How to Measure the ROI of Marketing Strategy Consulting
Why Measuring ROI Matters More Than Ever
If you’re a marketing manager or executive, chances are you’ve been asked one question more than any other: “What’s the ROI?”
The truth is, measuring marketing ROI has never been simple—especially for B2B companies in manufacturing and industrial sectors where sales cycles are long and buying decisions are complex. That’s where growth marketing strategy consulting, or a fractional CMO approach, provides clarity. Instead of chasing short-term wins or vanity metrics, strategy consulting ensures every dollar you spend on marketing is intentional, measurable, and tied to business growth.
What Marketing ROI Really Means
At its core, marketing ROI isn’t about likes, impressions, or even traffic spikes. True ROI connects marketing investments to business outcomes like:
Revenue growth (Did marketing influence deals that closed?)
Customer acquisition cost (CAC) (What did it cost to gain a new customer?)
Customer lifetime value (CLV) (How much revenue will that customer generate over time?)
Pipeline velocity (How fast are leads moving through the funnel?)
Marketing ROI can be broken into two lenses:
Tactical ROI – measuring the impact of specific campaigns or channels (e.g., a paid LinkedIn ad).
Strategic ROI – assessing whether the overall marketing ecosystem is creating sustainable, long-term growth.
Fractional CMOs and growth marketing consultants live in the second lens.
Key Metrics That Drive Growth Marketing ROI
When evaluating the ROI of marketing strategy consulting, focus on metrics that demonstrate growth and efficiency:
Lead quality and conversion rates – Are the right prospects entering your funnel, and are they moving toward sales?
CAC to CLV ratio – A healthy benchmark is 3:1 or better (for every $1 spent to acquire a customer, $3+ should return in lifetime value).
Marketing-sourced pipeline – What percentage of revenue opportunities are directly tied to marketing?
Pipeline velocity – Are leads moving faster through stages after strategy improvements?
Tools to Help Measure
Google Analytics 4 – for traffic, conversions, and multi-channel attribution.
HubSpot or Salesforce – for tracking lead quality, opportunity stages, and ROI attribution.
Attribution software like Dreamdata or Ruler Analytics – for multi-touch insights that show how multiple campaigns influence a deal.
Attribution Models That Clarify ROI
Attribution is the framework that determines which touch-points get “credit” for a sale. Understanding the right model is critical when you’re investing in consulting.
First-touch attribution – gives credit to the first interaction (great for identifying lead sources).
Last-touch attribution – gives credit to the final interaction before conversion (common but limited).
Multi-touch attribution – assigns weighted credit across all interactions in the buyer journey.
For B2B manufacturing and industrial companies—where deals are often influenced by a mix of trade shows, digital campaigns, and sales outreach—multi-touch attribution gives the clearest view. For example, a $10,000/month LinkedIn campaign might not directly close deals, but if it’s nurturing prospects who later convert after a sales demo, its ROI is significant.
Benchmarks for Manufacturing & Industrial Businesses
Executives in smaller manufacturing firms often ask: “What should our marketing ROI even look like?” While every company is different, here are benchmarks for businesses with ~50 employees and lower-middle-market revenue:
Marketing spend as a % of revenue – 3–5% is typical in manufacturing; 6–8% is common for growth-oriented firms.
Customer acquisition cost (CAC) – Should be no more than 5–10% of CLV.
MQL-to-SQL conversion rates – A healthy target is 20–30%.
ROI expectation – A 2–5x return on marketing investment within 12–18 months is realistic with the right strategy in place.
Fractional CMO services accelerate these benchmarks by cutting waste, aligning strategy with sales goals, and building scalable processes that pay off beyond a single campaign.
The Intangible ROI That’s Harder to Measure
Not every return shows up neatly in a spreadsheet, but that doesn’t make it less valuable. The intangible ROI of marketing strategy consulting often includes:
Clarity – knowing which efforts align with business goals and which to cut.
Alignment – getting leadership, sales, and marketing on the same page.
Scalability – creating repeatable systems that fuel future growth.
These outcomes may not produce an immediate number, but they prevent wasted spend and create stronger growth trajectories.
Final Thoughts
Measuring the ROI of marketing strategy consulting isn’t about chasing quick wins—it’s about building an intentional, growth-driven marketing system that pays dividends over time.
If you’re ready to move from “What’s working?” to “We know what’s working—and why,” let’s talk. Book your complimentary 30-minute discovery call with TACT and take the first step toward marketing clarity and measurable growth.
