Leads, revenue, ROI, acquisition and retention, yada-yada-yada. As a marketer, you probably hear these terms kicked around like a hacky sack day in and day out, but how do you turn them into something cohesive and digestible for people who aren’t marketing experts (read: most people)? Not just any non-experts, but your bosses. The scariest of the non-experts. You know, the executives, as in, the folks who have the ability to make executive decisions regarding your expertly crafted marketing campaigns, marketing budget, and team staffing decisions. Yeah, those bosses. So, how do you do it?

It’s simple: show your bosses the movie trailer version of your marketing efforts, not the full feature. You can show them the highlights of how your efforts are attracting customers, closing leads, and driving the bottom line without walking them through each step. To present a brief but valuable proposal, check your return on investment (ROI), cost per acquisition, and customer lifetime value and retention. 

ROI

Showing a positive return on investment is one of the quickest and most effective ways to show executives the value of your marketing campaigns. To calculate the ROI, simply subtract the marketing expenses from the marketing income and divide by the expense: 

(Sales Growth – Marketing Cost) / Marketing Cost = ROI

Calculating the overall ROI on your marketing campaigns offers your boss a 30,000 ft. view of why your marketing department is valuable. If one area is underperforming and shows a low ROI, you can simply adjust your strategy. 

Cost per Customer Acquisition

The lower your cost per lead, the higher your ROI. If your leads are costing more to attract and convert than they’re worth, you’re losing money, labor, and time. If your leads are worth more than they cost, you are on the right track, and you can prove it with numbers.

Customer Lifetime Value & Retention

Marketing doesn’t stop once you close the deal. You want your customers to be thrilled with their investment and stay loyal. Your job is to help delight and nurture your customers following their initial conversion. If you consistently keep loyal customers or long term subscriptions, retainers, and referrals, then your marketing efforts will continue to pay off.

Bonus Pro-tip (just because we’re friendly like that):

When you’re presenting something to…well, anyone at all, simplify your content. Just because you understand all of the marketing jargon and industry mumbo jumbo doesn’t mean your colleagues, bosses, or clients will, and to be honest, they probably don’t care to. Sure, we could nerd out over the ROI on PPC, conversion rates, and SEO rankings all day long, but we have to keep in mind that our nitty-gritty details are important because they’re contributing to the bigger picture: business growth, sustainability, and more human marketing.

For more practical, creative, and fun tips (You know, depending on your definition of “fun.”) on all things marketing, check out Nu’s marketing blog at nuagency.com, where you can also set up a free chat with our VP to see if Nu is the right team to help you start checking off your marketing goals. We’re digital marketing folks, but we still like to chat on the phone at 336.842.1022.