B2B marketers are under increasing pressure to prove the value of every effort. What worked last year might not be enough now. That’s why key performance indicators (KPIs) and return on investment (ROI) have gone from nice-to-haves to must-haves. These tools help you show what’s working, justify your budget, and make smarter choices.
In this updated guide, I’ll explain what KPIs and ROI mean today, how they work together, and how you can use them to drive business growth.
What are KPIs in marketing?
KPIs are metrics that measure your progress toward meeting marketing goals over a set time. They answer the question, “Are we doing the right things?” Tracking performance justifies spending. Moreover, it helps you spot trends and areas for improvement. After identifying those trends, you can adjust strategies and evaluate how those changes affect results.
How often should I measure KPIs?
Tracking and reporting marketing KPIs regularly is a must. The ideal frequency depends on your goals, campaigns and market speed. For example, a product launch might need daily KPI checks. On the other hand, a brand awareness campaign might only need monthly reviews. Fortunately, real-time data is easy to access, which means you can adapt quickly. Your reporting rhythm should reflect your marketing activity.
What types of KPIs should you track?
Your KPIs should align with your marketing goals. The list below outlines core categories and performance metrics to guide your strategy:
Website traffic
Measure interest in your brand and content. Start with page views, session duration and bounce rates. Then, go deeper by analyzing time spent on top content or bounce rates on key landing pages. If you’re using AI-driven content feeds or recommendations, track engagement and click-throughs from those sources, too.
Leads generated
Keep an eye on lead quality and volume. Key metrics include:
- Lead value
- Customer acquisition cost
- Customer lifetime value
- Cost per lead
In B2B marketing, it’s also helpful to track:
- Marketing-originated revenue: Deals that began with marketing
- Marketing-influenced revenue: Deals touched by marketing at any point
- Sales cycle length: How long it takes to convert leads
These help demonstrate how marketing reduces the path to revenue.
Social media engagement
Track brand visibility and how your audience interacts with your content. Focus on follower growth, shares, comments and click-throughs – especially from platforms like LinkedIn. In addition, note how many leads are coming directly from social campaigns.
Conversion rate
This is the percentage of visitors who complete an action – like a form fill, sign-up or demo request. High conversion rates indicate your content and calls to action are resonating with the right audience.
Content performance
Move beyond basic traffic numbers. Consider tracking:
- Content downloads
- Lead magnet conversions
- Social share rates
- Scroll depth and time on page
- Conversions from AI tools like chatbots or personalized content
These KPIs help you understand how content performs across various channels.
SEO performance
If organic traffic is part of your strategy, monitor:
- Keyword rankings (especially high-value terms)
- Organic traffic volume
- Traffic value (what it would cost to buy through ads)
- Visibility in AI-powered search or recommendation engines
This approach gives you a broad view of reach and relevance.
Segment for smarter insights
Always break down your KPIs by:
- Channel (e.g., email versus paid search)
- Campaign
- Audience segment
- Product or service
This level of detail helps turn raw numbers into meaningful insights.
Balance leading and lagging indicators
Make sure to track:
- Leading indicators (like traffic or downloads) to forecast performance
- Lagging indicators (like revenue or closed deals) to see what’s already happened
Together, these provide a complete picture of how your marketing is performing.
Customize KPIs for your audience
Different stakeholders care about different kinds of data. Your marketing team may want detailed campaign stats. Meanwhile, your C-suite likely cares more about business outcomes. As a result, tailor your dashboards for each group.
“We highlight the metrics that matter most to our leadership and prioritize them accordingly,” says Allison Wagner, director, marketing and business strategy, at Morrison Container Handling Solutions in Glenwood, Illinois. “For them, it’s not about the KPIs; it’s about what the KPIs mean. We share the stats, but we interpret what they mean for our executives.”
In short, tell a story with your data. Explain why the numbers matter.
For example, when Wagner sees shifts in website traffic, her executive team wants to know what it means. She shares KPIs weekly and focuses on marketing influence on revenue.
“We look at influence on revenue more than anything,” she says. “My company understands that just because a lead didn’t come in through marketing, they may have had multiple marketing touchpoints that influenced them along the buying journey.”
Similarly, the marketing team at Richfield, Wisconsin-based Felins tracks KPIs such as website visits, conversions, leads, opportunities and revenue attribution.
“We track KPIs monthly, and quantify what the data means,” says Victoria Sithy, senior marketing communications specialist at Felins. “Our team also highlight trends and provides an analysis of what we’re seeing. Finally, we present the data and highlights to our team as well as leadership.”
Casey Jeremiason, senior marketing communications leader at St. Louis-based BW Packaging, tracks win conversion and marketing’s contribution to sales.
“In the past, I presented the data in a funnel view that showcases the number of ‘influenced people’ that we saw through social media, website views, etc.,” Jeremiason says. “In turn, this drove the leads that became our opportunities and ultimately, closed opportunities.”
Currently, BW Packaging focuses on three main KPIs:
- Lead effectiveness: Opportunities ÷ marketing qualified leads (MQLs)
- Win conversion: Opportunities ÷ MQLs
- Marketing contribution: Marketing’s influence in dollars
Strong marketing-sales alignment is essential. Shared metrics like MQL-to-SQL conversion and lead velocity help both teams measure progress and move deals forward.
What tools can I use to measure KPIs?
Popular platforms like Google Analytics, HubSpot and Salesforce remain essential. However, most marketers now use a broader tech stack.
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) offers flexible, event-based tracking. HubSpot and Salesforce offer robust lead, sales, and customer journey tracking. Additionally, many teams use tools like Adobe Analytics, Mixpanel, and B2B attribution platforms to follow complex, multi-touch buyer journeys.
Above all, AI is an indispensable part of marketing measurement. It supports predictive analytics, sends alerts and generates reports. For clearer data presentation, consider using dashboards from Tableau, Microsoft Power BI or Google Looker Studio (formerly Data Studio).
What’s ROI in marketing?
ROI answers the big question: “Are we getting our money’s worth from marketing?” It’s one of the best ways to prove value and refine strategy. Therefore, use ROI data to optimize campaigns and focus on what works.
While financial ROI is often the primary goal, nonfinancial ROI – such as brand equity, customer loyalty, or market share – also plays a critical role in long-term growth.
“I’m able to show ROI for our paid marketing” Wagner says. “It produces a significant amount in sales. We want to drill down as far as possible.”
Jeremiason adds: “We’re doing the same thing. We’re being asked how much influence we had, even if someone wasn’t connected to a deal, but they’re part of the same company.”
What’s the formula for marketing ROI?
Here’s the standard formula:
(Gain from investment – investment cost) / investment cost X 100
For example, if a campaign generates $100,000 in revenue and costs $20,000 to run, your ROI is 400%. That means for every $1 spent, you made $5.
In B2B, attribution can be tricky. Long sales cycles and many touchpoints make it difficult to isolate one factor. That’s why multi-touch attribution is key: It reveals the full buyer journey and clarifies marketing’s role at each stage.
How often should I measure ROI?
It depends on your goals and business model. Some teams track ROI monthly. Others measure it quarterly after key campaigns. Regardless, consistency is key. Regular tracking helps you make timely adjustments and informed decisions.
The sweet spot: Combining KPIs and ROI
KPIs show what’s happening. ROI shows what’s paying off. Together, they provide a complete view:
- KPIs fuel ROI by pointing to what drives results.
- ROI validates KPIs by confirming what’s worth the investment.
This combination supports agile marketing and confident decision-making. Think of it as a loop: test, learn, adjust, measure, and repeat. When used well, your KPI and ROI data help shape future strategies and budget planning.
Measuring what matters
Smart measurement guides strategy, spending and campaigns. Furthermore, when you connect the numbers to business goals, you demonstrate how marketing drives growth.
Editor’s note: This post was originally published in March 2024 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.
