This is a great question! Demand generation marketing and content marketing should work hand-in-hand to achieve broader marketing objectives. When identifying KPIs and metrics to measure demand generation and content marketing together, you should consider the type of content being distributed and the channels through which it's being distributed. This will help determine your KPIs. For example, a blog post may not have the same KPIs as a gated piece of content or a video. The channel mix of promotions will also factor into KPIs. Is this a larger integrated marketing campaign that will require a more extensive mix of promotions and budget? Or is this a smaller campaign, perhaps targeted at a specific/smaller audience, that won't require as much external distribution and promotion? Once you understand these components, you can determine your KPIs. Here are some general KPIs to consider: * Number of site sessions to a blog post * For gated content: Conversion rates, form fills * Number of video views * MQLs, SQLS, sourced opps and/or influenced opps from the content being promoted (how many deals/opps were generated or influenced by this content) * Impressions * Share of voice * SEO metrics - keyword rankings, organic search traffic to the content

I believe the top traits across demand generation candidates are as follows: * Sense of urgency * Attention to detail * Curiosity * Have a point of view but hold it lightly * Growth mindset, willingness to learn continuously * Solution-oriented thinking

Alignment with sales distribution models: sales teams typically slices their segmentation by company size or revenue bands. Marketing should also create strategy based on how sales go to market. Many more mature sales organizations will also have segments by vertical and industry-first GTM varies dramatically by vertical/sub-vertical (i.e. Healthcare GTM is going to look very different than Communications and Media). If your company segments by company size. I would ensure you have a different strategy for: 1) Enterprise: heavy focus on field events, incorporate ABM against your company's/sales Top Strategic Account, clear strategy on CxO strategies (i.e: how do you nurture relationships via your strategic events and 3rd party? how should you think about executive roundtables and dinners?) 2) Mid-market: similar motion to Enterprise but less costly CxO in person events and ABM will not show up in this segment. 3) SMB: this is about volume and closing deals quickly and get customers in the door and start to upsell/cross-sell when appropriate. Ensure you have a clear strategy to drive leads, optimize digital/website, ensure you are doing everything you can to optimize every stage of the lead>opportunity funnel (i.e: web forms to MQLs, MQLs to valid/sales accepted leads, leads to stage 1 opportunity, and etc).

I answered this more comprehensively in another question, but to summarize: 1. Vanity Metrics: Anything that can be gamed or doesn't directly reflect impact with your target audience (e.g., raw traffic, followers, engagement metrics, etc.) 2. "Leads" Without Context: There are lots of low-value, scam-y ways you can incentivize someone to fill out a form on the internet. For that reason, "lead" volumes without context (qualification criteria) tell you very little about whether demand gen efforts are working.

I said it earlier, but it bears repeating: I don’t necessarily believe in ABM as originally defined. I think ABM is just really good targeting combined with specific, intentional marketing efforts. The industry has a habit of renaming things we’ve always done in slightly evolved ways, and ABM is no different. ABM, in theory, was about treating a single account as a market of one, crafting hyper-personalized campaigns tailored to its specific needs. But in practice, ABM is rarely done at that level. Instead, it has evolved into tiered targeting; sometimes it's 1:1, sometimes 1:few, and often it's just really well-segmented 1:many. To me, ABM is not a standalone strategy; it's a system. It’s just great marketing with strong targeting, tight sales alignment, and a clear understanding of customer needs. It’s about shifting from a lead-based model to an account-centric view where success is measured by engagement, pipeline velocity, and expansion within key accounts rather than just MQL counts. At its core, ABM is an execution model, a system, and not a separate discipline. It’s how you prioritize, structure, and scale outreach to the accounts that matter most. Whether that’s through outbound plays, inbound nurturing, or a hybrid of both. It’s not about running a playbook called “ABM”; it’s about running the right campaigns, with the right message, to the right audience, at the right time. If you’re doing intent-driven, multi-channel, sales-aligned marketing that leads to revenue growth, you’re doing ABM, at least as I define it, even if you’re not calling it that.

When entering new markets, I rely on the following process: 1. Data-Driven Benchmarks: If there’s no internal data, I look for benchmarks in similar industries or geographies. 2. Iterative Goals: Start with conservative, hypothesis-driven KPIs. Track performance, learn, and adjust quarterly. 3. Cross-Team Collaboration: Align with sales and product teams to ensure market entry assumptions are realistic. 4. Leading Indicators: Focus on early signs of traction (e.g., engagement rates, early-stage pipeline) rather than lagging metrics like revenue.

Scaling isn’t just about adding more people; it’s about adding structure so things don’t break. That means clear ownership, accountability, and a process for prioritization. A best practice I have taken with me from multiple organizations? Campaign and project briefs (and supporting processes). Every initiative should start with: What problem are we solving? Why is it worth solving? How will we measure success? What are the tradeoffs? If we can’t answer those questions, we’re wasting time. We also needed a clear operating model—who does what, who owns what, and how we make decisions. Without defined swim lanes (e.g. identifying DRIs, DACI), you end up with confusion, duplicated efforts, and inefficiency. I’ve seen this firsthand, and it’s painful to untangle later. Another thing we’ve done is implement a structured planning cadence. Quarterly roadmaps, six-week sprints, whatever works—just something to ensure we’re aligning on priorities and not getting distracted by the latest shiny object. Finally, we needed a single source of truth for reporting. Demand Gen needs to be tied to revenue. If we can’t prove our impact, we won’t get the budget to keep scaling. Dashboards, monthly reviews with insights, learnings, and what we do with those insights are key here.

Sharing in a central wiki or company repository (we use Notion at Sentry), at the same time as other teams to give them the same level of attention. I am a big fan of async communication. Connecting ahead of time with other business stakeholder to see how these KPIs fit in their pictures and serve their need. Connecting ahead of time with the Demand Gen DRIs for each KPIs to request their feedback and how they would prioritize these differently. On a regular basis, organizing weekly pipeline meetings to track trends and collect feedback on these KPIs.

It’s crucial for Demand Generation professionals to see how their contributions align with larger company goals and strategy. This fosters a sense of purpose and keeps them invested in the organization’s success. Given the cross-functional nature of the role, offer senior team members the opportunity to lead strategic workstreams rather than being limited to tactical execution. This not only increases their impact but also enhances their leadership skills and long-term career prospects. To retain top Demand Generation talent, provide a clear career path with opportunities for growth. Ensure they are continuously challenged with stretch projects that expand their skill set and keep them engaged. While empowerment is key, leadership must also offer necessary support and “air cover” to help them navigate obstacles effectively. By fostering growth, empowerment, and strategic involvement, you create an environment where top talent feels valued and motivated to stay.

Congratulations on this exciting opportunity! What a wonderful opportunity and an exciting ride that you're about to embark upon. As someone who has been in a similar position, here’s some of my advice: 1. Don’t underestimate the work culture. Demand Generation is a structured discipline, often relying on data, metrics, and a systematic approach to driving leads and revenue. Your colleagues with creative or brand-focused marketing backgrounds might find this way of working unfamiliar. Take time to understand the existing culture and their style of work—how decisions are made, how success is celebrated, and how teams collaborate. 2. Know that you live in a bubble. As a Demand Generation expert, you bring specialized knowledge, but you may quickly realize others in the organization don’t fully grasp the terminology, concepts, or value of what you’re building. Before you launch your programs, invest time in educating stakeholders and peers. Provide presentations to explain what Demand Generation is, how it works, and how it aligns with the company’s goals. Show teams what success could look like with concrete examples from similar businesses or industry benchmarks. 3. Take everyone on a journey, but know that time is against you. It’s essential to bring colleagues along, especially other parts of the Marketing organization as well as cross-functional partners like Sales, Product, and Customer Success. Build rapport, seek input, and actively campaign for their buy-in. But don’t wait for perfect alignment before getting started—prioritize quick wins to build momentum. For example, launch a pilot campaign targeting a low-hanging fruit segment and share the results to demonstrate early success. 4. Communicate often and clearly. Your role and its impact may not be immediately apparent to everyone. Regular updates—whether through team meetings, email updates, or dashboards—are critical to keeping stakeholders and colleagues informed. Share not just your activities but also your progress against goals. 5. Emphasize the critical nature of your work. Demand Generation is the lifeblood of pipeline creation, and your programs will directly impact revenue. Frame your role as a key partnership with Sales to fuel business growth. Use data to illustrate this connection, such as projecting how your campaigns will contribute to pipeline targets or revenue growth. Position Demand Generation as one critical component to the company’s success—without it, scaling will be nearly impossible. 6. Set up strong foundations. Before diving into tactics, focus on laying the groundwork. Define clear goals and KPIs, establish alignment with Sales on lead definitions and qualification criteria, and ensure your tech stack (e.g., CRM, marketing automation) is ready to support scalable programs. 7. Celebrate small wins and learn from failures. Building something from scratch is a marathon, not a sprint. Celebrate milestones like your first campaign launch, the first MQL that converts to an opportunity, or the first deal influenced by marketing. These moments will help rally the broader team around your efforts. At the same time, learn to fail fast. Be prepared for setbacks and treat them as learning opportunities. Your success in your new role will set the tone for how the company views Demand Generation in the long run so stay curious, adaptable, and focused on driving impact.