Connecting the Dots: Marketing Automation Strategies Fueled by Dynamics 365

This article is sponsored by emfluence.

Today’s B2B buyers expect more than just outreach—they expect personalized, timely, and relevant experiences powered by the data marketers already have at their fingertips. Meeting this demand requires a strategic approach to marketing automation. Monica Hoyer, Director of Marketing and Software Sales at emfluence, has been helping organizations navigate this shift for over two decades. In a recent MSDW Podcast episode, she shared her insights on what it takes to build a modern, data-driven marketing automation strategy.

This shift isn’t temporary—it’s the new baseline for effective marketing. Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement apps are rich with marketing-ready data, from lead and opportunity records to purchase history and service interactions. With the right marketing automation platform, that data becomes the fuel for personalized journeys, real-time triggers, and highly targeted campaigns that move the needle.

Solving Siloed Marketing: Why Dynamics 365 Needs Automation

Many organizations still struggle with disjointed data, manual processes, and inconsistent follow-up, Hoyer noted in the podcast discussion.

"Companies are falling short when making sure that their marketing and sales teams are really aligned," she said. "Without that insight and without the ability to see all of the data that exists in Dynamics, it's really hard for marketers to do their jobs effectively."

She described common pitfalls of disconnected systems: teams manually re-enter data between platforms, marketers rely on spreadsheets, and sales reps avoid using the CRM.

These inefficiencies waste time and lead to missed opportunities to engage with prospects and customers. However, by integrating a marketing automation platform, such as emfluence, with Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement, organizations can overcome these challenges and better align marketing and sales. A seamless flow of information ensures that every touchpoint is informed, relevant, and timely.

Four Smart Strategies Enabled by Dynamics Integration

Hoyer discussed four key strategies to get the most out of integrating marketing automation with D365 CE.

1. Behavior-Based Campaigns

Sending messages based on a lead or customer’s behavior—such as visiting a website, submitting a form, or updating their CRM record—helps marketers reach people at the right moment.

But this isn’t just useful for sales. For example, a customer service team can tag support requests and later use that tagging system to notify affected customers when a specific issue has been resolved or improved. In field service, certain actions can trigger follow-up appointments for additional maintenance. In eCommerce, behavior-based triggers support smart upselling and personalized product recommendations.

2. Lead Nurturing Journeys

Teams can use sales and lifecycle data to automate steps that move prospects forward—and should look for patterns, like whether one purchase often leads to another. But starting simple is key, Hoyer noted. She shared one of her favorite examples to start with:

"We have a templated nurture campaign already set up. It's an [anniversary] email that's based on the date that [the customer] entered your system. You send them an anniversary email once a year. It's super simple and a really great way to get started."

This kind of automation creates a sense of connection and shows customers they’re recognized as individuals. Hoyer also pointed to more advanced nurturing opportunities—for example, if you know a prospect signed a one-year contract with a competitor, you could reach out in month nine with new products, services, or special offers. The goal is to use your data to build experiences that keep customers engaged and returning.

3. Segmentation at Scale

With integrated systems, marketers can target audiences using CRM data like industry, job title, region, or past engagement.

"If you have those systems integrated and truly sharing information, that information will live on that contact record. The marketing team can then use that to target messages and customize and personalize those messages really effectively. [That way], the lead or the customer really knows that the company is paying attention to them and their preferences and the information that they have consumed about your organization."

She added that custom fields, like stated preferences, allow for even deeper personalization—making every message feel more relevant.

4. Closed-Loop Reporting

One of the biggest advantages of integration is the ability to tie marketing efforts directly to the sales pipeline and revenue outcomes.

Hoyer emphasized the importance of cross-team alignment and shared visibility. When systems work together, every team—from sales and marketing to customer success and finance—can access the same data, generate insights, and deliver a consistent, value-driven customer experience.

"The reality is that with a revenue team, you need to make sure that you have all of your teams aligned and seeing the same data. It's not just sales and marketing. Customer success plays a huge role in that as does the finance team, as do other behind-the-scenes people."

Connecting the Dots

Integrating Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement with marketing automation offers a wide range of advantages for organizations focused on improving sales performance and customer experience. By using shared data, automating personalized messages, and aligning teams, companies can turn marketing into a powerful driver of growth and loyalty—instead of operating it as a siloed function.

Since not everyone in an organization works directly within D365 CE, other tools also need to play a role in the integration story. CRM-driven insights can power personalized service across the business, which is increasingly important as AI and bots handle more of the communication workload.

When data flows not only between marketing and sales, but also with customer success, finance, and other departments, organizations gain a complete view of the customer. As Hoyer explained, that visibility and connection between systems is key to driving growth and staying competitive.

To dive deeper into these strategies, listen to the full conversation with Monica Hoyer on the emfluence/MSDW podcast. 

Ready to try it for yourself? Start your free trial of emfluence here: https://more.emarketingplatform.com/msdw

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