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

      Zoho Campaigns Resources


        • Desk Community Learning Series


        • Digest


        • Functions


        • Meetups


        • Kbase


        • Resources


        • Glossary


        • Desk Marketplace


        • MVP Corner


        • Word of the Day


        • Ask the Experts


          Zoho CRM Plus Resources

            Zoho Books Resources


              Zoho Subscriptions Resources

                Zoho Projects Resources


                  Zoho Sprints Resources


                    Zoho Orchestly Resources


                      Zoho Creator Resources


                        Zoho WorkDrive Resources



                          Zoho CRM Resources

                          • CRM Community Learning Series

                            CRM Community Learning Series


                          • Tips

                            Tips

                          • Functions

                            Functions

                          • Meetups

                            Meetups

                          • Kbase

                            Kbase

                          • Resources

                            Resources

                          • Digest

                            Digest

                          • CRM Marketplace

                            CRM Marketplace

                          • MVP Corner

                            MVP Corner




                            Zoho Writer Writer

                            Get Started. Write Away!

                            Writer is a powerful online word processor, designed for collaborative work.

                              Zoho CRM コンテンツ



                                ご検討中の方

                                  • Recent Topics

                                  • Zoho → ShipStation Integration – Sales Order–Driven Fulfilment Workflow

                                    Hello All, I’m reaching out to explore the best way to integrate a shipping tool into our inventory which will speed our process up. We are looking to integrate ShipStation into our existing order-to-fulfilment workflow, as we’re keen to standardise on
                                  • Recruit API search

                                    Hi all, Attempting to call the search api endpoint from Postman using the word element as mentioned in api docs Search Records - APIs | Online Help - Zoho Recruit When making the call to /v2/Candidates/search?word=Saudi receive response of { "code": "MANDATORY_NOT_FOUND",
                                  • Manage control over Microsoft Office 365 integrations with profile-based sync permissions

                                    Greetings all, Previously, all users in Zoho CRM had access to enable Microsoft integrations (Calendar, Contacts, and Tasks) in their accounts, regardless of their profile type. Users with administrator profiles can now manage profile-based permissions
                                  • Saving reading position + Keep screen on

                                    While Zoho Notebook is excellent for saving and annotating articles, its utility is severely limited by the lack of reading progress synchronization. On the Android app, if a user exits a long note after reading 50%, the app fails to save the position.
                                  • Multiple Vendor SKUs

                                    One of the big concerns we have with ZOHO Inventory is lack of Vendor Skus like many other inventory software packages offer. Being able to have multiple vendor skus for the same product would be HUGE! It would populate the appropriate vendor Sku for
                                  • Zoho LandingPage is integrated with Zoho One!

                                    Greetings to the Zoho One users out there! We're delighted to let you know that Zoho LandingPage is available in Zoho One too! With Zoho LandingPage, you can host custom-made landing pages, and persuade the visitors to dive deeper by making further clicks,
                                  • Android app sync problem - multiple devices have same problem

                                    Hello, I am having a problem with synchronization in the Android app. When I create a drawing, the data does not sync correctly—only a blank note is created without the drawing. I tested this on multiple devices, including phones and tablets, and the
                                  • How can i resend a campaign to only one of the recipients on the original campaign

                                    How can i resend a campaign to only one of the recipients on the original campaign ? Sincererly, Mike
                                  • How to show branch instead of org name on invoice template?

                                    Not sure why invoices are showing the org name not the branch name? I can insert the branch name using the ${ORGANIZATION.BRANCHNAME} placeholder, but then it isn't bold text anymore. Any other ideas?
                                  • Create CRM Deal from Books Quote and Auto Update Deal Stage

                                    I want to set up an automation where, whenever a Quote is created in Zoho Books, a Deal is automatically created in Zoho CRM with the Quote amount, customer details, and some custom fields from Zoho Books. Additionally, when the Sales Order is converted
                                  • Marketing Automation Requirements Questions

                                    I would like to set up a multi-email drip campaign- please see the structure below and confirm if I can achieve this set up in Zoho marketing automation. Where applicable, highlight gaps and workarounds. Thanks Drip email campaign- Can I create one drip
                                  • Zoho CRM for Gmail Extension Not Working in Brave Browser?

                                    Is anyone able to get the Zoho CRM Chrome Extension working in the Brave browser? They're both built on the Chromium platform and every other Chrome Extension works with the exception of Zoho CRM for Gmail so any ideas here?
                                  • Sharing URLs and direct access

                                    Hello, I am storing my team's email signature images on Workdrive. I am creating a public image download share and adding “?directDownload=true” so that the image can be accessed without the Workdrive interface. A few questions: 1) Can we generate friendly
                                  • how to change the page signers see after signing a document in zoho sign

                                    Hello, How can I please change the page a signer sees after signing a document in Zoho Sign? I cannot seem to find it. As it is now, it shows a default landing page "return to Zoho Sign Home". Thanks!
                                  • Question about using custom_fields in Storefront Add-to-Cart API (error 2003 – required details)

                                    Hi everyone, I’m working with the Zoho Commerce Storefront API, specifically the Add to Cart endpoint: POST /storefront/api/v1/cart According to the documentation, this endpoint supports a custom_fields parameter for adding line-item custom data. I’m
                                  • Can a project be cloned?

                                    Good afternoon, greetings. I would like to ask if it's possible to clone a project in Microsoft Project. I found a way to do it using templates, but I'm not sure if there's a direct way to clone a project. Thank you in advance for your attention, and
                                  • Timesheet Tasks in Zoho Books: associate to service item

                                    How do we associate a service item to timesheet tasks in Zoho Books? For example: Joe spent 5 hours on project:task1 which is Service Item#1 (Income:Service1). When the invoice is issued thru the Project Invoice section, this is not available. When the
                                  • Why Sharing Rules do Not support relative date comparison???

                                    I am creating a Sharing Rule and simply want to share where "Last Day of Coverage" (Date field) is Greater than TODAY (Starting Tomorrow). However, sharing rules don't have the option to compare a date field to a relative date (like today), only to Static
                                  • Task/Activity indicator in SalesPipeline overview has disappeared

                                    I Just logged in my ZOHO CRM first 2026 checking my salespipeline overview , Every record card used to show an indication that there was an open task (Yellow if the expiry date was close, red if the expiry date was today and grey when it had expired).
                                  • Tip #56- Accessibility Controls in Zoho Assist: Hearing- 'Insider Insights'

                                    As we begin the new year, it’s a great time to focus on making our tools more inclusive and accessible for everyone. Remote support often involves long hours in front of screens, varying lighting conditions, and users with diverse accessibility needs.
                                  • Zoho Desk Android app update: Table view for All Departments view, custom button

                                    Hello everyone! In the latest version(v2.9.25) of the Zoho Desk Android app update, we have introduced Table view for the 'All Departments' view in the ticket module. We also have supported an option that allows tickets in the Table view to be sorted
                                  • What's New - December 2025 | Zoho Backstage

                                    In December, Backstage introduced a focused set of updates that improve how you manage registrations, communicate with attendees, and track participation. These enhancements are designed to give organizers greater flexibility and clearer control across
                                  • Need code format to specify default values

                                    Can someone please direct me to the code syntax or the proper translation per the instructions circled below. These instructions don't seem correct.
                                  • Problem with CRM Connection not Refreshing Token

                                    I've setup a connection with Zoom in the CRM. I'm using this connection to automate some registrations, so my team doesn't have to manually create them in both the CRM and Zoom. Connection works great in my function until the token expires. It does not refresh and I have to manually revoke the connection and connect it again. I've chatted with Zoho about this and after emailing me that it couldn't be done I asked for specifics on why and they responded. "The connection is CRM is not a feature to
                                  • Task Deletion Restriction & Strict Stage Control

                                    Hello Zoho Community, We have the following two issues currently pending and under testing, for which we require a workable and reliable solution: 1. Task Deletion Restriction We are testing ways to ensure that staff users are not able to delete tasks
                                  • Add multiple users to a task

                                    When I´m assigning a task it is almost always related to more than one person. Practical situation: When a client request some improvement the related department opens the task with the situation and people related to it as the client itself, the salesman
                                  • A Roundup of Zoho Sprints 2025

                                  • Issue with WhatsApp Template Approval and Marketing Message Limit in Zoho Bigin

                                    We are facing issues while creating and using WhatsApp message templates through Zoho Bigin, and we request your clarification and support regarding the same. 1. Utility Template Approval Issue Until December, we were able to create WhatsApp templates
                                  • Sorting Custom Date in API isn't working w pagination limit

                                    How can we sort a custom field with DATE using pagination? Starting at page=1 then moving to page=2 with a limit of 10 each, its all messed up and even shows some of the same records as page 1? https://www.zohoapis.com/crm/v2/INVOICE_MODULE/search?criteria=(FM_Contact_ID:equals:1234)&sort_by=Invoice_Date&sort_order=desc&per_page=10&page='
                                  • SAP Business One(B1) integration is now live in Zoho Flow

                                    We’re excited to share that SAP Business One (B1) is now available in Zoho Flow! This means you can now build workflows that connect SAP B1 with other apps and automate routine processes without relying on custom code. Note: SAP Business One integration
                                  • Enhancement in Role and Profile mapping of agents in Sandbox

                                    Hello everyone! We have brought in a modification in the way users are mapped to a particular role and profile in Sandbox. What has changed? When agents are copied from production to Sandbox: If a user's current role and profile is available in Sandbox,
                                  • The reason I switched away from Zoho Notebook

                                    My main reason for switching to Zoho was driven by three core principles: moving away from US-based products, keeping my data within India as much as possible, and supporting Indian companies. With that intent, I’ve been actively de-Googling my digital
                                  • Decimal places settings for exchange rates

                                    Hello, We are facing issues while matching vendor payments with banking feeds. As we often import products/services exchange rate comes into play. Currently, ZOHO allows only six digits for decimal places. We feel that conversions like JPY to INR require
                                  • Zoho removed ability to see all Scheduled Reports!

                                    If you are not the owner of a scheduled report, Zoho recently removed the capability to see each scheduled report. As an admin who relies on seeing all scheduled reports being sent, this is a terrible update. Now I cannot see ANY scheduled reports...even the ones I am being sent!!  This should be a setting for admins to control.  This is a bad update.
                                  • Automate Backups

                                    This is a feature request. Consider adding an auto backup feature. Where when you turn it on, it will auto backup on the 15-day schedule. For additional consideration, allow for the export of module data via API calls. Thank you for your consideration.
                                  • GCLID and Zoho Bookings

                                    Is there anyway to embed a Zoho Bookings signup on a landing page and pass the GCLID information? More specifically, can this be done using auto-tagging and not manual tagging the GCLID? I know Zappier has an integration to do this but is there a better
                                  • Merge Items

                                    Is there a work around for merging items? We currently have three names for one item, all have had a transaction associated so there is no deleting (just deactivating, which doesn't really help. It still appears so people are continuing to use it). I also can't assign inventory tracking to items used in past transactions, which I don't understand, this is an important feature moving forward.. It would be nice to merge into one item and be able to track inventory. Let me know if this is possible.
                                  • Create PO from an invoice

                                    We are a hardware and software sales company which receives orders over the internet. We drop ship most of our products from a warehouse outside of our company. Our orders get sync'd into Zoho from our store via onesaas as invoices. It would be great
                                  • Blueprint or Validation Rules for Invoices in Zoho Books

                                    Can I implement Blueprint or Validation Rules for Invoices in Zoho Books? Example, use case could be, Agent confirms from client that payment is done, but bank only syncs transactions tomorrow. in this case, Agent can update invoice status to done, and
                                  • Resetting auto-number on new year

                                    Hi everyone! We have an auto-number with prefix "D{YYYY}-", it generates numbers like D2025-1, D2025-2, etc... How can we have it auto-reset at the beginning of the next year, so that it goes to D2026-1? Thanks!
                                  • Next Page