B2B buyers have rewritten the rules of engagement. They research independently, shift effortlessly between digital and in-person touchpoints, and expect every interaction to feel connected. The customer journey is no longer linear. It’s fluid, self-directed, and omnichannel.
Seventy four percent of buyers now prefer digital-first engagement, according to IDC’s2024 B2B Tech Buyer Behavior Survey. That preference means marketing leaders must coordinate across more channels than ever before, from brand websites and social media to in-person events and sales meetings.
The challenge? Many strategies look good on paper but break down in execution. Campaigns run in parallel instead of in sync. Content lands out of step with intent. Team handoffs create gaps buyers can’t ignore.
The result: fractured engagement, wasted resources, and pipeline momentum that stalls before deals have a chance to progress.
Omnichannel excellence isn’t about doing more. It’s about orchestrating journeys that connect signals, smooth transitions, and move buyers forward with purpose.
Find the right play for your business needs with IDC’s Omnichannel Experience Playbook, your guide to updating your omnichannel strategy.
The most common omnichannel mistakes and how to fix them
Recognizing the pitfalls is the first step. Knowing how to counter them is what turns a disconnected approach into a system that drives real growth.
Mistake 1: Treating channels as silos instead of orchestrated journeys.
Too many organizations still manage channels in isolation. The website belongs to digital. Events sit with operations. Sales owns in-person conversations. Each team runs its own playbook. This leaves buyers to experience the brand in fragments.
Smart marketing leaders know that buyers disengage when the journey feels disjointed. In fact, more than a third of CMOs say creating a unified omnichannel journey will shape their strategy in the next 12-18 months, according to IDC’s 2024 Worldwide CMO Priorities Study.
The fix is orchestration: designing intentional transitions, linking intelligence with context, and enabling sales to activate in real time. When teams rally around the buyer—not their silos—the journey flows. And everyone wins.
Mistake 2: Over-automating without personalization.
Automation has scaled marketing, but when applied without personalization it can backfire. Too many flows and triggers run on autopilot, delivering impersonal and repetitive outreach that feels robotic.
And buyers notice. Personalized interactions consistently generic touchpoints by 30%, according to IDC’s FutureScape: Worldwide Chief Marketing Officer 2025 Predictions.
The solution isn’t to ditch automation. It’s to evolve it.
AI-powered personalization and adaptive content turn automation into a precision tool, ensuring every message is timely, relevant, and buyer-specific.
Download the AI Supplemental Guide to see how AI can elevate your strategy.
Mistake 3: Keeping marketing intelligence separate from sales.
Marketing often collects rich intent data, but sales either can’t see it, or lacks the context to act on it. Sales Development Representatives chase leads without intel. Meanwhile, buyers continue down self-directed paths.
The disconnect is expensive. Nearly 80% of buyers say they plan to use more digital sources for complex buying decisions and rely less on salespeople, according to the 2024 B2B Tech Buyer Behavior Survey. Which means every sales interaction matters even more.
The fix is signal-based activation: turning every meaningful action, like demo requests or pricing page visits, into a clear and contextual sales play. With insights from marketing, sales can move faster, build trust, and drive real progress.
Mistake 4: Sticking to static content sequences.
Many nurture programs still rely on rigid sequences: download an asset, get added to a drip. Attend an event, receive a standard follow-up. But buyers don’t move in neat, linear paths anymore.
Without integration and real-time intelligence, signals are missed. Someone ready to buy gets slowed down. Someone just starting out gets overwhelmed. Both disengage.
Why? Systems often don’t talk to each other.
When data flows freely and AI interprets signals in real time, content evolves with the buyer. The result? Dynamic flows that respond to behavior, reduce drop-off, and keep engagement moving forward.
From friction to flow
Each of these mistakes creates friction. Together, they derail growth.
- Disjointed channels frustrate prospects
- Over-automation without personalization erodes trust
- Sales teams miss the signals that matter
- Static content fails to keep up with today’s buyers
Fixing them takes more than ad hoc patches. It takes a disciplined approach—built on buyer intelligence, intentional transitions, and AI-driven alignment.
- Orchestrate the journey to create flow
- Personalize at scale to build relevance
- Align with AI to unify teams and accelerate growth
Buyers expect more. With orchestration and AI in your toolbox, you can deliver the seamless omnichannel excellence they demand and turn every interaction into a moment that matters.
Download IDC’s Omnichannel Experience Playbook and AI Supplemental Guide to get started.