Most founders hit a moment when the “marketing report” looks impressive but explains nothing, and their guts say it’s not going well. You see charts, dashboards, and seventeen different numbers – but you’re missing meaningful Marketing KPIs. Somehow you still do not know why leads feel light, sales feel slow, or momentum feels uneven. The data looks busy. The picture is blurry. And you’re not growing how you used to.
From an EOS perspective, that is a sign your Scorecard is overloaded. You should not need layers and layers of analytics to understand your marketing performance at a glance. You should be able to check a few clear KPIs and immediately see if you are on or off track.
This guide outlines the EOS-aligned marketing KPIs that give founders, owners and CEOs clarity on what’s working and what isn’t, and help teams take meaningful action.
Why Your Marketing KPIs Are Failing You
A lot of companies track marketing in a way that looks good on paper but does not help anyone make decisions. Impressions, pageviews, engagement rates, or “brand awareness” can be useful, but they rarely offer early warning signs or direction.
The right KPIs give leadership three things:
- A real-time view of what is happening.
- A sense of progress toward goals.
- A reason to adjust strategy before problems compound.
Viewed through an EOS lens, marketing KPIs should operate like headlights. They illuminate the road ahead instead of decorating the dashboard.
Important Caveat: Lead indicator KPIs are very important for decision making, and your marketing team should be tuned in to what is happening, what it means, and how to react. We’re saying that from a leadership dashboard perspective, you need the right data at a high level to know where things are going at a glance.
How EOS Shapes Measuring Marketing KPIs
Because Plum Good Marketing is fully aligned with EOS, the way we measure, report, and problem-solve fits directly into how our clients already operate. For many clients, we are not an outside agency. We function as the marketing arm of their leadership team (and sometimes their whole marketing department.)
We collaborate with their Integrator, participate in weekly Level 10 meetings, take ownership of marketing Rocks, and spend full days in their quarterly and annual sessions. This creates a tight link between strategy, accountability, and execution.
Here are a few examples.
G&S Property Services
G&S is a 25 year old business that runs a clean, disciplined EOS system. Their Integrator (Brittany, GM) keeps the company laser focused on weekly accountability. Plum owns multiple Rocks each quarter, including new and repeat customer revenue growth, important content initiatives, and CRM optimization. Marketing KPIs get discussed with the same rhythm as operations, sales and finance. When a KPI turns red, we solve it together in real time.
Manson Reamers
With Manson Reamers, we partner directly with their Integrator (Blake, Plant Manager) to take the very cool things they do every day, and tell the story effectively. Their Scorecard includes revenue, production and conversion tracking that gives their team a clear read on how sales and marketing are connecting. Quarterly and annual sessions help us reset the plan using EOS tools like VTO updates and Rock planning.
Extreme Precision Screw Products and Veit Tool
These two clients, EPSP and Veit Tool, rely heavily on long-term customer relationships, quoting speed, and technical trust. Because we participate in their Level 10s, quarterlies and annual planning sessions, we can align lead quality, quoting volume, and new business KPIs with the rest of their Scorecard. When the team shifts focus or launches a new initiative, we update the marketing KPIs in parallel so the right data flows up to leadership.
Working this closely with EOS-run teams gives us a front row seat to what actually helps founders make decisions and what creates clutter. It is why our approach to KPIs is so streamlined.
The Five Marketing KPIs That Matter Most
These are core KPIs Plum Good Marketing track with clients we work with. Some are pretty universal and some are meaningful to specific businesses for specific reasons. Figuring out what is the most important for your business is key, so you’re reviewing data without meaning. Good KPIs align with L10s, Rocks, and weekly ownership.
1. New Customer Revenue
Measuring revenue from new customers assures you’re growing and not over-harvesting your existing customers. It allows us to look at ad campaigns with real growth in mind vs. simply celebrating ROAS.
2. Average Order Value
Driving more revenue per order is a quick (not easy) way to grow year over year. And when your AOV goes backwards, it’s frustrating and detrimental. Driving Average Order Value with smart initiatives and making sure your leads are higher spend customers should be top of mind for virtually every business.
3. Cost per Lead (CPL)
How much you spend to acquire each viable lead. CPL shows whether your strategy scales or squeezes margins as soon as you increase budget. Looking at CPL compared to Lifetime Value give you a big picture view of real return on investment.
4. Lead to Customer Conversion Rate
A consistent read on how effectively your marketing drives revenue. This KPI reveals funnel gaps early, long before revenue changes.
5. Revenue from Marketing-Sourced Leads
This number shows the direct financial return on your marketing investment. Many teams skip it because it feels difficult to track. Once it is set up, it becomes the clearest indicator of what is working.
Where Scorecards Go Off Track
The main issue is volume. A Scorecard with twenty or more metrics is not a Scorecard. It is a storage unit for data you will never act on.
The EOS rule is simple. Track only what you are willing to own and solve.
Most leaders feel relieved once the clutter is gone. Marketing starts to feel understandable and predictable again.
How to Build a Weekly Marketing Scorecard That Works
Plum typically follows this process when building or refining a Scorecard.
Step 1: Select five to seven total metrics
Your primary marketing KPI, a couple of funnel KPIs, a cost metric, and a revenue metric.
Step 2: Define clear weekly targets
A good Scorecard measures what is happening now, not what you hope will happen by the end of the quarter.
Step 3: Assign single ownership
To quote Traction, “Everyone needs to have a number.” Every KPI needs a clear owner. Shared ownership leads to stalled accountability.
Step 4: Use IDS when a KPI goes off track
Scorecards help only when they trigger useful conversations. If a KPI is red, use IDS to get to the root cause and decide what to do next.
Step 5: Revisit KPIs quarterly
Your business evolves and your Scorecard should evolve with it. Resist the temptation to add new metrics before the next quarterly review unless something urgent changes.
In Summary
Effective marketing KPIs are simple, aligned with EOS, and tied directly to weekly decision-making. Focus on things like new customer revenue, AOV, CPA, conversion rate, and marketing-sourced revenue. These indicators reveal what is working and what needs attention long before revenue changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most important marketing KPIs for small businesses?
This varies per business, but good core KPIs are new customer revenue, lifetime value, cost per lead, lead-to-customer conversion, and marketing-sourced revenue.
How do I build a marketing Scorecard using EOS?
Select a small group of metrics, assign ownership, review weekly, and use IDS when something goes off track.
How do I know if my marketing KPIs are too complicated?
If you need multiple dashboards or explanations to understand your KPIs, you are tracking too much.
Should founders, owners and leaders review KPIs weekly or monthly?
Weekly. Monthly pacing makes it too easy to miss early performance issues.
What KPIs does a fractional CMO typically prioritize?
Lead quality, funnel progression, cost efficiency, and marketing-sourced revenue.
Would You Like EOS Informed Marketing Help?
If your Scorecard feels noisy or disconnected from results, Plum can help you simplify it so your team can act with clarity and move towards growth. If you want marketing that feels clear, doable, and effective, and a leader to own it – let’s chat.
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