If you’re running B2B campaigns across a bunch of channels—LinkedIn, email, Google, maybe even direct mail—you know the reporting headache. Half the data lives in random spreadsheets, the other half is scattered across ad platforms, and connecting the dots feels impossible. This is for marketers, ops folks, and anyone stuck wrangling campaign data who just wants to see what’s working (or not) without having to become a data scientist.
Here’s how to wrangle your multichannel B2B campaign tracking and reporting using Ocean. I’ll walk you through the setup, what’s genuinely useful, the stuff that’s just noise, and a few things you can safely ignore.
Step 1: Get Your Channels and Data Sources Lined Up
Before you even open Ocean, get your act together. List out all the channels you’re using—ads, email, events, whatever. For each, pin down:
- How are you getting campaign data? (CSV export, direct API, screenshots, smoke signals…)
- What counts as a “conversion” or a lead for each channel?
- Which platforms can Ocean connect to directly? Which will need manual uploads?
Pro tip: Don’t try to track everything. Focus on the 2–3 channels and conversion points that actually matter to your business. If you’re spending an hour figuring out TikTok impressions for your B2B SaaS, you’re probably wasting your time.
Step 2: Connect Your Sources to Ocean
Ocean’s selling point is pulling data from different places into one dashboard. Depending on the channel, you’ll have a few ways to connect:
- Native integrations: For big platforms (Google Ads, Facebook, HubSpot, Salesforce), you can usually plug in an API key or OAuth to sync data automatically.
- Manual CSV uploads: For less common channels or offline stuff (like webinars or trade shows), you’ll be uploading spreadsheets.
- UTM tracking: If you’re using UTMs in your links, Ocean can often auto-categorize traffic and conversions.
What works: The direct integrations are solid for the major platforms. You’ll save time and reduce errors.
What doesn’t: Manual uploads are a pain, but sometimes unavoidable. Set a calendar reminder so you don’t go three weeks without updating and end up with missing data.
Ignore: Don’t bother with integrations you don’t actually use. More connections just mean more things to break.
Step 3: Set Up Campaign Tracking
Now it’s time to tell Ocean what to track. Here’s how to keep it manageable:
- Define your campaigns: Give each campaign a clear, simple name. “Q2 LinkedIn Paid – Product Launch” beats “TestOne123.”
- Map Channels: For each campaign, tag the channels it’s running on.
- Set up conversion events: Pick the 1–2 metrics that actually matter. Usually, that’s demo requests, qualified leads, or pipeline—not just clicks or impressions.
Pro tip: Resist the urge to track every micro-event (like time on page or whitepaper downloads) unless those are true buying signals for your sales team. Keep your reporting focused.
Step 4: Build Dashboards That Answer Real Questions
Ocean lets you build dashboards, but don’t just recreate the mess you had before. Think about:
- What do your execs or sales team actually ask? (e.g., “Which channel drove the most demo requests last month?”)
- What do you need to optimize campaigns next week—not just prove ROI in Q4?
- Do you need to break out data by segment (industry, region, etc.)?
Recommended widgets: - Channel performance: Leads, pipeline, or revenue by channel. - Campaign comparison: See which of your campaigns are pulling their weight. - Source-to-sale funnel: Track movement from first touch to closed deal, if you can.
What works: Fewer, clearer widgets beat a wall of charts every time. Focus on visuals that help you make decisions.
What doesn’t: Don’t waste time building dashboards no one looks at. If you’re the only person who cares about social shares, skip it.
Step 5: Map the Customer Journey (But Don’t Go Overboard)
Ocean has features for multi-touch attribution and journey mapping. This is tempting, but here’s the honest take:
- First-touch and last-touch: These models are easy to set up and explain. They’ll cover 80% of what you need.
- Multi-touch models: Useful only if you have the data and sales cycle to support it. Otherwise, it just muddies the water.
Pro tip: If your sales cycle is short and there aren’t a dozen touchpoints, stick to simple attribution. Spend your time on messaging and offers, not slicing data ever thinner.
Step 6: Schedule Reports and Share Insights (Not Just Data)
Reporting isn’t the end goal—actionable insights are. Ocean lets you schedule reports, but make sure:
- You’re sending digestible summaries, not 10-page PDFs.
- Each report answers a business question: What worked, what didn’t, what should we try next?
- You sanity-check the data before sharing it. Nothing kills trust like a report full of “N/A” or obviously wrong numbers.
What works: Monthly or bi-weekly updates, with 2–3 slides or pages max. No one wants a data dump.
What doesn’t: Don’t automate so much that you never look at the numbers yourself. Glitches happen. At least glance at the report before it lands in the CEO’s inbox.
Step 7: Use Ocean to Spot Problems Early
One of the real benefits of having your data in one place is catching issues before they become disasters:
- Is a channel suddenly underperforming?
- Did a campaign budget get paused or misallocated?
- Are leads dropping off after a certain touchpoint?
Set up alerts or just check the dashboard regularly. The point isn’t to obsess over every dip, but to spot real trends that need action.
Ignore: Don’t chase every fluctuation. Look for patterns over weeks, not day-to-day blips.
A Few Things to Watch Out For
- Garbage in, garbage out: If you’re uploading bad data or your integrations break, your reports are useless. Double-check your sources.
- Attribution isn’t magic: No tool, including Ocean, can perfectly track every touch in a long B2B journey. Use it as a guide, not gospel.
- Don’t obsess over vanity metrics: Impressions, likes, and clicks rarely pay the bills. Focus on pipeline and revenue impact.
Keep It Simple and Iterate
B2B campaign tracking doesn’t have to be complicated. Start small: connect your main channels, agree on what counts as success, and build dashboards that answer real questions. Skip the hype, ignore the noise, and make your reporting work for you—not the other way around.
The best approach? Get the basics right, review your setup every month or two, and tweak as you go. Most importantly, don’t let the search for perfect reporting slow you down from running—and improving—actual campaigns.