By Joshua Nite

Marketers of every stripe are feeling the pressure to prove the ROI of their efforts. In B2B marketing, this proof is even more important — and harder to quantify. Long sales cycles, large buying committees, and convoluted customer journeys all make measurement more challenging. 

But data-driven marketers are up for the task. We have the capability to measure a host of key performance indicators (KPIs). We just need to define them and build the capacity for measuring them into our marketing strategies.

This guide features 20 of the most common B2B KPIs. From traffic and visibility metrics to lead generation, engagement, and beyond, these equip marketers to measure, fine-tune, and elevate their campaigns.

20 B2B marketing KPI examples

We’ve grouped these metrics by category to make them easier to browse. The right metrics for your campaigns may vary depending on the tactics you’re using, your audience, and where you’re getting the most engagement.

Traffic metrics: Brand interaction that signifies intent

On the looping highway that is the customer journey, traffic metrics serve as signposts that indicate points of interest — where your messaging is earning engagement and visibility. These metrics offer a scenic view of how audiences navigate and interact with your brand, making it easier to see where your optimization time and effort is best spent.

Organic Traffic: Picture this as the organic foot traffic wandering into your digital storefront. It signifies the number of visitors reaching your site through search results or direct clicks, without interacting with a paid ad. This KPI can show how relevant your content is to your target audience’s search needs.

Paid Traffic: Just like toll roads can speed up your journey for a small fee,  paid traffic makes it easier to bring visitors to your site. It simply means visitors that came from any paid advertising effort. Understanding this metric helps you measure your ad spend efficiency and the resonation of your campaign with the right audience. 

Social Media Impressions/Engagement: If paid ads are toll roads leading directly to a destination, social media is a town square. Engagement is key, community is king, and success is measured in likes, impressions, comments and shares. Impressions and engagement metrics on social platforms offer insights into who your audience is and what content is most meaningful to them. 

Earned Media: Restaurants that land in the Michelin Guide are more likely to bring in tourists. This is an example of earned media — it means your brand is mentioned on other platforms without your direct involvement. Healthy earned media mentions are a testament to your brand’s reach and impact. 

Traffic from Social: Just a few years ago, this was the chief social media success metric. Now, algorithms are less likely to promote posts that link off site. If your social media strategy is consistently driving traffic from the social media town square to your brand’s site, that’s an excellent performance indicator. 

Understanding and harnessing these …read more

Source:: Top Rank Blog

Author: Aaron