How to Prove the Value of Marketing

Marketing

How to Prove the Value of Marketing

Successful Marketing Measurement (And What We Can Do to Demonstrate the Value of Marketing)

Is it all fluffy unicorns and rainbows or does it really bring in money?

Successful Marketing Measurement (And What We Can Do to Demonstrate the Value of Marketing)

Let me start by saying this: I’ve seen some serious marketing blunders. I’ve worked with businesses so tight on their budget they squeaked when they walked, and others who spent money like confetti at a wedding—completely missing their target. Now, having made it through countless campaigns (some legendary, others cringe-worthy), one thing I’ve learned is this: Marketing measurement is not just a nice-to-have; it’s a survival tool.

When Campaigns Go Wrong: Tales from the Marketing Trenches

The stories I could tell! Like the time I watched a property company pour thousands into a billboard campaign in the dead of winter, only to realise the location was in a fog-heavy area. You could hardly see the thing—never mind read it. Or the aerospace startup that allocated a chunk of its budget into print ads in a tech magazine… only to find out their target audience (aircraft engineers) rarely picked up anything not digital. Facepalm moment, anyone?

Let’s be real: campaigns go sideways more often than we’d like to admit. And, nine times out of ten, it’s because someone didn’t stop to ask, “How will we know if this worked?“

Without proper measurement, marketing is like throwing spaghetti at a wall. Except your spaghetti is made of money, and the wall is made of confusion.

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The Problem with Wasted Budgets: Where the Money Actually Goes

Imagine a tourism business launching a £50,000 campaign targeting… well, no one. Or worse, targeting everyone. Now, I’m all for ambition, but if you’re selling luxury weekend breaks, you’re not going to convince a cash-strapped student to book a five-star spa. Yet I’ve seen companies throw massive sums of money at broad, undefined audiences, hoping to catch someone, anyone, in their marketing net.

The result? Wasted budget.

And here’s the kicker: it’s not that the campaign didn’t have potential, it’s that it lacked focus and measurement. Instead of calculating ROI, the business was left with no clue whether their investment had turned into anything more than lost cash. If you don’t know where the money goes, you’re in trouble.

Making Sense of Marketing Measurement: The Analogy Edition

Think of marketing as flying an aeroplane. Now, would a pilot take off without knowing their altitude, speed, or fuel levels? Of course not. They’d crash (and in marketing, crashing means a big red deficit). Yet so many businesses do the equivalent by launching campaigns without tracking KPIs or analysing metrics.

When it comes to measuring marketing, there are two things you need to do:

    1. Set a destination: Know exactly where you’re going (aka your business goals). Are you trying to boost awareness or generate leads? Increase sales, perhaps? Your marketing should have a clear target.
    2. Check your instruments: Your KPIs are your instruments. They help you know if you’re on the right course. Traffic, conversion rates, cost-per-acquisition—these are your dials and meters.

But here’s the trick—just like in flying, not all instruments are equal in every situation. If you’re launching a new service for property clients, for instance, tracking website traffic might matter more than sales at first. Later, once the word is out, your conversion metrics will take centre stage.

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How to Prove the Value of Marketing (Even to the Cynics)

As marketers, we’ve all had the misfortune of dealing with that one business owner or stakeholder who believes marketing is all fluffy unicorns and rainbows. “Does this really bring in money?” they ask. You know the type.

The answer, of course, is yes—but only if you measure the right things. To demonstrate marketing value, show hard data.

For example, let’s say you’re a surgeon wanting to attract more patients. If you run a PPC or Social campaign and see that your cost-per-click is dropping, but qualified leads are rising, you’ve struck gold. Calculate the potential lifetime value of those new patients. By seeing that the marketing investment directly leads to profitable patients, you’ve effectively seen the value of marketing.

Another client of mine, a leisure company, once invested heavily in social media ads. After the first two months, they saw no uptake in bookings. I suggested we shift from an awareness-based campaign to a lead generation campaign, using a retargeting strategy for people who’d already interacted with their content. Within weeks, the bookings started rolling in, and guess what? The owner, a notorious marketing sceptic, was suddenly a believer.

Actionable Takeaways

    1. Start with Clear Goals:
      Always begin with a clear, measurable objective. Don’t aim for vague outcomes like “more traffic” or “better engagement.” Be specific: “I want 50 new leads from xyz this quarter.”

    2. Use the Right Metrics:
      Know which KPIs matter for your industry. For surgeons, leads per ad spend might matter most, while in aerospace, awareness through event attendance might be the star metric.

    3. Don’t Be Afraid to Pivot:
      Sometimes, like in a flight plan, things don’t go as expected. Be ready to adjust the campaign based on what the numbers are telling you.

    4. Report in Plain English:
      When it comes to demonstrating value, translate the numbers into real-world outcomes. Instead of saying, “We increased conversion rates by 15%,” say, “This increase will generate £20,000 in new revenue over the next six months.”

    5. Always Have a Plan B:
      Not every campaign will hit the mark. Be ready with a backup strategy (and make sure that’s budgeted too).
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What’s Marketing Without Measurement?

In my years of marketing, I’ve seen it all—from the head-in-hands moments to the victorious high-fives. The common thread? The campaigns that thrived measured their impact, adapted quickly, and always kept ROI in sight.

Remember:

Without measurement, marketing is like trying to fly blindfolded. You may take off, but sooner or later, you’ll crash.

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Website: https://www.web-editing.com

A freelance marketing specialist Michelle helps small businesses, SMEs and entrepreneurs maximise their marketing strategy to promote customer acquisition and retention. She has 20 years experience working in marketing and design and has won a few awards along the way. She is trained by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), a Member of the CIM and a Certified Practitioner in the Watertight Marketing Community.

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