You know those moments when a campaign falls flat and you’re stuck wondering what went wrong? You’ve double-checked your audience, the messaging looked solid, and yet the results… mehhh.
It’s not just you. Even the most talented marketing teams stumble when the tools don’t work together or when they’re stuck using outdated methods. And let’s be honest—most of us are too busy juggling three platforms and ten tasks at once to notice the cracks forming until things start leaking.
That’s where Microsoft’s newly rebranded platform, Dynamics 365 Customer Insights – Journeys, steps in. It’s not just a rename (though yeah, it used to be called Dynamics 365 Marketing); it’s part of a bigger effort to clean up the mess of marketing tools and give teams what they actually need to work smarter.
Let’s walk through six common mistakes marketing teams make—and how this new experience fixes them without giving you another platform to learn from scratch.
Mistake 1: Using too many tools to run a single campaign
Let’s be honest. Most campaigns are stitched together using whatever’s handy. A little Mailchimp here, a few Google Sheets there, maybe a Zoom webinar, and a Slack message to let the team know it’s live.
And then we wonder why it’s hard to track what’s actually working.
What Journeys does differently:
Everything lives in one place—emails, forms, customer journeys, event invites, LinkedIn leads, and analytics. You don’t need to tab-hop or manually paste lists from one app to another. It’s like building a campaign in a room where everyone’s finally talking to each other.
Plus, it’s built with real-time journeys now—so when your audience acts, the system reacts. Click a link? They get a follow-up. Register for a webinar? They get the calendar invite. No reminders needed.
Mistake 2: Sending the same message to everyone
It’s tempting to fire off one email to the whole list. It saves time. But it also wastes a lot of opportunity.
Your audience isn’t one-size-fits-all. Some folks are just discovering you. Others are already customers. A few are sitting on the fence, waiting for a nudge. If you talk to all of them the same way, you’re probably not connecting with any of them.
What Journeys brings to the table:
It groups people automatically based on their actions—like email opens, form fills, website visits, or event attendance. Then you can send each group content that makes sense for where they are in the process.
It’s like having a conversation, not shouting into a crowd. And the best part? It keeps adjusting in real-time. No need to keep rebuilding lists or campaigns.
Mistake 3: Wasting time on leads that aren’t ready
Sales teams often say, “Just send us the good leads.” Sounds simple, right? But when there’s no lead scoring in place, it turns into guesswork. And guesswork burns time.
Here’s how this helps:
With automated lead scoring, you can set rules based on what matters to your business. For example, if someone downloads a pricing sheet and watches a product demo, they score higher than someone who only opened an email.
This way, sales gets a list of leads that are actually ready to talk. Not just a long list of names with no context.
It’s not magic—it’s just logical prioritization that saves everyone time.
Mistake 4: Running campaigns without knowing what’s working
We’ve all done this: sent a campaign, got some results, and thought, “Seems fine?” But without clear reporting, you’re guessing. And guessing isn’t a strategy.
What Journeys does well:
It gives you easy-to-understand dashboards showing open rates, click-throughs, journey progress, event signups, and more. No need to export to Excel or wait on your data team.
You’ll know which messages work, which steps people drop off at, and where you’re actually seeing traction. That’s how you stop wasting money and start focusing on what’s moving the needle.
Also, since it’s integrated with other Dynamics 365 apps, you can even trace things beyond marketing—like sales conversions and customer support follow-ups. It’s the full story, not just the marketing slice.
Mistake 5: Doing everything manually
Manually sending follow-ups. Copy-pasting leads between systems. Tracking responses in spreadsheets. It’s not just time-consuming—it’s fragile. One miss and your entire workflow falls apart.
Here’s the smarter way:
With real-time automation, Journeys triggers the next action based on what your audience does (or doesn’t do). Didn’t attend the event? They get a follow-up with the recording. Opened a product page twice? Your team gets alerted to reach out.
You can even set it up so your internal team gets reminders or tasks based on customer behavior—without lifting a finger.
This isn’t about replacing people. It’s about letting people focus on strategy while the system handles the busywork.
Mistake 6: Sticking to outdated systems because upgrading seems like a hassle
Let’s face it—licensing in the Microsoft world can be a headache. You might be using something that technically still works, but it’s outdated, limited, or just plain clunky.
Here’s what’s changed:
Dynamics 365 Marketing is now called Customer Insights – Journeys, and it comes bundled with Customer Insights – Data as part of a new license model. It’s cleaner, more complete, and easier to manage.
And if you’re already using the older license, you don’t have to switch right away. Microsoft’s made it optional at renewal. But if you’re starting fresh—or ready to upgrade—it’s a great time to move.
Also, it’s worth noting that all the new features (especially those using Copilot and AI) are available only in real-time journeys. If you’re still using outbound marketing features, you might miss out on where the product is heading.
Is This Too Much for Smaller Teams?
Not gonna lie—Customer Insights – Journeys is built for teams that are ready to grow. If you’re a two-person shop just getting started with CRM, it might feel like more than you need.
But if you’re dealing with customer lists, nurturing leads, running events, and trying to show ROI to leadership? You’ll appreciate having everything in one place.
And the learning curve? It’s easier than you think, especially if you’re already using Microsoft tools like Outlook, Teams, or Dynamics 365 Sales.
So, What Should You Do Next?
If you’re piecing together emails, tracking leads in spreadsheets, or using multiple tools for one campaign, it might be time to rethink your setup.
Start by checking how you handle things like segmentation, email journeys, lead scoring, events, and reporting. If it’s scattered, Customer Insights – Journeys can bring it all under one roof.
And if switching sounds overwhelming, consider working with a Dynamics 365 service provider. They can help simplify the process, show what to automate, and get your team up and running without the usual hassle.
