In our previous blog, Why Multi-Channel Marketing Should Be Your 2025 Strategic Approach, we explored the transformative potential of integrating platforms like SEO, PPC, email marketing, and content creation into a unified multi-channel strategy. We highlighted how this approach engages prospects at every stage of the buyer’s journey, maximises ROI, and simplifies campaign management.

But let’s face it—moving from strategy to execution is where the real challenges arise. For SME marketing managers like Joanne, who often face tight budgets, conflicting advice from multiple agencies, and the pressure of ambitious growth targets, a multi-channel approach can feel overwhelming. These obstacles can derail even the best plans, leaving campaigns underperforming and managers overworked.

So, who is Joanne? She’s a marketing manager in a mid-sized SME with a £6 million turnover and a team of 40 staff. Her responsibilities include managing a marketing apprentice and a fragmented web of agencies handling everything from social media and SEO to PR and paid advertising. Despite a modest marketing budget of £95,430 (just 2% of revenue), Joanne has been tasked with doubling company revenue—a tall order for anyone.

This blog revisits Joanne’s challenges and shows how adopting a consolidated, multi-channel agency approach doesn’t just address these issues—it creates a more efficient, cost-effective, and impactful marketing system. Let’s explore how Joanne’s strategy evolved and the tangible benefits this approach delivers for SMEs like hers.

1. The Apprentice Problem:

Issue: The apprentice is ambitious but under-utilised, focusing mainly on social media and content without broader development opportunities.
Solution:

• In a multi-channel approach, the apprentice gains exposure to integrated campaigns.
• The unified content calendar allows them to work across SEO, PPC, and PR, enabling them to contribute to varied campaigns like creating blog posts that align with PPC ads or repurposing PR wins for social media.
• With clear workflows, they can assist the digital agency directly, learning broader skills without being siloed.

2. The Paid Agency Budget Push:

Issue: The Paid Agency claims campaigns are “limited by budget” and pushes for trials across additional platforms like LinkedIn, Paid Social, and Bing.
Solution:

• The multi-channel agency creates a strategic roadmap based on priority platforms that align with measurable objectives.
• Instead of pushing ad spend across multiple platforms simultaneously, they optimise campaigns for high-performing channels first (e.g., LinkedIn and Google Ads).
• Regular performance reviews ensure spend is aligned with ROI, reducing wasted budget.

3. Social Media Consultant’s Content Needs:

Issue: The Social Media Consultant requires a constant stream of high-quality content, images, and videos to run effective campaigns.
Solution:

• The multi-channel approach centralises content production, with the agency creating assets that work across campaigns.
• Blog content can be repurposed into social posts, infographics, and even paid ad creatives.
• The digital agency collaborates with the consultant to align messaging, ensuring efficient use of resources and avoiding duplicated efforts.

4. SEO Freelancer’s Website Changes:

Issue: The SEO Freelancer needs website updates for technical performance but won’t handle coding. Hosting and Support charges for these tasks, calling them “Out of Scope.”
Solution:

• The multi-channel agency includes technical SEO as part of the retainer, handling both on-site fixes and CMS updates without extra charges.
• This eliminates delays and reduces costs, ensuring that SEO changes are implemented seamlessly.

5. PR Consultant and SEO Link Conflict:

Issue: The PR Consultant achieves strong media coverage but without backlinks, which the SEO freelancer insists are critical. Both avoid collaborating directly.
Solution:

• The multi-channel agency integrates PR and SEO under one team. PR campaigns are designed to include link-building opportunities by targeting outlets likely to link back.
• The agency’s outreach strategy ensures SEO objectives are met without PR compromising journalist relationships.

6. Senior Leadership’s Keyword Concerns:

Issue: The Senior Leadership Team highlights missing rankings for specific keywords they personally search for, creating unrealistic expectations for Joanne.
Solution:

• The digital agency educates leadership on actual search behaviour with data-backed insights, showing how target audiences search differently.
• They provide live dashboards tracking keyword rankings, traffic, and conversions, offering transparency and shifting focus from anecdotal searches to measurable success.
• Campaigns are adjusted strategically based on audience intent rather than leadership preferences.

The Result: A Streamlined, Integrated Approach

By consolidating SEO, PPC, PR, and content creation into a multi-channel strategy, Joanne’s team:

• Increases Efficiency: Collaboration between channels reduces duplication, ensuring each effort supports the overall campaign goals.
• Cuts Costs: Eliminates fragmented agency fees and out-of-scope charges, reallocating budget toward impactful ad spend.
• Improves ROI: Aligned strategies drive measurable results across all platforms, reducing inefficiencies and improving lead quality.
• Reduces Stress: Joanne now deals with a unified account manager who oversees all campaigns, simplifying coordination and freeing up her time.

The multi-channel approach doesn’t just solve individual issues—it transforms Joanne’s marketing function into a cohesive, high-performing machine. Let me know if you’d like specific examples or case study additions!

As we mentioned in our previous post, Multi-channel marketing combines strategies like SEO, PPC, email, and content marketing to create a unified customer experience across touchpoints. This approach helps SME B2B businesses engage prospects at every stage of the buyer’s journey. In this blog, we explore how to craft a cohesive multi-channel strategy, make it work on a tight budget, and measure its success effectively.

The Challenge: The Multi-Agency Model

Joanne is a marketing manager in a mid-sized SME. The company focuses on B2B Lead Generation. Traditionally the company has done well through Sales professionals, but as the company has reached a certain size, the Senior Leadership Team have invested in a marketing department over the last few years. 

The company has around 40 staff, 6 million turnover and Joanne has a marketing apprentice. 

Her marketing budget for the year is a generous 5% of the company revenue. Let’s be more realistic here, shall we. 

Joanne has been given 2%, had to beg for that and agree to some pretty high ROI targets, the budget also includes her apprentice at £24,570 per annum (Living Wage for 37.5 Hour Week in 2024/5  (non-london), because the company looks after its staff, even at Apprentice level.)

That leaves Joanne with a marketing budget of £95,430 for the year, but a target of doubling the company revenue.

At the moment, they have:

• Social Media Consultant – £750 per month – £9,000 per year
• SEO Freelancer – £1,200 per month – £14,400 per year
• Paid Advertising Agency – £1,500 per month – £18,000 per year
• Advertising Spend of £2,000 per month – £24,000 per year
• PR Consultant – £1,200 per month – £14,400 per year
• Website Hosting & Support – £600 per month – £7,200 per year
• Designer – £800 per month – £9,600 per year

That’s a total of £96,600 per year or £8,050 per month. That leaves Joanne with minus £1,170 she will need to adjust the paid media spend during quiet times to accommodate, or accept a bit of a discrepancy.

Now, lucky for us Joanne, is pretty good at the strategic side, but the reporting is a bit of a mess, she has to work with four lead generation agencies all claiming a win on the same metrics. 

Other issues Joanne faces:

The Apprentice: Ambitious but under-supported, the apprentice focuses mainly on social media and content tasks. They work well with the Social Media Consultant but lack opportunities to expand their role.

The Paid Agency: Consistently claims campaigns are “limited by budget” and pushes to trial new channels like LinkedIn, Paid Social, and Bing.

The Social Media Consultant: Agrees with the Paid Agency on exploring Paid Social but requires a constant stream of content, including images and videos, to keep campaigns effective.

The SEO Freelancer: Regularly requests website changes for performance improvements but avoids coding tasks. The Hosting and Support provider charges extra for these changes, calling them “Out of Scope.”

The PR Consultant: Secures solid media coverage, but without backlinks. The SEO Freelancer argues this undermines SEO efforts but refuses to engage with journalists to avoid “stepping on toes.”

The Senior Leadership Team: Searches for specific keywords, comparing the company’s rankings to competitors, and sends weekly updates about missing ads or organic listings. Joanne explains that these keywords don’t match actual search behaviour but struggles to change perceptions.

Takeaway: While a multi-channel strategy can’t solve all challenges, it addresses many by improving alignment, streamlining efforts, and ensuring consistency across teams and campaigns.

The Solution: Multi-Channel Digital Agency Approach

Joanne decides to pivot to a multi-channel marketing strategy managed by two complementary agencies:

1. A Lead Generation-Focused Digital Agency:
   • Handles SEO, PPC, and Digital PR to align messaging and ensure channel integration.
   • Includes technical website support as part of the retainer, eliminating out-of-scope charges from the hosting company.
2. Social Media Consultant:
   • Maintains the successful relationship with Joanne’s apprentice, focusing on social growth and engagement.

This integrated approach eliminates the fragmentation and creates a unified strategy:

• Aligned Campaigns: The SEO and PPC teams collaborate on shared goals, moving beyond bottom-of-funnel keywords to include brand awareness at the top of the funnel.
• Repurposed Content: Blog posts and PR campaigns feed into paid social campaigns, while social media videos enrich the blog and on-site content.
• Quarterly Campaigns: A structured calendar allows all activities—social, paid, and organic—to work cohesively toward clear objectives.

The SEO contract has also been negotiated to include Digital PR. They will also support with some Traditional Press Releases, when the company has news, but their focus is now on building links.

The PPC expert within the agency works closely with the SEO and PR team to create an Advertising approach. 

They are able to expand the campaign to focus not just on the bottom of the funnel converting phrases, but actually work Brand Awareness and Engagement at the Top of the Funnel, which is so important for B2B Lead Generation.

Joanne stuck with the Social Media Consultant, because the apprentice works so well with them, and ultimately they supported the growth in a different way. The new agency is keen to work with the Social Side so that they can align campaign messaging.

The content calendar now has a quarterly campaign approach, with a focus on key service lines. Most importantly this approach has allowed for the use of assets across the full campaign. 

• The advertising creative supports the social campaign.
• The content created supports the blog, the PR and the social campaigns.
• The social media videos are used within the blog content.

The Results: A Cost-Effective Strategy

Joanne’s new strategy reallocates the budget for better efficiency:

• Social Media Consultant: £750/month (£9,000/year)
• End-to-End Digital Agency: £4,000/month (£48,000/year), including:
  • A 12-month strategy
  • Analytics setup and ad conversion tracking
  • Paid advertising across three platforms
  • Technical SEO audits and implementation
  • Content creation and digital PR
  • Design and web development support

This streamlined model reduces her total fixed costs to £57,000/year, leaving £38,430 for advertising spend—a 60% increase in media budget compared to the multi-agency model.

Key Benefits:

1. Simplified Coordination: Weekly check-ins with an account manager replace the complex web of meetings across multiple agencies.
2. Improved ROI: Integrated campaigns maximise returns by eliminating siloed strategies.
3. Enhanced Reporting: A single dashboard provides clear insights into all campaigns, enabling smarter decision-making.

Conclusion: A 2025 Strategy for Success

Multi-channel marketing isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a smarter, more cohesive way for SME B2B businesses to achieve their goals. By consolidating services, aligning messaging, and optimising budgets, Joanne’s business is not only meeting its revenue targets but also setting the stage for sustainable growth.

If your SME faces similar challenges, a unified multi-channel approach could be the solution. Whether you’re managing limited budgets or struggling to align campaigns, a strategic shift can transform your results and simplify your role as a marketing manager.

Ready to explore how this could work for your business? Contact us today.

Multi-channel marketing combines strategies like SEO, PPC, email, and content marketing to create a unified customer experience across touchpoints. 

This approach helps SME B2B businesses engage prospects at every stage of the buyer’s journey.

 In this blog, we explore how to craft a cohesive multi-channel strategy, make it work on a tight budget, and measure its success effectively.

How to Build a Multi-Channel Marketing Strategy for B2B SMEs:

1. Understand Your Audience: Map out your B2B buyer’s journey to identify key touchpoints (Awareness, Consideration, Decision).
2. Choose the Right Channels: Focus on a mix of cost-effective platforms like SEO, email marketing, and PPC for targeted visibility.
3. Create Cohesive Messaging: Align content, branding, and campaigns across channels for a seamless customer experience.
4. Leverage Data: Use analytics tools like Google Analytics and LinkedIn Campaign Manager to track channel performance and ROI.
5. Start Small, Scale Gradually: Begin with 2-3 channels (e.g., SEO, email, and PPC), and expand as your resources grow.
6. Repurpose Content: Maximise ROI by turning blog posts into social media updates, email campaigns, or downloadable guides.
7. Measure and Refine: Apply attribution models (e.g., last-click or linear) to identify which channels drive the most value and adjust your strategy accordingly.

In today’s competitive B2B landscape, relying on a single marketing channel isn’t just ineffective—it’s a missed opportunity. 

SME marketing managers are often tasked with achieving ambitious growth targets while juggling limited resources.

 A well-executed multi-channel strategy aligns your messaging across platforms, maximising ROI and creating meaningful connections with prospects. 

This blog offers actionable insights into building an effective multi-channel strategy, understanding the buyer’s journey, and tracking your success.

Bulls**t Jargon Detected 

To set the stage, let’s define some key terms and concepts:

• Multi-Channel Marketing: Engaging customers across multiple platforms (SEO, email, PPC, social media) with consistent messaging to guide them through the buyer’s journey.
• Attribution Models: Techniques like first-click, last-click, and linear attribution that determine which channels contribute most to a conversion.
• Lead Nurturing: Delivering relevant, timely content to prospects to build trust and move them through the sales funnel.

Why it matters: According to a HubSpot study, 72% of consumers prefer an integrated marketing approach where messaging is consistent across channels.

The SME B2B Typical Issue

Many SME marketing managers face these challenges:

• Over-reliance on one channel, such as PPC or email, leading to missed opportunities to connect with prospects at other touchpoints.
• Inconsistent messaging across platforms that confuses potential customers.
• A lack of clear ROI tracking, making it difficult to justify marketing spend.

Case Example: An SME invests heavily in Google Ads but fails to see returns because their website and landing pages aren’t optimised for conversions. 

Without complementary efforts like SEO or email retargeting, they miss out on nurturing leads who aren’t ready to convert immediately.

How Multi-Channel Can Help – Turning Marketing into Lead Generation

Multi-channel marketing addresses these issues by creating a cohesive, connected strategy:

1. Channel Integration: Combine SEO for organic visibility with PPC for quick wins. For example, using PPC campaigns to test keywords before building long-term SEO strategies.
2. Consistent Messaging: Align branding, tone, and content across PR, email, and ads to strengthen trust and recognition.
3. Lead Nurturing: Pair email campaigns with remarketing ads to re-engage website visitors and prospects.

Example in Action: One of our clients, Neill Wine, transformed their revenue streams by combining local SEO, PR, and organic social media campaigns, achieving a 230% ROI within six months​

Is it perfect? No…

Just like all strategic approaches Multi-channel marketing isn’t a silver bullet, but it’s about taking a campaign idea and giving it as many opportunities to be seen and be effective as possible. 

What it does quite effectively is give you a short, medium and long-term approach, ensuring an overall better Return on Investment vs picking a single medium on its own. 

The obvious challenge is that the assumption is that you will spend more, because you’re engaging and relying on expertise across multiple channels (PPC, SEO, PR, Social, Content, Etc) as opposed to a single channel, but, if it is actually the case that you have separate agencies, freelancers and consultants across these different channels, then the likelihood is that a combined multi-channel marketing strategy may actually save you money.