If you’re in B2B and need more than “just send an email,” you’ve probably bumped into Customer.io. Maybe you’re considering it, or you’re already knee-deep in docs and workflows, wondering how to actually make a multi-channel campaign that doesn’t annoy people—or your sales team. This guide is for marketing ops folks, sales enablers, and anyone who wants to get more replies (and less unsubscribes).
Let’s cut through the fluff and get real about what works, what doesn’t, and how to build a solid, multi-channel workflow in Customer.io for B2B outreach.
Why Multi-Channel Matters (and Where Most Get It Wrong)
The basics: “multi-channel” means using more than one way to reach your leads—email, SMS, in-app messages, maybe even good old-fashioned phone calls. In B2B, email is king, but it’s rarely enough on its own. Most prospects ignore cold emails, and if you’re just blasting emails every three days, you’ll blend into the noise.
But, don’t fall for the hype that every channel is equal. You do not need to add WhatsApp, push notifications, and carrier pigeons. In B2B, the usual suspects are:
- Email: Still your best bet for cold and warm outreach.
- SMS: Good for reminders or quick follow-ups, but only if you have permission.
- In-app messages: Useful if your lead is already using your product.
- Slack or Teams: Possible if you’re selling to folks who live there, but setup is a pain.
- Manual tasks (calls, LinkedIn, etc.): Sometimes, a human touch does what automations can’t.
The trick is choosing the right mix for your audience—and not just piling on channels because you can.
Step 1: Map Out Your Ideal Workflow Before You Touch Customer.io
Before you start dragging workflows around, sketch out what you actually want to happen. It’ll save you hours of frustration later.
Questions to ask:
- What’s the goal? (Book a demo, get a reply, download something?)
- Who’s the audience, and what do they hate? (Too many emails? SMS spam?)
- How many touches is reasonable before you give up?
- Where does sales need to step in?
Pro tip: Draw this out—whiteboard, notebook, napkin, whatever. Don’t start in the app. Customer.io is powerful, but it won’t fix fuzzy thinking.
Step 2: Set Up Your People and Data Correctly
Customer.io is only as smart as the data you feed it. If your contacts are a mess, your workflow will be too.
- Import clean data. Make sure fields like first name, company, sales owner, and status are all accurate.
- Map your CRM. If you’re syncing with Salesforce, HubSpot, or something else, double-check your field mapping. Mismatched fields = angry sales reps.
- Segment your audience. Create segments for cold leads, warm leads, demo no-shows—whatever fits your use case. Don’t just lump everyone in one bucket.
What to skip: Don’t bother with every field under the sun. Stick to what you’ll actually use for personalization or routing.
Step 3: Build Your Multi-Channel Campaign in Customer.io
Here’s where most people overcomplicate. Start simple, then layer in complexity.
3.1. Create a Campaign
- Go to Campaigns in Customer.io and start a new workflow.
- Choose your trigger: For outbound, it’ll usually be “Person added to segment.”
- Set entry conditions: Double-check you’re not spamming people who opted out.
3.2. Add Your Channels (But Not All at Once)
Here’s a sample B2B sequence:
- Day 0: Email #1 – Short intro, clear value prop, direct ask.
- Day 2: Wait. If no reply, send Email #2 – Slightly different angle, maybe a case study.
- Day 5: If still no reply, create a manual task: “Call this lead or send LinkedIn message.”
- Day 7: SMS – Only if you have explicit opt-in. “Just checking in, saw my email?”
- Day 10: Email #3 – Last attempt, keep it super short.
- Exit: Mark as “unresponsive” or trigger a handoff to sales for review.
Adding steps in Customer.io:
- Emails: Use Customer.io’s email drag-and-drop. Personalize with merge tags, but don’t overdo it.
- SMS: Only include if it’s appropriate. Customer.io supports Twilio and others; set up your integration first.
- Manual tasks: Use “Webhook” or “Send notification” to ping a sales rep, or integrate with Slack if your team lives there.
- Branching: Use “If/Else” logic to change the path based on opens, clicks, or replies.
What to ignore: Don’t build a 12-step sequence with every channel just because you can. More steps ≠ more replies.
Step 4: Personalize (But Don’t Get Creepy or Overly Fancy)
Personalization works, but only when it’s genuine and relevant. “Hi {{first_name}}” isn’t enough, but pulling in their last five tweets is just weird.
- Use merge tags for the basics: Name, company, recent activity.
- Mention something specific: If you know what product or role they care about, work that in.
- Keep templates simple: Fancy HTML emails look like marketing. Plain text often gets better results, especially for B2B.
Pro tip: Test your emails by sending them to yourself or a colleague. If it feels robotic or over-the-top, dial it back.
Step 5: Test, Monitor, and Adjust
No workflow survives first contact with reality. Here’s how to keep it working:
- Test every path: Run yourself through the workflow with test contacts. Check for typos, broken links, and weird timing.
- Monitor performance: Open rates are nice, but replies and booked meetings are what matter. Set up reporting in Customer.io.
- Watch unsubscribes and complaints: If you get flagged as spam, it’s a sign you’re overdoing it.
- Iterate: Change one thing at a time—subject line, timing, add or remove a step—then measure what actually changes.
What not to stress about: Don’t obsess over vanity metrics (like open rates) or try to A/B test everything out of the gate. Get the basics working first.
A Reality Check: What Works, What Doesn’t
- What works: Short, clear emails. Occasional SMS (if you have consent). Adding a manual human touch at the right moment.
- What doesn’t: Over-automation, fancy HTML, sending too many messages, or trying to be everywhere at once.
- Ignore the hype: You don’t need AI-written emails, “hyper-personalization,” or every channel under the sun. Focus on clarity and relevance.
Keep It Simple and Keep Improving
The best multi-channel outreach isn’t about having the fanciest tech—it’s about making it easy for your prospects to say “yes” (or at least reply). Start small, measure what matters, and keep tweaking. Customer.io gives you a lot of tools, but it won’t fix a confusing workflow or bad messaging.
Don’t let complexity creep in. Map your workflow, pick the right channels, and don’t be afraid to kill what isn’t working. Iterate fast, keep it human, and you’ll see results that actually matter.