This year’s Dreamforce has served as a tremendous showcase of innovation and technology, kicked off by Monday’s release of the new Salesforce1. However, one of the most anticipated announcements has been the product keynote on the future of the Salesforce ExactTarget Marketing Cloud.

As the newest member of the Salesforce family, ExactTarget and Salesforce Marketing Cloud CEO Scott Dorsey took the stage with something to prove… and he delivered.

Over the course of the hour long keynote, Dorsey showcased a number of new or redeveloped marketing tools, but he also tied each tool into five guiding principles for marketers looking to lead the internet of customers.

1. Companies need one cohesive view of the customer

Customer data has been siloed and segmented far too long. We have arrived at the age of big data and companies need to start compiling all the data they have for each customer or prospect to deliver exceptional, personalized experiences.

2. Companies need to be connected

As consumers spread their digital lives across an increasing number of channels and devices, companies need to make sure that their marketing is always on, cross channel, and easily accessible. Customers are engaging with companies on their terms, and marketers need to quickly tailor brand experiences to match.

3. Companies need to be a part of the customer journey

70% of the buying cycle is already completed by the time a customer contacts a company, but that doesn’t mean your company can’t be involved in shaping the customer's journey. Marketers need to develop relevant campaigns designed to guide customers to a purchasing decision.

4. Content needs to be personalized and responsive

Batch and blast messaging has already become a thing of the past. The new breed of marketing is agile and dynamic, delivering tailored content that is personalized to each customer at a one to one level.

5. Creativity is the only limit

With such unprecedented access to the buyer’s journey and the Marketing Cloud’s endless customization abilities, there is really no limit to the depth and scope of campaigns marketers can create. It's time for marketers to dream big again and raise the bar in every industry.

The expectations for the new ExactTarget Marketing Cloud were extremely high going into this weeks dreamforce conference, and Dorsey was able to meet and surpass those expectations by focusing not only on how salesforce plans to deliver better products, but how they plan on creating better marketers.

Learn more about the customer company and the Marketing Cloud with this free ebook below.