arketing only works when you can measure whether it’s working.
KPIs turn marketing strategy into accountability, and reporting turns data into improvement.
In this article, we define:
- What we measure
- Why we measure it
- How we interpret it
- How frequently we report on it
- How marketing demonstrates business value
- How to identify what’s working and what’s not
KPIs reinforce that marketing is not “brand vibes and posting on social” - it is a measurable growth engine.
Why KPIs & Measurement Matter
Without clear KPIs
- Teams optimise for the wrong things (“vanity metrics”)
- Sales and leadership lack visibility
- Budgets get questioned
- Campaigns don’t improve
- Activities aren’t tied to business outcomes
- It’s impossible to diagnose what’s driving growth
With structured KPIs:
- Everyone knows what success looks like
- Marketing and sales align on shared goals
- Decisions are made using data
- Budgets become easier to justify
- Campaigns improve continuously
- The business sees marketing as a revenue driver
KPI Framework Structure
We define KPIs at three levels:
1. Business-Level KPIs (Executive-Level Outcomes)
These show whether marketing contributes to the business’s growth.
Examples:
- Revenue growth
- Pipeline contribution
- Marketing-influenced opportunities
- Customer acquisition cost (CAC)
- Customer lifetime value (CLV)
- Retention / churn
- Win rate
These are lagging indicators - but they matter most to leadership.
2. Marketing-Level KPIs (Performance Indicators)
These measure how well marketing is driving demand and brand impact. Examples:
Demand KPIs:
- MQLs / SQLs
- Inbound demo requests
- Cost per lead (CPL)
- Cost per opportunity (CPO)
- Lead-to-opportunity conversion
- Share of search (brand indicator)
- Organic traffic
- Form submissions
Brand KPIs:
- Branded search volume
- Brand recall metrics (optional)
- Social engagement
- Newsletter growth
- Webflow Analyze insights (behaviour, time on page, etc.)
These are leading indicators - early signs of future revenue.
3. Campaign & Channel KPIs (Tactical Indicators)
These help you optimise execution.
Examples:
- CTR
- Impression share
- Page performance
- Email open/click rates
- Video completion
- Asset download counts
- Retargeting performance
- A/B test results (Webflow Optimize)
These metrics are diagnostic - they tell you whyhigher-level KPIs are trending up or down.
Measuring Intent
Because qualification hinges on Intent + Fit (not BANT), your KPI framework must measure intent signals:
Examples of intent KPIs:
- High-intent page visits (pricing, demo, comparison)
- Repeat visits
- Asset completion (downloads, events, webinars)
- Email engagement
- HubSpot engagement scores
- Account-level intent (if ABM tools used)
Intent KPIs predict pipeline generation and allow for smarter spend allocation.
Attribution
Many companies get stuck trying to build perfect attribution.
The goal isn't perfection - it’s directional accuracy.
We recommend:
- First-touch attribution → shows what generated initial awareness
- Last-touch attribution → shows what drove the final action
- Self-reported attribution → tells you how humans actually found you
Together, these create a more realistic understanding of channel performance.
No need for BI tools unless the business is enterprise-level- Webflow Analyze + HubSpot generally provides everything needed.
Reporting Cadence
Clarity comes from consistency.
We recommend:
Weekly Reporting (Short Operational Pulse)
- Campaign insights
- Lead volume
- High-intent actions
- Immediate optimisation opportunities
Monthly Reporting (Performance Review)
- KPIs vs. targets
- Wins and learnings
- Budget vs. performance
- Content performance
- Recommendations
Quarterly Reporting (Strategic Review)
- Deep analysis
- Attribution trends
- Customer insights
- Sales alignment
- Strategy adjustments
- Pillar performance
Annual Review
Big-picture analysis:
- What worked
- What didn’t
- Channel expansion decisions
- Budgeting
- Strategic repositioning
What Makes a KPI “Good”
A good KPI is:
- Meaningful (tied directly to business goals)
- Measurable
- Actionable
- Comparable (over time)
- Ownership-defined
- Not a vanity metric
“More followers” is not a KPI. “20% increase in inbound demo requests from ICP-aligned traffic” is.
Benchmarking & Targets
To avoid arbitrary goals, define targets based on:
- Historical performance
- Industry benchmarks
- Business goals
- Channel performance
- Sales capacity
- Marketing budget
KPIs only matter when benchmarks and targets exist.
Tools Used for Measurement
For most clients, recommended stack includes:
- Webflow Analyze → site behaviour, engagement, conversion flow
- Webflow Optimize → experimentation and A/B testing
- HubSpot → lead tracking, email analytics, campaign performance, intent signals
- Clay or Lusha → enriched data to match against activity
- CRM dashboards → revenue attribution
- Brander → brand performance indicators
These tools are enough for highly effective B2B reporting without overwhelming stakeholders.
How KPIs Tie Into Optimisation
KPIs are not for reporting alone - they inform decisions, including:
- Budget reallocation
- Messaging refinement
- Persona prioritisation
- Channel focus
- Landing page optimisation
- Campaign iteration
- Sales enablement improvements
Reporting → Insight → Action → Growth.
That’s the loop.
