 4: Sender Authentication Package - Salesforce : Web Collect Code Samples - Salesforce

File transfer is the activity that is missing from the automation. File transfer is used to move files from one location to another, such as from Marketing Cloud to an SFTP server. Without this activity, the data extract will create a .csv file in Marketing Cloud, but it will not send it to the SFTP server. Fire event is used to trigger a journey or an automation from another automation. Import file is used to import data from a file into a data extension.

 Einstein Engagement Frequency is a feature that uses artificial intelligence to analyze subscriber engagement data and determine the optimal number of emails to send to each subscriber per week. Marketers can use Einstein Engagement Frequency to segment subscribers based on their engagement frequency range and target them with personalized email campaigns.

 Based on Subscriber Preview List or Data Extension is a Preview & Test Content Personalization option that allows marketers to preview how an email will look for different subscribers based on their personalization attributes and dynamic content rules. Marketers can select a list or data extension that contains the subscribers they want to preview, and then use the arrows or search function to navigate through the different previews.

Einstein Messaging Insights provides warnings and advice automatically about email sends using artificial intelligence. It analyzes email performance data and identifies issues and opportunities for improvement. Einstein Copy Insights is a tool that helps generate and optimize email subject lines using natural language processing. Einstein Email Recommendations is a tool that helps deliver personalized product recommendations based on customer behavior and preferences.

Publication List is an object that allows marketers to use Marketing Cloud’s Subscription Center to let subscribers control which types of emails they do not want to receive. Publication Lists can be associated with different types of emails, such as newsletters or promotions, and subscribers can opt out of individual lists without unsubscribing from all emails. Suppression Lists and Exclusion Lists are used to exclude subscribers from receiving certain emails, but they do not allow subscribers to manage their preferences in the Subscription Center. [Source: Trailhead]

Data Filter is a tool that allows marketers to create filtered data extensions based on criteria without writing SQL queries. Data Filter can also provide a quick count of records that match the criteria before creating the filtered data extension. [Source: Trailhead]

 User Initiated Send is the method that the specialist should use. User Initiated Send is a feature that allows you to create and send an email message to one or more data extensions or lists at any time. You can also schedule the send for a future date and time or set it to recur at regular intervals. You can use this feature to automate sending the weekly newsletter to subscribers in one data extension and a partner seed list. Multi-Step Journey is not necessary if you only want to send one email message without any other journey activities. Automation Studio Email Activity is not suitable if you want to send to a partner seed list, as it only supports data extensions as sendable audiences.

If you import an encrypted file of subscriber data, you need to configure Field-Level Encryption in the import file activity. This allows you to specify which fields are encrypted and how to decrypt them. The Manage Files in File Transfer activity is used to move files from one location to another, not to import them. The character encoding setting is used to ensure the correct display of characters in different languages, not to decrypt encrypted data. You can learn more about this in the Importing Data into Marketing Cloud module on Trailhead.

The originally approved version of the email will be sent if the approval is withdrawn after scheduling the send. The withdrawal of approval does not affect the scheduled send, unless the marketer cancels or reschedules it manually. [Source: Trailhead]

Journey Builder is the tool that allows marketers to create and manage customer journeys across multiple channels and touchpoints. Journey Builder can also perform A/B testing and random splits to test different versions of messages and paths. [Source: Trailhead]

 Using Automation Studio to query a population into a data extension is the optimal segmentation process that NTO should use to ensure only Platinum members receive the journey emails. This will reduce the size of the data extension and improve the performance of the journey. Using Filter Contacts criteria or a Decision Split activity will still load all loyalty members into the journey, which is inefficient and unnecessary. [Source: Trailhead]

 To import the Not Sent extract into a data extension, you need to use three activities in Automation Studio: a tracking extract activity to generate the extract file, a file transfer activity to move the file to the import folder, and an import activity to import the file into a data extension.

Implementing an SAP with Private Domain and a Dedicated IP is the best action to ensure NTO’s sending reputation remains intact, as it allows NTO to have full control over its sender authentication and IP reputation. A private domain enables SPF and DKIM authentication, which helps to verify the sender’s identity and prevent spoofing. A dedicated IP isolates NTO’s sending volume and reputation from other customers, which reduces the risk of being affected by their sending practices. Requesting three dedicated IPs or a private domain alone would not provide the same level of protection as an SAP.

 A data retention policy allows you to automatically delete records from a data extension based on a specified time period. This feature can help you maintain a data extension’s records and comply with data privacy regulations

Automation Notification Settings allow marketers to configure email notifications for automation activities, such as data imports, data exports, or SQL queries. Marketers can choose to receive notifications for all activities, only failed activities, or none. [Source: Trailhead]

An Import Activity is a type of automation activity that can be used to import data from an external source into a data extension. It supports various file transfer protocols, including Amazon S3 buckets. An Import Activity can be configured to run on a schedule or triggered by an event.

 If you want to ensure the exclusion is updated before the audience query runs, you should place the audience SQL Query Activity in a step after the exclusion SQL Query Activity. This way, the exclusion query will run first and update the data extension with the subscribers who should be excluded from the send. Then, the audience query will run and pull the subscribers who meet the criteria for the send, excluding those who were filtered out by the previous query. Placing a wait step between them or placing them in the same step will not guarantee that they will run in the correct order. You can learn more about this in the [Automation Studio Basics] module on Trailhead.

One of the best practices to increase email subscribers is to collect emails at offline activities, including in stores1. This way, NTO can capture the interest of potential customers who are already engaged with their brand and products. NTO can also offer incentives, such as discounts or freebies, to encourage customers to sign up for their email list. By collecting emails at offline activities, NTO can build a permission-based and relevant email list that can improve their deliverability and engagement rates.

Sending an SMS to NTO’s entire customer database with a link to subscribe is not a good practice, as it may violate the consent and privacy laws of different countries2. Moreover, sending an SMS to customers who have not opted in for SMS communication may annoy them and damage NTO’s reputation. NTO should only send SMS messages to customers who have explicitly agreed to receive them and provide them with an easy way to opt out.

Sending an email to NTO’s entire customer database asking for referrals is also not a good practice, as it may result in spam complaints and unsubscribes3. Asking for referrals should be done in a targeted and personalized way, based on the customer’s behavior and preferences. NTO should also provide incentives and clear instructions for customers who want to refer their friends and family to NTO’s email list. References := 1: Optimizing Marketing Cloud: Best Practices for Managing Inactive Accounts - Salesforce 2: How You Can Keep Email Subscribers Engaged | Salesforce 3: Email Marketing Best Practices - Salesforce.com

The correct answer is B because bounced contacts from previous sends are excluded from future sends by default, unless they are reactivated. DoNotTrack preferences only affect tracking data, not sending. Suppressed contacts from contact deletion are not relevant because the data extension contains the audience for the send.

 Verification Activity is the correct answer. This activity allows you to set criteria for an automation to run successfully or fail based on data counts or validation errors. For example, you can use a verification activity to check if the file size or the number of records in a file is greater than zero before processing it. This can help prevent empty files or data points from being imported or processed by your automation. Wait Activity is not a valid option, as this activity only allows you to pause an automation for a specific duration or until a specific date or time. Skip Automation is not a valid option either, as this option only allows you to skip an automation if it is already running when it is scheduled to run again. You can learn more about this in the Automation Studio Basics module on Trailhead.

Data filters are low-code tools that can be used to create segments based on criteria applied to data extensions. They can be used to filter subscribers by age, opt-in status, or any other attribute. Filtering the .csv file before import is not a low-code option, and writing a query is a code-based option.

 Removing the bounced addresses before the next send is a best practice to uphold the sender reputation and avoid being marked as spam. Bounce rates above 10% are considered high and can negatively affect the deliverability and engagement of email campaigns. [Source: Trailhead]

 The ‘Optimize for Gmail’ checkbox is not related to the interactive form, but to the email layout and rendering. The characters in the CSS tags are limited to 16kB for all email clients, not just Gmail. The fallback content is the only option that ensures the interactive form displays correctly in Gmail, as it provides an alternative content for email clients that do not support interactive forms. You can learn more about this in the Interactive Email Form module on Trailhead.

To be notified of any abnormal subscriber behavior with its ‘Weekly Deal email, you should use Einstein Messaging Insights. This feature provides notification badges to alert you of any performance issues or opportunities with your email campaigns. You can see how your emails are performing compared to your historical averages and benchmarks, and get recommendations on how to improve your results.

 Auto Suppression List is the correct answer. An auto suppression list is a list of subscribers who should not receive certain types of emails, such as promotional or transactional emails. Auto suppression lists can be applied at the sender profile level or at the send classification level. If a subscriber is on an auto suppression list that is applied to a triggered send, they will not receive the email, even if they are in the target data extension. The _subscribers data view will show their status as ‘Held’ for that sender profile or send classification. You can learn more about this in the Manage Subscribers module on Trailhead.

Email Overlay View is the area of the application that should provide the data on link performance for a specific email, including Total Clicks and Unique Clicks. Email Overlay View shows a visual representation of your email with metrics for each link, such as how many times it was clicked, by whom, and when. You can access Email Overlay View from the Tracking tab by selecting an email send and clicking on View Email Overlay. Send Performance Tab shows metrics for an email send, such as Sent, Delivered, Opens, Clicks, etc., but not for each link. Tracking Conversions Tab shows metrics for conversions that occurred as a result of an email send, such as purchases, sign-ups, downloads, etc., but not for each link.

Send Throttling is a feature that allows marketers to control the speed and volume of email delivery over a period of time. Send Throttling can help marketers avoid overwhelming their subscribers’ inboxes or their own website servers with too many emails at once. Send Throttling can be configured by specifying the number of emails to send per hour or per day.

Tracking Extracts are a type of data extract activity that allows marketers to export tracking data from Marketing Cloud to an external system, such as a dashboard or a data warehouse. Tracking Extracts can be configured to include various types of tracking data, such as email sends, opens, clicks, bounces, unsubscribes, etc. Tracking Extracts can be combined with a File Transfer activity and an Automation Studio workflow to transfer the extracted file to the desired location on a daily basis.

 Test sends are not recorded on the Send Log Data Extension is the correct answer. A Send Log Data Extension is a data extension that captures information about each email send, such as subscriber key, email name, subject line, send date, etc. However, test sends are not recorded on the Send Log Data Extension, as they are not considered actual sends. Test sends are used to preview and test how your email will look for different subscribers before sending it to your target audience. The send exceeded the maximum test send threshold is not a valid reason, as there is no such limit for test sends in Marketing Cloud. A subscriber was not selected in the Subscriber Preview tab is not a valid reason either, as this option only affects how you preview your email content, not how you record your test send information. You can learn more about this in the [Email Testing Tools] module on Trailhead.

 Auto-Suppression lists are lists of subscribers who should not receive certain types of emails, such as promotional or transactional emails. Auto-Suppression lists can be configured for different send classifications, such as Commercial or Transactional, and can be applied to specific sender profiles or the entire account. By configuring an Auto-Suppression list for the Commercial classification, the marketer can ensure that the group of subscribers will not receive any promotional emails sent with that classification.

 A sender profile is the correct answer. A sender profile is a setting that allows you to configure the from name, from email, and reply email for a send. You can also specify a specific IP address and a subdomain to use for your sender profile. This way, you can send your transactional emails from a different IP address and subdomain than your promotional emails, which can help improve your deliverability and reputation. You can learn more about this in the Email Creation and Sending module on Trailhead.