Marketing

Marketing professionals develop strategies to promote products, engage customers, and drive business growth through targeted campaigns and analysis.

Performance Management

Performance management isn’t about policing. It’s about learning, growing, and celebrating progress—using data as a compass, not a hammer. To drive continuous improvement, keep teams motivated, and ensure marketing directly supports business health.

Hold regular (monthly or quarterly) reviews where the team walks through results, shares context behind the numbers, discusses blockers, and agrees on next steps. Encourage open discussion, celebrate small wins, and treat misses as learning opportunities.

Focus Areas and Top KPIs

Focus Area	Top KPIs
Brand & Awareness	- Branded Search Volume - Brand Awareness Lift - SEO Traffic Growth Rate - Brand Awareness - Unique Visitors
Engagement & Content Performance	- Engagement Rate on Awareness Campaigns - Content Engagement - Engagement Rate - Social Shares - Engaged Unique Visitors
Acquisition & Conversion	- Conversion Rate - Trial Sign-Up Rate - Signup Completion Rate - Demo Request Rate - Visitor-to-Sign-Up Conversion Rate
Advocacy & Referral Growth	- Referral Program Participation Rate - Referral Conversion Rate - Referral Engagement Rate - New Users from Referrals - Referral Prompt Acceptance Rate
Efficiency & ROI	- Customer Acquisition Cost - Return on Ad Spend - Cost per Lead - Engagement-to-Awareness Cost Efficiency - Cost Per Aware ICP Account

Frameworks for Metric Selection

Selecting the right metrics is about connecting marketing goals with business growth—not just tracking what’s easy. To help teams focus on metrics that truly move the needle and avoid the trap of vanity reporting.

Objective-Outcome-Metric Alignment

Start with a clear business or marketing objective, define the desired outcome, then select the metric that best reflects progress toward that outcome.

Key Stages / Examples

• Objective: Increase pipeline from ICP accounts
• Outcome: More high-fit demo requests
• Metric: Demo Request Rate, Reach to ICP %

Funnel Stage Mapping

Identify metrics that represent each critical stage of your marketing funnel—from awareness to advocacy—to ensure balanced focus.

Key Stages / Examples

• Awareness: Branded Search Volume, Brand Awareness Lift
• Consideration: Engagement Rate on Awareness Campaigns
• Conversion: Conversion Rate, Signup Completion Rate
• Advocacy: Referral Program Participation Rate, Referral Conversion Rate

Reporting Cadence and Structure

Consistent, structured reporting keeps marketing teams (and stakeholders) focused and agile. Good cadence means no surprises—just clarity, action, and learning. To ensure the right people see the right insights at the right time, fueling smarter decisions and faster improvement loops.

Cadence Overview

• Level: Team, Department, Executive
• Frequency: Weekly (team), Monthly (department/exec), Quarterly (strategic)
• Audience: Marketing team, cross-functional partners, executive leadership

Examples

• Weekly: Campaign performance deep-dives
• Monthly: Funnel conversion and cost efficiency reviews
• Quarterly: Strategic KPI progress and market impact

Standard Report Structure

• Executive Summary
• Key Metrics & Trends
• Insights & Recommendations
• Experiments & Learnings
• Action Items

Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

Mistakes happen, but most reporting headaches are avoidable. A little foresight saves a lot of frustration. To help marketing leaders sidestep classic data and KPI traps that undermine progress and morale.

Frequent Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them:

Issue	Solution
Focusing on vanity metrics that don’t tie to business impact.	Prioritize metrics that connect directly to pipeline, revenue, or customer growth—like Conversion Rate or Demo Request Rate.
Inconsistent or unclear metric definitions across teams.	Document and socialize metric definitions so everyone speaks the same language. Avoid apples-to-oranges reporting.
Drowning in data, but lacking actionable insights.	Limit dashboards to the most relevant KPIs and always pair metrics with context and recommendations.
Reporting lag—insights come too late to drive change.	Increase reporting frequency and automate data collection to keep a real-time pulse on key KPIs.
Ignoring qualitative feedback in favor of just the numbers.	Blend metrics like Engagement Rate with survey results or Customer Feedback Score for a fuller picture.

How to build a Data-Aware Culture

A data-aware culture feels less like a reporting chore, and more like a shared superpower. When everyone’s curious and equipped, marketing becomes a true growth engine. To embed data-driven habits into the marketing team’s DNA—making insights accessible, decisions transparent, and wins repeatable.

Foundational Elements

• Clear, shared definitions for every key metric
• Open access to dashboards and reporting
• Regular rituals for data review and learning
• Leadership modeling curiosity and transparency
• Celebration of learning, not just outcomes

Team Practices

• Kick off campaigns with hypothesis-driven metrics, not just outputs
• Pair every report with a ‘so what/now what’ discussion
• Include data deep-dives in team meetings, not just QBRs
• Rotate dashboard ownership so everyone gets hands-on with the numbers
• Encourage questions and challenge assumptions—no data gatekeeping

Maturity Stages

Stage	Description
Foundational	Marketing reports on basic KPIs, but analysis is ad hoc and siloed. Data lives in spreadsheets or separate tools.
Emerging	Teams agree on shared metrics, reporting is regular, and most decisions are supported by data—though some gaps remain.
Established	Data is integrated into daily workflows, cross-team collaboration is common, and insights drive experimentation and prioritization.
Advanced	Everyone has self-serve access, advanced segmentation and attribution are leveraged, and the culture rewards insight-sharing and continuous improvement.

Why Data Aware Culture Matter

Data-aware culture is the backbone of high-performing marketing teams. When everyone relies on trustworthy data, you get sharper campaigns, quicker pivots, and more predictable growth. To empower marketing teams to make smarter, faster, and more aligned decisions by embedding data-driven thinking into daily workflows and strategic planning.

Relevant Topics:

• Clarifies what’s working (and what isn’t) so teams can double down or course-correct quickly.
• Fuels experimentation by turning gut-feel into measurable hypotheses.
• Breaks down silos—when everyone speaks the same data language, collaboration becomes natural.
• Drives accountability, making it easier to celebrate wins and learn from misses.
• Builds trust with leadership by tying marketing impact directly to business outcomes.

Other Related KPIs

Metric	Description
Average Order Value	Average Order Value (AOV) refers to the average amount of money spent each time a customer places an order. It’s a key metric used to track customer purchasing behavior and assess the effectiveness of sales and marketing efforts.
Brand Awareness	Brand Awareness is the measure of how familiar your target audience is with your brand, products, and services. It gauges the extent to which consumers recognize, recall, and engage with your brand.
Channel Effectiveness	Channel Effectiveness refers to how well various marketing and sales channels perform in reaching target audiences, generating leads, and driving conversions. It assesses the efficiency and ROI of each channel used to promote products or services.
Click-Through Rate	The Click-Through Rate (CTR) measures the percentage of people who clicked on a link or call-to-action out of the total number of people who viewed the page, email, ad, or post. It's expressed as a percentage and is used to gauge the effectiveness of digital marketing campaigns.
Content Engagement	Content Engagement measures the level of interaction, interest, and value that users derive from content. It encompasses metrics like time spent on content, shares, comments, likes, click-throughs, and other forms of interaction that signal user involvement.
Conversion Rate	Conversion Rate is the percentage of users or prospects who take a desired action out of the total number of users who interacted with a marketing or sales campaign. The "conversion" could refer to actions like completing a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or filling out a form.
Cost per Acquisition	Cost per Acquisition (CPA) refers to the total cost incurred to acquire a single paying customer. It is a key performance metric that helps businesses measure the efficiency of their marketing and sales efforts by determining how much they are spending to turn a prospect into a customer.
Cost Per Click	Cost Per Click (CPC) is a digital marketing metric that refers to the amount advertisers pay for each click on their advertisements. It is used in online advertising models such as Pay Per Click (PPC), where the advertiser is charged based on the number of clicks their ad receives.
Cost Per Conversion	Cost Per Conversion (CPCo) measures the total cost incurred to achieve a specific conversion, such as a lead, or sign-up. It indicates how efficiently your marketing efforts are driving the desired outcomes.
Cost per Lead	Cost per Lead (CPL) is a digital marketing metric that measures the cost incurred to generate a single lead. A lead is someone who expresses interest in your product or service by filling out a form, subscribing to a newsletter, downloading a resource, or engaging in another qualifying activity.
Cross-Sell Conversion Rate	Cross-Sell Conversion Rate measures the percentage of existing customers who purchase additional, complementary products or services, typically during or after the initial sale. It reflects the effectiveness of cross-selling efforts aimed at increasing revenue from existing customers.
Customer Acquisition Cost	Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) refers to the total cost incurred by a company to acquire a new customer. It includes marketing, sales, and other related expenses used to attract and convert a lead into a paying customer.
Customer Lifetime Value	Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) represents the total revenue a business expects to earn from a customer over the entire duration of their relationship. It is a predictive metric that combines customer spending, loyalty, and retention rates to quantify the value of each customer.
Customer Loyalty	Customer Loyalty is a measure of a customer’s likelihood to repeatedly engage with and purchase from a brand over time, often driven by positive experiences, satisfaction, and perceived value. Loyal customers show a strong preference for a brand, even when alternatives are available.
Customer Referral Rate	Customer Referral Rate (CRR) measures the percentage of your customers who refer others to your business, reflecting the effectiveness of your referral program and the strength of your word-of-mouth marketing.
Customer Segmentation	Customer Segmentation is the process of dividing a customer base into distinct groups based on shared characteristics. These segments allow businesses to tailor marketing efforts, products, and services to meet the specific needs of each group.
Daily Active Users	Daily Active Users (DAU) measures the total number of unique users who engage with a product, app, or website on a given day. Engagement criteria may vary by product, such as logging in, completing a transaction, or performing a specific action.
DAU/WAU Ratio	DAU/WAU Ratio compares the number of Daily Active Users (DAU) to Weekly Active Users (WAU) over a specified time period. It represents the proportion of weekly users who engage with your product daily, offering insight into how often users return.
Drop-Off Rate	Drop-Off Rate measures the percentage of users who leave a process, page, or journey before completing a desired action. This metric identifies points of friction or disengagement, helping you optimize user flows for better retention and conversion.
Engagement Metrics	Engagement Metrics are data points that measure how users interact with your product, content, or campaigns. They assess the depth, frequency, and quality of user interactions, providing insights into customer interest, satisfaction, and loyalty.
Engagement Rate	Engagement Rate measures the level of interaction users have with your content, product, or campaigns relative to the size of your audience. It provides insight into how effectively your efforts capture attention and encourage meaningful user actions.
Exit Rate	Exit Rate is the percentage of visits to a specific webpage or app screen that end with the user leaving the site or app entirely. It shows how often a particular page or screen is the last one visited during a session.
Expansion Revenue	Expansion Revenue refers to the additional revenue generated from existing customers through upselling, cross-selling, add-ons, or increased usage over time. It’s a key component of revenue growth strategies, particularly in subscription-based or SaaS businesses.
Expansion Revenue Growth Rate	Expansion Revenue Growth Rate measures the rate at which revenue from existing customers grows over a given period due to upselling, cross-selling, or increased usage. It reflects the success of efforts to expand the value of current customer relationships.
First-time User Conversion Rate	First-Time User Conversion Rate measures the percentage of new users or visitors who complete a desired action, such as making a purchase, or subscribing during their first interaction with your product or service.
Landing Page Conversion Rate	Landing Page Conversion Rate measures the percentage of visitors to a landing page who complete a desired action, such as signing up, purchasing a product, or downloading a resource. It’s a direct indicator of how effectively the landing page achieves its goal.
Lead Conversion Rate	Lead Conversion Rate measures the percentage of leads that take a desired action, such as making a purchase, signing up for a service, or moving to the next stage in the sales funnel. It’s a key indicator of how well your marketing and sales strategies turn prospects into customers.
Lead Quality Score	Lead Quality Score is a numerical value assigned to leads based on their likelihood to convert into paying customers. It helps prioritize leads by evaluating their fit with the product or service and their level of interest or intent.
Lead-to-Opportunity Conversion Rate	Lead-to-Opportunity Conversion Rate measures the percentage of leads that progress to the opportunity stage in your sales pipeline. This metric indicates how effectively marketing and sales teams qualify and nurture leads into potential revenue-generating opportunities.
Lead-to-SQL Conversion Rate	Lead-to-SQL Conversion Rate measures the percentage of leads that progress from being general leads to becoming Sales Qualified Leads (SQLs)—prospects deemed ready for a direct sales conversation based on predefined criteria.
Likes, Shares, Comments	Likes: A basic interaction indicating approval, enjoyment, or agreement with a post or piece of content.
Shares: When users repost content to their own network, amplifying its reach and demonstrating strong resonance.
Comments: User-generated responses to content, reflecting deeper engagement and encouraging conversation.
Loyalty Participation Rate	Loyalty Participation Rate measures the percentage of eligible customers actively engaging with a loyalty or rewards program. This metric helps assess how well the program attracts and retains participants.
LTV to CAC Ratio	LTV to CAC Ratio measures the relationship between the Lifetime Value (LTV) of a customer and the Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC). It helps evaluate how much revenue a customer generates over their lifetime compared to the cost of acquiring them.
Market Share	Market Share is the percentage of total sales or revenue in a specific market or industry that a company captures over a given period. It represents a company's relative size and influence compared to competitors.
Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs)	Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs) are leads that have shown enough interest or engagement with your brand to be considered potential customers. They meet specific criteria that indicate they are ready to be handed over to the sales team for further nurturing.
Monthly Active Users	Monthly Active Users (MAU) is the total number of unique users who engage with a product, service, or platform within a given month. Engagement can include logging in, performing key actions, or interacting with specific features, depending on the product’s goals.
Monthly ARPA	Monthly Average Revenue Per Account (ARPA) measures the average revenue generated per account (or customer) in a given month. It reflects how much value each account contributes on a monthly basis, providing insights into revenue trends and customer monetization.
Monthly Recurring Revenue	Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) is the total predictable revenue a company expects to generate from its subscription-based services or contracts on a monthly basis. It standardizes recurring income, offering a clear view of revenue trends.
Net Promoter Score	Net Promoter Score (NPS) measures customer loyalty by gauging how likely customers are to recommend your product, service, or brand to others. It’s based on a single-question survey: “How likely are you to recommend our [product/service] to a friend or colleague?”
New Visitors	New Visitors are users who visit your website or app for the first time within a specific timeframe. These visitors have no prior recorded interaction with your platform, indicating they are new to your audience.
Number of Monthly Sign-ups	Number of Monthly Sign-Ups is the total count of new users, customers, or accounts that sign up for a product, service, or platform within a given month.
Open Rate	Open Rate measures the percentage of email recipients who open an email out of the total emails delivered. It evaluates the effectiveness of your email subject lines, timing, and sender reputation in enticing recipients to open your email.
Page Views	Page Views refers to the total number of times a specific webpage is loaded or viewed by users. It counts every instance of a page being loaded, regardless of whether it’s the same user viewing the page multiple times.
Pipeline Value Growth	Pipeline Value Growth measures the increase in total dollar value of open sales opportunities over a specific period. It helps track pipeline health, deal velocity, and the impact of GTM efforts on revenue generation.
Redemption Rate	Redemption Rate measures the percentage of distributed promotions, coupons, or rewards that customers redeem or use within a specified period. It evaluates the effectiveness of promotional campaigns and customer engagement with incentives.
Referral Conversion Rate	Referral Conversion Rate measures the percentage of referred leads or prospects who successfully convert into paying customers or complete a desired action (e.g., signing up, purchasing, or subscribing). It evaluates the effectiveness of referral marketing efforts in driving meaningful results.
Repeat Purchase Rate	Repeat Purchase Rate (RPR) measures the percentage of customers who make more than one purchase within a specified period. It’s a key indicator of customer loyalty and the effectiveness of retention strategies.
Repeated Visitors	Repeated Visitors are users who return to your website, app, or platform after their initial visit within a specified period. This metric reflects the ability of your content, product, or service to retain and re-engage users.
Return on Ad Spend	Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) measures the revenue generated for every dollar spent on advertising. It is a critical metric for assessing the profitability and efficiency of advertising campaigns.
Return on Investment	Return on Investment (ROI) measures the profitability of an investment relative to its cost. It evaluates the efficiency of investments by comparing the gains or losses generated to the initial amount invested.
Returning Visitors	Returning Visitors are users who visit your website or app more than once during a specified time period. This metric highlights how well your content, product, or experience retains and re-engages users.
Sales Pipeline Growth	Sales Pipeline Growth measures the increase in the total value, volume, or number of opportunities in the sales pipeline over a specific period. It reflects the effectiveness of your marketing and sales efforts in generating and advancing leads.
Sales Qualified Leads	Sales Qualified Leads (SQLs) are leads that meet specific criteria, indicating they are ready to be engaged by the sales team. These leads have typically been vetted and nurtured by marketing and exhibit behaviors or characteristics that align with the company’s ideal customer profile (ICP) and buying intent.
Scroll Depth	Scroll Depth measures how far users scroll down a webpage or piece of digital content. It provides insight into how much of the content users engage with and whether they reach critical sections, such as calls to action (CTAs) or key information.
Sentiment Analysis	Sentiment Analysis is the process of analyzing text, speech, or other data to determine the emotional tone behind it. It categorizes feedback as positive, neutral, or negative, providing insights into how customers feel about a product, service, or brand.
Session Frequency	Session Frequency measures how often users return to a website, app, or platform within a specific period. It tracks the average number of sessions per user, providing insights into user engagement and loyalty.
Session Length	Session Length measures the total time a user spends actively engaging with a website, app, or platform during a single session. It begins when a user starts interacting and ends when they leave or become inactive for a predetermined duration (e.g., 30 minutes of inactivity).
Sign-Up to Subscriber Conversion Rate	Sign-Up to Subscriber Conversion Rate measures the percentage of users who sign up for a product or service and then convert into paying subscribers. It reflects how effectively your onboarding and conversion strategies move users from free trials, freemium plans, or initial interest into paid commitments.
Spam Complaints	Spam Complaints measure the number of recipients who mark your email as spam or junk after receiving it. This metric reflects how well your emails align with recipient expectations and can significantly impact your sender reputation.
SQL-to-Opportunity Conversion Rate	SQL-to-Opportunity Conversion Rate measures the percentage of Sales Qualified Leads (SQLs) that progress to become sales opportunities. It reflects how effectively your sales team converts qualified leads into actionable opportunities.
Time on Page	Time on Page measures the average amount of time users spend on a single webpage. It reflects how engaging or relevant the content on that page is to visitors.
Traffic Source Distribution	Traffic Source Distribution measures the percentage or proportion of website or app visitors coming from different sources, such as organic search, paid ads, social media, direct traffic, referrals, or email campaigns. It provides insight into how effectively various channels drive traffic to your digital platform.
Trial-to-Paid Conversion Rate	Trial-to-Paid Conversion Rate measures the percentage of users who sign up for a free trial or freemium version of a product and subsequently upgrade to a paid subscription or plan.
Unique Page Views	Unique Page Views measures the number of distinct users who view a specific page on your website during a given timeframe, regardless of how many times they visit that page. Each user is counted only once per session, offering a more accurate representation of unique audience size.
Unique Visitors	Unique Visitors refers to the total number of distinct individuals who visit your website or app within a specified timeframe. Each visitor is counted only once, regardless of how many times they return during the same period.
Unsubscribe Rate	Unsubscribe Rate measures the percentage of recipients who opt out of your email list after receiving a particular campaign or over a specified period. It reflects audience disengagement and serves as an indicator of content or targeting relevance.
Upsell Conversion Rates	Upsell Conversion Rate measures the percentage of existing customers who upgrade to a higher-tier product, add-on, or premium feature after being offered an upsell. It reflects the success of efforts to increase the average transaction value through existing customer relationships.
Viral Cycle Time	Viral Cycle Time measures the average amount of time it takes for a single user to generate a new referred user through a product’s viral loop. It captures the speed at which referrals and sharing actions result in new users entering the system.
Virality Coefficient	Virality Coefficient measures how effectively existing users of a product or service generate new users through referrals, sharing, or word-of-mouth. It quantifies the ripple effect of one user bringing in additional users, often represented as a numerical value.
Website Traffic	Website Traffic measures the total number of users or visits to a website over a specific time period. It provides insight into how many individuals interact with your website and serves as a starting point for analyzing online performance.