Emanuela Mafteiu, Senior Digital Marketing Manager, Ping Identity
How many times have you heard the four dreaded words that hang over every demand generation team: “Do more with less”? Fear not! With the right strategy, team, data and analytics, you can break free of budget constraints, and start delivering measurable growth for your business. In this blog, I’ll outline my personal top tips for how you can do just that.
Data: The Compass to Guide Decisions
Data is everything. If you aren’t constantly analysing what works and what doesn’t, you risk losing key accounts to your competitors. Think of data as your compass in the dark – an essential tool to navigate toward success. By leveraging analytics, demand generation teams can uncover insights that pave the way for smarter, more effective marketing decisions. As one initial recommendation, I’d urge you to identify your top performing channels and see which deliver your KPIs most effectively. You’re always going to need to balance your ‘push strategy’ and your ‘pull strategy’, so be sure to take that into account when considering what ‘high performance’ looks like in each given channel.
On that note, here’s another term that needs to be left in the past: “spray and pray.” Nowadays, there is no excuse for this kind of approach in B2B marketing. Optimising audience targeting based on behavioural data allows you to focus on constantly refining segmentation and targeting the accounts with the highest intent. With that in mind, every single advert you share should be outcome-focused, clear, to-the-point and focused on the pain points of your customers.
There’s no quick fix for using data to make your demand generation marketing more effective. However, as a starting point, I would suggest considering the following:
● Utilise the right channel for the right KPI (MQLs? Content syndication. Pipeline? Paid search, etc.).
● Optimise audience targeting, and make sure you’re not wasting energy reaching the wrong people.
● Allocate resources effectively, and spend your budget where it’s most effective.
● Build a prospect map that includes all touchpoints you have with your customer (this will help you to identify the gaps in the journey). As an example, see the chart below.
For instance, tools like multi-touch attribution models highlight which interactions genuinely influence conversions or pipeline, enabling you to fine-tune your strategy.Conversions. Conversions. Conversions
When all that matters is conversions and faster sales cycles, working smarter becomes non-negotiable. This means adopting a big-picture approach and maintaining a consistent test-measure-refine loop.
Much like the ‘fail fast’ approach, I believe there’s no single formula that guarantees success every time. The more you experiment with your integrated campaigns, the better the outcomes – higher conversion rates, deeper engagement, and greater impact.
It starts with understanding your key persona(s). Speak their language. What are their emotional drivers, challenges, and objections? What metrics are they accountable for? By addressing these elements, you can connect with your customers on a deeper level, making your campaigns far more effective.
Timing is also critical. While you may not always get every factor perfectly aligned, adopting a test-measure-refine loop allows you to continuously push the boundaries of your digital marketing efforts. More importantly, it enables you to deliver real value to your customers while driving measurable results.
B2B customers now expect the same level of service and personalisation as B2C customers. And why wouldn’t they? They deserve it. With today’s tools and technology, meeting these expectations is entirely achievable.
Take retail, for example. Customers demand personalised offers and seamless ecommerce experiences, which, in turn, drive higher conversion rates. In financial services, trust and privacy are paramount. Testimonials and certifications are essential in building confidence and speeding up decision-making.
Now, consider the dynamics of enterprise buying. Decisions aren’t made in isolation – they’re made collectively by buyer committees, often consisting of 10 or more stakeholders in large organisations. This group decision-making process reflects a shift in purchasing behaviour – buying as a ‘tribe.’ It’s a significant decision – one that could impact individual careers, which is why many still relate to the sentiment of the iconic IBM advert: “Nobody ever got fired for buying IBM.
Personally, I’ve found a recipe that works for the business when it comes to ‘always-on’ campaigns. We keep a horizontal approach ‘always-on’, but then switch to a vertical approach when ramping up to an event. A great mix is when you continue the journey and you are aware what your field/events teams are planning in their plans for the year. Think about what your customers’ needs are and fulfil them.
Don’t Be Afraid to Pivot
When you need to pivot quickly, maximising impact while minimising wasted spend is paramount.
Ultimately, not all ads will succeed, and that’s fine. Some might not be delivered at the right time. Others might take a year to get through to an account. And this is why you need to start thinking about “dynamic budgeting”, which is where you redistribute your budget based on real-time campaign performance. In other words: stop wasting money on what’s not working, direct it to what it is working, and keep A/B testing along the way.
As most marketers now know, around 95% of the your market is not actually in market at any given time, so you have plenty of time to experiment. The great news? The bolder your adverts are, the more honest they are, and the more you speak your customer’s language… the better the results are likely to be. So, adjust as you move forwards, and don’t be afraid to be brave with your advertising.
Turning Wins into Long-Term Strategies
Everything you learn about efficiency and optimisation during your campaign experimentation should inform your long-term strategy. Particularly when you’re under budgetary constraints, this is often when you’re forced to think outside of the box, and think innovatively. Channel these constraints in the right way, and you could start reimagining how work is done in the first place, and defining new processes and approaches going forwards.
But there is a catch: as a demand generation leader, you must foster a culture that allows space for this to happen. Encouraging a mindset of experimentation and adaptability within your team is crucial. This means promoting openness to testing new ideas, learning from failures, and embracing iterative improvements. A culture that values learning and innovation not only enables the optimisation process, but also empowers teams to consistently push boundaries and deliver measurable results.
Conclusion: Thriving Beyond Constraints
Budget constraints don’t have to hinder demand generation success. By prioritizing data-driven insights, focusing on high-impact tactics, and continuously iterating for efficiency, marketing teams can turn challenges into opportunities. A resilient demand generation function not only meets immediate goals, but also builds a foundation for scalable, sustainable growth.
In a world where every dollar counts, leveraging analytics to inform strategy is no longer optional. It’s essential. The result? Smarter spend, higher impact, and measurable wins that drive business success.
