How to Make Marketing a Revenue Centre
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
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Marketing doesn’t have to be a cost centre. In fact, businesses that treat marketing as a growth engine see significant returns. By driving qualified leads, contributing to pipeline growth, and proving ROI, marketing teams can make a direct impact on revenue.
Now, this can be controversial as cost centre marketing departments play an essential role in areas that can be harder to measure, such as brand awareness. Are you ready to shift your perspective and the rules of the game? Here’s how to transform marketing into a powerful revenue generator.
Start by Tracking What Matters
Attribution and Revenue Impact Metrics
Want to prove marketing’s contribution and value? Start with the right metrics. Alex Moreau, our Sales Diagnostics Consultant has found that companies using multi-touch attribution models see a 20-30% increase in marketing-sourced revenue.
Combining first-touch, last-touch, and weighted attribution allows for a clearer picture of how marketing initiatives influence deals.
Tip – if you are using HubSpot – build in attribution model reporting.
Shift to a Revenue-Driven Marketing Mindset
Marketing isn’t just about generating leads, it’s about contributing to the pipeline. High-performing marketing teams contribute 30-50% of the total pipeline compared to just 10-20% in traditional setups. ABM is a prime example, generating 171% higher deal value than traditional methods.
Create a Strong Marketing and Sales Collaboration
Marketing and sales achieve the best results when they pull in the same direction. Establishing Service Level Agreements ensures accountability for both teams regarding lead quality and follow-up timelines. A shared focus on revenue eliminates silos and drives faster growth.
Optimise Demand Generation
The days of chasing lead volume are over. High-growth companies prioritise intent-based demand generation. Targeting high-value accounts with ABM campaigns has proven effective, with 171% higher revenue per deal compared to traditional inbound approaches.
Treat Content as a Revenue Asset
Content should be seen as more than just a brand-building exercise. Case studies, customer success stories, and data-driven reports establish credibility and accelerate deal closures. By tracking content impact on pipeline progression, marketing teams can prove their revenue contribution.
Leverage Marketing Automation
AI-powered marketing automation tools offer a major advantage. Businesses that leverage automation can expect a 15-25% increase in marketing-generated revenue. From personalised nurture campaigns to intelligent lead scoring, automation enhances every step of the buyer journey, improving pipeline velocity.
Focus on Customer Retention and Expansion
Winning new customers is great but retaining them is even better. Retaining existing customers is five times cheaper than acquiring new ones – plus, cross-sell and upsell campaigns can boost revenue per customer by 20-30%. Marketing should play a pivotal role in post-sale engagement to maximise growth.
Strategic Business Reviews:
Schedule regular meetings to discuss goals, challenges, and opportunities for growth.
Customer Success Webinars:
Provide in-depth training sessions, thought leadership insights, or industry updates that add value to your clients.
Exclusive Events:
Facilitate networking opportunities for your clients by hosting exclusive events where industry leaders can share knowledge and experiences.
Account-Specific Content:
Develop tailored reports, whitepapers, case studies, etc. That address specific client needs and industry trends (this also helps building credibility!)
Expansion Opportunity Analysis
Use data to identify upsell and cross-sell opportunities.
Measure ROI on Marketing Spend
High-growth companies typically allocate 10-12% of revenue to marketing and ensure every pound spent is trackable. Here’s what to focus on: by measuring Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) against Customer Lifetime Value (LTV), businesses grow 2 times faster than those that don’t.
To Wrap Up…
Marketing’s role as a revenue driver is no longer aspirational, it is essential. By implementing these strategies, companies can confidently measure marketing’s contribution and transform it from a cost-centre into a revenue-centre. The path is clear, it’s time to get marketing and sales working together and give marketing more responsibilities such as being accountable for growth.