Expert answer / 13
How do we prove marketing is working?
Short answer
Connect marketing activity to business outcomes, and use more than clicks or last-touch reports to judge impact.
More detail
Questions behind the answer
What should we measure besides clicks?
Measure qualified opportunities, pipeline, conversion to sale, acquisition cost and gross profit alongside clicks. Choose the measures before launch so the team can distinguish attention from commercial contribution.
Why is marketing so hard to measure?
A buyer may encounter several campaigns, search, referrals and sales conversations before purchasing, while the sale can happen months later. Last-click reporting gives the final touch all the credit; disconnected CRM and campaign data make the earlier influence hard to see.
How do we link marketing to sales?
- Agree shared campaign, lead and revenue definitions with sales.
- Connect campaign tracking to CRM opportunities and closed revenue.
- Use more than one view, such as attribution plus controlled tests, to guide investment.
Sources: Meridian Marketing Mix Model - Google for Developers · Meridian GeoX Introduction to Analysis - Google for Developers · How to attribute revenue to specific marketing activities — ROI.com.au