The Bullseye Framework – A Guide for B2B Marketers

If you’ve ever sat in a B2B marketing meeting and thought, “We’re trying everything, but nothing’s really working”, then the Bullseye Framework might be exactly what you need.

Instead of spreading your budget across dozens of tactics and hoping something clicks, the Bullseye Framework brings structure and focus. In fact, B2B marketers now use an average of 10 different channels, but research shows that only 2–3 typically drive the bulk of qualified leads.

We’ve used it with early-stage SaaS startups, mature tech firms, and specialized service providers. Whether you’re launching a new campaign or revisiting your go-to-market strategy, the framework cuts through the noise and helps you prioritize based on real outcomes.

What Is Bullseye Framework?

The Bullseye Framework is a structured way to identify the marketing channels most likely to generate traction.

It was popularized by Gabriel Weinberg and Justin Mares in the book Traction, and the premise is simple: out of all the channels available, only one or two are likely to generate meaningful results at any given time.

The name comes from the idea of aiming for a target. Your goal is to find the “bullseye”, or in other words, the center of your strategy where your best-performing channels live.

Why Should B2B Marketers Use the Bullseye Framework?

In B2B, marketing strategies often involve multiple stakeholders, long sales cycles, and complex products, making a high-risk game out of browsing through channel selection.

The Bullseye Framework helps you:

• Focus on what works instead of spreading efforts too thin
• Replace guesswork with structured testing
• Prioritize results that lead to qualified pipeline

It’s especially useful when entering a new market, launching a product, or revisiting your lead generation playbook.

The Three Rings of the Bullseye Framework

The framework is built around three layers:

• Outer Ring: What’s Possible. A brainstorming zone for all potential marketing channels. No idea is off-limits here.
• Middle Ring: What’s Probable. A shortlist of channels that seem promising and are worth testing through small, contained experiments.
• Inner Ring: What’s Working. The channels that show measurable traction. These become your core focus.

Let’s break this down further.

Bullseye Framework Step-by-Step Breakdown

List All Possible Channels (Outer Ring)

Start with a brainstorming session. List every possible marketing channel, even if you’re unsure whether it would work for your business.

Here are 19 example channels commonly considered in the Bullseye method:

• Content marketing
• SEO
• Email marketing
• Community building
• Viral loops
• PR
• Unconventional PR
• Paid search
• Display and social ads
• Offline ads
• Engineering as marketing (tools, calculators)
• Business development
• Affiliate programs
• Existing platforms (e.g., LinkedIn, Reddit)
  Direct sales
• Trade shows
• Speaking engagements
• Sponsorships
• Referral programs

Don’t judge the ideas just yet. Your goal here is quantity, not refinement.

Shortlist the Most Promising Channels (Middle Ring)

From your brainstorming list, choose 3 to 6 channels that appear to be the best fit. Criteria may include:

• Where your audience spends time
• What’s worked before
• What internal skills or assets you already have

This is where small, well-structured tests come in. You’re not making full-scale investments yet. You’re running short campaigns to validate whether a channel could produce predictable results.

For example:

• Launch a 3-week paid search campaign targeting a high-intent keyword
• Run a cold outreach campaign to 500 decision-makers via LinkedIn InMail
• Host a niche industry webinar with a partner
• Publish three SEO-focused blog posts to gauge organic traction

When selecting your shortlist, it’s helpful to know what’s working industry-wide. In 2024, email marketing, SEO, and LinkedIn have ranked among the top-performing B2B channels. That doesn’t mean they’ll work for every business, but are often worth testing.

Deepening Your Tests: From Experiments to Insights

This step is often where marketers lose steam or make hasty decisions. A good test should answer a clear question: Can this channel predictably bring in qualified leads or buyers?

Use SMART goals to guide your testing:

• Specific: Who are you targeting? What’s the CTA?
• Measurable: How will you track leads or demos?
• Achievable: Based on list size, budget, or timing?
• Relevant: Does this align with your business goals?
• Time-bound: Limit each test to 2 to 4 weeks

Avoid vanity metrics like clicks or impressions. Instead, focus on:

• Cost per qualified lead
• Conversion to opportunity or pipeline
• Sales cycle length
• Close rates per channel

Use CRM data, UTM links, and simple dashboards to keep track of everything.

Step 3: Double Down on What’s Working (Inner Ring)

Once a channel proves it can deliver high-quality leads or meaningful conversions, it moves to the center. Now it’s time to focus.

Your top-performing channel is now your bullseye. Build repeatable processes to support and scale it.

If your winning channel is LinkedIn outreach, systematize your messaging, refine your targeting, and create content that supports those interactions.

If it’s SEO, invest in consistent content production, backlink building, and site optimization.

Practical Example: SaaS for Supply Chain Optimization

Imagine you’re a marketer at a SaaS company offering supply chain software.

Outer Ring (Brainstorming):

• SEO
• LinkedIn outreach
• Trade shows
• Paid search
• Webinars
• Engineering-as-marketing (a cost savings calculator)

Middle Ring (Testing): You decide to test:

• LinkedIn InMail campaign targeting logistics directors
• Paid search ads for “reduce shipping delays”
• A co-branded webinar with an industry analyst
• SEO with three blog posts on inventory planning

Results:

• LinkedIn yields high engagement with 12% conversion to demos
• Paid search brings traffic but low-quality leads
• Webinar gets strong signups but weak follow-up
• SEO shows growing traction but needs more time

Bullseye: LinkedIn outreach becomes your main focus. You scale outreach, refine messaging, and build content tailored to that audience. SEO remains a promising secondary channel.

Aligning with Sales and Leadership

B2B marketers often face pressure to chase every possible tactic. Presenting your plan using the Bullseye Framework helps bring clarity. It shows:

• What you’ve tested
• What actually works
• Where resources are going next

It also opens the door for input from sales teams, who often have insights into lead quality and buying signals that dashboards don’t show.

Involve them early. Their feedback can help you test smarter.

Building on Your Bullseye

Once you’ve identified your best-performing channels, shift from experimentation to execution.

Document repeatable processes:

• Email and message templates
• Content guidelines
• Ad campaign structures
• Lead handoff rules

Invest in growth:

• Bring in channel specialists
• Increase budgets strategically
• Upgrade tools or automation

Doubling down is not about adding complexity. It’s about deepening your commitment to what’s proven to work.

TL;DR

• The Bullseye Framework helps you discover your best marketing channels by organizing them into three rings: possible, probable, and working.
• Use it to prioritize small-scale tests instead of guessing where to put your budget.
• Once you find a channel that works, double down and build repeatable systems.
• Revisit the framework quarterly or after major changes.

Want to stop guessing which channels work for your business? The Bullseye Framework gives you a roadmap.

Final Thoughts: Focus Is Your Best Strategy

The Bullseye Framework gives B2B marketers a method to sort through noise and focus on what drives results. Instead of spending time on guesswork or scattered tactics, you apply a methodical process to find your best growth channel.

It doesn’t guarantee instant wins. But it ensures your effort is directed by evidence instead of assumptions.