Why is breakfast the most important meal of the day? In short, because it helps ensure a good start to your day. It's a short-term action that sets you up for long-term success.
Similarly, a good start to using a marketing automation system can lead to great results down the line. With that in mind, here are three helpful tips for successfully implementing a marketing automation solution with Microsoft Dynamics CRM:
1. Choose wisely. The first step in a successful implementation begins well before implementation itself. While there are many factors to weigh when choosing a marketing automation solution, the level of integration is a critically important consideration. While some marketing automation platforms can be used without being connected to a CRM system, integration between the two solutions maximizes the power, effectiveness and value of each throughout an organization.
For Microsoft Dynamics CRM users, there are a number of marketing automation systems on the market today that integrate with CRM, but their level of integration varies widely. The level of integration can impact the cost and timeline for implementation, as well as the overall functionality. ClickDimensions is the only marketing automation solution that is natively built within Dynamics CRM. This unparalleled level of integration means that all of your sales and marketing data is in one place and can be viewed in real time, no syncing required. It also allows for quicker implementation and user adoption, as your team already knows how to use Microsoft CRM.
2. Start small. While features may vary according to the particular marketing automation system you are implementing, email marketing, campaign automation, forms and landing pages, surveys, web tracking, event management, SMS messaging and more are all commonly included. With so many valuable tools suddenly at your fingertips, it may be tempting to start using all of them all at once. However, this can easily lead those using the system to feel overwhelmed right out of the gate. It can also often mean that users aren't getting the most out of each feature because they haven't taken the time to learn how to use it to its full potential. Instead, marketers and other key stakeholders should discuss and map out their priorities, and begin using marketing automation features from there accordingly. We find that email marketing is the most common starting place for ClickDimensions customers, with many opting to connect their email campaigns to landing pages and forms shortly thereafter.
3. Utilize resources. Don't go it alone when implementing a marketing automation system. The company whose solution you choose should provide a wide variety of resources to help get you started – and keep you going! – including training and support. Since different users have different ways of learning and different schedules, when in the search process, look for a marketing automation vendor that offers a variety of training options such as live webinars, recorded courses, help articles and blog posts. Similarly, support should be offered in different ways to suit your company's needs and operating hours. Then, make sure that your marketing automation system users are aware of these resources and that they take advantage of them in order to have a smooth implementation and ongoing usage of the solution.
Want to learn more about how to choose the right marketing automation solution for your organization, the features included in such a system and much more? Download your free copy of our eBook, The Marketing Automation Field Guide: Getting Started with Marketing Automation for Microsoft Dynamics CRM.
by Click Dimensions
The post 3 Tips for Marketing Automation Implementation with Microsoft Dynamics CRM appeared first on CRM Software Blog.