What results has this campaign really delivered? Why are we spending more here? How does this tie back to revenue?

If these questions sound familiar, it’s a sign your B2B marketing isn’t aligned with how revenue works today. It’s time to rethink how you measure ROI.

B2B marketing demands long-term thinking—from setting KPIs to analyzing results. Here’s how you can shift your approach of measuring ROI to unlock real impact. 

1. Shift from Short-Term to Long-Term Measurement 

Only 4% of B2B marketers measure impact beyond 6 months. This is shocking considering that B2B marketing shows significant results only by month 7. 

Short-term measurement of impressions, website visits, etc, only gives you a surface-level picture of the impact of your marketing efforts. As a result, you also run the risk of marketing teams relying on tactics that deliver fast clicks. The impact? You end up with failed marketing strategies. 

2. Move from Sales to Marketing KPIs

We often see sales goals getting intertwined with marketing goals. So, let’s clarify their primary goals:

• B2B marketing goal: Create demand and nurture potential customers.

• B2B sales goal: Convert prospects into customers—close the deal.

In other words, it is not the job of marketing to close the deal, but only to warm up prospects for a closed win.  

Considering this key difference, the question of "Did marketing generate this deal?" changes to “How many touchpoints has this prospect had with our brand, and to what extent?” 

3. Separate Branding and Lead Generation KPIs

Interestingly, we also see brand goals getting mixed up with lead generation goals. Both serve distinct purposes and need to be strategized and measured differently. 

• Branding goal: Create awareness and make the brand top-of-mind.

• Lead generation goal: Nurture prospects toward a sale.

In other words, brand awareness isn’t about nurturing prospects—it’s about keeping your brand visible, so when customers have a need, yours is the first name that comes to mind.

“A big move for us has been separating the measurement approaches for brand awareness and lead generation. You can’t make a case for the brand in terms of return on advertising spend (ROAS) and cost per acquisition (CPA).” - Valerie Kile, Performance Marketing Manager, Alma

4. Switch from Isolated Metrics to Full-Funnel Analysis

Too often, marketers focus on parts of the buyer’s journey, such as early-stage metrics or end-of-funnel conversions. However, B2B deals have more layers to account for and take much longer.

Consider these statistics: 

• It takes 6 months for 50% of the revenue to be impacted by marketing efforts.

• 25% of the marketing-influenced revenue won’t materialize before year-end.

There is a clear time lag between awareness and action. Therefore, it becomes imperative to analyse the whole buyer cycle. 

If you only consider the initial data, you get an incomplete picture. If you stop measuring halfway, you risk making wrong decisions based on misleading data. 

Rethinking B2B marketing ROI means embracing patience, focusing on the right metrics, and measuring the entire journey, not just quick wins. Start here, and you’ll start seeing marketing that truly drives growth.