How to create a winning B2B omnichannel marketing strategy

To elucidate Michael’s point in the context that it was made, he’s referring to relevance in a strategic sense pertaining to omnichannel marketing.

More specifically, he means that you need strategic alignment between many different factors to make your marketing efforts — content, messaging, and timing — as well as your product pitch, relevant to prospects at each touchpoint in the buyer journey.

If that feels like a lot to unpack, welcome to omnichannel marketing in B2B. 

Settle in and we’ll explore how strategy is an integral piece of a successful B2B omnichannel marketing campaign, along with how to build, execute, and optimize one for your organization.

Why B2B omnichannel marketing must be strategic

To be successful in your omnichannel marketing, a high degree of strategic alignment and planning is needed at the beginning of and throughout your campaign. It involves:

• Analyzing industry benchmark data
• Understanding buyer behavior at different stages
• Aligning sales and marketing teams
• Coordinating channels

In an omnichannel context, marketing teams collaborate closely with sales development representatives (SDRs) throughout the entire buyer journey rather than simply handing off leads at the end. Therefore, it makes sense to establish shared goals for the 2 departments — such as generating a specific amount of new revenue across the pipeline.

Furthermore, with multiple channels in play, you need to identify which ones are most effective for specific industries at different stages of the buyer journey. For instance, traditional industries may find email more effective for initiating conversations, while SMS could be better suited for ongoing communication.

To achieve relevance in your omnichannel campaign, you first need alignment. Without a strategy that interconnects channels, departments, and tech to meet organizational goals, your omnichannel campaign falls apart before it begins.

Omnichannel without strategy is multichannel

Multichannel marketing means using multiple, disconnected channels to engage prospects. The goal of omnichannel is to provide a seamless customer experience across channels. That can only be done through a cohesive strategy that produces relevant messages that are based on prior interactions.

Additionally, as more tools, channels, and tactics are added to the mix, multichannel becomes increasingly difficult to maintain consistent messaging when each channel is operating in isolation.

Ultimately, multichannel marketing leads to a fragmented customer journey that reduces conversion opportunities and rates at every stage.

Sales and marketing must be strategically aligned

When departments operate with divergent goals and disconnected processes, lead handoffs become inefficient, the user journey is fragmented, and revenue generation suffers.

Another way to view this issue is through a simple analogy. If an omnichannel campaign is the house you’re building, then the marketing team represents the drywall installers and sales represents the electricians. The 2 must collaborate on the same blueprint and they must coordinate stages of completion, otherwise, they’d be effectively building 2 different houses.

For this same reason, the alignment between sales and marketing departments is not a tactical recommendation; it’s an integral piece of any B2B omnichannel marketing campaign.

Why best practices are not a good starting point for omnichannel strategies

A final point to be made before we get into the actual steps to building your omnichannel campaign is that, unlike most marketing campaigns, there is no simple set of best practices to start you off.

Achieving alignment between budgets, goals, resources (whether outsourced or in-house), industry variables, and channels is unique to every organization. This intricate coordination is also what makes or breaks an effective campaign. As a result, every company’s omnichannel campaign will look very different from any other.

How to build a winning B2B omnichannel marketing strategy

When reviewing each step listed below, it’s helpful to consider why each exists (to add relevance) and how it achieves that.

Step 1: Conduct in-depth user research

The foundation of a successful B2B omnichannel strategy lies in comprehensive user research. However, relying on past research is not enough. You need to collect, organize, and analyze research to launch an omnichannel campaign from the start.

User research for omnichannel strategies is about gaining insights that make your marketing efforts relevant to your clients at every touchpoint.

Develop frameworks to organize and interpret your research. At Belkins, we’ve found success with our “industry decomposition and priority mapping” approach. This method breaks down the market into specific industries, verticals, and solutions, scoring each based on the following:

• How easy it is to sell to the customer
• How interesting (rewarding) it is for us to sell to the customer
• How the market is growing

Once we’ve broken that down by industry, a prioritized list of customer types tells us where our targeting efforts will have the most impact.

We also use case studies as an essential part of our research. Because they provide current insights, analyzing them lets us understand our strengths, clients’ priorities, and the customer pain points we address in collaboration with our clients.

All of this information sets the stage for tailoring messaging and product pitches that will resonate with the target audience.

Step 2: Align sales and marketing teams

Establish shared goals and metrics that both departments can rally around. This fosters collaboration and ensures everyone is working toward the same objectives, such as revenue generation.

Next, develop a unified customer view. By integrating data from both teams, you gain insights into the entire buyer journey, allowing for more personalized and relevant interactions with prospects. This also provides a more comprehensive understanding that eliminates confusion and poorly timed messages.

Finally, implement collaborative tools and processes that facilitate communication between sales and marketing. Using shared platforms streamlines workflows, improves lead handoffs, and informs both teams about ongoing campaigns and customer feedback.

Step 3: Map the buyer’s journey

At Belkins, we define 4 key stages of the buyer journey:

1. Awareness
2. Attention/Activation
3. Engagement
4. Conversion

By breaking down the buyer journey this way, you can tailor marketing efforts to align with each prospect’s decision-making process.

Identify the touchpoints at each stage, pinpointing where potential clients interact with your brand — whether through social media, email campaigns, or direct outreach. Recognizing these touchpoints becomes necessary for relevant and timely messaging.

Determine the appropriate channels for each stage. Different stages require distinct approaches; for instance, while email might effectively generate initial awareness, more personalized channels like phone calls or direct messages could be necessary for engagement and conversion.

Step 4: Develop channel-specific strategies

Channel-specific strategies are based on how the target user interacts with the platform at each stage of the buyer journey.

Once you understand that, you can customize content and messaging for each channel to resonate with your audience in the right context. It’s this step that’s largely responsible for increased engagement and conversions across all stages.

Additionally, make sure you’re using consistent messaging across all platforms to reinforce brand identity and build trust. The added coherence makes it easier for them to recognize and engage with you, regardless of the channel.

Occasionally, we hear clients refuse omnichannel marketing by telling us they’re “switching to inbound.” However, an effective omnichannel strategy integrates both inbound and outbound tactics. You need to leverage the strengths of each approach to create a cohesive experience for prospects.

Step 5: Implement data integration and analytics

Start by setting up cross-channel tracking to monitor customer interactions across all platforms. This gives a comprehensive view of how prospects engage with your brand.

Additionally, establish key performance indicators (KPIs) for each stage of the buyer journey for different time intervals (3 months, 6 months, 12 months, etc.). KPI metrics should be an outgrowth of your business goals that provides direct insight into how effective your marketing efforts are. Also, be sure to measure performance at every stage so that your team can address specific issues as they arise.

Lastly, commit to regularly analyzing performance and adjusting strategies based on collected data. Omnichannel campaigns are not set up overnight, and they are not fully streamlined within a couple of months. Continuous evaluations are required to refine your approach, keep you responsive to changing market dynamics, and optimize your customers’ experience.

Executing your omnichannel strategy: Stage-by-stage guide

A common misconception among marketers is the tendency to focus on conversion metrics, neglecting earlier stages such as awareness and engagement.

At Belkins, our omnichannel marketing strategy integrates online and offline channels to create a seamless customer experience. This allows for cohesive messaging across all platforms, including content marketing, social media, cold calling and voicemails, email outreach, and paid advertising.

In the following sections, we’ll define each stage of the buyer journey, explain how to optimize them and provide examples of successful execution.

Stage 1: Gaining awareness

To gain awareness, focus on establishing brand recognition and familiarizing potential clients with company names and faces. The key is to provide value over time through personalized and relevant messaging.

Сampaign example: Thought leadership webinar series with direct outreach

A new initiative positions your company as a thought leader while offering valuable insights to the target audience about widespread challenges in their industry.

By promoting webinars through inbound channels and using direct outreach to invite key prospects, you attract engagement and build initial trust in your brand. This provides genuine value to your audience, encourages interaction, and showcases your expertise while establishing an initial connection.

Outbound channels:

• Cold email outreach (personal invitations)
• Personalized follow-up emails
• Cold calling (follow-ups)
• LinkedIn outreach (connecting with prospects)
• SMS/WhatsApp follow-ups (to confirm attendance)

Inbound сhannels:

• LinkedIn organic posts (promotion)
• Social media advertising (LinkedIn Ads)
• Blog posts and articles (announcing the webinar)
• Email newsletters (invitations)

From here, you can begin to determine the types of assets needed, customer acquisition costs (CAC), and other budget considerations specific to building awareness.

Stage 2: Attention and activation

Attention and activation occur when a prospect takes action without direct interaction with an individual, such as downloading a checklist or signing up for an email newsletter. This stage builds on previously established awareness and relies on triggers like email opens.

While some methods from the awareness stage, like LinkedIn Ads, remain applicable, the messaging and timing will differ. The aim is to prompt indirect actions that capture attention.

Campaign example: LinkedIn Ads with personalized follow-up outreach

The campaign runs targeted LinkedIn Ads to increase visibility among your ideal audience. Following up with engaged prospects through personalized outreach nurtures these leads into the next stage. This strategy combines broad targeting capabilities of LinkedIn Ads with personal communication for higher engagement and conversion rates than those in the awareness stage.

Outbound channels:

• Personalized outreach (to those who interacted with ads)
• Cold email follow-up messages
• Cold calling (high-interest leads)

Inbound channels:

• LinkedIn Ads (social media advertising)
• LinkedIn organic posts (additional promotion)

The attention/activation stage requires data derived from user behavior in the previous stage to inform personalization, messaging, and follow-ups. By converting initial awareness into actionable interest, you’ll produce a more engaging experience, contributing to higher conversion rates later on.

Stage 3: Engaging prospects

Engagement occurs when prospects interact with your brand directly or through social settings. It includes actions such as liking or commenting on social media posts, attending a webinar, or responding to an email. This stage reveals how relevant your marketing efforts are, along with your audience’s preferred communication channels, which gives you insights on how to nurture relationships further.

Campaign example: Customer success webinar with outreach

A webinar that features a satisfied customer sharing a success story provides social proof and relatable results. Promoting this event through inbound channels while inviting prospects via direct outreach proves highly effective. Real-world success resonates strongly with potential clients, builds trust, and showcases tangible benefits.

Outbound channels:

• Cold email outreach (inviting prospects)
• Personalized follow-ups
• LinkedIn outreach (connecting with attendees)
• SMS/WhatsApp follow-ups (to confirm attendance)

Inbound channels:

• Webinars (event hosting)
• LinkedIn organic posts and engagement (sharing event)
• Email newsletters (invitations)
• Blog posts and articles (promotion)

Throughout this stage, metrics and benchmarks are gathered for each channel. Engagement KPIs inform and improve future engagement efforts, working as a barometer for outreach relevance.

Stage 4: Converting prospects into leads

Throughout the buyer journey, each stage offers opportunities for conversion. As prospects move further down the funnel, conversion rates increase. More specifically, this stage targets prospects lingering in the engagement phase and often involves switching to more aggressive and personal channels, such as intent-based calling.

Campaign example: Industry event participation with pre- and post-outreach

Industry events are still invaluable for building relationships. Scheduling meetings in advance through direct outreach and promoting your participation via inbound channels maximizes exposure and engagement. This campaign combines personal interactions with digital promotion, leading to more fluid connections and opportunities.

Outbound channels:

• Personalized outreach (scheduling meetings)
• Cold email outreach (inviting prospects)
• LinkedIn outreach (connecting with attendees)
• Cold calling (follow-ups)
• SMS/WhatsApp follow-ups (to confirm attendance)

Inbound channels:

• LinkedIn organic posts and engagement (promotion)

While bringing prospects to in-person events can be effective, it’s less likely to close deals if prospects are still in the awareness stage. By this point, you should have a deep understanding of your prospect’s needs and establish rapport through ongoing conversations about how your company fits into solving their current business challenges.

Ideally, once you’ve made it to this stage, you’re leveraging insights gained from previous interactions and aggressively converting prospects into leads.

Measuring success and optimizing your strategy

To get the most out of customizing your omnichannel strategy, reinforce it with KPIs that reflect both industry benchmarks and your unique business goals. They should be informed by comprehensive research and analysis of successful case studies.

Additionally, incorporating industry benchmarks lets you measure performance against peers and competitors, identify areas for improvement, and adjust strategies. By taking a data-driven approach, you build a culture of accountability and continuously improve your marketing and sales teams.

Customizing KPIs

KPIs should be tailored to each stage of the buyer journey, such as awareness and activation, while also aligning with overarching business goals like revenue generation. A dual focus creates more efficient marketing efforts that drive engagement while contributing to financial objectives.

At Belkins, we rely on 3 primary KPIs to measure this kind of success:

1. Pipeline created: Tracks new revenue generated at all stages of the funnel, providing insight into how well we’re nurturing leads throughout the buyer journey.
2. Number of appointments booked: Reflects the number of scheduled appointments or new deals created, indicating how well our outreach strategies convert interest into actionable opportunities.
3. New closed revenue: Measures the number of new accounts acquired and the total net new revenue generated from those accounts, serving as a direct indicator of our success in converting leads into paying clients.

Integrating data for holistic insights

Omnichannel marketing enables your businesses to identify problems clearly within your sales funnel. The added clarity helps in optimizing performance and ensuring that each aspect of your strategy contributes to your company goals.

However, this requires integrating extensive data from a variety of tools and channels through a CRM, such as HubSpot, to provide a holistic view of your marketing efforts.

We recommend having a dedicated professional in-house assigned to this task, or outsourcing it completely to experienced specialists. That said, any effective omnichannel marketing strategy requires monitoring, testing, and iterating for continuous improvement over time. For that reason, a comprehensive perspective is necessary to pinpoint specific areas for improvement.

Analyzing customer engagement and conversion rates

Analyzing customer engagement and conversion rates grants insights into your marketing strategies’ performance, which is critical to the long-term success of any omnichannel strategy.

Although it depends on the stage and tactics, high engagement rates typically indicate relevant content that captures audience interest, while low conversion rates suggest something is lacking in your messaging or timing.

Analysis leads to refining your current strategies and informs future campaigns by shedding light on which channels bring the best results.

How to implement an omnichannel campaign into existing marketing efforts

To implement an effective omnichannel campaign, it’s important to recognize that relying solely on outbound, inbound, or a single channel will not support growth. Once you fully understand the necessity of employing an omnichannel strategy, your organization can begin to clarify the scope and responsibilities among different teams and departments, whether in-house or outsourced.

At Belkins, to facilitate this often sensitive transition into new strategic territory, we start by evaluating the channels currently employed in your campaigns. Next, we identify opportunities to integrate supporting channels that amplify results.

For example, if you’re running ads on LinkedIn, we may suggest using email as a follow-up tool to retarget prospects who’ve engaged with those ads.

Instead of starting entirely from scratch, strategically add supporting channels to create a well-rounded omnichannel strategy that drives engagement and conversions from day one.

Building your omnichannel marketing strategy with Belkins

In the past year, many companies relied on predictable revenue playbooks that are suddenly outdated. As organizations recognize the importance of omnichannel marketing, interest in strategy has surged.

Unlike traditional methods where channels compete against each other, omnichannel marketing relies on smarter strategies that make channels work together to multiply results.

Belkins offers valuable experience, knowledge, and resources. Within just 10 days, we can have your omnichannel strategy up and running, regardless of your industry. One of our resources responsible for this ability is our “Center of Excellence” (CoE), which combines established subject-matter experts in various industries with our in-house team.

Moreover, we set ourselves apart through our unique positioning as both a sales agency and a marketing agency. We’ve integrated sales outreach with marketing efforts and inbound strategies to create smarter campaigns for both ourselves and our clients.

If you’re ready to discuss building an omnichannel marketing strategy for your organization, contact us.