The best way to Get Purchase-In From High Advertising Leaders & What KPIs Really Matter

Whether or not you’re crafting a brand new content material marketing campaign, launching a YouTube sequence, or revamping your social technique, management will inevitably ask: “How will this impression our firm’s backside line?”

Answering this query isn’t all the time easy. That’s why I all the time ensure to determine my key efficiency indicators (KPIs) earlier than looking for govt buy-in. KPIs not solely assist me measure success but additionally present the concrete proof wanted to realize management’s help and switch concepts into actuality.

And also you probably understand how shortly the advertising panorama is altering — 56% of selling leaders agree it has modified extra up to now three years than up to now fifty. So, it’s clear to me that the bar for securing buy-in has risen.

Management needs concrete proof of impression, typically backed by AI-powered insights, buyer understanding, and confirmed ROI.

To get a clearer image, I spoke with advertising leaders to assemble their high ideas for receiving buy-in and to uncover which KPIs matter most to them in 2025.

Desk of Contents

As Kyle Denhoff, senior director of media at HubSpot, explains, “Securing management buy-in goes past presenting sturdy concepts; it’s about aligning these concepts with the broader objectives of the enterprise. At HubSpot Media, we middle our investments round two core enterprise aims: construct model consciousness and drive demand.”

Denhoff emphasizes the significance of effectivity and alignment right here: “When presenting to executives, the secret is to tie your initiatives to metrics they care about whereas being environment friendly (lean workforce, low prices).”

By straight connecting your initiatives to the KPIs that matter most to management, you make a compelling case that resonates with their priorities.

“It’s simple to get misplaced in vainness metrics like site visitors or web page views, however executives care most about return-on-investment,” says Dhanvin Sriram, head of content material advertising at Neptune.AI, including that displaying tangible outcomes is vital to getting executives on board.

“As an example, we use content material engagement metrics resembling time spent on web page, click-through charges, and bounce charges to evaluate the effectiveness of our content material.

If engagement is excessive, it’s typically an indication of sturdy content material that resonates with our audience. As soon as we demonstrated that elevated engagement was resulting in the next conversion charge, executives understood the connection and have been extra supportive of our content material initiatives.”

Take into account how your proposal will contribute to the corporate’s backside line. For instance, in the event you’re suggesting a brand new social media marketing campaign, clarify the way it will generate certified leads that may convert into gross sales, thereby rising income.

Our knowledge backs this up, too. In response to the Advertising Chief’s Subject Information, 20% of leaders prioritize rising income and gross sales, so tying your marketing campaign to monetary outcomes is crucial.

2. Again it up with knowledge.

Numbers construct belief. I like to incorporate trade benchmarks, competitor insights, and inner knowledge to create a data-driven case for my initiative. I’ve realized that is a lot extra highly effective than coming to management with a moonshot concept you wish to attempt — you want to have the numbers to again it up.

For example, let’s say you’re proposing a marketing campaign concentrating on dormant electronic mail subscribers. You need to use historic conversion knowledge to estimate the incremental income this viewers might generate. As a bonus, I like together with visuals like charts or case research to make the case simpler to digest.

Luca O’Neil, head of development advertising at Entry Partnership, shares a singular technique: displaying the info from a pilot take a look at. For instance, he piloted a LinkedIn advert marketing campaign concentrating on a distinct segment B2B section.

“With a 35% improve in certified leads and a lower-than-average CPL, the success offered the boldness wanted to scale the initiative globally,” he stated.

“Creating executive-friendly dashboards with related metrics helps maintain buy-in. I take advantage of platforms like HubSpot to supply concise overviews of pipeline impression, CLV, and engagement tendencies, guaranteeing executives have on the spot entry to knowledge that helps decision-making,” he added.

And, in fact, you possibly can’t neglect tying the info again to a bigger story. “Storytelling is simply as highly effective as knowledge. I’ve shared buyer testimonials and case research throughout board conferences for example how our advertising initiatives impression actual folks,” he stated. “This strategy makes advertising really feel extra tangible and aligned with the corporate’s mission.”

3. Current clear milestones.

Break your initiative into manageable phases with particular, measurable objectives for every stage. Outline what success appears like and set up common check-in factors.

I like to point out how small, preliminary investments can result in fast wins and description how these successes may be scaled. This helps construct confidence within the bigger technique and helps construct a path to scaling additional.

Going again to the marketing campaign for dormant electronic mail subscribers, this might appear to be:

By aligning your milestones with KPIs that executives care about, you present a roadmap that illustrates how your initiative will contribute to the corporate’s aims.

What do leaders need? That’s the query it’s best to ask your self in the event you’re trying to get govt buy-in. In response to HubSpot’s 2025 State of Advertising Traits Report and our Advertising Chief’s Subject Information, advertising leaders are primarily centered on three objectives:

• Growing income and gross sales (20%).
• Getting a greater understanding of your prospects and their wants (16%).
• Growing model consciousness and reaching new audiences (15%).

For every of those objectives, let’s discover why they matter, the important thing KPIs to trace, and tricks to safe govt buy-in.

1. Improve income and gross sales.

In 2025, advertising leaders face mounting strain to show their division’s direct impression on the corporate’s backside line. Advertising is now not seen as a price middle — it’s anticipated to be a income driver.

If you happen to work backward out of your firm’s major objective of accelerating income, it is smart that reaching new audiences and changing them into certified leads could be high priorities.

As Jordan DiPietro, former HubSpot vice chairman of selling, says, “As a advertising chief, it’s vital to decide on a KPI that’s most aligned together with your firm’s overarching enterprise aims — it might be a income metric, it might be a attain metric, or within the case of HubSpot Media, it might be each!

The vital factor is that your KPIs and the motion plans related to these KPIs are ones that may be straight linked to the KPIs of the enterprise.”

DiPietro’s workforce focuses on two fundamental KPIs: total attain (visits, opens, listeners, and views) and leads (internet new contacts pushed by media content material).

He elaborates, “Our attain KPI is indicative of the truth that HubSpot needs to develop top-of-the-funnel consciousness for the enterprise. Our media workforce does this by rising the attain of our weblog content material, newsletters, podcast community, and YouTube community.

“Our income KPI is indicative of the truth that HubSpot is a SaaS enterprise — so we wish to generate leads that may be shared with the gross sales workforce in an effort to flip these leads into certified leads after which into glad prospects,” he provides.

What KPIs matter most?

• Return on Advertising Funding (ROMI). This metric quantifies how a lot income is generated for each greenback spent on advertising. It’s a favourite amongst CMOs who wish to communicate the CFO’s language.
• Income Progress Charge. Monitor total development and segment-specific development (e.g., new prospects vs. present prospects).
• Buyer Acquisition Value (CAC). This metric has turn out to be more and more essential as digital promoting prices rise. Sensible groups monitor CAC tendencies throughout channels, segments, and campaigns, utilizing this knowledge to constantly refine their acquisition technique.
• Pipeline Velocity. This composite metric exhibits how shortly your advertising efforts convert to income.

Securing Government Purchase-In

To safe buy-in for a marketing campaign tied to this objective, it’s essential body it when it comes to monetary impression. Executives reply properly to ROI-focused proposals.

• Communicate their language. As an alternative of explaining advert spend when it comes to clicks, current it as a $1,000 funding that might generate $10,000 in income.
• Leverage predictive analytics. For instance, present how a brand new marketing campaign concentrating on dormant electronic mail subscribers might generate $500K in incremental income primarily based on historic conversion charges.

By straight connecting your KPIs to income outcomes, you make it simpler for executives to see the worth of your proposal.

2. Get a greater understanding of your prospects and their wants.

With AI and superior analytics on the forefront, understanding buyer wants is each simpler and extra important than ever. Clients anticipate customized, seamless experiences. With out deep insights, manufacturers danger falling behind.

Carey Thiels is a requirement technology strategist and advertising marketing consultant. She helps tech startups plan and execute a advertising technique that may get them to exponential development.

“Product adoption will let you know how properly your prospects are utilizing your product. And, in fact, renewal and/or churn charge will let you know if prospects wish to keep or transfer on to a different various,” she says.

All of those components are key to understanding your prospects and their wants higher.

What KPIs matter most?

• Buyer Lifetime Worth (CLV). Understanding CLV by section helps advertising leaders make smarter acquisition and retention investments
• Web Promoter Rating (NPS). An easy metric for gauging buyer satisfaction and loyalty.
• Buyer Satisfaction Rating (CSAT). Measures how glad prospects are together with your services or products.
• Buyer Retention Charge. Larger retention alerts your efforts to grasp and meet buyer wants are working.

Securing Government Purchase-In

Executives care deeply about buyer satisfaction, however they’re extra prone to be persuaded by numbers and tangible outcomes.

• Current buyer tales. Use survey knowledge, testimonials, or case research to exhibit how assembly buyer wants has led to measurable success.
• Hyperlink to market share. Spotlight how higher buyer insights can result in a aggressive benefit, whether or not it’s profitable new audiences or decreasing churn.

Jason Marshall, CMO at Huntress, additionally emphasizes this strategy: “Monitoring KPIs can assist advertising leaders construct a compelling case to get the help they want. By projecting the income a buyer generates over their lifetime with the enterprise, advertising leaders can discover methods to enhance buyer retention whereas avoiding attrition.”

3. Improve model consciousness and attain new audiences.

In 2025, standing out is not any small feat. The digital panorama is extra crowded than ever, with manufacturers competing fiercely for a similar consideration.

Whereas income stays the highest precedence, there’s a powerful give attention to deepening buyer understanding and increasing attain. This implies a balanced strategy between short-term gross sales objectives and long-term model constructing.

Model consciousness is the inspiration for future development. It ensures your organization stays related within the eyes of your viewers and top-of-mind after they’re able to make a buying choice. Reaching new audiences is especially essential as market dynamics shift and present buyer bases evolve.

Denhoff shared with me how he thinks about this objective at HubSpot. “The HubSpot Weblog receives over 10M visits monthly, every an impression for our model. HubSpot Media is goaled on Leads first, Attain second. We’re centered on filling the lead pipeline for the gross sales workforce.”

He highlights how model consciousness efforts align straight with income technology, an important connection for incomes govt buy-in. By rising HubSpot’s viewers by means of owned media like blogs, podcasts, newsletters, and YouTube channels, HubSpot Media reviews on complete viewers attain month-to-month, offering a tangible sign of elevated model visibility amongst key viewers segments.

For instance, Denhoff explains how a video on rising your LinkedIn firm web page would possibly embrace a call-to-action to obtain a premium information. By changing viewers into leads through gated content material, HubSpot Media not solely boosts attain but additionally drives significant pipeline development — finally supporting the corporate’s broader income objectives.

What KPIs matter most?

• Share of Voice (SOV). This metric helps advertising leaders perceive their model’s presence relative to rivals.
• Engagement-to-Attain Ratio. Reasonably than simply monitoring followers or attain, sensible entrepreneurs measure significant engagement.

Securing Government Purchase-In

Model-building initiatives typically face skepticism from leaders centered on short-term outcomes. The secret’s connecting model metrics to income outcomes.

• Use sturdy examples. Show how a 20% improve in model consciousness on LinkedIn led to a ten% enhance in gross sales inside a key market section.
• Leverage benchmarks. Use trade knowledge to point out how rivals are investing in brand-building and the dangers of falling behind.

Huang Xiong’s expertise backs this up.

“As for 2025 KPIs, the sport’s evolving. Positive, we’re nonetheless monitoring CAC, LTV, and ROAS — these are the spine — however now we’re wanting deeper into engagement and group,” says Xiong, an electronic mail knowledge advertising marketing consultant.

“Two KPIs I’m loving proper now are buyer engagement rating (how typically folks work together with our content material) and group development charge (development of our social presence and user-generated content material). These aren’t simply numbers; they present if we’re constructing actual connections with our viewers.

“Advertising is much less about one-off gross sales and extra about creating loyal prospects who really care about your model. Backside line: Concentrate on the numbers that inform the complete story, not simply the sale.”