Marketer's Space: Smarter Marketing with CRM Integration

Marketer's Space: Smarter Marketing with CRM Integration


Hello Marketers!
Welcome back to another deep dive into smart marketing strategies at Marketers' Space! Today, we’re kicking off an exciting series focused on how Zoho CRM and Zoho Marketing Automation (ZMA) when integrated can transform your marketing efforts. Whether you're coming from Zoho CRM and looking to leverage Marketing Automation or primarily using ZMA and wanting to send your data back to CRM, this integration provides a full-circle solution for your marketing and sales needs.
Let’s explore how you can make the most of this powerful connection—from syncing contacts and deal data to running targeted campaigns to ensuring smooth data flow between both platforms for maximum efficiency.
In this post, we’ll cover the following: syncing data from Zoho CRM into ZMA, using ZMA’s Planner for campaign planning and calculating ROI, segmenting and targeting your CRM data, and finally, pushing the most relevant data from ZMA back to Zoho CRM. Let’s get started!

From Zoho CRM to Zoho Marketing Automation:

Seamless Syncing

Zoho CRM holds all of your important lead, contact, account, and deal information, which acts as the backbone of your marketing efforts. Once you sync Zoho CRM with ZMA, this data isn’t just a static list of names—it becomes actionable, enabling you to craft personalized and impactful campaigns.
The first step in this integration is syncing all the relevant data from Zoho CRM into ZMA. This includes Contacts, Leads, Accounts, Deals, and even Custom Modules, ensuring that your marketing team has access to the most comprehensive and up-to-date information. This sync is automatic and continuous, so as new records come into your CRM, they’ll be available in ZMA in real-time for marketing purposes.

For marketers, this sync is invaluable because it enables you to tap into your CRM’s wealth of information for targeted campaigns. Whether you're pulling in contact details or deal stages, you’re working with data that is fresh and ready to be activated in your campaigns.

Setting Smart Goals with the Planner using CRM Data

Once your CRM data is in ZMA, the next step is using the Planner to set clear marketing goals and calculate the ROI based on that data. You can set Goals using the count of leads closed (won or lost) from Zoho CRM. For example, you might aim to close 50 leads within the next quarter.
ZMA will then track this data directly from CRM, helping you monitor progress toward your goal. If you notice that you’re falling short, you can make timely adjustments to your marketing approach, whether that means revisiting your targeting strategies or re-engaging through personalized campaigns.
The Reports provide valuable insights into the performance of your marketing efforts.
It includes Revenue and Deal Stats, showing metrics like Revenue Generated and Deals Closed Won, giving you a clear picture of how much business your campaigns are driving. You’ll also find Expense and ROI Stats, which allow you to track your campaign spend and measure the return on investment (ROI), even across different channels.
Under the Contacts tab, you can view the Contacts Closed with Won Deals, helping you understand how effectively your campaigns are converting leads into customers.

ZMA’s Planner also makes collaboration simple—you can add team members, set tasks, and ensure that everyone is aligned with the campaign’s objectives, creating a coordinated effort between marketing and sales.

Segmentation for Precise Campaigns:

With synced CRM data in ZMA, segmentation becomes not only possible but incredibly powerful. You’re no longer sending generic, blanket campaigns to your entire contact list. Instead, you’re slicing your audience into precise segments with powerful Deal and Account-based criteria.

For instance, you can create a segment of leads in the Negotiation/Review stage of a deal and send them attractive, persuasive campaigns designed to push them toward deal closure.
This could include exclusive offers, limited-time discounts, or additional value propositions that address any remaining concerns, helping to tip the scales in your favor. You have much more deal and account-based criteria such as Deal Name, Deal Amount, Account Type, and Account Owner that you can use to create segments.

Reaching Contacts through Multi-Channel Campaigns:

Thanks to the seamless sync between Zoho CRM and ZMA, you can leverage all the CRM data in your campaigns, whether it’s via email, SMS, or WhatsApp. You can personalize these campaigns by using CRM fields to tailor various elements. The Sender Details can be personalized with the CRM lead owner’s name and email, while the subject line can include specific CRM merge tags to make it more relevant to the recipient.

Inside the campaign, you can incorporate Dynamic Content using Predefined Tags such as Account Type, Account Name, and Account Owner, ensuring the message speaks directly to the contact’s unique context.

You can leverage Merge Tags under both Account Tags and CRM Merge Tags to customize the content further.

This level of personalization ensures that each contact feels like they are receiving tailored communication, rather than mass-marketing messages, and drives higher response rates.

Maximizing CRM Integration using Journeys:

With Zoho CRM integration, the possibilities within Journeys in ZMA expand significantly, giving you more flexibility to automate tasks and create highly personalized marketing workflows.
One of the key features is Criteria Match, which enables you to target contacts based on specific account or deal information synced from Zoho CRM.

When setting up the sync between Zoho CRM and ZMA, you have the option to sync CRM contacts to a list. Once this sync is complete, you can use Journeys to target that specific list containing the synced contacts. By using the Added to List trigger within Journeys, you can then set actions such as sending personalized campaigns.

You can Update Contact Fields that have been synced from CRM, ensuring that your data stays current and relevant before sending a campaign.

You can also create Journeys that automatically move contacts into or out of marketing topics, helping you stay compliant with their communication preferences.
Beyond this, Journeys in ZMA offer specific CRM Actions such as Push Data (sending updated contact details back to CRM), Create Task (automating follow-ups for sales reps), and even Create Deal (automatically generating a deal in CRM when a contact shows strong buying intent).

Pushing Relevant Data back to CRM:

Syncing data from CRM into ZMA is important, but pushing data back to CRM is just as crucial. You may have collected contact details through various forms like sign-up forms, popups, or landing pages using ZMA, but it’s essential to push only the relevant data back to CRM for your sales team. 
ZMA enables you to create automated journeys that filter leads and only push the ones meeting specific criteria back to CRM. This not only keeps your CRM clean but also ensures that your sales team isn’t overwhelmed with irrelevant data. Typically, a lead will be pushed to CRM when it becomes a sales-qualified lead (SQL). In ZMA, leads are nurtured as they move through different stages based on their engagement or lead scores. Once a lead has shown sufficient interest and is ready for sales, you can set up a journey in ZMA to automatically push a lead to CRM. This ensures that the right contacts are passed to your sales team at the right time.
Additionally, this selective sync means that you only pay for the contacts that truly matter. Since ZMA enables you to manage contact limits carefully, you can decide which data gets synced to CRM, optimizing both your budget and your sales strategy.

The integration between Zoho CRM and Zoho Marketing Automation is more than just a sync—it’s a complete, full-cycle solution for marketing and sales teams. By syncing contact and deal data, setting smart goals with the Planner, using targeted segments and journeys, and pushing valuable data back to Zoho CRM, you’ll have all the tools you need to optimize your marketing and sales performance.

Stay tuned for more posts in this series as we continue exploring the powerful features of this integration and how they can elevate your marketing efforts!

Regards,
Pearlin Nitika
User Education | Zoho Marketing Automation

      • Recent Topics

      • Piss poor service in Support in Domains and email

        Srijith Narayanan B contacted me today. Very pleasant fellow. Just didn't want to tell him how bad your support service is. You help the person, but you leave before we can finish the next stage. Which causes a lot of frustration. It's been 8 days now

      • Zoho Mail android app update: Block & reject future emails, Report phishing, Spam alerts, Suspicious URL detection

        Hello everyone! In the most recent Zoho Mail Android app update, we have brought in support for the following features: Block & reject future emails Report Phishing Spam alerts in the mail details screen. Suspicious URL detection. Block & reject future

      • Zohomail does not support additional fields in mailto links

        Hello, I set up Zohomail as default composer in Firefox according to manual here: https://www.zoho.com/mail/help/defaultcomposer.html#alink2 Later, I wanted to use this functionality to answer in a Linux mailing list thread using mailto link: mailto:xxxxx@kernel.org?In-Reply-To=%3C727o0521-q24p-s0qq-66n0-sn436rpqqr1p@example.com%3E&Cc=xxxxx%example.org&Subject=Re%3A%20%5BPATCH%20v2%28%29

      • Emails not being received from a particular domain

        Cannot receive any emails sent from atco.com Domain is in the spam whitelist so should be no reason for it not to be coming through. Have filed a ticket and besides a generic response of we are looking at it - it seems there is no actual support workers

      • Email address for forwarding is not saving and there's no confirmation ema

        Steps to reproduce: 1. Enter my forward email in the email forward section of the account 2. Click save 3. See a notification stating saved successfully 4. Refresh the page, no forward email is saved 5. No email confirmation received at the forwarding

      • This domain is not allowed to add in Zoho. Please contact support-as@zohocorp.com for further details

        This is the error i keep getting when trying to use my Zoho Domain Mail. This domain is not allowed to add in Zoho. Please contact support-as@zohocorp.com for further details Find attached. I hope this can be resolved very quickly so i can go on and make

      • Auto CC - Moving Departments

        We have Auto CC e-mail replies to your support mailbox enabled. We have two departments: Helpdesk (helpdesk@domain.com) Delivery (delivery@domain.com) If we create a Helpdesk ticket, and reply, replies are CC'd to helpdesk@domain.com (OK) We then move

      • unable to send message reason 554 5.1.8 Email outgoing blocked

        unable to send message reason 554 5.1.8 Email outgoing blocked

      • Mailk got blocked / Inquiry About Email Sending Limits and Upgrade Options

        Dear Zoho Support Team, My name is Kamr Elsayed I created this account to use for applying for vocational training in Germany. As part of this process, I send multiple emails to different companies. However, after sending only 8 emails today, I received

      • SMTP email sending problem

        Hello, I've sent emails before, but you haven't responded. Please respond. My work is being disrupted. I can't send emails via SMTP. Initially, there were no problems, but now I'm constantly receiving 550 bounce errors. I can't use the service I paid

      • unblock my zoho mail account. outlines@zoho.com

        please unblock my zoho mail account, outlines@zoho.com

      • Unable to see free plan option

        Hello Zoho Support Team, I hope you are doing well. I am trying to sign up for Zoho Mail, but I am unable to see the option for the free plan. Could you please guide me on how I can access or activate the free plan? Thank you for your assistance.

      • Outgoing blocked: Unusual activity detected.

        I just made payment for my Zohomail Today and have been debited so i will like to be Unblocked because this is what it says (Outgoing blocked: Unusual activity detected) Thank you i await your swift responses

      • How to remove some users in zoho accounts

        How to remove some users in Zoho accounts.

      • Forwarder

        Hi, I tried to add a forwarder from which emails are sent to my main zoho account email . However, it asks me for a code that should be received at the forwarder email, which is still not activated to send to my zoho emial account. So how can I get the

      • Forwarder

        Hi, I tried to add a forwarder from which emails are sent to my main zoho account email . However, it asks me for a code that should be received at the forwarder email, which is still not activated to send to my zoho emial account. So how can I get the

      • DKIM cannot be enabled for the domain as no verified default selector present

        Hi Support Team, For Domain DKIM record trying to enable status. but showing error "DKIM cannot be enabled for the domain as no verified default selector present" So, please resolve the issue. Thank you.

      • I can't log in to my account on Thunderbird

        I've just had to rebuild my PC (calamitous mess from Microsoft with Win10/Win 11 'upgrade' - they confirmed I had to start with a new build). I have used Zoho mail for years via Mozilla Thunderbird, but now I've had to download the latest version of TBird,

      • Sorten the domain of zoho mail ids

        I recently created zoho mail id and am quite excited with the features. But one issue ig nobody wanna type this big zohoaccounts.com I mean silly bold Suggestion zmail.com (sound gmail) (attraction) or some genz words looks cool

      • Weekly Tips : Customize your Zoho Mail Notifications

        In a professional context, email communication remains one of the most crucial channels for staying connected and managing workflows. Keeping track of your emails, task updates, or important announcements can be overwhelming—especially if you are juggling

      • How to move emails to Shared Mailbox?

        Hello, I created a Shred Mailbox instead of using a distribution group. But I cannot move previous emails to certain shared mailbox. Is it possible move some emails from inbox to shared mailbox?

      • Email task creator when task is updated/marked complete

        I am looking for a way to notify the creator of a task in zoho todo when - Task is updated Task is closed Comments entered 1 and 2 are critical, and I cannot find a zoho flow to do this. There is no way that as a manager I will know when someone has completed

      • The attendees will now be redirected to the landing webpage when they exit the webinar, set by the organizer.

        Hello All, In the latest version of the Zoho Meeting iOS mobile app (v1.3.16), we have brought in the below enhancements:   Post Webinar Re-direction Revamped exit UI for Webinar Post Webinar Re-direction:  The attendees will now be redirected to the

      • Download API file contents from browser

        Hi Team - is there something being planned to be able to trigger file downloads from the browser via a deluge script? i.e. retrieve a file via API, trigger the file download directly from the browser. Or... using the convertToPdf function (https://www.zoho.com/deluge/help/functions/file/convert-to-pdf.html)

      • When using "locations" in zoho books, can you keep the two locations totally separate from each other?

        I am looking to add a location but I don't want to intermingle the banking or other accounts. I want that to be like two separate independent branches that use different banking accounts, accounts payable, and accounts receivable. The people who are in

      • Adding a Channel to SalesIQ

        I have a client that currently uses Zoho CRM and Zoho Desk. They would like a live chat to place on their website that has a mobile app and chat bots (something like SalesIQ). However, they would also like to have all this work over SMS as well. Does the SalesIQ API allow this? Can I add visitors without them being a visitor on a website? Thanks! Bryan Redeagle

      • How Do I Refund a Customer Directly to Their Credit Card?

        Hi, I use books to auto-charge my customers credit card. But when I create a credit note there doesn't seem to be a way to directly refund the amount back to their credit card. Is the only way to refund a credit note by doing it "offline" - or manually-

      • Zoho Flow Needs to Embrace AI Agent Protocols to Stay Competitive

        Zoho Flow has long been a reliable platform for automating workflows and integrating various applications. However, in the rapidly evolving landscape of AI-driven automation, it risks falling behind competitors like n8n, which are pioneering advancements

      • Important Features Missing

        Hey all I love linkthread, but i am missing some important features. I want to be able to include my Google Tag Manager. I have all the important stuff in my GTM Container: Facebook Pixel, LinkIn Pixel, Zoho Pagesense and so on. So i am able to do retargeting

      • Zoho SignForms: Prefill parameters with spaces render as “+” in the document (even when using %20)

        Hello Zoho Sign team, we are using SignForms with prefill parameters passed via URL. Spaces in parameter values are being rendered as “+” in the finalized document—even when we URL-encode spaces as %20. This is critical for us because we prefill addresses

      • Currency selector (based on variable) usage in comparsion

        Hi, I've developed a currency selector based on the following topic, and it's working well in pivot tables and charts: https://help.zoho.com/portal/en/community/topic/how-can-i-allow-my-users-to-choose-a-currency-for-the-dashboard I also have a comparison

      • Customize Column in Projects - Default View for Template?

        Is there a way to have the columns you'd like to see added to a template? I want my customized columns to show up every single time I create a project from that template. It appears I can customize them in the template but when I create the project they do not transfer over.  Template: See below how the columns in order are : Task, Owner, Status, Assigned, Website URL, Blog H1..etc. When I create a project from that same template it comes out as: Task, Owner, Status, Tags, Start Date, End Date, etc

      • Ask the Experts 24: Analytics, data administration, and mobile experience with Zoho Desk

        Hello Everyone! Welcome back to the Ask the Experts(ATE) series! We were so focused on our Autumn 2025 release that we didn't host an ATE session last month. In this month's ATE, we'd like to expand our areas for discussion: we'd like to listen to your

      • Multi-Page Forms in Zoho Creator!

        Let’s make long applications easier to handle by dividing them into pages, adding a progress bar, and guiding users step by step through complex data entry. This would be a total game-changer for the user experience and could significantly boost completion

      • Email login error

        Login successfully but email page error

      • Shared Mailboxes Disappeared

        Zoho Mail users in our company haven't been able to see their Shared Mailboxes for the past few hours. I've checked with App and Web Access, but they can't access them. When I send emails to their addresses, I get no error messages. They're still visible

      • Remote Server is misconfigured

        Dear Team, I am unable to use email id as remote server is misconfigured. It would be really great if you could help on this and get this resolved. Thanks & Regard Rohit Gupta

      • why cant i access my email account. it keeps asking me for reverifiying my account by entering my password.

        I cant access my account. it keeps asking me for reverifcaton by entering my password. once its entered it asks for it over and over.

      • Free webinar alert on October 16 - Less Complexity, More Security: Workplace + Directory

        Hello Zoho Workplace Community! Security and productivity shouldn't be at odds—and with Zoho, they're not. Discover how Zoho Workplace + Directory delivers seamless collaboration with enterprise-grade security, all in one integrated ecosystem. Join our

      • Email Recall Feature In Zoho Mail Which Should Also Work For Outside Organisation Members

        Add a feature to recall or undo sending an email within a configurable short time window (e.g., 30 seconds to 2 minutes) after hitting send, similar to Gmail’s undo send. Currently the sent email can not be recall If the recipient is not from within your

      • Next Page