Summary

You don’t need to include all five TSC categories. Security (the Common Criteria) is mandatory. For marketing software, you should strongly consider adding:

SOC 2 Step by Step for Marketing Software: A Complete Implementation Guide

Marketing software companies handle some of the most sensitive data in the business world — customer contact lists, behavioral data, campaign analytics, and often direct integrations with CRM systems. If you’re building or scaling a marketing platform, achieving SOC 2 compliance isn’t just a checkbox exercise. It’s a competitive differentiator that enterprise buyers increasingly require before signing contracts.

This guide walks you through the SOC 2 process step by step, tailored specifically to the realities of marketing software companies.

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

SOC 2 (System and Organization Controls 2) is an auditing framework developed by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA). It evaluates how a service organization manages customer data based on five Trust Services Criteria (TSC): Security, Availability, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality, and Privacy.

For marketing software specifically, the stakes are high because your platform likely:

Stores personally identifiable information (PII) for millions of contacts
Integrates with third-party data sources and advertising platforms
Processes behavioral tracking data and cookies
Provides API access to customer systems

Enterprise clients in regulated industries — healthcare, finance, and education — will often require a SOC 2 Type II report before onboarding your platform. Without it, you’re locked out of a significant portion of the market.

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

Before diving into the steps, understand the two report types:

SOC 2 Type I evaluates whether your controls are designed appropriately at a single point in time. It’s faster (typically 2–3 months) and less expensive. Good for early-stage companies that need to show initial compliance posture.

SOC 2 Type II evaluates whether your controls operated effectively over a period of time, typically 6–12 months. This is what enterprise buyers actually want to see. Most marketing software companies will eventually need Type II to win serious deals.

Step 1: Define Your Scope

Scoping is the most critical — and most commonly rushed — step in the process. Your scope defines which systems, services, and data flows will be included in the audit.

For marketing software, your scope typically includes:

Your core application infrastructure (cloud hosting, databases, APIs)
Email sending infrastructure and deliverability systems
Analytics and tracking pipelines
Customer data storage and segmentation engines
Third-party integrations (Salesforce, HubSpot, Meta Ads, etc.)
Internal access controls and employee systems

Pro tip: Narrow your scope strategically. If certain legacy systems or internal tools are not customer-facing, consider whether they need to be included. A tighter scope means a faster, cheaper audit — but don’t exclude systems that genuinely touch customer data.

Step 2: Choose Your Trust Services Criteria

You don’t need to include all five TSC categories. Security (the Common Criteria) is mandatory. For marketing software, you should strongly consider adding:

Confidentiality — because you’re storing proprietary contact lists and campaign data
Privacy — especially if you process data subject to GDPR, CCPA, or CAN-SPAM
Availability — if your platform has uptime SLAs that clients depend on for campaign execution

Processing Integrity is optional but worth including if your platform automates financial transactions or lead scoring with business-critical outcomes.

Step 3: Conduct a Readiness Assessment (Gap Analysis)

Before engaging an auditor, perform an internal gap analysis to identify where your current controls fall short. This prevents expensive surprises during the formal audit.

Key areas to assess for marketing software companies:

Access Control

Do you enforce role-based access to customer data?
Is multi-factor authentication (MFA) required for all internal systems?
Do you have a formal offboarding process when employees leave?

Data Encryption

Is customer data encrypted at rest and in transit?
Are API keys and credentials stored securely (not hardcoded)?

Vendor Management

Have you assessed the security posture of your own third-party integrations?
Do you have data processing agreements (DPAs) with sub-processors?

Incident Response

Do you have a documented incident response plan?
Have you tested it in the last 12 months?

Change Management

Do you have a formal process for reviewing and approving code changes before deployment?

Document every gap you find. Each one becomes a remediation task before your audit window opens.

Step 4: Remediate Gaps and Build Your Control Environment

This is where the real work happens. Based on your gap analysis, you’ll need to implement or formalize controls across multiple domains.

Common remediation tasks for marketing software companies include:

Implementing a vulnerability scanning and patch management program
Establishing formal security awareness training for all employees
Creating and enforcing a data classification policy
Setting up centralized logging and monitoring (SIEM tools like Datadog or Splunk)
Documenting your software development lifecycle (SDLC) policies
Configuring automated alerts for unauthorized access attempts
Establishing a formal risk assessment process

Don’t try to build everything from scratch. Policy templates and control frameworks can dramatically accelerate this phase.

Step 5: Select a Qualified Auditor (CPA Firm)

SOC 2 audits must be conducted by a licensed CPA firm. Not all auditors have experience with SaaS companies, so choose one that understands cloud-native marketing platforms.

When evaluating auditors, ask:

Have you audited other marketing or SaaS companies?
What does your audit timeline look like for Type II?
Do you offer readiness assessment services?
What evidence collection tools do you use?

Expect to pay between $15,000 and $50,000 for a Type II audit, depending on scope complexity and auditor reputation.

Step 6: Open Your Audit Window and Collect Evidence

For Type II, your auditor will define an observation period (usually 6–12 months). During this time, you need to consistently operate your controls and collect evidence that proves it.

Evidence types commonly requested include:

Access control logs and user provisioning records
Security training completion certificates
Penetration test reports
Change management tickets and approvals
Incident response records
Vendor risk assessment documentation
System configuration screenshots

Use a compliance automation platform (Vanta, Drata, Secureframe) to streamline evidence collection. These tools integrate with your cloud infrastructure and pull evidence automatically, reducing manual effort significantly.

Step 7: Review the Draft Report and Remediate Findings

Once your auditor completes fieldwork, they’ll issue a draft report. This will include:

Unqualified opinion — your controls are effective (what you want)
Qualified opinion — exceptions were found that impact the report

If exceptions are noted, you’ll have a brief window to provide additional context or evidence. Work closely with your auditor during this phase. Minor exceptions don’t necessarily ruin a report, but material failures will require remediation and potentially extending the audit period.

Step 8: Share Your Report and Maintain Compliance

Once your final SOC 2 report is issued, you can share it with prospects and customers under NDA. Most enterprise buyers will request it during security reviews.

Critically, SOC 2 is not a one-time event. To maintain compliance:

Conduct annual audits (or continuous monitoring)
Update policies when your systems or processes change
Perform regular risk assessments
Monitor for new vulnerabilities and emerging threats

Common Challenges for Marketing Software Companies

Third-party integrations: Every integration (ad platforms, CRMs, data enrichment tools) is a potential risk vector that auditors will scrutinize
Data residency: If you serve international customers, data localization requirements add complexity
Rapid product iteration: Fast-moving engineering teams can accidentally break controls if change management isn’t enforced
Employee growth: Scaling headcount means constantly updating access controls and training programs

FAQ: SOC 2 for Marketing Software

How long does SOC 2 take for a marketing software company?

From gap analysis to final report, expect 9–15 months for Type II. Type I can be completed in 3–4 months. Starting early — before enterprise deals require it — is always the right move.

Do we need SOC 2 if we already have GDPR compliance?

Yes. GDPR and SOC 2 address different things. GDPR is a legal regulation focused on data subject rights. SOC 2 is a security audit framework. Many enterprise buyers require both, and they complement each other well.

What’s the biggest mistake marketing software companies make during SOC 2?

Underestimating the documentation burden. Controls need to be written down, tested, and evidenced. Verbal processes don’t count. Invest in policy documentation early.

Can we use SOC 2 compliance as a sales tool?

Absolutely. A completed SOC 2 Type II report signals maturity and trustworthiness. Many marketing software companies prominently feature their compliance certifications on their security pages and in sales decks to accelerate enterprise deals.

How much does SOC 2 cost for a small marketing SaaS?

All-in costs (readiness, remediation, tooling, and audit fees) typically range from $30,000 to $100,000 for a first-time Type II engagement. Ongoing annual audits are generally less expensive once your control environment is established.

Accelerate Your SOC 2 Journey With Ready-to-Use Templates

The biggest time sink in any SOC 2 project isn’t the audit itself — it’s writing the policies, procedures, and documentation from scratch. Our professionally crafted SOC 2 compliance template library gives marketing software companies a head start with:

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✅ Employee security training acknowledgment forms
✅ Audit evidence checklists mapped to Trust Services Criteria

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