Channels per growth phase

You are Ewoud Uphof’s direct-and-no-fluff ghost-writer.PHASE 1 — Outline & questions1. Draft a bullet-point outline that gives 3 bullet points for each a section (and the introduction and conclusion) of what the article outline is.2. Weave the chapter POV bullets into the flow in plain language.STOP and wait for my feedback until I am happy with the outline. If that's the case, proceed to phase 2.PHASE 2 — Final HTML (run only after I reply “Go Phase 2”)- H2 'Introduction'- codefence with the introduction wrapped in

tags. Break the text into separate paragraphs, each wrapped in its own tag, with a blank line between tags for readability. Write an introduction with a strong hook for B2B marketers to read this chapter. Use an example they will relate to. Article is written from my (Ewoud) perspective after 15 years in growth.- H2 'Section 1'- codefence with section 1 content. Break the text into separate paragraphs, each wrapped in its own tag, with a blank line between tags for readability. Leave out the section title (it is stored separately).- H2 'Section 2'- codefence with section 2 content. Break the text into separate paragraphs, each wrapped in its own tag, with a blank line between tags for readability. Leave out the section title (it is stored separately).- H2 'Section 3'- codefence with section 3 content. Break the text into separate paragraphs, each wrapped in its own tag, with a blank line between tags for readability. Leave out the section title (it is stored separately).- H2 'Section 4'- codefence with section 4 content. Break the text into separate paragraphs, each wrapped in its own tag, with a blank line between tags for readability. Leave out the section title (it is stored separately).- H2 'Conclusion'– codefence with the conclusion. Break the text into separate paragraphs, each wrapped in its own tag, with a blank line between tags. Leave out the section title. Echo the introduction and summarise the four sections to create a properly structured article.Use these rules for each sections:- Omit all citations or citation placeholders from the Phase 2 HTML; weave referenced material naturally into the prose without visible markers.- Written for my perspective, so 'I'. Don't boast, but position myself as an expert.- Do not use bold text inside paragraphs; use plain text or italics for emphasis.- Break any sentence longer than twenty-five words into two- No H-tags, no em-dash, use British English spelling.- Run a British-English spell-check after drafting; reject any American variants.- Insert a one-sentence bridge at the end of every section that previews the next.- Avoid inline sub-headings (e.g., bold text before a paragraph) unless explicitly requested; rely on paragraph order instead.- Minimum 900, maximum 1 300 words unless stated otherwise.Guide name: Decide on traffic channelsGuide outcome for reader: Stop “spray-and-pray” channel tests and pick one pipeline-filling play you can actually afford, scale, and prove—so every euro in ad spend (or cold-outreach hour) lands where intent and volume meet.Guide writer's point-of-view: - Strategy ≠ experiment – Choosing a channel is a bet you commit to; A/B tests happen inside that lane.- Mario-level sequencing – Unlock channels one at a time: high-intent, low-volume first; broad reach only when the math works.- Do anything, not everything – Split focus starves every channel; ninety days of full-throttle effort beats six half-hearted “trials.”Guide chapter outline:1. Calculate what you can afford to spend2. Channels per growth phase3. Commit and launch your primary channel4. When to add a new channel5.Chapter title: Channels per growth phaseChapter # in guide: 2Target reader: B2B marketersPrimary keyword: Channels per growth phaseTarget length: 400-800 wordsSection map:Section 1 section title / main keyword:Lead generation phase Section 2 section title / main keyword:Inbound intent phase Section 3 section title / main keyword:Awareness phase Section 4 section title / main keyword:Demand generation phase

The lead generation phase begins when pipeline looks thin and the board wants meetings next month, not brand lift next year. High-intent outbound is the fastest lane because you control the approach list and the message timing. Use precise cold email, LinkedIn direct messages and partner referrals aimed at decision-makers who already recognise the pain you solve. A marketing agency might target heads of demand generation with a three-email sequence that opens with a recent campaign insight. An IT consultancy could reach out to operations directors whose LinkedIn posts mention cyber-risk audits.

Measure success by booked meetings and sales-accepted opportunities, never by open rate or subscriber growth. Expect a conversion benchmark of one meeting for every one hundred tailored emails when the list is accurate and the offer urgent. Allocate a single owner to refine copy daily and hold them to the cost-per-meeting ceiling calculated in Chapter 1. Resist the lure of simultaneous experiments in paid search or display; at this stage split focus starves every initiative.

Once outbound calls reveal which messages land and which objections repeat, you are ready to capture prospects who are already searching, which is the next phase.

The inbound intent phase layers on channels where buyers signal active interest. Google Search ads, review site profiles and retargeting banners catch prospects typing problems into a browser or comparing vendors side by side. Because intent is higher than in cold outreach, cost tolerance rises, yet spend must still respect the meeting ceiling. Import the language you heard in outbound calls to raise quality scores and push cost-per-click down.

For a consultancy, bid on niche queries such as “ISO 27001 audit partner” rather than broad terms like “security consulting”. A design agency could sponsor its profile on a review platform to intercept marketers shortlisting vendors. Retarget site visitors with case-study ads that match their page history, but freeze creative at two variants so optimisation data accumulates quickly.

Track cost per meeting weekly. If average CPC climbs past the calculated limit, pause keywords or narrow geography before headlines change. When search and review channels start to plateau and branded search begins to rise, the business gains headroom to invest in authority, which defines the awareness phase.

Awareness investments raise visibility beyond immediate hand-raisers. Niche podcasts, guest webinars and specialist newsletters let you borrow trust from existing audiences while staying relevant. The goal shifts from direct meetings to lifts in branded search, direct traffic and email list quality.

An agency aiming at fintech firms could sponsor a ten-minute segment on a payments podcast, offering a concise teardown of a recent campaign. A legal consultancy might deliver a short webinar on pre-acquisition due diligence for venture-backed scale-ups. Limit spend to ten per cent of monthly marketing budget until you can link awareness touches to downstream pipeline—often through uplift in organic demo requests or referral mentions in discovery calls.

Content created here becomes fuel for retargeting and sales nurture, reducing cost per lead over time. Track results in ninety-day chunks. Once brand signals show steady growth and cost per lead remains inside the ceiling, you can graduate to true reach expansion, the demand generation phase.

Demand generation unlocks broad-reach channels that build market share at scale: LinkedIn Sponsored Content, programmatic display and larger trade events. Costs per click are lower, but intent is diluted, so you must recycle visitors through retargeting and email nurture to defend return on spend.

Set clear guard-rails. Spend no more than twenty per cent of monthly budget on broad awareness until lead and meeting metrics confirm efficiency. Use frequency caps on display to avoid ad fatigue and feed captured audiences back into intent channels like search retargeting. Rotate creative every four weeks, but keep messaging rooted in the pains and proofs discovered during outbound and inbound phases.

Review the channel mix each quarter. Drop any lane that fails to land inside cost-per-lead or cost-per-meeting ceilings after two optimisation cycles. Expansion should feel like controlled layering, not a return to spray-and-pray.

With reach channels humming and unit economics predictable, the company can revisit phase sequencing when launching new products or entering fresh verticals, closing the growth loop.

Channel sequencing protects budgets and focuses effort. Start with high-intent outbound to prove messages, capture existing demand through search once language is clear, raise authority with niche awareness plays and only then open the throttle on broad-reach demand generation. Each phase unlocks the next when cost ceilings hold and pipeline grows.

Commit to one lane for ninety days before layering another. The discipline stops scattered trials and ensures every euro lands where intent and volume meet. Revisit the numbers quarterly, adjust ceilings as conversion rates improve and treat new channels as bets, not experiments. The result is a channel mix that scales revenue instead of scatter-shot impressions.