The deadline for the removal of Outbound (OB) is fast approaching. Whether you’re just beginning your transition to Real-time Journeys (RTJ) or mid-process, bookmark this checklist for valuable insights and actionable steps to help migrate your assets and processes well before the June 30, 2025, deadline.
Emails
✓ Audit your templates (+ emails). Before moving templates into the new work area, decide which still make the most sense for your organization. One-offs or variations of the same email/template may no longer be needed, allowing you to focus on relevant ones.
Pro Tip: To expedite your transition, Microsoft offers an import option (usually located in the top command bar) as a solid starting point to migrate emails from OB to RTJ. Be sure to update your content blocks and personalization to avoid errors in publishing.
✓ Get to know the new personalization mapping. RTJ offers a new way to map dynamic content; for personalized emails, you’ll want to brush up on how to connect elements like [first name], [account] and more.
✓ For admins: Configuration on OB-only tables such as emails, journeys, and forms don’t carry over, so you’ll need to replicate configuration on RTJ-specific tables. Contact us for help on this.
The more you know: In addition to some of the core features found in outbound, take advantage of RTJ-only email features such as advanced personalization, Themes, Brand Profiles, Frequency Cap, and Quiet Time.
Consent
✓ Get stakeholders engaged. The new consent model allows for more flexibility when it comes to consent management. Work with key stakeholders (marketing, IT, legal) to determine which model (restrictive/non-restrictive) makes the most sense for your organization.
✓ Give your consent practices (+ opt-ins) a little check in. Who already provided consent? Confirm that you have a clear record of those consents and where a re-permission campaign may help.
Pro Tip: OB subscription centers (+ segments) can be used in the short-term in RTJ to allow for enough time to implement the new consent model. To ensure you have enough time to capture consent from OB emails, we recommend moving to the new consent center no less than 90 days (about 3 months) before the June 2025 deadline.
✓ Evidence is key. Keep the records. This includes who consented, the source where consent was granted, and the date when consent was given. (Hint: Contact Point Consent records cover this.) Import existing consent from subscription lists and contact records into the new consent center.
✓ Create your compliance profiles. Your updated compliance profiles will be required to manage consent records for email, SMS, and tracking preferences.
Subscription Lists
✓ Clean up your subscription lists. With the new consent model, subscription lists are now leveraged as topics, which roll up to a purpose. (More on that here.) To maintain communication with subscribers, import these lists into relevant Consent Center records.
Pro Tip: Re-permission campaigns can also help keep your customers’ opt-ins up to date.
Segments + Triggers
✓ Perform your segment audit. Is it a segment—or a trigger? A key feature available in RTJ is the ability to send on-demand/real-time communication at the right time to the right individual. Triggers may be a better fit for certain actions or behaviors (e.g., onboarding, content download, event registration) in lieu of segments. Get up to speed on these three types of triggers:
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- Business: (no developer needed) Based on system changes (e.g., contact/lead created, opportunity modified)
- Interaction: (no developer needed) Based on customer behavior (e.g., email opened, link clicked)
- Custom: (may require admin/developer) Provides flexibility for additional customer actions.
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✓ Recreate your segments. RTJ segments can target contacts or leads so that you can communicate with either audience directly. (You’ll select one at creation.) Once you’ve determined which segments need to be recreated in RTJ, get to know the new segment designer and begin building out your RTJ-only segments. (An import feature for segments is on the roadmap.)
Data in OB and RTJ segments are mapped differently; be sure to review your members before using in your next journey.
Pro Tip: For segment-based journeys, we recommend scheduling at least two hours in advance when possible. This enables a full sync of the segment.
The more you know: RTJ supports 2x the number of segments per tenant and offers automatic clean-up.
Journeys
✓ Do more with leads + profiles. Unlike outbound, RTJ enables you to market directly to leads, along with profiles from Customer Insights – Data. When planning your segment-based journeys, look beyond your contacts for your key audience.
✓ Get familiar with the new designer. While learning a new interface can be daunting, the benefits of RTJ outweigh the initial effort. Explore RTJ-only features like journey goals (both pre-defined and custom) for deeper insights into your campaigns, along with other features such as the ability to use multiple suppression segments.
The more you know: Microsoft’s 2024 Release Wave 2 features new marketing interaction triggers to engage customers based on interactions they have with your marketing messages and websites.
Forms
✓ Optimize your forms strategy. In its native state, the RTJ form builder can either create or update contacts or leads. (The ability to create both, as in Outbound, is on the roadmap.) Remember, with journeys you can now communicate directly with leads, so it may make more sense to create/update one vs. the other.
We recommend conducting an audit to identify the types of forms you’re currently using for various business use cases to determine which forms you’ll need to create in RTJ.
✓ Streamline your form creation. While OB forms need to be recreated in the RTJ form builder, you’ll benefit from a more intuitive process that eliminates the need for form field mapping.
✓ There’s a form (capture) for that. Form captures require a little more legwork but can be useful if your web team prefers other form hosts. Once you create the form structure, share the generated code with your web team to implement within your CMS.
The more you know: Real-time journeys automatically respond to form interactions using built-in triggers. These triggers can also power conditional content and dynamic data in your RTJ emails.
Marketing Pages
✓ Landing pages + forms = one builder. Marketing pages have been integrated into the form builder, allowing users to create and manage simple landing pages directly within the form builder interface. One caveat: Custom domains for these pages are not currently available.
Pro Tip: Although the primary function of the real-time form builder is to create forms, you can also use this feature to design a marketing page by adding a hidden form into your page design.
For more complex landing pages or take advantage of custom domains, we recommend leveraging Power Pages (fka Power Apps Portals).
Events
✓ Events are getting a facelift. The Events area will remain active after Outbound marketing is removed on June 30, 2025, but you can take advantage of event registration forms in RTJ today. (Outbound event registration forms will be going away, so you’ll want to recreate before the deadline.) In addition, Microsoft is continuing to develop enhancements in this area. Expect to see more on this in Wave 2.
Using the full event site feature (e.g., sponsors, speakers, agenda)? Event-focused Power Pages templates are on the roadmap. Stay tuned for more updates on its features and release date.
SMS
✓ Make more of SMS in real-time. In addition to additional built-in integrations with several SMS providers (eliminating the need for third-party plugins or custom development), you can develop SMS messages with personalized content from an easy-to-use designer.
Depending on your setup, SMS can also support two-way communication along with keywords, allowing customers to respond to messages, which can be particularly useful for feedback or customer service interactions.
Good to Know
(coming soon) Enhanced Website personalization: Track and leverage your customers’ online behavior and deliver personalized experiences across your digital channels.
LinkedIn Lead Gen & Social Posting: If these features are important for your organization, contact us to learn more about leveraging Customer Insights – Data to minimize disruption as they will be removed December 2, 2024.
Ready to get started? As a leading Microsoft partner in customer engagement, Coffee + Dunn can help! Contact us today to begin your transition to Real-time Journeys in Dynamics 365 Customer Insights – Journeys.