Marketing without measuring is like playing darts in the dark—you might hit the target, but chances are, you’re just wasting effort. If you don’t track your marketing results, how do you know what’s working and what’s just burning a hole in your budget?
Spoiler alert: You don’t.
If you’re serious about growing your business, you need to track, tweak, and turbocharge your marketing. Here’s how to make sure every pound you spend is pulling its weight.
1. Define Success (Hint: It’s Not Just More Likes)
Let’s get one thing straight—vanity metrics won’t pay the bills. A million social media likes won’t mean a thing if no one’s buying from you. Success in marketing is about generating real, paying customers.
Before you start tracking, decide what success looks like for your business. Do you want more leads? More sales? Higher retention? Whatever it is, you need clear Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that keep you focused on what actually matters.
2. The Must-Track Marketing Metrics
Return on Investment (ROI): Is Your Marketing Making Money?
Marketing isn’t an expense—it’s an investment. And like any investment, you need to know your return.
Formula:
(Revenue from campaign – Cost of campaign) ÷ Cost of campaign × 100 = ROI (%)
Example:
- You spend £1,000 on an ad campaign and generate £5,000 in sales.
- Your ROI = (£5,000 – £1,000) ÷ £1,000 × 100 = 400%.
If your ROI is in the negative, something’s not working. Time to adjust your strategy!
Cost Per Lead (CPL): Are You Getting Value for Money?
Every lead you generate costs money. But are you paying too much?
Formula:
Total campaign cost ÷ Number of leads generated = CPL
Example:
- You spend £1,000 on ads and generate 20 leads.
- Your CPL = £1,000 ÷ 20 = £50 per lead.
If that number makes you cringe, you may need to tweak your targeting, messaging, or offer.
Conversion Rate: Are People Taking Action?
It’s one thing to get people to look at your marketing—it’s another to get them to take action.
Formula:
(Number of conversions ÷ Number of visitors) × 100 = Conversion Rate (%)
Example:
- 1,000 people see your ad, and 25 sign up.
- Conversion rate = (25 ÷ 1,000) × 100 = 2.5%.
If your conversion rate is low, something’s off—maybe your call-to-action isn’t strong enough, or your offer isn’t appealing.
3. The Best Tools to Track Your Marketing Like a Pro
Tracking marketing performance used to be a nightmare, but thankfully, it’s 2025, and we have tech to do the heavy lifting.
- Google Analytics – Want to know who’s visiting your website and what they’re doing? This is your go-to.
- CRM Systems (HubSpot, Zoho, Go High Level) – Track leads, follow up automatically, and see which campaigns actually close sales.
- Email Marketing Reports (Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign) – Check open rates, click-through rates, and who’s engaging.
- Social Media Insights (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram) – See what’s working and what’s flopping.
If you’re not using these tools, you’re flying blind. And flying blind in business? Not a great idea.
4. Marketing Isn’t “Set and Forget”—Review, Refine, Repeat
If you only check your marketing results once a year, you’re doing it wrong. Waiting too long to assess performance means you could be wasting thousands before realising something’s off.
Instead, check in regularly:
- Weekly: Quick performance overview—any red flags?
- Monthly: Deep dive into trends—what’s working? What’s failing?
- Quarterly: Big picture strategy—where do we double down? Where do we pivot?
The best businesses don’t just run marketing campaigns. They test, track, and tweak them continuously.
Ready to Make Your Marketing Work Smarter? ETC Can Help.
Still unsure which marketing efforts are actually driving your growth? Executive Training & Consultancy (ETC) can help you track, refine, and supercharge your strategy.
Take advantage of our free two-hour business review—we’ll dig into your marketing numbers, highlight opportunities, and leave you with clear, actionable steps.
No more guesswork—just results. Get in touch today!