Finding the best media or marketing channels for ROI isn’t about picking just one – it’s about aligning your media mix with how your customers actually research, evaluate, and purchase. Sales cycles can be long, B2B buying committees can be large, and trust from customers matters most. That means the best media channels for your business should combine precise targeting, credible environments, and clear measurement tied to pipeline and revenue.
This blog will break down the pros and cons of popular media types like radio, TV, billboards, digital media, streaming, and print – specifically as they relate to the best channels for b2b marketing. Along the way, we’ll show where each channel shines, where it could be lacking, and how to measure your impact. If you want expert help building and executing a plan tailored to your market, Strategic Marketing is a trusted partner that provides end-to-end guidance and campaign execution across all of these media types.
How to Evaluate ROI
Before choosing the best B2B marketing channels, determine how you’ll measure success:
- Quality over quantity: optimize for qualified customers, sales-accepted leads, and opportunities, not just clicks.
- Pipeline influence: track how media assists opportunities (first touch, multi-touch) and shortens sales cycles.
- Unit economics: monitor cost per qualified lead, cost per opportunity, and customer acquisition cost relative to lifetime value.
- Attribution you trust: blend platform metrics with CRM-based attribution; use lift tests where data is noisy.
- Fit to funnel: awareness channels set up cheaper conversion later—don’t judge everything by last-click CPA.
Success will look different for everyone. Once you have determined your KPIs, you can get a channel-by-channel look at the best media channels and how they can drive ROI.
Radio
Pros
- Efficient reach and frequency in specific areas; great for building familiarity with local or regional buyers.
- Strong for daypart targeting (like drive time) when decision-makers commute.
- Cost-effective production; quick to launch and iterate.
- Pairs well with promotional vanity URLs, unique phone numbers, and short memory hooks.
Cons
- Audio-only limits complex storytelling.
- Direct attribution can be trickier without robust call tracking and landing page strategy.
- Younger demos may skew to streaming over traditional AM/FM.
Best for B2B
- Services with geographic focus (industrial, logistics, and professional services).
- Event-based marketing (roadshows, conferences, hiring events).
How to measure
- Use unique URLs/phone numbers, time-based web traffic lift, branded search lift, and CRM-matched call outcomes.
- Compare exposed vs. non-exposed account behavior where possible.
At Strategic Marketing, we plan market-by-market buys, optimize dayparts, write and produce spots, and integrate call tracking so radio contributes measurable pipeline. Your success is our success, so we ensure everything is done cohesively.
TV
Pros
- High credibility and visual storytelling – great for complex solutions and category leadership.
- CTV enables precise targeting by metrics like company size, industry, income, etc.
- Strong halo effects on branded search and direct traffic.
Cons
- TV can be expensive and broad if not carefully planned.
- Production costs require smart creative strategy and versioning.
Best for B2B
- Categories where trust, compliance, or innovation narratives matter (healthcare, fintech, manufacturing tech, etc.).
- Regional dominance plays (own the 6pm news in core markets) or precision account-based marketing with CTV.
How to measure
- Site and branded search increases during flights, view-through conversions, and CRM-based opportunity influence from exposed accounts.
- Pre/post surveys for aided awareness and consideration.
From concept to spot production and media buying, we blend broadcast with CTV to target decision-makers and tie exposure to pipeline metrics.
Billboards and Out-Of-Home
Pros
- Impossible to skip; excellent for reach and brand awareness.
- Pinpoint areas that are relevant to your customer base.
- Digital OOH offers flexible dayparting, creative rotation, and quick swaps.
Cons
- Limited message real estate; creative must be ultra-simple.
- Longer lead times for premium locations; measurement requires creative tactics.
- Works best in a mix – usually not a stand-alone lead engine.
Best for B2B
- Awareness before/during major trade shows; recruiting; staking a claim in core territories.
How to measure
- Mobile ID exposure matched to site visits from target geos, unique vanity URLs, QR codes, and event scans.
Our experience allows us to source high-impact placements, negotiate rates, deploys DOOH programmatically when appropriate, and aligns creative with your message.
Digital Media
Pros
- The most measurable and targetable of the best media channels.
- Intent-driven capture via paid search.
- Scalable retargeting and account-based tactics using CRM and intent data.
- Rapid testing across creative, offers, and landing pages.
Cons
- Rising cost per click and saturated keyword auctions.
- Ad fatigue if creative doesn’t refresh often.
Best for B2B
- High-intent capture (search), mid-funnel education (LinkedIn thought leadership), and precise ABM (account lists, intent segments).
- If done strategically, digital advertising and media can be one of the best B2B marketing channels a business can utilize.
How to measure
- CPL by segment, MQL-to-SQL conversion, cost per opportunity, win rate, and revenue contribution.
- Multi-touch attribution tied to your CRM; compare account engagement vs. control.
With full-funnel digital programs – keyword strategy, programmatic buying, creative, landing pages, and ongoing optimization – digital media earns its place among the best marketing channels for B2B companies.
Streaming
Pros
- Addressable, high-attention environments (podcasts, Spotify, CTV apps).
- Niche audiences by role, industry, or topic; host-read podcast ads add credibility.
Cons
- Fragmented inventory; premium podcasts can require higher minimums.
- View-through/listen-through attribution requires a solid measurement plan.
Best for B2B
- Thought-leadership categories where trust in the host matters.
- Account or industry-specific campaigns using data-enabled CTV and audio platforms.
How to measure
- Promo codes/vanity URLs, matched-market lift, and exposed-account engagement.
Strategic Marketing will help you identify the right shows and platforms, negotiate rates, script spots, and analyze results for a unified strategy.
Print and Direct Mail
Pros
- High credibility and long shelf life in niche industries; excellent for complex buyers.
- Contextual alignment with editorial calendars around key topics and events.
- Direct mail cuts through digital noise when personalized and value-led.
Cons
- Longer lead times and slower optimization.
- Circulation varies and may reach those outside your target.
Best for B2B
- Manufacturing, healthcare, finance, government, and other verticals with trusted trade publications.
- Account-specific direct mail with custom kits, samples, or executive letters.
How to measure
- Unique QR codes/URLs, response cards, and match-back analysis to opportunities and revenue.
We will plan print schedules around editorial themes, design conversion-focused creative, and deploy targeted direct mail campaigns that integrate with your goals.
The Bottom Line
There’s no universal list of best media channels. Instead, you must map channels to your objectives. Each client is different, and there is no cookie-cutter strategy here. We want to ensure your money is being spent in the most effective way possible by tailoring a mix that aligns with your goals.
The best media channels are those that match your buyers’ journey, your budget, and your goals. For some, paid search and LinkedIn ads will be the best channels for B2B marketing; for others, a blend of CTV, OOH, and print ads will deliver the ideal results. In practice, the best B2B marketing channels will complement each other and get you the highest return for your money.
Because the best media channels for ROI depend on your business model, customer profile, geography, and sales cycle, the smartest next step is a tailored plan. Strategic Marketing can be your trusted partner for selecting, buying, and executing campaigns across all types of media and beyond. For expert guidance and a custom media mix designed around your goals, contact Strategic Marketing today.
