Dynamics 365 for Marketing Automation

As digital marketing function becomes more and more complex, marketers are embracing automation tools to improve speed to market and efficiency. High degree of personalization, reactivity and relevance seek a lot of prominence in marketing today. Consumers are expecting a lot from their daily digital experiences. Gone is the one-size-fits-all approach to marketing. Personalization is now becoming a standard and consumers expect this level of engagement across channels and digital touchpoints. This is where marketing automation technologies are helping marketers scale their personalization efforts. According to Forrester reports spending on marketing technology is increasing, and it is projected that nearly 55% of global marketers are planning to increase their expenditure on marketing technology in 2019. The Microsoft Marketing tool helps marketers take the next leap toward touchpoint marketing, a must-have for the most successful organizations today.

Speedy, insightful and intelligent marketing automation

Microsoft Marketing is part of the Dynamics 365 suite and is a tool that offers all the frequently used marketing automation functions, such as lead nurturing, digital campaign management and implementation, event management, and reporting. Though this is a relatively new tool, it already incorporates all the essential functions like Email marketing, Campaign landing page, and forms, target group/segment management, Customer care models or customer journeys, Lead scoring and Events.

Create campaign landing pages and forms

Dynamics 365 enhances paid advertising campaigns and boosts lead acquisition by creating tailored campaign landing pages that can be created with built-in diverse page templates for campaign landing sites and can be easily edited using the drag-and-drop function. Besides pictures, text, links and other such components, the campaign landing pages can also include forms. Users can easily be diverted through ads that pique their interest to the landing sites.

Run and automate campaigns

Marketing campaigns and different kinds of nurturing models are created through predefined criteria and events that can help organizations refine leads into sales opportunities. Organizations can start a customer journey by choosing a target group, then send an email with a campaign landing site link where, based on the details entered in the form, the customer can receive an automated offer. The rules of a customer journey can decide how the journey proceeds based on the contact’s actions. Contacts who fill in a form or enter the requested details on the campaign landing page will get individualized/personalized content, while others may receive content of a different kind.

Easily manage Target groups

Dynamics search function helps to create and update target groups automatically according to specified contact criteria. The search feature leverages both marketing and sales contacts in the creation of target groups.

Lead scoring

Dynamics 365 Marketing supports lead qualification and scoring based on the contact’s online behavior. This is done by giving points based on the criterion, and when a particular score is attained, marketing considers the lead qualified and transfers it to sales for processing.

Event Management

Dynamics 365 supports event management, processing of registrations, publicizing events with existing event templates. Dynamics 365 provide support over the entire duration of the event’s life span, helping organizations handle event management —the agenda, venues, speakers, registrations and expenses, and post-event communications to participants.

Single source of information

Dynamics 365 enables a single shared information source on contacts, leads, and customer. It also supports mutual activities between marketing and sales, improving customer experience. Dynamics 365 also helps to monitor effectiveness through ready-made reports or enables expansion through reporting systems.

Enhanced customer understanding

A shared work environment and use of the data support helps foster a better understanding of the customer and helps to provide more meaningful and personal communication. Seamless cooperation makes it possible for marketing and sales to react jointly to changes in the market by providing a comprehensive overview of customer relationships.

Effective working through a single interface

Through a single user interface, sales access marketing data while marketing monitors the progress of sales promoting effective working. This shared data model improves the quality of information and broadens the visibility of sales projects in both sales and marketing. System’s intelligence and functions like dynamic segmentation helps in target group determination, lead scoring, and message personalization.

With Microsoft Dynamics 365, organizations can effectively and meaningfully connect with their customers providing great, relevant content to them in the way they prefer. This automated process not only drives sales but also helps turn customers into being their brand advocates.

K R Venkatanarayanan- Program Manager@YASH Technologies

• Customer Engagement
• Dynamics 365 for Marketing
• Marketing Automation
• Microsoft Marketing