If you’re in B2B marketing or ops and juggling campaigns across email, LinkedIn, and whatever’s next, you know how messy things get. Salesforce promises its AI assistant, Einstein CoPilot, can help you wrangle it all—build campaigns faster, get better insights, and maybe even breathe easier.
But does it really? And how do you actually use it without wasting a week clicking around? This guide is for marketers, demand gen folks, and anyone tired of “AI-powered” promises who just wants to run smarter campaigns without getting buried in features. Let’s get into it, step by step.
Step 1: Check What’s “Multi-Channel” for You
Before you touch any tool, get real about which channels actually matter for your business. Multi-channel sounds nice, but running five mediocre campaigns is worse than nailing two.
Make a quick list: - Where do your best leads come from now? - What channels can you actually support well (content, budget, people)? - Is there real overlap between your audience and, say, Instagram? Or are you doing it because everyone else is?
Pro tip: Ignore the urge to “do it all.” Start with the two or three channels that actually move the needle.
Step 2: Prep Your Data and Integrations
Einstein CoPilot is only as good as your data and connections. If your CRM or ad tools are a mess, AI can’t magically fix that.
Checklist: - Contacts and accounts: Make sure your Salesforce data is up to date. Duplicates and missing fields will trip up campaign logic. - Integrations: Connect your main channels (think LinkedIn Ads, Google Ads, Mailchimp, etc.) to Salesforce. Don’t half-connect—actually test syncs so you’re not surprised later. - Permissions: Make sure you (and anyone helping you) have the right Salesforce permissions to use CoPilot features.
What to skip: If you’re still running campaigns out of spreadsheets, get that sorted first. CoPilot won’t solve a basic data hygiene problem.
Step 3: Define Your Goals (And Make Them Real)
AI can’t help you hit vague targets. Get specific before you build anything:
- What’s the main thing you want? (Leads, demos, event signups, whatever.)
- What counts as success? (A set number of qualified leads, X% increase in pipeline, etc.)
- Are your goals trackable? If you can’t measure it in Salesforce or your channel tools, pick a different goal.
Don’t skip: Figuring out what “qualified” means. If your sales team hates your leads, you’re just automating noise.
Step 4: Build Your Audience Segments
This is where Einstein CoPilot starts to pull its weight.
How to actually do it: 1. In Salesforce, open CoPilot and ask it to “suggest segments for [your campaign goal].” For example: “Show me accounts in manufacturing with open opportunities above $50k.” 2. Review what it spits out—CoPilot is good at finding patterns, but not perfect. Gut-check the segments. Adjust filters as needed. 3. Save the segment right in Salesforce. Name it clearly—future-you will thank you.
Honest take: CoPilot can surface some overlooked segments, but don’t trust it blindly. AI can’t see that Bob from Acme is on vacation for three months.
Step 5: Plan and Orchestrate Your Campaign
Now you’re ready to actually build a multi-channel campaign.
Inside CoPilot: - Use the “Campaign Builder” (or whatever Salesforce is calling it this release) to lay out your steps: emails, ads, maybe even SMS. - Assign audiences to each channel. Don’t blast everyone everywhere—map segments to channels thoughtfully. - Ask CoPilot for content suggestions, but don’t just copy-paste. AI-generated copy is ok for a first draft, but it’s rarely ready for prime time. Tweak for your tone and audience. - Set your schedule and cadence. Too many marketers over-message. Resist.
What to ignore: Fancy “AI-powered” journey maps that are all arrows and circles but don’t actually deliver leads. Start simple.
Step 6: Launch and Monitor in Real Time
Here’s where a lot of AI tools overpromise. CoPilot will show you campaign performance as it happens, but don’t expect magic alerts or course-correction unless you set them up.
What to do: - Use CoPilot’s dashboards to monitor key metrics: opens, clicks, conversions, and, most importantly, pipeline impact. - Set up alerts for significant changes (like a sudden drop in conversions). Otherwise, you’ll miss real issues. - Keep an eye on channel-specific performance. If LinkedIn is tanking but email is strong, adjust budget or messaging on the fly.
Reality check: AI can highlight trends, but it won’t replace your judgment. You still need to ask “why?” when something changes.
Step 7: Optimize—Intelligently
This is the step where most campaigns die or drag on pointlessly. Use CoPilot to suggest tweaks, but don’t chase every blip in the data.
What actually works: - Run A/B tests, but keep it simple—one variable at a time. - Use CoPilot’s “suggest next best action” feature, but only act on ideas that make sense. If it suggests messaging LinkedIn contacts daily, think twice. - Meet with sales every couple of weeks to reality-check results. Pipeline quality beats email open rates every time.
What to skip: Endless “AI-powered” optimizations that don’t move the needle. If your campaign’s working, don’t break it trying to optimize for a 0.2% lift.
Step 8: Measure What Matters, Report Honestly
At the end of the campaign (or at a key milestone), use CoPilot to pull together results.
Checklist: - Did you hit your main goal? (Not just clicks—real pipeline or revenue.) - Which channels actually contributed? - What did you learn for next time? (Write it down. Don’t rely on memory.)
Reporting tips: - Use CoPilot’s summaries, but double-check numbers before you send them up the chain. - Be honest about what didn’t work. That’s where you’ll find your next big improvement.
Pro Tips for B2B Campaigns with Einstein CoPilot
- Start smaller than you think. It’s better to nail two channels than fumble five.
- Don’t let AI write everything. Use it for ideas, but trust your own judgment.
- Automate reporting, not relationships. CoPilot’s great at surfacing data, but it can’t replace talking to sales.
- Expect to tweak. No campaign is “set and forget”—especially in B2B.
Keep It Simple, Iterate, and Don’t Believe the Hype
Tools like Einstein CoPilot are helpful, but they’re not a silver bullet. The basics still matter: clear goals, good data, and thoughtful follow-up beat any AI-powered campaign wizard.
Start with what actually works for your audience, use CoPilot to make the grunt work easier, and don’t get distracted by shiny features. Test, learn, and keep improving—but don’t let the tech run you.