With the retirement of the Dynamics 365 Customer Insights outbound marketing module on the horizon, it’s time to start preparing your organisation for the transition to real-time journeys. In this post, we’ll focus on the key steps you need to take, to ensure a successful transition and maintain business continuity.
Key steps to transition to Customer Insights real-time journeys
Assess your organisations current dependencies on outbound marketing
The first step in preparing for the transition is to assess your current use of outbound marketing. Which features and processes are you relying on? Are there any custom integrations or workflows that need to be reconfigured? By conducting a thorough assessment, you can identify areas that require attention and start planning your migration strategy. Walkerscott’s Customer Insights consultants can help you with this. We can conduct a full review of your Dynamics 365 Marketing environment.
Common areas of dependency on outbound marketing include:
- Email Campaigns: Identify all active email campaigns and determine how they can be replicated or improved using real-time journeys.
- Event Management: If you’re using outbound marketing for event management, consider how these processes can be transitioned to real-time journeys or integrated with other tools.
- Customer Journeys: Map out your existing customer journeys and explore how they can be enhanced with the new capabilities offered by real-time journeys.
Planning the transition to real-time journeys
Once you’ve identified your dependencies, the next step is to create a transition plan. This plan should include:
- Timeline: Set a realistic timeline for migrating each component of your outbound marketing setup to real-time journeys. Consider the complexity of each task and allocate sufficient time for testing and validation.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Identify the key stakeholders involved in the transition, including marketing, IT, and management teams. Ensure that everyone is aligned on the transition plan and understands their roles and responsibilities.
- Resource Allocation: Determine the resources needed for the transition, including personnel, tools, and budget. Make sure you have the necessary support in place to execute the plan. Contact us if you need support.
Overcoming challenges associated with this transition
One of the challenges organisations face is the removal of social posting and LinkedIn lead generation from outbound marketing by December 2024. While social posting will not be supported in real-time journeys, LinkedIn lead generation may be added in a future release. In the meantime, consider alternative tools or strategies for managing your social media and lead generation efforts.
Get a Dynamics 365 Marketing health check
This service is designed to help you navigate the above mentioned challenges and ensure a smooth transition. Our Dynamics 365 Customer Insights consultants work with your team to create a customised transition plan that aligns with your business goals and minimises disruption.
For a detailed guide on transitioning from outbound marketing to real-time journeys, check out the Transition from Outbound to Real-time Marketing Playbook.