How to Get Buy-In From Top Marketing Leaders & What KPIs Truly 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 simple. That’s why I all the time be sure to establish my key efficiency indicators (KPIs) earlier than searching for government buy-in. KPIs not solely assist me measure success but in addition present the concrete proof wanted to achieve management’s assist and switch concepts into actuality.

And also you possible know the way rapidly the advertising and marketing panorama is altering — 56% of marketing leaders agree it has modified extra prior to now three years than prior to now fifty. So, it’s clear to me that the bar for securing buy-in has risen.

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

To get a clearer image, I spoke with advertising and marketing leaders to assemble their prime 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 targets of the enterprise. At HubSpot Media, we heart our investments round two core enterprise targets: construct model consciousness and drive demand.”

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

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

“It’s straightforward 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 and marketing at Neptune.AI, including that exhibiting 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 usually an indication of sturdy content material that resonates with our target market. As soon as we demonstrated that elevated engagement was resulting in a better conversion charge, executives understood the connection and had been extra supportive of our content material initiatives.”

Think about how your proposal will contribute to the corporate’s backside line. For instance, should 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 information backs this up, too. Based on the Marketing Leader’s Field Guide, 20% of leaders prioritize rising income and gross sales, so tying your marketing campaign to monetary outcomes is essential.

2. Again it up with information.

Numbers construct belief. I like to incorporate business benchmarks, competitor insights, and inside information to create a data-driven case for my initiative. I’ve discovered that is a lot extra highly effective than coming to management with a moonshot concept you wish to strive — 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 should utilize historic conversion information to estimate the incremental income this viewers may 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 and marketing at Entry Partnership, shares a novel technique: exhibiting the information from a pilot check. For instance, he piloted a LinkedIn advert marketing campaign concentrating on a distinct segment B2B section.

“With a 35% enhance in certified leads and a lower-than-average CPL, the success supplied the arrogance 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 immediate entry to information that helps decision-making,” he added.

And, after all, you possibly can’t overlook tying the information again to a bigger story. “Storytelling is simply as highly effective as information. I’ve shared buyer testimonials and case research throughout board conferences for example how our advertising and marketing initiatives impression actual individuals,” he stated. “This method makes advertising and marketing really feel extra tangible and aligned with the corporate’s mission.”

3. Current clear milestones.

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

I like to indicate how small, preliminary investments can result in fast wins and description how these successes might 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 like:

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 targets.

What do leaders need? That’s the query you need to ask your self should you’re seeking to get government buy-in. Based on HubSpot’s 2025 State of Marketing Trends Report and our Marketing Leader’s Field Guide, advertising and marketing leaders are primarily centered on three targets:

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

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

Related articles

Karmen secures $9.4 million for its revenue-based financing products

The Trump Memecoin’s ‘Money-Grab’ Economics

1. Enhance income and gross sales.

In 2025, advertising and marketing leaders face mounting stress to show their division’s direct impression on the corporate’s backside line. Advertising and marketing is not considered as a value heart — it’s anticipated to be a income driver.

In case you work backward out of your firm’s major purpose of accelerating income, it is smart that reaching new audiences and changing them into certified leads can be prime priorities.

As Jordan DiPietro, former HubSpot vice chairman of selling, says, “As a advertising and marketing chief, it’s vital to decide on a KPI that’s most aligned together with your firm’s overarching enterprise targets — 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 immediately linked to the KPIs of the enterprise.”

DiPietro’s group focuses on two major 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 desires to develop top-of-the-funnel consciousness for the enterprise. Our media group 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 group with a view to flip these leads into certified leads after which into happy clients,” he provides.

What KPIs matter most?

• Return on Advertising and marketing Funding (ROMI). This metric quantifies how a lot income is generated for each greenback spent on advertising and marketing. It’s a favourite amongst CMOs who wish to communicate the CFO’s language.
• Income Development Charge. Monitor total development and segment-specific development (e.g., new clients vs. current clients).
• 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 information to constantly refine their acquisition technique.
• Pipeline Velocity. This composite metric exhibits how rapidly your advertising and marketing efforts convert to income.

Securing Govt Purchase-In

To safe buy-in for a marketing campaign tied to this purpose, you must body it when it comes to monetary impression. Executives reply nicely to ROI-focused proposals.

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

By immediately 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 clients and their wants.

With AI and superior analytics on the forefront, understanding buyer wants is each simpler and extra important than ever. Prospects count on personalised, seamless experiences. With out deep insights, manufacturers threat falling behind.

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

“Product adoption will inform you how nicely your clients are utilizing your product. And, after all, renewal and/or churn charge will inform you if clients wish to keep or transfer on to a different various,” she says.

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

What KPIs matter most?

• Buyer Lifetime Worth (CLV). Understanding CLV by section helps advertising and marketing 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 happy clients are together with your services or products.
• Buyer Retention Charge. Increased retention alerts your efforts to know and meet buyer wants are working.

Securing Govt 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 information, 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 lowering churn.

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

3. Enhance 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 robust give attention to deepening buyer understanding and increasing attain. This means a balanced method between short-term gross sales targets and long-term model constructing.

Model consciousness is the muse 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 determination. Reaching new audiences is especially essential as market dynamics shift and current buyer bases evolve.

Denhoff shared with me how he thinks about this purpose at HubSpot. “The HubSpot Weblog receives over 10M visits per 30 days, 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 group.”

He highlights how model consciousness efforts align immediately with income era, an important connection for incomes government buy-in. By rising HubSpot’s viewers by means of owned media like blogs, podcasts, newsletters, and YouTube channels, HubSpot Media reviews on whole 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 by way of gated content material, HubSpot Media not solely boosts attain but in addition drives significant pipeline development — in the end supporting the corporate’s broader income targets.

What KPIs matter most?

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

Securing Govt Purchase-In

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

• Use sturdy examples. Exhibit how a 20% enhance in model consciousness on LinkedIn led to a ten% enhance in gross sales inside a key market section.
• Leverage benchmarks. Use business information to indicate how opponents 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 information advertising and marketing marketing consultant.

“Two KPIs I’m loving proper now are buyer engagement rating (how usually individuals 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 and marketing is much less about one-off gross sales and extra about creating loyal clients who truly care about your model. Backside line: Give attention to the numbers that inform the complete story, not simply the sale.”