Summary

Security is mandatory. Beyond that, select criteria relevant to your product and customer expectations: Your auditor will request evidence for each control and conduct interviews with key personnel. The audit typically takes 4–8 weeks. At the end, you receive: - Treating it as a one-time project – SOC 2 requires ongoing maintenance and annual re-certification

SOC 2 Compliance for Marketing Software: A Complete Guide to Getting Certified

If you build or sell marketing software—whether it’s an email automation platform, CRM, analytics tool, or ad management solution—SOC 2 compliance is no longer optional. Enterprise buyers expect it, procurement teams demand it, and sales cycles stall without it. This guide walks you through exactly how to get SOC 2 certified for your marketing software company, from understanding the framework to closing your first audit.

What Is SOC 2 and Why Does It Matter for Marketing Software?

SOC 2 (System and Organization Controls 2) is an auditing standard developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). It evaluates how a company manages customer data based on five Trust Service Criteria (TSC):

Security (required)
Availability
Processing Integrity
Confidentiality
Privacy

Marketing software companies handle enormous volumes of sensitive data: contact lists, behavioral data, purchase histories, email addresses, and sometimes payment information. This makes SOC 2 especially relevant—and especially scrutinized by enterprise clients.

A SOC 2 report signals to prospects that your platform takes data protection seriously. It removes a major objection in B2B sales conversations and is increasingly a hard requirement for selling into mid-market and enterprise accounts.

SOC 2 Type I vs. Type II: Which One Do You Need?

Before starting the process, understand the difference between the two report types:

SOC 2 Type I

Evaluates whether your controls are designed appropriately at a single point in time
Faster to obtain (typically 2–4 months)
Useful for early-stage companies that need something on paper quickly
Less trusted by sophisticated buyers

SOC 2 Type II

Evaluates whether your controls operated effectively over a period of time (usually 6–12 months)
Takes longer but carries significantly more weight
Required by most enterprise procurement teams
The gold standard for marketing software vendors

Recommendation: If you’re selling to enterprise clients or handling large volumes of personal data, aim for SOC 2 Type II. Many companies start with Type I to demonstrate commitment while the observation period for Type II runs in parallel.

Step-by-Step: How to Get SOC 2 for Your Marketing Software

Step 1: Define Your Scope

Scoping is the most critical—and most commonly mishandled—step. Your scope defines which systems, services, and teams fall under the audit.

For marketing software companies, this typically includes:

Your core application infrastructure (cloud hosting, databases, APIs)
Data ingestion and processing pipelines
Third-party integrations (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot, Google Ads APIs)
Internal tools that access customer data
Engineering, DevOps, and customer support teams

Narrow your scope where possible. A tightly defined scope reduces audit complexity and cost without sacrificing credibility—as long as it accurately represents the service your customers are buying.

Step 2: Choose Your Trust Service Criteria

Security is mandatory. Beyond that, select criteria relevant to your product and customer expectations:

Availability – If uptime SLAs are a selling point, include this
Confidentiality – If you store proprietary marketing data or trade secrets
Privacy – If you process personal data under GDPR, CCPA, or similar regulations (highly recommended for most marketing platforms)

Step 3: Conduct a Readiness Assessment (Gap Analysis)

Before bringing in an auditor, assess where you currently stand. A gap analysis compares your existing controls against SOC 2 requirements and identifies what needs to be built or documented.

Common gaps found in marketing software companies:

No formal access control policy or review process
Lack of vendor management documentation for third-party integrations
Missing incident response plan
Inadequate logging and monitoring
No formal risk assessment process
Undocumented change management procedures

This is where having pre-built policy templates dramatically accelerates your timeline.

Step 4: Implement Required Controls and Policies

Based on your gap analysis, build out the controls you’re missing. This phase is the most time-intensive and covers:

Technical Controls:

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) across all systems
Encryption at rest and in transit
Intrusion detection and monitoring
Vulnerability scanning and penetration testing
Automated access provisioning and de-provisioning

Administrative Controls:

Information security policy
Acceptable use policy
Risk assessment and management process
Vendor/third-party risk management program
Business continuity and disaster recovery plan
Incident response procedures

Operational Controls:

Regular security awareness training
Background checks for employees with data access
Periodic access reviews
Change management process documentation

Step 5: Select a SOC 2 Auditor (CPA Firm)

Only licensed CPA firms can issue SOC 2 reports. Choose a firm with experience auditing SaaS companies—ideally those familiar with marketing technology infrastructure.

When evaluating auditors, consider:

Experience with cloud-native SaaS environments
Familiarity with your tech stack (AWS, GCP, Azure)
Transparent pricing (typically $15,000–$50,000+ for Type II)
Timeline and communication expectations
References from similar-sized software companies

Well-known firms in the SaaS space include Johanson Group, Prescient Assurance, A-LIGN, and Schellman.

Step 6: Consider a Compliance Automation Platform

Compliance platforms like Vanta, Drata, Tugboat Logic, or Secureframe can significantly reduce the manual burden of SOC 2 preparation. They:

Continuously monitor your technical controls
Collect evidence automatically
Integrate with your cloud providers and SaaS tools
Provide audit-ready dashboards

These tools don’t replace your auditor, but they dramatically reduce the time your team spends gathering evidence during the audit.

Step 7: Run Your Observation Period (Type II)

For SOC 2 Type II, your auditor will observe your controls operating over a defined period—typically 6 to 12 months. During this time:

Maintain consistent execution of all documented policies
Log all security incidents and how they were handled
Conduct and document access reviews
Perform and document your risk assessment
Keep vendor reviews and security training records current

Pro tip: Treat the observation period like the audit is already happening. Auditors will request evidence of what you actually did—not what you planned to do.

Step 8: Undergo the Audit and Receive Your Report

Your auditor will request evidence for each control and conduct interviews with key personnel. The audit typically takes 4–8 weeks. At the end, you receive:

A SOC 2 Type II report
An opinion letter from the auditor
A list of any exceptions or findings

Most companies share a redacted version of this report with prospects under NDA. Some post a summary or “trust page” publicly.

How Long Does SOC 2 Take for a Marketing Software Company?

Phase	Estimated Timeline
Scoping and gap analysis	2–4 weeks
Control implementation	1–3 months
Observation period (Type II)	6–12 months
Audit fieldwork	4–8 weeks
Total (Type II)	9–18 months

SOC 2 Type I can be completed in 3–6 months total, making it a viable option if you need something in hand quickly.

Common Mistakes Marketing Software Companies Make

Scoping too broadly – Including every internal tool and team inflates cost and complexity
Treating it as a one-time project – SOC 2 requires ongoing maintenance and annual re-certification
Skipping the gap analysis – Going straight to an auditor without preparation leads to expensive surprises
Underdocumenting policies – Controls that aren’t documented don’t count
Neglecting vendor risk – Marketing platforms rely heavily on third-party APIs; each one needs to be assessed

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does SOC 2 cost for a marketing software company?

Total costs typically range from $30,000 to $100,000+ for a Type II audit, depending on company size, scope complexity, and whether you use a compliance automation tool. Audit fees alone run $15,000–$50,000. Factor in staff time, tooling, and any remediation work needed before the audit.

Do we need SOC 2 if we already have ISO 27001?

They overlap significantly but serve different markets. ISO 27001 is more common in Europe; SOC 2 is the standard US enterprise buyers expect. If you’re targeting North American enterprise clients, SOC 2 is typically required regardless of other certifications.

Can a startup get SOC 2 certified?

Yes. Many early-stage SaaS companies pursue SOC 2 as part of their go-to-market strategy. Starting with Type I is common for startups that need something quickly while building toward Type II. The key is having documented policies and consistent processes—even at a small scale.

What happens if we have findings in our SOC 2 report?

Findings (called “exceptions”) are common and don’t automatically disqualify you from sharing your report. Auditors note the exception, and you can explain the remediation steps you’ve taken. Persistent or critical findings, however, can raise red flags with enterprise buyers.

How often do we need to renew SOC 2?

SOC 2 reports cover a specific observation period and are typically renewed annually. Most companies run overlapping 12-month observation periods to maintain continuous coverage and always have a current report available for prospects.

Start Your SOC 2 Journey with Ready-to-Use Templates

The fastest way to close your compliance gap is to start with professionally written, audit-ready policy templates designed specifically for SaaS and marketing software companies.

Our SOC 2 Compliance Template Bundle includes everything you need to get audit-ready faster:

Information Security Policy
Incident Response Plan
Risk Assessment Template
Vendor Management Policy
Access Control and Review Procedures
Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plan
Security Awareness Training Documentation
And more—fully editable and mapped to SOC 2 Trust Service Criteria

Skip months of drafting from scratch. Our templates are built by compliance professionals who have guided SaaS companies through successful SOC 2 audits.

👉 [Download the SOC 2 Template Bundle Today] and accelerate your path to certification.