The inevitable problem with measuring B2B marketing by leads

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B2B companies today can track almost every movement a prospect makes, yet the numbers that appear most prominently on dashboards can still have little connection to the number executives and stakeholders ultimately care about: revenue. 87% of B2B marketers found it increasingly difficult to measure the long-term impact of campaigns, while nearly half were required to justify marketing spend to CFOs and CEOs every month.

This pressure is intensifying as software buyers take increasingly complicated routes to purchase. Gartner found in 2026 that B2B buyers use an average of seven information sources during a purchase, with 45% turning to generative AI during their research. At the same time, 67% preferred a completely digital, sales rep-free buying experience. A click therefore marks an increasingly small moment in a much larger commercial journey.

Yet marketing reporting can still end at the first conversion. A campaign generates leads, and the cost per lead...

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