Recently, Bluewolf consultants were named among the first in the world to successfully complete the Radian6 Accredited Professional program from ExactTarget Marketing Cloud. Having completed the program myself, I want to provide an overview of the requirements along with my best tips for digital marketing professionals interested in mastering the world’s leading social listening platform.

Accreditation Requirements

At present, this is a pilot program. Anyone currently employed by an ExactTarget Marketing Cloud partner is eligible to participate. Participating organizations must be in the Marketing Cloud Digital Services Alliance, Marketing Cloud Channel Partner Program, or Marketing Cloud Agency Program.  

The first step is to complete five training modules. Each module is designed to be completed in one week, but participants can work at their own pace, as long as they complete the work within a three month period. The modules are as follows:

Module 1: Social Media Fundamentals
This first module covers how Radian6 supports business objectives and social strategy.

Module 2: Analysis Dashboard
Here, the participant is presented with a step-by-step overview of how to navigate the dashboard, configure topic profiles, keyword groups, and widgets following best practices. Designing business specific workspaces and insights packages are also covered.

Module 3: Reporting
This module encompasses fundamentals for creating and customizing reports in the platform, as well as utilizing the Excel Add-In.

Module 4: Engagement Console
This presents an overview on configuring, navigating, and optimizing the tool for a variety of use cases. Creating macros, assigning workflow and creating playbooks are also covered.

Module 5: Super-Users
Finally, this gives an overview of role hierarchy within Radian6, applying permissions and creating workspaces for a variety of different organizational structures.

Once the five modules are complete, participants must take the accreditation exam and pass with a score of 100%. There are three parts to the exam that must be submitted to the Marketing Cloud training team for evaluation:

Written Exam: Short answer questions designed to test your knowledge of the platform. The are no multiple choice questions, which means you are forced to highlight your knowledge in your own words.

Topic Profile Configuration: Participants must design a topic profile of their choice and configure a variety of widgets on the analysis dashboard for review.

Recorded Sessions: Candidates must perform multiple complex tasks inside Radian6 and record each session for evaluation. The recording should be no longer than 30 minutes in length.

Tips for Success

1. The accreditation is designed for professionals that have advanced knowledge of the Radian6 platform. Each Bluewolf consultant that achieved accreditation had a minimum of 1-2 years practical experience using the tool for client deliverables. If you do not feel confident teaching a client how to use the Analysis Dashboard, Engagement Console and Summary Dashboard, master these skills prior to seeking accreditation.
2. Familiarize yourself with the daily tasks and workflow that community managers execute on a daily basis using a social media management platform. This will help you master the subtle yet exact art of the Engagement Console. Create your own ecosystem in the sandbox and demo your solution with a colleague that isn’t familiar with the platform.
3. Create a script and time yourself to ensure you cover the fundamentals of Radian6 in the allotted time. Be sure to have a comprehensive understanding of each and every icon tab, and cog living inside the Analysis Dashboard. Pay special attention to all the features available for configuring widgets.
4. Build a solution design in a workbook and create a playbook for a mock client. The key to success lies in proving you can teach a novice how to use Radian6 and implement a solution design at the enterprise level.
5. Manage your personal social networks in the Engagement Console to gain hands on experience using the tools inside the Workflow and Posting Palettes. Create your own macros and build your own stacks to suit your needs.
6. Set a weekly meeting with your team to create mock topic profiles and share your solution design with colleagues. This will help you focus on best practices in a non-threatening environment.

The Radian6 Accreditation program provides the essential knowledge and skills required to create sophisticated solution designs for a variety of different use cases. Whether you are implementing a social customer service solution, building a community management team for listening to social conversations, or monitoring brand health, becoming a Radian6 accredited professional will benefit your personal brand, organization and client work.

Finally, I am not the only Radian6 accredited professional at Bluewolf. I’d like to congratulate my colleagues Mike Rogan, Bob Furniss, Alex Brooks, and Ardie Worsley for being a part of a select group of subject matter experts in the world recognized for their expertise in the platform. If you're interested in learning more about Radian6 or other solutions, contact us to connect with our marketing services experts.