A practical guide for B2B leaders

Too many marketing campaigns launch without clarity, focus, or measurable outcomes. They look good in a slide deck but fall flat in the real world. If you’re a B2B leader, founder, or investor, here’s a no-fluff guide to what actually makes a campaign successful, the kind that drives pipeline, not just performance reports.

Purpose: why are we running campaigns?

Every campaign needs a clearly defined purpose. That might sound obvious, but it’s often the step that gets glossed over in the rush to execution. Are you aiming to:

• Generate new leads?
• Accelerate existing pipeline?
• Expand existing accounts?
• Raise brand awareness in a new segment?

Whatever the goal, it must tie directly back to business impact. If a campaign doesn’t align with revenue objectives, it’s a distraction.

Audience: Who exactly are we targeting?

Defining your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) is non-negotiable. That means being specific:

• Industry, company size, geography
• Buying committee roles
• Pain points and triggers
• Stage of the buying journey

Great campaigns speak to a narrow audience in a meaningful way, not a broad one in a forgettable way. If it feels generic, it won’t land.

You might also want to really narrow down to a specific audience within your ICP, as an example, rather than just HR, you might want to specifically look at those working in employee engagement.

Channels: where do they pay attention?

The best campaigns don’t try to be everywhere. They focus on the channels that matter:

• Awareness: LinkedIn, partnerships, events
• Consideration: Webinars, case studies, analyst content
• Conversion: Email, outbound, retargeting

Pick 2–3 core channels where your audience already spends time. Don’t waste budget on channels you hope will work.

Demand Generation principles: tap into existing trust

Great campaigns don’t build audiences from scratch, they borrow them.

• Partner with brands, communities, or creators your audience already trusts
• Use co-marketing, joint webinars, or integrations to extend reach
• Focus on resonance and shareability — build momentum, not just impressions

Modern demand gen is about distribution, not just creation.

Metrics: what does success actually look like?

Measure what matters. That means:

• Leading indicators: CTR, engagement, form fills
• Lagging indicators: pipeline generated, sales velocity, revenue influenced
• Always compare to a baseline, is anything improving over time?
• Sales cycle – if you have a long sales cycle you should expect to see immediate results from your campaigns, they will likely mirror the cycle so make sure you can article this

If the only results you’re tracking are vanity metrics, you’re just playing at marketing.

In summary

Good marketing campaigns are built like good products; with a clear purpose, a focused audience, and measurable outcomes. Get these five fundamentals right, and your marketing will stop being a cost centre and start being a growth engine.

Want help turning your campaigns into real revenue? Let’s talk.