Over the past two years, we have engaged with a large number of business owners from different regions and industries. One clear impression is that people no longer ask 'Should we go online?' but rather 'How exactly should we do online marketing so that it continuously brings in inquiries?' This is especially true for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which have limited budgets and lean teams. They worry about spending money without results and also fear missing the window of opportunity. The terms 'full-channel marketing' and 'online promotion' are mentioned frequently, but when it comes to execution, many companies are still stuck at the stage of 'opening an account, posting some content, and running a few ads.'
Yunxuan Network Technology has been deeply involved in the internet industry for 20 years, serving SMEs and local physical businesses across all industries nationwide. We do not make 'one-size-fits-all' promises. Instead, we combine capabilities such as website development, SEO, GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), Baidu promotion, feed ads, short video lead generation, and AI agents to form a trackable and iterable customer acquisition system. In this article, from a service provider's perspective, we break down the underlying logic of full-channel marketing and online promotion, focusing on where SMEs get stuck in lead generation and how to break through.
1. Full-channel marketing is not about 'posting everywhere,' but about 'letting the right people find you in the right places'
Many companies understand online promotion as registering on multiple platforms and posting from multiple accounts. The result? A lot of content is published, and the view counts may look decent, but there are few inquiries. The problem is that the traffic is not aligned with the business scenario. The core of full-channel marketing is to layout around the customer's decision-making path, not to spread volume based on the popularity of platforms.
A typical B2B customer goes through several stages from developing a need to finally making an inquiry: first, vaguely realizing a problem, then actively searching for solutions, then comparing several service providers, and finally leaving contact information or making an inquiry. During this process, the customer may appear on Baidu, Douyin, AI chat tools, industry communities, local life platforms, and other places. If a company only appears on one channel, it is easy for competitors to intercept it at other stages.
When helping nationwide clients with full-channel marketing planning, Yunxuan Network Technology usually does one thing first: map out the customer's transaction path. For example, for a company in engineering supporting services, customers might find the official website by searching for 'a certain type of engineering material supplier,' or they might see a construction case video and then search for the brand name, or they might directly ask AI 'Are there any reliable engineering service providers nearby?' Different entry points require different content to receive them. The official website must be able to receive search traffic, short videos must stimulate interest, and AI agents must respond instantly. Connecting these links is the real face of full-channel marketing.
2. Three mainstream online promotion approaches and which stage of companies they suit
There are many online promotion tools, but they can ultimately be divided into three categories: search-based, recommendation-based, and content-based. Companies at different stages should have different emphases.
1. Search-based promotion: suitable for industries with clear demand and short decision cycles
Baidu promotion and website SEO both belong to search-based promotion. When customers actively search for keywords, it indicates that their needs are relatively clear. This type of traffic is characterized by high intent and a short conversion path. However, the problem is that search traffic is becoming increasingly expensive, especially for paid ads. Without professional account optimization and landing page reception, it is easy to burn money without results.
We served a manufacturing factory that initially ran Baidu promotion on its own with a significant daily budget, but the cost per inquiry remained high. Later, we intervened and did several things: first, we restructured the keyword structure and concentrated the budget on high-intent words; second, we optimized the landing page to highly match the page content with the search terms; third, we cooperated with website SEO to use natural rankings to receive some long-tail keywords, reducing dependence on paid traffic. After adjustments, the number of inquiries stabilized, and the cost per inquiry dropped significantly. This is the value of combining bid management and website SEO.
2. Recommendation-based promotion: suitable for industries that need to stimulate interest and showcase strength
Feed ads and Douyin promotion belong to recommendation-based promotion. Customers were not searching originally, but they see your content, get attracted and persuaded, and then make an inquiry. This type of promotion has high requirements for content creativity and requires continuous production of attractive materials. Many SMEs shoot videos and run ads themselves, but often get stuck at two points: first, the content is not professional enough; second, the targeting is not precise.
When doing feed ads and Douyin promotion, Yunxuan Network Technology considers content planning and placement optimization together. First, based on the client's product characteristics and target audience, we design several sets of materials from different angles. Then, through small-budget testing, we find the combination with the highest click-through rate and conversion rate, and gradually scale up. This process requires data accumulation and familiarity with platform rules. We served a retail store that used local life platforms plus short video content to repeatedly reach potential customers within a three-kilometer radius, significantly increasing foot traffic. This logic also applies to the national market, but the coverage and content style need to be adjusted.
3. Content-based promotion: suitable for industries that build trust and lengthen decision cycles
Official website content, WeChat official account articles, Zhihu Q&A, and AI search optimization all belong to content-based promotion. This type of promotion does not immediately bring a large number of inquiries, but it continuously accumulates brand trust. In particular, GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is a direction we have focused on in the past two years. As AI tools such as Doubao, Qianwen, and DeepSeek become entry points for many people to obtain information, whether a company's content can be cited by AI directly affects the brand's professional image in the customer's mind.
GEO optimization has similarities with traditional SEO but also obvious differences. Traditional SEO mainly targets the ranking rules of search engines, while GEO optimization considers how AI models understand, crawl, and generate content. When helping clients with GEO, we adjust from dimensions such as content structure, semantic clarity, and authority signals, making it easier for AI to recognize the company's official website and articles as credible sources. Doing this now is still cost-effective, but the window period will not last long.
3. The difficulty of lead generation for SMEs lies in 'reception,' not 'exposure'
We have seen too many cases where companies spent money on online promotion and got good exposure, but inquiries just did not increase. Upon closer inspection, the problem often lies in the reception stage. Customers click in, but the page cannot open; customers want to inquire, but cannot find contact information; customers leave a message at midnight, but get a reply the next day. Each of these details loses potential customers.
The core of lead generation for SMEs is not just to bring in traffic, but to catch it. When serving nationwide clients, Yunxuan Network Technology pays special attention to three reception nodes:
- Landing page reception: Page loading speed, content relevance, and clear call-to-action. Many corporate websites look okay on desktop but have poor mobile experience, and most traffic comes from mobile phones.
- Inquiry reception: Phone, online customer service, forms, WeChat QR codes—whether multiple channels are covered. Customers have different habits, so contact methods should also be diverse.
- Nighttime reception: Many inquiries occur outside working hours. If no one responds in time, customers are likely to turn to another company. AI agents solve this problem. The enterprise-specific Q&A agent we build for clients can automatically receive, answer common questions, and guide contact information, catching nighttime and weekend inquiries first, and then human follow-up the next day.
An engineering company saw a significant increase in the lead rate of nighttime inquiries after launching an AI agent customer service. Previously, customers who came at night were basically lost; now the agent receives them first, leaves contact information and needs, and sales follow up during the day, naturally increasing the conversion rate. This capability applies to companies across the country, regardless of region or industry.
4. Website development is the foundation of full-channel marketing, but many companies have not laid a solid foundation
Website development seems mature, but in reality, there are many pitfalls. We have taken over many 'rebuild' projects where clients previously spent a few thousand yuan on a website, only to find after launch that the mobile layout is messed up, loading speed is slow, search engines cannot index it, and AI tools cannot crawl the content. The root cause of these problems is that when building the site, only 'looking good' was considered, not 'being usable' and 'being findable.'
Yunxuan Network Technology has several basic principles for corporate website development:
- Simultaneous adaptation for desktop and mobile: Not simple scaling, but redesigning the reading and operating experience for different screens.
- Underlying architecture conducive to indexing: Standard code, clear structure, fast loading speed, so that search engines and AI tools can crawl smoothly.
- Extensible content: When companies later need to add products, cases, or articles, the backend should be easy to update without having to find a technician every time.
- Clear conversion path: Every page should have a clear call-to-action, letting visitors know what to do next.
The website is the central hub of full-channel marketing. Traffic from search promotion, interest stimulated by short videos, and visitors from AI search all ultimately need a professional and credible official website to receive them. If the official website itself is not up to standard, no matter how well other channels perform, conversion will be compromised.
5. How companies in different regions and industries can use this capability to get inquiries
Yunxuan Network Technology's services cover the whole country, with clients from all walks of life. We do not apply one template to all clients, but customize solutions based on industry characteristics, target markets, and competition. Here are a few directional examples to illustrate the differences in approaches under different scenarios.
1. B2B companies targeting the national market
Customers of such companies may be distributed across the country, with long decision chains and high transaction values. In terms of approach, search-based promotion and content-based promotion should be equally emphasized. On one hand, cover core keywords through Baidu promotion and website SEO; on the other hand, build a professional image through GEO optimization and industry articles. The official website should highlight cases, qualifications, and service processes to give customers more trust when comparing. AI agents can handle initial inquiries, screening out high-intent customers before transferring to humans.
2. Physical stores serving the local market
Physical stores have a limited customer acquisition radius, but demand frequency may be higher. Such clients are suitable for using local life platforms plus short video lead generation, combined with feed ads for regional targeted placement. Content should highlight store location, service features, and real scenes, so that nearby people who see it can have an impulse to visit. The official website can be simplified, but the mobile experience must be good, making it easy for customers to navigate or call with one click.
3. Factories doing foreign trade or cross-border business
Such companies have higher requirements for the professionalism and multilingual support of their official websites. Website development should consider overseas access speed, search engine indexing habits, and content crawling by AI tools. The focus of full-channel marketing may be on search promotion and industry platform exposure, with different weights for short videos and social media. GEO optimization is equally important here, as more and more overseas buyers are also using AI tools for supplier screening.
4. Small and micro enterprises in the startup stage
With limited budgets and insufficient team manpower, the biggest fear is spending money without results. Our advice is: first concentrate resources on doing one channel well, get the closed loop from lead generation to conversion working, and then gradually expand. For example, start with an official website plus Baidu promotion to catch search traffic, and use AI agents to solve nighttime inquiry problems. Once the model works, then consider short videos and feed ads. The key to lead generation for SMEs is not how much you spread, but that every step has data feedback and can be continuously optimized.
6. Behind effective customer acquisition is continuous optimization, not one-time delivery
Many companies, when looking for service providers, habitually ask 'How many inquiries can you guarantee after completion?' This question is difficult to answer definitively because results depend on multiple variables such as industry competition, budget investment, content quality, and reception capability. But one thing is certain: online promotion is not a one-time project, but a process of continuous optimization.
When serving clients, Yunxuan Network Technology establishes a tracking mechanism: regularly checking keyword ranking changes, ad spend and cost per inquiry, landing page conversion rates, agent reception data, etc. Based on data feedback, we adjust keywords, optimize materials, and improve pages. This iterative rhythm is the guarantee of effective customer acquisition.
We also suggest that business owners themselves pay attention to a few core indicators: first, the number of inquiries; second, the quality of inquiries; third, the cost per inquiry. The number reflects exposure and lead generation effectiveness, quality reflects content and targeting precision, and cost reflects overall advertising efficiency. Looking at these three indicators together can determine whether the current full-channel marketing strategy is healthy.
7. Regarding AI agents and GEO optimization, what companies should do now
AI agents and GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) are directions we have invested more in research and development in the past two years. The reason is simple: the way customers obtain information is changing. Previously, when people encountered problems, their first reaction was to open a search engine; now more and more people, especially young users, directly ask AI tools. If a company's content is not indexed and cited by AI, it is absent from the new entry point.
GEO optimization is not mysticism; it has specific methods: content should be clearly structured, semantically clear, with authority signals, and recognizable by AI models as credible sources. When helping clients with GEO, we start from multiple levels such as official website architecture, article writing, and external citations, making it easier for AI to crawl and recommend the company's professional content.
AI agents are an upgrade on the reception side. Traditional online customer service can only reply with fixed scripts, while AI agents can understand customer intent, provide targeted answers based on the enterprise knowledge base, and automatically guide contact information. For companies with large inquiry volumes and many repetitive questions, AI agents can significantly reduce manual pressure and avoid missing nighttime and peak-period inquiries.
We recommend that companies with a certain online foundation lay out these two capabilities as early as possible. The window period is still here, and the cost is controllable. Waiting until competition is saturated will increase both difficulty and cost.
8. For SME owners who are considering online promotion
If you are hesitating about whether to do full-channel marketing, or have done it but the results are not ideal, you can first ask yourself a few questions: Where do my customers usually get information? What keywords do they search for? What will they do next after seeing my content? Can my official website catch this traffic? Is my inquiry response fast enough?
The answers to these questions are more important than blind advertising. The value of Yunxuan Network Technology's services lies not in helping clients spend money, but in helping them spend money where it matters most, turning traffic into inquiries and inquiries into business. We serve clients nationwide. No matter which city or industry you are in, as long as your customers are online, this method has a place.
There is no myth of getting rich overnight in online promotion and full-channel marketing, but there is the compound interest of continuous accumulation. Choose the right direction, build a good reception system, and persist in optimization. SMEs can definitely do better in lead generation than they do now. Yunxuan Network Technology is willing to be the service provider that runs the whole journey with you.