Pamela Toro Marketing is often viewed as a cost centre, but in reality, it’s a powerful driver of revenue growth and business success. To effectively convince your Senior team to prioritise marketing, you need to present a compelling case backed by data and demonstrate its true value.
Getting the Senior team to see marketing’s value can sometimes feel like an uphill battle. Here’s a comprehensive guide to convince the boss that your marketing ideas are worth trying.
Understand their perspective and determine marketing ROI
Before you can persuade your Senior team, it’s crucial to understand their concerns and priorities. Often, Senior Executives are focused on immediate financial returns and operational efficiency. They may see marketing as a cost rather than an investment. By empathising with their perspective, you can tailor your argument to address their specific concerns.
How much should a company invest in marketing?
When attempting to convince your Senior team that they should invest in marketing, you need to come to them with an estimated figure or percentage of revenue/profit to make an adequate business case. It can be tricky to identify what this should be, but a good rule of thumb is between 2 and 5% of revenue should be spent on marketing for B2B businesses and between 5 and 10% for B2C businesses.
How to calculate ROI in digital marketing
ROI (Return On Investment) is one of the most important metrics to assess the effectiveness of your digital marketing campaigns. It helps determine whether your marketing efforts are driving profits or draining your budget. By calculating ROI, businesses can make data-driven decisions, optimise their strategies and assign resources to the most effective channels.
To calculate ROI in digital marketing the basic formula is:
- Investment: This includes all campaign costs, such as ad spend, content creation, tools and labour
- Revenue generated: This takes into consideration all income generated directly from the campaign like sales from ads or leads converted into paying customers
- Net profit: Finally subtract the total costs from the total revenue to determine the net profit
Present data-driven insights to show the importance of marketing for business growth
Data speaks louder than words. Use analytics and case studies to demonstrate marketing budget justification. Highlight metrics such as digital marketing ROI, Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) and Lifetime Value (LTV). For instance:
- ROI on content marketing: Content marketing costs 62% less than traditional marketing and generates about 3 times as many leads
- Email marketing: According to data from Litmus, for every $1 marketers spend on email marketing, they receive $36 in return
- SEO: 60% of marketers say that inbound (SEO, blog content, etc.) is their highest quality source of leads
- Paid social: Whatever type of business you are, your audience is on social platforms. If you’re an ecommerce brand, 84% of people discover new products on Instagram, so running paid social activity on the platform will help you reach this audience more effectively
If you’re a B2B brand, around 80% of B2B social media leads are generated through LinkedIn, therefore running paid activity on this platform will be crucial for your lead gen efforts.
Align marketing goals with business objectives
Your Senior team is more likely to prioritise marketing if they see a direct connection between marketing efforts and the company’s strategic goals. Explain how marketing can support and drive key business objectives such as revenue growth, market expansion and customer retention. For instance, a targeted digital marketing campaign can open up new markets or a strong content strategy can improve customer loyalty and reduce churn.
Highlight competitor activity
Illustrate how your competitors are leveraging marketing to their advantage. Show examples of successful campaigns and how they’ve impacted the competitor’s market position. This can create a sense of urgency and demonstrate the risk of falling behind if your company does not invest in marketing.
Showcase success stories
Provide concrete examples of how marketing has directly contributed to business success. These could be case studies from your own company or from reputable sources within your industry. Success stories make the theoretical benefits of marketing more tangible and relatable.
Propose a clear, strategic plan that harnesses marketing trends
Outline a detailed marketing plan with clear objectives, strategies and expected outcomes. Break down the plan into phases with measurable milestones. This approach demonstrates that you’ve thought through the process and are prepared to execute it efficiently. It also makes it easier for the Senior team to see the path to achieving the desired results.
Emphasise long-term benefits
While short-term gains are important, highlight the long-term benefits of consistent marketing efforts. Brand building, for instance, is a long-term investment that pays off by creating customer loyalty and a strong market presence. Sustained marketing activities can lead to compounding returns over time, having a direct impact on revenue.
Use the resources available to you
Identify and enlist internal advocates who already understand and support the value of marketing. These could be other department heads or influential team members who can help champion your cause. Having allies can add weight to your argument and create a broader base of support.
Address budget concerns
Marketing departments often face constant budget cuts and are expected to do more with less. This is a common challenge, but it can be tackled effectively. Be prepared to discuss budget concerns head-on. Show how marketing can be a cost-effective tool when used strategically. Highlight the efficiency of digital marketing channels and the ability to measure and adjust campaigns in real time to maximise ROI. Present a phased budget plan that allows for incremental investment and scaling based on performance.
Communicate consistently and transparently
Keep the lines of communication open with your Senior team. Provide regular updates on marketing activities and their impact. Transparency builds trust and demonstrates accountability, making it easier to secure ongoing support for marketing initiatives.
Position marketing as a growth engine, not a cost
In today’s digital-first world, investing in marketing is no longer optional — it’s essential for sustainable business growth. From driving brand awareness to generating leads and increasing revenue, digital marketing offers measurable benefits that directly impact your bottom line. To secure buy-in from executives, present data-driven insights, align marketing strategies with business goals and highlight success stories from competitors and your own organisation.
When marketing is positioned as an investment rather than a cost, it becomes a powerful driver of long-term success. By clearly communicating the value, marketers can build stronger, more strategic partnerships with senior leadership and secure the resources needed to thrive in a competitive landscape.