GTM Live Podcast Summary: "How to Get Real ROI from Paid Media (with Megan Bowen)"

Podcast Information:

• Title: GTM Live
• Host/Author: Passetto (Carolyn Dilks & Trevor Gibson)
• Description: GTM Live is tailored for CEOs, CFOs, and Revenue Leaders aiming to optimize their Go-To-Market (GTM) strategies beyond outdated playbooks. The show emphasizes unit economics, efficiency, and long-term growth through honest and modern conversations.
• Episode: How to Get Real ROI from Paid Media (with Megan Bowen)
• Release Date: June 6, 2025

1. Introduction

In this episode, host Carolyn Dilks introduces Megan Bowen, CEO of Refine Labs, to dissect why many B2B companies invest heavily in paid media yet fail to meet their revenue targets. Carolyn emphasizes the persistent issues in paid media strategies, such as overreliance on certain campaign types and flawed measurement metrics that don't correlate with actual pipeline and revenue growth.

2. The Challenges in Paid Media for B2B Companies

Carolyn opens the discussion by highlighting the complexities of effective paid media strategies. She identifies key pitfalls:

• Balanced Strategy Needs: "You need a balanced strategy. You need the right blend of campaign types." [00:00]
• Investment Misalignment: Overinvesting in lead generation without supporting brand and expansion efforts.
• Measurement Disconnect: Metrics like MQLs and SQLs might look promising on dashboards but fail to translate into tangible revenue, causing budget cuts despite increasing investment.

3. Legacy vs. New Approaches in Marketing Strategies

Megan Bowen contrasts the marketing strategies of legacy companies versus newer, more agile firms:

• Legacy Companies: Typically 8-10 years old with substantial ARR ($50M to $1B), these firms are often stuck in a "2015 digital marketing world." They continue the status quo, resulting in declining growth rates unnoticed due to their initial success.

  "I'm really seeing almost like two segments of companies, predominantly legacy, successful and new. And I think they both have very different challenges." [07:56]

• Newer Companies: Founded within the last five years, these firms adopt modern marketing strategies, emphasizing data-driven decisions and adaptability, positioning themselves better for current market dynamics.

4. The Disconnect Between MQL/SQ Metrics and Revenue

Carolyn shares a case study illustrating the common issue where MQL and SQL trends appear healthy, but pipeline and revenue decline:

• Case Study Insights: A client's MQL trend was rising, yet new logo revenue and pipeline were decreasing. The issue stemmed from over-investing in paid digital channels focused solely on lead generation without addressing how these leads convert to revenue.

  "Way outside of what we would consider a healthy range." [11:01]

5. Shifting Strategies: A Strategic Reset

Megan discusses the necessity of evolving from outdated strategies to align with modern buyer behaviors:

• Changing Buyer Behavior: The internet and social media's maturation has altered how buyers engage with information, necessitating a shift from traditional lead generation tactics to more sophisticated demand creation and brand awareness approaches.

  "We're literally on another cycle right now where everything is going to change again." [11:01]

• Strategic Reset: Companies need to conduct a "split the funnel analysis" to understand which programs drive qualified pipeline and revenue, thus shifting focus from volume-based metrics to quality-driven outcomes.

  "It's less about volume of MQLs and it's more about quality of MQLs that convert to qualified pipeline and paying customers." [17:23]

6. Measuring Brand Effectiveness: Share of Search and Surveys

Megan introduces innovative methods for measuring brand effectiveness beyond traditional metrics:

• Share of Search: Utilizing tools like My Telescope to gauge how many people are actively searching for a brand, serving as a proxy for brand awareness.

  "Everyone should check out my telescope. We just actually trained our whole agency on this brand new tool." [43:44]

• Brand Surveys: Implementing semi-annual surveys to quantitatively and qualitatively assess brand recognition among target audiences.

  "Another thing that we've been experimenting with is leveraging Winter's new brand surveys." [37:36]

7. Coordinated Go-to-Market Approach: Brand, Demand, and Expand

Megan emphasizes the importance of a holistic GTM strategy encompassing three core areas:

• Brand: Building awareness and affinity through unique and relevant messaging across various channels, including digital and in-person events.

• Demand: Focusing on demand capture, creation, and conversion, ensuring that inbound funnel metrics translate to actual revenue.

• Expand: Leveraging existing customer bases for upselling, cross-selling, and enhancing retention, often overlooked in traditional marketing strategies.

  "It's all one Go to market team. And so the intent behind the model is it's trying to break down some of those department level silos and to think about it more holistically from the lens of the customer." [36:36]

8. Modern Demand Strategies: What's Working Now

Megan outlines effective contemporary demand generation tactics:

• Paid Search: Emphasizing branded and high-intent keywords with proper conversion tracking to ensure ROI.

  "If you do the low intent keyword campaigns, your competitor campaigns... become glaringly obvious and then you can turn those off." [46:17]

• Paid Social: Investing in brand awareness through diverse ad formats and creative strategies rather than solely relying on lead generation. This includes leveraging thought leadership, product marketing, and social proof to engage different audience segments.

  "Most people are typically deploying like a set of static ads to a retargeting audience... but it's arguably the most effective B2B paid social channel out there today." [49:31]

• Conversion Optimization: Enhancing the inbound digital experience by removing friction points, simplifying information access, and streamlining the path to sales engagement.

9. Client Success Stories

Megan shares notable success stories demonstrating the impact of Refine Labs' strategies:

• Vena Solutions: Achieved significant growth in qualified inbound and pipeline, along with reduced customer acquisition costs through strategic marketing interventions.

  "They were able to see insane growth both from sort of qualified inbound and pipeline." [53:48]

• Clary: Boosted win rates by 64% and cut acquisition costs by 67%, aligning strategic narratives with effective advertising campaigns.

  "We were able to boost their Win rates by 64%, cut their acquisition costs by 67%." [55:59]

10. Q&A Highlights

Audience Question: “I'm selling to the financial community that seems to be really quiet on LinkedIn in terms of posting due to some compliance issues. Can you still assume they are lurking on LinkedIn even though they're not actively posting and publishing content?” [55:59]

Megan's Response: Yes, financial professionals are present on LinkedIn even if they aren't actively posting, making it a viable platform for targeted marketing efforts.

"There's a lot of people that are on LinkedIn that are not actively posting or engaging, but that does not mean that they are not on the platform." [56:25]

11. Conclusion

The episode wraps up with Carolyn highlighting Passetto's evolution in providing comprehensive GTM solutions, such as the Executive Go-To-Market Command Center, which integrates CRM, revenue, and financial data to offer a unified view of marketing effectiveness. This tool aims to eliminate departmental silos, enhance data ownership, and provide actionable insights to drive growth.

Megan concludes by inviting listeners to explore Refine Labs' resources and reach out for tailored demand generation strategies.

"Feel free to send me a message on LinkedIn. Visit refinelabs.com and... check out my telescope." [57:27]

Key Takeaways:

• Strategic Balance: Effective paid media requires a balanced approach encompassing brand awareness, demand generation, and customer expansion.
• Modern Measurement: Moving beyond traditional metrics like MQLs to more comprehensive indicators such as share of search and brand surveys is crucial.
• Holistic GTM Strategy: Aligning marketing, sales, and customer success towards unified goals enhances efficiency and revenue outcomes.
• Adaptability: Companies must continuously evolve their strategies to align with changing buyer behaviors and technological advancements like AI.
• External Expertise: Partnering with specialized agencies like Refine Labs can provide the necessary expertise and perspective to overhaul ineffective marketing strategies.

Notable Quotes:

• Carolyn: "You need a balanced strategy. You need the right blend of campaign types." [00:00]
• Megan: "We're literally on another cycle right now where everything is going to change again." [11:01]
• Megan: "It's less about volume of MQLs and it's more about quality of MQLs that convert to qualified pipeline and paying customers." [17:23]
• Megan: "Everyone should check out my telescope." [43:44]
• Megan: "It's all one Go to market team." [36:36]

This episode offers invaluable insights for B2B SaaS leaders seeking to optimize their paid media strategies for real ROI, emphasizing the importance of strategic balance, modern measurement techniques, and holistic GTM alignment.