B2B marketers face intense pressure to prove their impact. The key to doing so is tracking the right metrics – those that tie marketing activity to tangible business outcomes. Marketing teams are in a monthly spotlight from the C-suite to justify spend.
Focusing on vanity metrics (like social media likes or raw website hits) won’t cut it. Instead, marketers are shifting toward revenue-centric and value-centric metrics that demonstrate real contribution to the bottom line. Below, we highlight seven metrics that UK B2B marketers should prioritise in 2025, explain why each matters, and how to track them effectively.
1. Customer lifetime value (CLV)
What it is:
Customer lifetime value is the total revenue expected from a customer over the duration of the relationship. CLV takes into account purchase frequency, average order value, retention rate, and length of engagement.
Why it matters:
CLV is one of the most important metrics for long-term marketing success. Rather than measuring one-off sales, CLV reflects the quality of customers marketing delivers and how well they are retained and nurtured. A high CLV indicates that marketing efforts are attracting loyal, profitable customers.
In B2B, where contracts and relationships can last for years, CLV is vital for understanding the true return on investment of acquiring a customer. Forty-five per cent of UK B2B marketers are placing increased emphasis on CLV in their reporting for the coming year, recognising that revenue per customer over time is more important than short-term wins. By focusing on CLV, marketers can align their strategies with sustainable business growth.
How to track:
CLV is calculated by multiplying the average yearly revenue per customer by the average customer lifespan in years and subtracting the upfront acquisition cost.
For example, if a typical client spends £50,000 per year, stays for four years, and costs £20,000 to acquire, the calculation would be:
CLV = (£50,000 × 4) – £20,000 = £180,000
CRM systems should be used to gather revenue per account and retention rates. Monitoring CLV over time will indicate whether marketing efforts are attracting higher-value customers and whether retention initiatives are extending customer lifespans.
Pro tip:
Segment CLV by marketing source or campaign. Leads generated from webinars, for example, may have a higher CLV than those from cold outbound efforts. This insight can help refine channel strategy to focus on sources that drive the most lifetime value.
2. Customer acquisition cost (CAC)
What it is:
Customer acquisition cost is the total cost of sales and marketing efforts required to acquire a new customer. It includes campaign spend, pro-rated marketing salaries, and sales expenses for closing deals. This total is then divided by the number of new customers acquired within the same period.
Why it matters:
CAC provides a measure of how efficiently marketing and sales efforts are converting prospects into customers. By comparing CAC to revenue or CLV, businesses can determine whether customer acquisition is profitable. A lower CAC indicates cost-effective customer acquisition, whereas a higher CAC may highlight inefficiencies or overspending.
In 2025, amid economic uncertainties, UK firms are increasingly focused on marketing efficiency. Ensuring that CAC is justified by the value of the customer is critical for budget optimisation. Business leaders continue to track cost metrics like CAC and CPA (cost per acquisition), meaning marketing teams must manage these costs carefully while also prioritising long-term value metrics.
How to track:
Total marketing and sales expenses for new customer acquisition should be calculated for a given quarter or year and divided by the number of new customers acquired during the same period.
For example, if £500,000 was spent on marketing and sales efforts and 25 new customers were acquired, CAC would be:
£500,000 ÷ 25 = £20,000
It is important to align timeframes and properly attribute costs between acquiring new customers and expanding business with existing customers. Marketing attribution software or spreadsheets can be used to allocate costs by campaign, which can then be aggregated.
Pro tip:
Monitoring CAC alongside CLV is crucial. The CLV:CAC ratio is a key performance metric, with a ratio of 3:1 generally considered healthy. This means that the lifetime value of a customer should ideally be three times the cost of acquiring them.
If this ratio drops, it could indicate that costs are too high or that the quality and value of acquired customers have declined.
3. Marketing qualified leads (MQLs) and sales qualified leads (SQLs)
What they are:
Marketing qualified leads (MQLs) are leads that have engaged sufficiently with marketing efforts, such as downloading whitepapers or subscribing to webinars, to be considered likely prospects requiring attention from sales. Sales qualified leads (SQLs) are those that the sales team has vetted and deemed to have a strong potential to become opportunities or customers.
MQLs measure the quality of leads entering the top of the funnel, while SQLs measure lead quality as they progress towards the sales pipeline.
Why they matter:
In B2B, lead quality is more important than sheer volume. A large number of enquiries is meaningless if they fail to convert into customers. MQLs and SQLs bridge the gap between marketing and sales, ensuring that attention is given to leads that are more likely to result in revenue.
UK marketers increasingly regard MQLs and SQLs as stronger indicators of success than raw lead volume metrics such as form fills. Tracking how many MQLs turn into SQLs, and later into customers, provides insight into the effectiveness of targeting and content strategies. These metrics also strengthen sales and marketing alignment, ensuring that marketing is responsible for delivering a pipeline that sales can close, rather than just generating names.
In the UK, where C-suite trust is earned by demonstrating quality over quantity, tracking MQL and SQL volumes alongside conversion rates is crucial.
How to track:
MQL criteria should be clearly defined in a marketing automation platform, typically based on a lead score threshold or specific actions, such as requesting a demo. The number of MQLs can then be monitored monthly.
SQLs should also be defined, usually when a sales representative accepts an MQL following an initial call or further qualification. Conversion rates from MQL to SQL and from SQL to won deal should be tracked. For example, if 60% of MQLs convert to SQLs, this indicates that marketing is delivering relevant leads.
CRM systems like Salesforce are commonly used to mark lead status changes from MQL to SQL to opportunity, with dashboards providing real-time reporting.
Pro tip:
Beyond tracking the volume of MQLs and SQLs, it is essential to measure MQL to SQL velocity, which indicates how quickly leads progress, and to gather sales feedback on lead quality. If certain campaigns generate MQLs that frequently stall or are rejected by sales, the targeting strategy or lead scoring criteria may need to be refined. A well-structured funnel ensures that sales and marketing are aligned on what defines a qualified lead and collaborate effectively to convert them.
4. Conversion rate (lead-to-customer conversion)
What it is:
The lead-to-customer conversion rate measures the percentage of leads, or MQLs, that ultimately become paying customers. It is possible to track conversion rates at different stages, such as MQL to SQL, SQL to opportunity, and opportunity to closed deal. From a marketing perspective, lead-to-customer conversion captures the effectiveness of the entire funnel, from initial interest to a completed sale.
Why it matters:
This metric directly reflects the effectiveness of both marketing and sales efforts. A higher conversion rate indicates that the funnel is functioning efficiently, meaning marketing is attracting relevant leads and sales is successfully closing them. A low conversion rate suggests drop-offs or disqualifications at some stage in the process.
A poor conversion rate may indicate that marketing is generating a high volume of unqualified leads, or that weaknesses in the sales process are causing deals to be lost. By tracking conversion rates at each stage of the funnel, businesses can pinpoint bottlenecks.
In 2025, B2B marketing is focused on optimisation rather than simply increasing lead volume. UK marketers are prioritising improvements in conversion rates, ensuring that the funnel converts the leads it already has rather than relying solely on increasing lead generation.
How to track:
To calculate the lead-to-customer conversion rate, define a cohort of leads generated in a given period and track how many of them eventually become customers.
For example, if 500 leads were generated in Q1 and 25 later became customers, the conversion rate would be:
(25 ÷ 500) × 100 = 5%
CRM reports can be used to track leads through each stage of the funnel. Many CRMs offer funnel reports that automatically calculate stage-by-stage conversion rates. Alternatively, data can be exported to spreadsheets and conversion rates calculated manually. It is also beneficial to segment conversion rates by source or campaign to identify trends. For instance, referrals may convert at a rate of 15%, whereas cold outbound leads may convert at just 2%, highlighting where marketing efforts should be focused.
Pro tip:
Tracking conversion rates for specific funnel stages and monitoring the time leads spend at each stage provides deeper insights. If many leads reach MQL status but few become SQLs, this may indicate that sales is not accepting them due to quality concerns. If a high percentage of SQLs stall as opportunities, sales enablement efforts may need improvement, or marketing may need to provide better mid-funnel nurturing. Analysing each stage’s conversion rate provides a detailed picture of overall funnel health.
5. Pipeline velocity
What it is:
Pipeline velocity measures how quickly leads move through the sales pipeline to generate revenue. It is typically defined by the formula:
(Number of opportunities × Win rate × Average deal value) / Average sales cycle length
This metric combines key factors to produce a figure, often expressed as revenue per month, that indicates the speed and productivity of the sales pipeline.
Why it matters:
Time is money in B2B sales. Long sales cycles are common, but if the cycle can be shortened or throughput increased, revenue is generated more quickly. Pipeline velocity is a valuable composite metric that highlights how efficiently marketing and sales work together to drive revenue.
A higher pipeline velocity indicates that the business is generating more qualified pipeline, closing a strong percentage of it, and doing so at a reasonable pace. UK B2B marketers increasingly recognise that demonstrating impact is not only about generating pipeline but also about how quickly it converts into actual business. If marketing initiatives such as nurture campaigns, remarketing, or sales enablement content can shorten the sales cycle, the return on investment improves significantly.
Pipeline velocity is also useful for forecasting. If velocity is known, businesses can predict how much revenue their pipeline will generate in the next quarter and how quickly that revenue will materialise.
How to track:
Pipeline velocity can be calculated on a monthly or quarterly basis. Determine the average deal value in pounds and the win rate percentage from the CRM for a given period. Identify the average sales cycle length in months, for example, if it typically takes six months from first contact to close. Then, take the number of active opportunities in the pipeline and apply them to the formula.
For example:
(50 opportunities × 20% win rate × £100,000 average deal value) ÷ 6-month sales cycle = £166,000 per month pipeline velocity
Improving any component—whether increasing opportunities, raising the win rate, increasing deal size, or reducing the sales cycle—will result in higher pipeline velocity. Most CRMs do not provide “pipeline velocity” as a single metric but offer the necessary inputs to calculate it. A dashboard showing current win rates, deal sizes, and the ageing of opportunities can help monitor it over time.
Pro tip:
Use pipeline velocity to establish service level agreements (SLAs) between marketing and sales. Marketing may commit to generating a certain value of pipeline per quarter, while sales commits to a target win rate and cycle time. If velocity is low, this prompts an investigation: are weak leads causing slow conversion rates (a marketing issue), or are deals stagnating due to sales inefficiencies? This metric encourages collaboration between teams, as multiple factors contribute to it.
6. Marketing-attributed revenue and ROI
What it is:
Marketing-attributed revenue refers to the amount of revenue that can be directly linked to marketing activities. This requires an attribution model that assigns credit to marketing touchpoints that influenced closed deals. It answers the question: “How much revenue did our marketing efforts generate or influence?”
Marketing return on investment (ROI) then compares that attributed revenue to the marketing spend. The formula is:
Marketing ROI = (Attributed Revenue – Marketing Cost) / Marketing Cost
Why it matters:
At the executive level, revenue is the most important metric. While engagement, traffic, and leads are valuable, they ultimately serve the goal of generating revenue.
B2B marketing in 2025 is increasingly focused on revenue-centric metrics. CMOs in the UK are translating campaign performance into revenue figures to align with CEO and CFO priorities. Demonstrating marketing-attributed revenue directly proves marketing’s contribution to the company’s top-line.
This metric also serves as an overarching measure of success. If CLV, conversion rates, and pipeline health are strong, revenue will reflect that. By focusing on attributed revenue, marketers are encouraged to adopt robust attribution models, often AI-driven, to capture multi-touch influence rather than relying on simplistic last-click models.
Marketing ROI, expressed as a percentage, shows the efficiency of marketing investment—how much revenue is generated for every £1 spent. A high, positive ROI validates the marketing budget, while a poor ROI signals the need for strategic adjustments.
How to track:
Tracking marketing-attributed revenue requires the right tools. A multi-touch attribution system should be implemented within the CRM or analytics platform to track all marketing interactions and allocate revenue credit when deals close.
For example, if a deal worth £100,000 involved three key marketing interactions—such as a webinar, a whitepaper download, and an event—an even-credit model might assign £33,000 to each touchpoint. A data-driven model might weight them differently based on impact. Summing up the revenue across all closed deals in a given period provides the total marketing-attributed revenue.
To calculate ROI, the total attributed revenue is compared to marketing spend.
For example:
£1M attributed revenue – £250,000 marketing spend = £750,000 profit
ROI = (£750,000 ÷ £250,000) × 100 = 300% (a 3x return on investment)
Modern attribution tools such as Bizible, Dreamdata, or HubSpot’s built-in attribution reporting can automate this process. LinkedIn has also introduced tools like the LinkedIn Revenue Attribution Report to help marketers directly connect campaigns to pipeline and revenue.
Pro tip:
Use different attribution models to gain additional insights. A first-touch attribution model credits the very first marketing interaction, while a multi-touch model distributes credit across multiple interactions. Comparing these models can highlight which early-stage activities generate pipeline and which late-stage activities help close deals.
When presenting marketing-attributed revenue, it is important to be prepared to explain the attribution model behind it. Consistency in reporting is crucial—executive teams must trust the trends, even if they do not agree on every precise allocation. Over time, ROI should be improved either by increasing revenue through better campaigns and pipeline growth or by optimising costs by eliminating underperforming spend.
7. Brand engagement and awareness metrics
What they are:
These metrics assess a brand’s reach and reputation in the market. Key examples include:
- Share of voice – how often the company is mentioned in industry discussions or media compared to competitors.
- Branded search volume – the number of searches for the company’s name or product.
- Social engagement – meaningful interactions on thought leadership content, such as comments and shares from the target audience.
- Net Promoter Score (NPS) – surveys that measure brand sentiment and awareness.
Why it matters:
Brand metrics are sometimes dismissed as “vanity metrics,” but in B2B they play a crucial role in long-term success. Strong brand awareness shortens sales cycles, as prospects who are already familiar with a company are more likely to engage. Brand recognition can also influence final purchasing decisions, as established brands are often perceived as safer choices.
While 2025 B2B marketing strategies are increasingly revenue-focused, UK marketers understand the importance of balancing short-term demand generation with long-term brand building. LinkedIn’s research on B2B marketing trends highlights the role of hybrid metrics that blend brand engagement with demand signals. Ignoring brand health may yield strong lead numbers in the short term but could weaken pipeline performance in the future.
How to track:
Share of voice can be monitored through PR tracking tools or social listening platforms. Branded search volume can be obtained from Google Search Console or SEO analytics tools and should be measured on a monthly basis.
Social engagement can be assessed by analysing the number of meaningful interactions on posts from relevant industry professionals. Surveys can measure unaided brand awareness by asking respondents to name known providers in a given sector. Net Promoter Score (NPS) surveys gauge brand advocacy, which is highly valuable for customer retention and referral marketing.
Setting clear brand KPIs, such as increasing branded Google searches by 20% year-over-year or achieving a higher share of voice in key trade publications, provides measurable goals.
Pro tip:
Link brand metrics to demand generation where possible. An increase in branded search volume, for example, should correlate with higher direct website traffic or improved conversion rates. Strong brand awareness can enhance the effectiveness of other marketing efforts, leading to higher email open rates, greater ad click-through rates, and improved engagement overall. Tracking branded versus non-branded lead sources over time can demonstrate whether brand marketing efforts are contributing to organic demand growth.
By focusing on these seven key metrics in 2025, UK B2B marketers can ensure they are measuring what truly matters. These metrics align marketing efforts with business outcomes, providing clear insights into customer value, acquisition costs, funnel efficiency, revenue impact, and brand strength. Prioritising these areas will not only help marketing teams demonstrate their impact but will also support smarter, data-driven decision-making.
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