The art of planning: How to make your budget work harder
TopRank Marketing
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Budget.
The word elicits both dread and delight in B2B marketers. When you have the budget to achieve your team’s marketing goals, it feels amazing. When you don’t…. Well, you still need to achieve your goals. And the pressure you’re feeling isn’t imagined. More than one-third of CMOs are feeling increased demand to demonstrate ROI — and to do so faster, according to LinkedIn’s 2024 B2B Marketing Benchmark. So, how do you make sure you have the means to support the good work your team does for the company’s bottom line, without sacrificing your own bottom line? Planning.
If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready. The pace of business no longer adheres strictly to a fiscal calendar. Companies have windfalls — and pitfalls — all year round. Be prepared to pivot when purse strings need tightening, or when you can make that big ask for extra funds.
De-silo your data — and strategy. Our work with Sprinklr found that greater data fluidity and strategic collaboration between sales and marketing on LinkedIn brand building resulted in increased ROAS.
Scalability is key. Develop a scalable marketing strategy and keep proving your work — that way you’ll be ready to ask for and win funds to launch that next innovative approach.
“No less than 50% of B2B marketers won’t reach their goals this year. When sales and marketing teams are firmly aligned, the outlook is much better, with 80% saying they will reach their goals.”
TL;DR Takeaways:
1. B2B marketing budgets are expected to grow modestly in the year ahead.
2. De-siloing data and strategies is a driver of provable ROI.
3. Make scalability central to your marketing strategies.
Ready to level up your content marketing in the era of AI? Check out our new, on-demand webinar - Rage Against the Machine: How to Humanize Content and Harness Intent for Breakthrough Results.
Highlights from the TopRank Blog
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B2B influencer marketing is maturing, and with it a better understanding of how to implement effective and impactful campaigns. Associate Director of Influencer Marketing Debbie Friez walks you through the whys and hows of planning your own influencer marketing strategy.
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Bolster your budget planning with these helpful reads
In a bid to help B2B marketers maximize their technology investments, CMI’s Robert Rose outlines why prioritizing your 2025 content goals can set you on the road to success. After all, your new tools should enhance, rather than complicate, your marketing efforts.
Kim Davis of MarTech shines a light on why sales and marketing alignment is necessary for success in 2025. A recent report shows half of B2B marketers are unlikely to meet their 2024 goals due to budget constraints. However, organizations with strong sales and marketing alignment are more optimistic, with 80% expecting to hit targets.
At a Glance:
LinkedIn’s 2024 B2B Marketing Benchmark found that B2B marketing leaders are aligning budgets and headcount to ensure they have the right people in place to implement a mix of strategies.
The Last Word:
“Roughly four out of five (82%) global B2B marketing decision-makers are feeling bullish and expect to see increased marketing investment in the next 12 months…. However, these anticipated budget increases will likely feel like stagnation when accounting for current global inflation Rates.”
The science of forecasting is forever disrupted by the folly of humans. Until AI becomes omniscient and can tell us without a doubt what tomorrow brings, we’ll have to rely on a healthy mix of optimism and good old fashioned planning. Having a plan in place for your overall B2B marketing strategy will set you on the right path for this coming year. Making that plan scalable, flexible, and collaborative will see you through the next year — and beyond.
Need help making more impact with your existing budget? Our expertise in strategy and planning can help you blow the top off your KPIs.
P.S. The 2025 B2B Influencer Marketing Report is here! Download now to find all new insights to drive your influencer marketing planning in 2025.