Do you believe a demand gen manager can be successful without budget for ads to pair with their strategy?

• Yes! I actually had this experience for a few years. We had a pretty healthy ad budget as a business, but the focus wasn't specifically on the sales funnel. It was more focused on driving self-serve. My remit was driving pipeline for the sales organization, so we had to get smart about how we were bringing people in and engaging them.
• What we did in that scenario was focus on building a really strong inbound engine: Creating content based on the pain points of what our target audience was searching for, and then pulling folks to us via SEO, website optimization and lead capture mechanisms. Ad budgets can add fuel to a strong inbound program and add volume, but you can drive quality lead, MQL, SAL and SQL volume without a paid budget. In that scenario, you need to invest in SEO, content development, website operations + optimizations and have a really strong email nurture program.
• We were also in a position where we had an existing database of leads / email addresses to draw from. If you don't have that database, then you HAVE to find a way to start there: Whether it is an ads budget, lead generation programs, or events, you need a database of folks to reach out to in order to drive any kind of demand.
• And, don't give up on getting a paid budget. Just figure out what pitch / proposal / test / results you need to show in order to unlock some level of investment.

That would definitely make it more difficult, but there are ways I think you can make a path forward. For example if you're in an early growth stage demand gen may lean more on organic channels like SEO and social to drive demand. You can use engagements like webinars or virtual meetings, linkedin live, or free/low cost events to help.

It depends on the stage of the company and your goals. If you have huge brand recognition and can rely on organic (web or social) or word of mouth, you may not need ads to amplify your programs. Otherways, advertising is a great way to get in front of an audience. Another amazing (and often forgotten) application is that ads are a fantastic place to test and learn and then apply to other channels. In ads, you can control the audience, the test, and the message.

Yes, I believe they can ✅. Managing existing demand is just as important as generating new demand 🔄. Even without a budget for ads, you likely still have pipeline activity and leads coming in from various sources that need to be effectively managed and optimized.

In such a scenario, I would focus on maximizing the impact of the current pipeline. This includes:

1. Analyzing Opportunities 🔍: Take a detailed look at the opportunities coming through and identify trends and gaps.

2. Collaborating with Sales 🤝: Work closely with the sales team to understand how leads are being managed and uncover areas for improvement.

3. Leveraging Existing Sources 🌟: Ensure you’re fully capitalizing on the current sources of pipeline generation.

The key is to identify what’s working ✅ and what’s not ❌. By doing so, you can build a data-driven case to share with leadership, sales partners, and other stakeholders 📊. If the pipeline isn’t performing as needed, you can pinpoint the gaps. If it is performing well, you can advocate for doubling down on what’s working 🚀.

Ultimately, while growth will eventually require identifying new sources and investments 🌱, proving the value of your existing efforts is the first step toward building a sustainable strategy 🛠️.

So yes, I believe a demand gen manager can be successful without a budget—success comes down to effectively managing and optimizing what you have 🌟.

Do I believe a demand generation manager can be successful without a budget for ads? Yes!

Generally speaking, there are many ways to meet your customers where they are from an organic perspective. Although I personally leverage paid ads often, they are not the sole golden ticket. The key is having a deep understanding of your customers, where they hang out, and alternative methods to meet them where they are at. This could result in having a strong SEO presence, a social media presence, email marketing, and other lifecycle marketing motions, as examples.

I believe there has to be a certain culture to support paid ads. A culture of iterative experimentation to understand outcomes from paid ads. Without this, you’ll find you are right back at the stage of pausing them.