Marketer's Space - Get effortless subscription management for CRM-synced contacts using Journeys

Marketer's Space - Get effortless subscription management for CRM-synced contacts using Journeys


Hello, marketers! Welcome to another post in the CRM Integration Series in Marketers’ Space. We’ve been exploring how integrating Zoho CRM with Zoho Marketing Automation (ZMA) can enhance your marketing efforts, especially via the Journeys feature. This week, we’ll focus on how you can automate subscription management for contacts synced from Zoho CRM using Journeys.

Why automate subscription management?

Both your team and your customers can update subscription preferences. To stay compliant and ensure your communications are relevant, it’s crucial to manage these updates efficiently. You can:
  • Manually update subscription lists.
  • Automate subscription updates using Journeys.
Let’s see how Zoho Marketing Automation’s Journeys make this process effortless.

Sync CRM contacts with a targeted list

Since we're working with contacts synced from Zoho CRM, start by adding them to a specific list during the sync.
This enables you to target them later using Journey triggers like the following:
  • Added to list” trigger: Starts a journey when a contact is added to a list. 
  • Criteria match” trigger: Targets contacts based on their list memberships and other criteria.

   

Capture customer interests in Zoho CRM

Your sales team can capture customer interests in a custom field in Zoho CRM. For instance, they could create a text field called “Interests,” which sales reps can update with values like “sale” and “new product launch.”

Add topics in Zoho Marketing Automation

In ZMA, you can create topics to categorize your campaigns:
Go to Contacts > Topics and click on Add Topic.
Group topics under relevant categories, such as:
  • Newsletters
  • New product launches
  • Exclusive member content
  • Sale announcements

Create an automated subscription journey

1. Set up the trigger

  • Create a new journey and add the “Added to list” trigger. Then select the list where your CRM contacts are synced. This ensures that only relevant contacts enter the Journey.
  • Alternatively, you can use the “Criteria match” trigger and set list membership as a condition to filter contacts. For even more precision, refine the entry criteria further based on additional conditions or custom CRM fields.


2. Segment based on interests

  • Add a multi-way split component and configure it by setting criteria: “Interests”.
  • Create branches for each interest, like “Sale” or “New Product Launch.”
  • Add “No Interests” for the “Else" branch.

3. Automate subscription updates

  • Under each branch, add the “Subscription Management” action.
  • Configure it to subscribe contacts to a relevant topic.
  • For the “Sale” branch, select “Add Subscription to Marketing Topics” and select the topic “Sale Announcements”.
  • Repeat for other branches.
  • For the “No Interests” branch, select “Unsubscribe From All Topics” to avoid sending irrelevant emails.


If your business runs exclusive member campaigns, you can also do this by adding a “Customer Type” field in Zoho CRM (e.g., Members and Non-Members). With this segmentation, you can create a separate Journey that automatically assigns “Members Only” topics to eligible contacts, which ensures exclusive content reaches the right audience while keeping non-members in a separate communication flow.
Idea

Handling Multiple Topic Subscriptions

If a customer wants to subscribe to multiple topics instead of just one, use the “contains” modifier instead of “is” when setting up conditions. This ensures that contacts interested in more than one topic are correctly identified and subscribed to all relevant categories, allowing them to receive communication related to multiple topics without restrictions.

Automate subscription management with the “Added to Segment” trigger

You can also achieve the same automation using the “Added to Segment” trigger. If you prefer not to sync CRM contacts into a list, you can set up a segment instead and define the criteria to be matched.

Once the segment is created, you can build a new Journey using the “Added to Segment” trigger and configure the appropriate subscription management actions for that segment.

This ensures the following:
  • The segment is automatically updated whenever a contact meets the defined criteria.
  • Any new contact entering the segment is immediately enrolled in the Journey, which triggers the relevant subscription updates without the need for manual intervention.
With Journeys in Zoho Marketing Automation, your subscription management can be completely automated and dynamic. No more manual updates or guesswork—just seamless, automated audience segmentation. Try it out, and let us know how it works for you. See you next week with more ways to supercharge the Zoho CRM + ZMA integration. Until then, happy marketing!

Regards,
Pearlin Nitika
User education | Zoho Marketing Automation

    Nederlandse Hulpbronnen


      • Recent Topics

      • Depositing funds to account

        Hello, I have been using Quickbooks for many years but am considering moving to Zoho Books so I am currently running through various workflows and am working on the Invoicing aspect. In QB, the process is to create an invoice, receive payment and then
      • Our Review Of Zoho CRM after 60 Days

        The purpose of this is to just share with Zoho why I love their product, but ultimately why I could not choose Zoho CRM for our next CRM. About two months ago we begun a CRM exploration process for our financial planning firm, based in Texas. We already
      • Error AS101 when adding new email alias

        Hi, I am trying to add apple@(mydomain).com The error AS101 is shown while I try to add the alias.
      • Enhancement in Zoho CRM: Control who gets to participate in a forecast by customizing the user hierarchy

        Include only users from the sales function; exclude the rest Dear Customers, We hope you're well! We started this year with a series of exciting enhancements to Zoho CRM and to this list, we are thrilled to add an enhancement to forecasting. Let's talk
      • This domain is not allowed to add. Please contact support-as@zohocorp.com for further details

        I am trying to setup the free version of Zoho Mail. When I tried to add my domain, theselfreunion.com I got the error message that is the subject of this Topic. I've read your other community forum topics, and this is NOT a free domain. So what is the
      • Possible to generate/download Quote PDF using REST API?

        See title. Is there any way after a quote has been created to export to a PDF using a specified template and then download it? Seems like something that should be doable. Is this not supported in the API v2.0?
      • Allow Admin to Configure Report > More Options Button

        As an Admin, I want to configure the options of the Report > More Options button to improve UX and reduce Developer overhead. See attached screenshot. Original question posted here: https://help.zoho.com/portal/en/community/topic/modify-standard-rep
      • Generate a link for Zoho Sign we can copy and use in a separate email

        Please consider adding functionality that would all a user to copy a reminder link so that we can include it in a personalized email instead of sending a Zoho reminder. Or, allow us to customize the reminder email. Use Case: We have clients we need to
      • Multiple Zoho One accounts

        Hello. I'm searching for a solution to run multiple organizations under 1 Zoho One account or have a different Zoho One account for each organization and still be able to easily login to each. Currently Zoho One doesn't allow the same email address to
      • Manage Every Customer Conversation from Every Channel inside Zoho SalesIQ

        Your customers message you from everywhere. But are you really able to track, manage, and follow through on every conversation, without missing anything? With interactions coming in from websites, mobile apps, and messaging platforms like WhatsApp and
      • What's New in Zoho POS - February 2026

        Hello everyone, Welcome to Zoho POS’s monthly updates, where we share our latest feature updates, enhancements, events, and more. Let’s take a look at how February went. Purchase and sell items on different units We have introduced a unit conversion functionality
      • You cannot send this campaign as there is no contact in the selected mailing list.

        We have synced contact lists and sent campaigns just fine prior to today.  Now no matter what list I upload when I go to send the campaign it gives an error "You cannot send this campaign as there is no contact in the selected mailing list." And now it
      • Client Portal ZOHO ONE

        Dear Zoho one is fantastic option for companies but it seems to me that it is still an aggregation of aps let me explain I have zoho books with client portal so client access their invoice then I have zoho project with client portal so they can access their project but not their invoice without another URL another LOGIN Are you planning in creating a beautiful UI portal for client so we can control access to client in one location to multiple aps at least unify project and invoice aps that would
      • Custom view inconsistencies

        Why is "is not" missing from criteria, along with other comparison operators ??? It makes it almost impossible to build required custom views, I don't want "void" invoices listed & why on earth would "Void" invoices be showing when the criteria includes
      • Pivot Report Formula - using a today() variable

        Is it possible for me to use a value of today() in a formula on a pivot table? I'm trying to identify where the end date of a project is greater than the current date if("10. Projects (Zoho Projects).End Date" > today(), 'Yes', 'No') I get the error that
      • Cannot connect IMAP to outlook

        Hello I have followed the instructions to connect my zoho account to Outlook IMAP but get this message: Session Id: bba118fb-151c-824f-9512-3ad1e91b109d Timestamp: 1708976566964 Error code: INVALIDCREDENTIALS INTERACTIONREQUIRED I'm using the exact configeration
      • Department Overview by Modified Time

        We are trying to create visuals to show the work our agents do in Zoho Desk. Using Zoho Analytics how can we create a Department Overview per modified time and not ticket created time? In order for us to get an accurate view of the work our agents are
      • Where is the settings option in zoho writer?

        hi, my zoho writer on windows has menu fonts too large. where do i find the settings to change this option? my screen resolution is correct and other apps/softwares in windows have no issues. regards
      • Enhance Sign CRM integration

        Hello all, I'm working on a custom Deluge script to enhance the integration between Zoho CRM and Sign by using a writer merge template for additional flexibility. I want to replicate the post-sign document integration that exists between CRM and Sign
      • Zoho Workdrive download was block by security software

        Hi Team, Recently workdrive download was blocked by huorong security. Could you please advise how to put zoho workdrive as white list? every time we put "*.zohoexternal.com" or "workdrive.zohoexternal.com", the warning msg will still pop in next dow
      • Choosing a portal option and the "Unified customer portal"?

        I am trialling Zoho to replace various existing systems, one of which is a customer portal. Our portal allows clients to add and edit bookings, complete forms, manage their subscriptions and edit some CRM info. I am trying to understand how I might best
      • General feedback

        I think Zoho is at the moment (potentially) the best, or perhaps the only, real online solution, for business, and not just business. Surely the only one that has all the features that I need (and I've probably tried everything, at least all that has a cost-free option). It has still got lots of bugs and imperfect features, so I do hope it keeps developing and becomes a really professional platform. Lots of people (including me) want to use such one platform for all scheduling/mail/note-taking...
      • How to add SSL to Short URL custom domain?

        Hi, I've added a custom domain the the URL Shortener Domains. It's creating the short URL fine, but when clicking through, firstly I get an SSL warning, then a 400 Bad Request warning.
      • Single Portal for Multiple Apps

        Hello, I'm just getting started with Zoho and I'm very overwhelmed. I am currently using the free trial of Zoho One, but if I can figure it out, I intend to upgrade to the paid version. Zoho One, of course, gives me  access to an entire suite of services/applications. One of the things I'd like to do is have a single place for clients (customers?) to log in and view current projects, invoices, contact information, etc. A single login for my clients. A single portal. I've come across documentation
      • Antispam validation failed for your domain in Accounts

        I tried adding a domain to zeptomail.zoho.com, but the “add domain” operation failed. The front‑end error reads: “Domain could not be added. Please contact support@zeptomail.com.” The back‑end API returned: ``` { "error": { "code": "TM_3601", "details":
      • Define your custom business logic in Zoho Projects

        Every organization has a defined way of executing projects. There are clear expectations around how tasks should move, when projects should progress, and which actions require validation. When these rules are consistently followed, projects remain structured
      • Cancelled appointments still block out timeslot

        I haven't had to test this before, but I've just found a problem. I had an appointment in a certain timeslot, and that appointment was cancelled. However, Bookings won't let another appointment be booked in that slot - it makes that time unavailable until
      • Preventing Group Emails From Being Sent to Group Member Personal Mail

        We have a group setup for a public facing email address. We have streams turned on for this group. Right now when an email is sent to this group email it hits the group stream and also sends a copy of the email to all group members. We'd like to disable
      • Unusual activity detected from this IP. Please try again after some time.

        Hello Zoho admin and IT team We are a registered website in Eloctronic services and we been trying to add our users to the zoho system but this issue faced us ,, hope you unlocked us please.
      • On Edit Validation Blueprint

        Hello, I have a notes field and a signature field. When the Approve button is clicked, the Signature field will appear and must be filled in. When the Reject button is clicked, the Notes field will appear and must be filled in. Question: Blueprint will
      • ¿Puedo migrar mi sitio desde WordPress a Zoho? ¿Zoho admite herramientas con código personalizado?

        ¡Hola comunidad! Estoy evaluando la posibilidad de migrar mi sitio web https://calculadoradenotas.cl/ desde WordPress a una solución Zoho, y tengo algunas dudas técnicas que espero puedan aclararme. Mi sitio no es solo informativo: es una herramienta
      • How do I link my invoice to an estimate?

        There has been instances where I have created estimates, however, invoices for the same estimate were created independently. The status of these estimates hasn't converted to 'invoiced'. 
      • Zoho Books (and other finance suite apps) - Retrospective Linking of Invoice and Sales Orders to Quotes.

        In some cases, Quotes and Invoies may be created sperately instead of using the convert feature. In this feature request I am asking for the Finance Suite team to consider adding a lookup field to reference the quote on Invoices and Sales Orders, or some
      • Impossible to import Journal from Freshbooks

        I have been trying to import journals from Freshbooks since August 30th. Every time I try to import, I get an error message. I have already made sure every row has a date. First it was saying the account and notes had unexpected input and that every debit/credit
      • Zoho Payroll's USA and KSA editions are available in Zoho One!

        Greetings! We’re excited to share that Zoho Payroll, currently available only in India and the UAE, is now introducing the KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) edition and the USA (United States of America) edition, and these editions are now available in Zoho
      • Peppol: Accept Bill (Belgium)

        Hi, This topic might help you if you're facing the same in Belgium. We are facing an issue while accepting a supplier bill received by Peppol in Zoho Books. There is a popup with an error message: This bill acceptance could not be completed, so it was
      • CRM x WorkDrive: We're rolling out the WorkDrive-powered file storage experience for existing users

        Release plan: Gradual rollout to customers without file storage add-ons, in this order: 1. Standalone CRM 2. CRM Plus and Zoho One DCs: All | Editions: All Available now for: - Standalone CRM accounts in Free and Standard editions without file storage
      • Subheaders for Sections in forms

        Currently, every form section has a field name, which one can choose to show/hide to the end user. It would be great if there was an option to show a SUB-HEADER in addition to a header. It would be useful for explaining to the end user what the section
      • Convert invoice from zoho to xml with all details

        How to convert an Invoice to XML format with all details
      • Prevent subform editing on a module's detail's page

        Hi everyone, We would like to prevent any editing of the subform data in the : Create page Edit page Details page (as subform editing is now allowed by the recent UX update) We are able to prevent editing by making the subform fields read only in the
      • Next Page