From D365 Marketing to D365 Customer Insights Journeys – Whats New?
Why Dynamics 365 Marketing is on the move!
Microsoft have recently announced changes to its Marketing automation Solutions and where they have integrated the D365 Marketing into D365 Customer Insights.
Starting from the 1st of September 2023, Microsoft has renamed Dynamics 365 Marketing to become Dynamics 365 Customer Insights – Journeys. This post is a quick guide to help you get a better understanding of why Dynnamics 365 Marketing is on the move! and how to get from D365 Marketing to D365 Customer Insights Journeys – What’s New?
The biggest change to come from this is that any new Dynamics 365 Customer Insights Journeys licenses will only contain real-time marketing features and won’t feature outbound marketing.
This new Customer Insights module will now contain all the real-time marketing features from the Dynamics 365 Marketing module and will also feature powerful AI-powered Copilot integration.
Microsoft have now bundled Dynamics 365 Customer Insights Data and Customer Journeys into the one product – which will make it easier for you to now access the benefits of both solutions within the one module.
Note: The new D365 Customer Insights will not feature the outbound marketing features. If you are an existing user of D365 Marketing you will still be able to access outbound marketing – however, Microsoft is encouraging all D365 Marketing users to plan for a seamless migration of their existing customer journeys to the real-time marketing platform – Customer Insights.
Why is D365 Marketing on the move?
The move from D365 Marketing to Customer Insights Data and Journeys will enable Marketing Departments to leverage AI-driven data consumption for the creation of more meaningful customer journeys and scenarios. This move is designed to offer users the opportunity to create powerful personalised marketing engagement.
The following is an outline on what this move will mean for your business, and how your marketing team/s can take full advantage of the features available. The good news for existing customers is that you can plan your move gradually, so take your time to familiarise yourself with your options for a seamless transition experience.
Microsoft Customer Insights – Data and Journeys
Microsoft will keep the brand name of Dynamics 365 Customer Insights but have split it out into two D365 Apps as follows:
- Customer Insights – Data which is currently branded as Dynamics 365 Customer Insights. This solution enables users to build a unified, real time 360-degree view of customers.
- Customer Insights – Journeys was formerly known as Dynamics 365 Marketing.
What’s Changed with D365 Marketing ?
Outbound Marketing to Real-time Marketing: Marketing will transition to focus on real-time marketing features only. For new customers, this means they will be installing the D365 Customer Insights Journeys app that only contains real-time marketing features. The current outbound marketing features will continue to be supported for existing users; however, the outbound marketing features will receive no future updates. Check out this blog from Microsoft for more details on the Move from outbound to real-time marketing
Real-time marketing offers far more than the traditional outbound marketing by way of powerful real-time marketing functionality – Check it out here Real-time marketing transition FAQs
New Customer Insights – Journeys: Customers receive real-time journeys features only. For more information, please refer to the Default real-time journeys installation. Please note that many of the documentation pages currently refer to outbound features that may not be available or may work differently in real-time journeys. Microsoft is working on updating this documentation content to note whether it applies to real-time journeys or outbound marketing.
Pricing for Dynamics 365 Customer Insights:
Existing customers have the following two options:
- Customers can choose to remain and renew on the standalone licensing model for another contractual cycle. This renewal must be made during the transitional offer time-frame that will run through to September 1, 2024, with a final contract maturity date that can’t extend beyond September 1, 2027. At the end of the renewed contractual period, customers will then need to transition to the new Customer Insights licensing.
Or,
- Existing customers can choose to “true-down” existing contracts on the old standalone licensing model and “step-up” to the new Dynamics 365 Customer Insights pricing model on their contractual anniversary and renewal date.
Note: Microsoft Pricing & Licensing may change and please refer to the latest update on Dynamics 365 Customer Insights Pricing & Licensing from Microsoft
Dynamics 365 Customer Insights – Journeys has moved beyond the Marketing teams – with AI and natural language input assistance, non marketing specific business users can now build trigger-based journeys that reach customers across multiple touch-points, growing relationships from lead generation to prospects, through to sales and post-sales service and support.
Below is a deep dive into some of the key functionality offered by D365 Customer Insights Journeys:
Engage customers in real time – With trigger-based customer journeys using email, text message, or push notification channels, organisations can trigger customer journeys in real time, pick the right channel for each individual, and react to customer-led actions in the moments that matter.
Win customers and earn loyalty faster – Working across all customer touchpoints, real-time customer journeys are truly an end-to-end experience.
Personalise the customer experiences with AI – Turn insights into relevant action with AI-driven recommendations for content, channels, and analytics. Customer Insights – Data segment and profile integration allow organisations to seamlessly leverage the deep customer understanding in Customer Insights – Data.
Grow with a unified, adaptable platform – Easily customize and connect with tools you already use and efficiently manage compliance requirements and accessibility guidelines.
How to engage with customers in Customer Insights – Journeys
When reaching out to your customers with Customer Insights – Journeys, there are three important things to consider: who, what, and when.
The who is your audience – who is this communication for? In Customer Insights – Journeys, your audience is defined by a segment and where segments enable you to breakout your contacts into targeted segment groups that meet certain criteria specifics. Examples include contact segment targeting based on contact role/functions, geographical locations/s, company size, industry types, and much more.
The what is the content and form of your communication – what are you sending? In Customer Insights – Journeys, this can be emails, text messages or push notifications. These multi communications channels can be used separately or together in one campaign.
The when can be simply the proposed actions such as a planned time when you want to send the communication/s. With Customer Insights – Journeys, it can also be an event that triggers the communication as part of a customer journey. You can combine multiple forms of communication channels such as emails and/or text messages into journeys that can operate either with an association of a particular segment of contacts at a planned time or that can respond to a “trigger” action to reach out to customer/s at the right time and with the right messaging and interaction.
How to move to the Real-time Marketing Platform with Dynamics 365 Customer Insights Journeys?
The good news is that making the transition is quite easy and there are a number of useful resources to help you with your move – along with reaching out to the Simply Dynamics D365 Solution Experts Now – we’re here to help.
Useful Resources:
Everything you need to know about Real-time Marketing with D365 Customer Insights Journeys – Check it out HERE
Making the Move – Check out the real-time marketing transition resources HERE
Real-time marketing User Guide HERE
Check out the Microsoft Blog explaining the transition to real-time marketing with D365 Customer Insights Journey HERE
If you need any assistance, our D365 Team are here to help!
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