Before implementing a marketing campaign, the planning phase takes place within campaign management. This is where the target audience is defined. To define the target audience, Microsoft offers the ability to create so-called “marketing lists” in Dynamics 365 Customer Insights (formerly Dynamics 365 Marketing). Marketing lists are lists that contain contacts, accounts, or leads that share one or more characteristics. Marketing lists can be created either manually or using the search options (“advanced find”). Using the search options, you can filter the “contacts,” “accounts,” and “leads” entities by specific characteristics. For example, using these filter functions, you can create a list of contacts who live in the same city without having to go through each individual contact. Creating marketing lists using search options works as follows:
- Select "Marketing" from the navigation list and go to "Marketing Lists."
- Click the "+" icon to create a new marketing list.
- Give your lists a name and save them. Then, within the form, go to the "Members" section and click the "+" icon to add members to the list.
- Select one of the options available in the action panel, which allows you to search for companies, contacts, and potential customers based on specific criteria or perform a manual search.
- Select one of the "Advanced Find" options to perform a search based on specific criteria. Set the filter criteria to perform the search, and then click "Find".
- Add the search results—or a subset of them—to your marketing list by clicking the “Add to Marketing List” button. Alternatively, you can use the “Advanced Find” feature to search for the entities listed above and add the search results to an existing marketing list or use them to create a new one.
In campaign management, MicrosoftDynamics CRM distinguishes between dynamic and static marketing lists. Dynamic marketing lists are continuously updated based on the defined attributes of the respective entity. Static lists, on the other hand, remain unchanged once created. Consequently, static lists contain only those entities that were selected at the time of creation. You can create marketing lists under "Marketing" and "Marketing Lists." The marketing list form includes the “list type” field. Here, you can choose between a dynamic or static list.
The "Quick Campaign Wizard" allows users to create campaigns. To do so, you must specify the target audience (by creating marketing lists), the campaign owner (the person or group of people responsible for the campaign), the marketing channel (e.g., email, phone, mail), and the campaign content. To create a “Quick Campaign,” go to “Marketing,” then “Marketing Lists,” and open the “Quick Campaign Wizard” within that section.
The campaign management process also includes monitoring and evaluating the success of each campaign. In Microsoft Dynamics CRM , campaign results can be measured by creating so-called “campaign responses.” This entity can be linked to a contact, a Company a prospect, as well as to the associated campaign. If a contact, a Company a prospect expresses interest in the company’s products during a marketing campaign, the “campaign response” can be converted into a sales opportunity, a quote, or an order.
