{"id":118811,"date":"2025-05-07T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-07T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aboad.fi\/?p=118811"},"modified":"2025-04-29T10:08:32","modified_gmt":"2025-04-29T07:08:32","slug":"b2b-digital-marketing-benchmarking-part-1-how-to-approach-benchmarking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aboad.fi\/en\/blog\/b2b-digital-marketing-benchmarking-part-1-how-to-approach-benchmarking\/","title":{"rendered":"B2B Digital Marketing Benchmarking Part 1: How to Approach Benchmarking"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Doing B2B digital marketing without a comparison point is like running with your eyes closed\u2014you know you’re moving, but you have no reference for direction or effectiveness. While it’s important not to focus too heavily on competitors, having benchmarks helps ensure you’re heading in the right direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How should you benchmark your digital B2B marketing?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In B2B marketing, you’ll often face a common challenge: finding comparable benchmarks. It’s difficult to match companies with similar size, market, and industry context. For example, comparing a maritime industry company with a SaaS-based CRM solution reveals vastly different marketing dynamics and benchmarks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To effectively benchmark your B2B digital marketing, use these three methods:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Use rules-of-thumb and best practices in digital marketing<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Compare to companies with similar sales cycles, even if they’re in different industries<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Strive for continuous improvement<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    These approaches will help you get started and progress in sequence from 1 to 3. For help understanding the KPIs needed for benchmarking, read the blog post about KPI setting for B2B digital marketing<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Rules of thumb and best practices in B2B digital marketing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    “Is this click-through rate good or bad?” This question frequently comes up at the start of paid performance campaigns, as click-through rates indicate potential commercial interest. While the answer depends on industry, audience, and other factors, a good rule of thumb is to aim for a baseline of 1%. Click-through rates vary significantly between different campaign types\u2014a targeted LinkedIn Ads campaign for lead generation will perform differently from a branded Google Search Ads campaign, with the latter typically achieving higher rates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    These rules of thumb represent accumulated knowledge in digital marketing, derived from practical experience and comparative analysis rather than rigid statistical evidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Comparing your results with companies having similar sales cycles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    It’s unlikely you’ll find exact matching benchmarks, as discussed earlier. However, this isn’t a problem. While every company is unique, many share enough similarities to make meaningful comparisons. For example, whether you’re selling industrial equipment to food processors or engines to ships, your sales cycles often share key characteristics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    • long sales cycles<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • new business and after-sales operations considerations<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • high-ticket items<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • small buyer pool<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • and more<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      This means you don’t need to find a company in your exact industry\u2014in fact, they’d be your competitors. Instead, look for businesses with similar patterns and processes. These companies might be willing to share non-public data through two-way benchmarking arrangements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Additionally, consultants can often provide valuable insights from their vast experience without revealing specific organizations or violating NDAs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Striving for continuous improvement in digital marketing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      “What’s a good number for these metrics?” I get asked frequently. The honest answer is: “Better than last time!” Your most important benchmark is whether your digital marketing results are improving. This is the most relevant benchmark above all others. Other benchmarks give you a sense of direction and help you understand how far off the mark you might be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      But if you’re already exceeding a benchmark, should you stop improving? No. While you might shift focus to areas that need more work, you should always strive for better results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Remember that you won’t reach your benchmarks or goals immediately. What matters most is that your results are moving in the right direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Can you trust AI-recommended marketing benchmarks?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      While generative AI tools like ChatGPT are valuable for marketers, they shouldn’t be treated as sources of absolute truth. Check out the video below for a detailed analysis of these metrics and benchmarks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      <\/p>\n\n\n\n