When to add a new channel

Growth stalls when the primary traffic lane saturates. Cost creeps toward the ceiling, volume plateaus and pipeline starts to wobble. The reflex is to open a new channel, yet that move often drags the team back into spray-and-pray territory.

I lean on a simple ladder I first read in Alex Hormozi’s work: more, better, new. Push the current channel for more volume, then make it better through optimisation, and only then add something new. The sequence keeps focus on one bet until the maths proves it can no longer scale at a profit.

This chapter translates that ladder into a decision rubric for B2B marketers. We will define clear signals for moving from more to better to new, show how to prepare capacity and budget, and outline a disciplined launch plan for the second lane.

Start with more. Increase volume only when cost-per-meeting stays at least ten per cent below the ceiling for four consecutive weeks and conversion rates remain steady. For paid search that means raising daily budget by twenty per cent or unlocking new, closely related keyword groups. For cold email it means expanding the prospect list with a similar persona in an adjacent vertical.

Monitor ceilings daily. The moment marginal cost per meeting jumps above target, pause scaling and review creative or targeting. The goal is to harvest untouched demand in the same lane, not explore unproven lists.

After two weeks of higher throughput, check whether marginal cost still holds. If it rises yet stays within ten per cent of the ceiling, the time has come for better, which follows in the next section.

The better phase aims to pull more results from the same spend. Signs you are here include rising marginal cost, ad fatigue or list saturation. Keep budget constant and launch controlled tests within the channel. Swap hooks, tighten negative keywords or refresh cold-email openers.

Set a target improvement. Lift click-to-lead, lead-to-meeting or reply rate by fifteen per cent within fourteen days. Limit variables so you learn quickly. A paid search account might test two new headlines against the control. Outbound email could trial a single pain-focused subject line against the current benefit-focused one.

If improvement meets target and cost dips back below the original level, cycle the better loop again. When tweaks fail to hit goals and marginal cost approaches the ceiling, the channel has matured. It is time to consider something new, explained next.

Adding a new channel increases complexity. Proceed only when three conditions align. First, the existing lane has reached a hard cap: cost per meeting edges above the ceiling even after multiple optimisation cycles. Second, the team has spare capacity—someone can own the new lane without splitting attention. Third, budget can fund ninety days of testing without starving the proven channel.

Run a readiness checklist. Is tracking set up for the new channel? Can copy assets adapt without a full rebuild? Does branded search show enough volume to convert awareness touches? If any answer is no, fix that gap before committing.

Once readiness passes, recalculate CPA, CPL and CPC ceilings for the candidate channel. Abort if forecast costs exceed limits. With maths approved, you move to the structured launch, detailed in the final section.

Commit to the new lane for ninety days. Document success and exit metrics before spend begins. For LinkedIn ads success might be cost per lead under €200 by week six. Exit triggers if cost stays over budget after two creative cycles.

Book weekly cross-channel reviews. Compare volume, cost and pipeline impact. Watch for cannibalisation where the new lane steals traffic that would have converted through the original channel at lower cost.

Keep the original lane funded at maintenance level until the newcomer proves itself. If the new channel meets success criteria, shift incremental budget using the same more, better, new ladder. If it fails, pause and return to the backlog without regret. The structured approach turns expansion into a measured bet, not a gut-driven gamble.

The more, better, new ladder prevents premature channel sprawl. Scale the proven lane, optimise until returns flatten and only then launch a second bet under strict cost ceilings and clear exit rules.

This discipline concentrates learning, keeps dashboards intelligible and makes every euro land where intent and volume meet. Repeat the ladder for each new product, market or budget step-up, and channel strategy will evolve like Mario: one level at a time, power-ups collected, lives intact.