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Ever notice how the most successful B2B companies make paid media look effortless?
While you're wrestling with rising CPLs and trying to prove ROI, they seem to have cracked some hidden code that makes everything work seamlessly.
What separates the companies that turn paid media into a predictable revenue engine from those that struggle to prove ROI? John Short and Kym Parker have managed over $50m in ad spend for their clients, ranging from seed-stage startups to post-IPO giants and have uncovered the patterns that drive success.
They’ve found that the companies winning at paid media aren't necessarily the ones with the biggest budgets or the fanciest tech stacks. Instead, it comes down to strategy:
In this article, you’ll learn:
- How to choose between ABM and demand generation based on your business model
- The three keys to paid media success that most companies miss
- A practical framework for budget allocation across channels
- Advanced targeting strategies that go beyond basic demographics
Whether you're managing your first paid campaign or scaling to eight figures, you'll discover exactly how to build a strategy that drives real business value.
Choosing the Right Strategy for B2B Paid Media
Before diving straight into tactics, you need to answer one crucial question: Is your average contract value above or below $50,000?
That’s the level John has seen in his work where "the motion tends to be more account-based marketing focused." Below that threshold, companies typically see more success with demand generation approaches.This will determine how you should structure your paid media strategy:
Three Keys to B2B Paid Media Success
1. Build Better Feedback Loops
As John says, "marketers are only going to be as good as the data that's available to them." If you get better feedback loops, and you’ll get better results – without just throwing more money at ads.Kym emphasizes that for B2B companies, you want to look beyond basic lead metrics. Are your leads moving through the funnel? Are they turning into sales qualified opportunities?These insights need to flow back into your advertising platforms.
Here's what that means in practice:
- Connect your CRM (HubSpot, Salesforce) to your ad platforms: Google and LinkedIn let you feed back offline conversion data. This helps their algorithms focus on the leads that actually turn into revenue, not just form fills.
- Use real customer behavior for lead scoring: Instead of treating every lead equally, prioritize based on actions like:
- Did they book a demo?
- Did they visit your pricing page?
- Are they showing intent signals from platforms like 6sense or Bombora?
- Move past “cheap leads” thinking: If a lead costs $50 but never converts, and another costs $300 but closes at a 30% rate, which is actually better? Stop chasing low CPLs. Focus on cost per SQL or cost per closed-won deal instead.
The quality of your paid media is only as good as the data you’re optimizing for.
2. Create a Better Prospect Experience
One of the biggest mistakes Kym sees is companies asking for demos before building any awareness. "You've got to introduce yourself to people first before you start to move them down the funnel," she explains.Instead, match your offer to the prospect's journey stage:
3. Get Surgical About Targeting
"Don't take every account in your list and put budget against it," Kym emphasizes. Instead, segment your approach based on the below factors, based on your motion with paid media.
For ABM Programs:
- Account engagement levels
- Intent signals
- Buying stage indicators
For Demand Generation:
- Role and seniority
- Company size
- Industry verticals
B2B Paid Media Budget Framework
Let's talk about one of the trickiest questions in paid media: How much should you spend, and where should you spend it? Kym Parker breaks this down into a science."If you're not investing probably more than five grand a month in the channel, you might not have enough reach to actually learn anything about it," Kym explains.
This insight leads to a practical framework for testing and scaling:
Testing New Channels
- Cap testing at 15% of total budget
- Invest minimum $5,000 monthly per channel
- Run tests for at least 60 days
- Create holdout groups to measure true impact
But here's where it gets interesting. Your budget allocation needs to shift based on your company's stage and goals:
Growth-Stage Companies
- 40-60% on bottom-funnel conversion activities
- 25-35% on mid-funnel nurture programs
- 15-25% on top-funnel awareness
- 5-15% on testing and optimization
Enterprise Companies
When you're targeting larger accounts with 15-20 person buying committees, the approach changes:
- More even distribution across funnel stages
- Increased investment in awareness (especially for C-suite)
- Sustained nurture campaigns for buying committees
- Higher tolerance for longer conversion timelines
When targeting enterprise accounts, Kym advises, "I don't want you to sit around expecting the CISO to fill out a lead gen form. Not going to do it."Instead, invest in awareness for decision-makers while nurturing practitioners with more direct response tactics.
Using Intent Data for B2B Paid Media
"When I think about some of the exciting things going on with intent data, it gives you this ability to come up with your own ideas of how to leverage data," John explains.
Here's how leading companies are building sophisticated intent intelligence systems:
Third-Party Intent Sources
- Traditional platforms (6sense, Bombora)
- Industry-specific databases
- Technographic tools (ZoomInfo, Apollo)
- Custom-built solutions (like Clay)
Company-Specific Signals
- Job board activities (especially for key roles)
- Recent funding announcements
- M&A activity
- Technology stack changes
- Lease signings (for relevant industries)
Engagement Indicators
- Website behavior patterns
- Content interaction depth
- Product usage signals
- Event participation
- Community engagement
The real power comes from combining these signals. As John shares, some companies are even analyzing earnings call transcripts and 10K reports to identify potential triggers for their solutions.
Don't just rely on intent data platforms. Look for industry-specific signals that others might miss. One company John worked with found success monitoring commercial real estate listings as an early indicator for potential buyers.
B2B Paid Media: 90-Day Action Plan
Month 1: Fix Your Foundation
- Audit current conversion paths
- Set up proper conversion tracking
- Define quality metrics beyond CPL
Month 2: Improve the Experience
- Create content for each funnel stage
- Build retargeting sequences
- Set up proper automation
Month 3: Refine Your Targeting
- Map out buying committees
- Layer in intent signals
- Test and optimize audiences
The Bottom Line
Remember what John emphasizes: "The market dictates value at each stage."
Your job isn't to force arbitrary CPL targets but to build systems that understand and respond to real market value.
Start by choosing the right motion for your business model, then focus on building the three key elements: strong feedback loops, better prospect experiences, and precise targeting.
The companies that get this right aren't necessarily the ones spending the most - they're the ones spending the smartest.
More Resources on Paid Media from Exit Five:
- Mastering B2B Paid Spend: A 2025 Roadmap for Marketers with John Short, CEO of Compound Growth Marketing and Kym Parker, SVP of Media Strategy
- LinkedIn Ads & Strategy for B2B with Anthony Blatner
Community Exclusive Templates:
If you’re an Exit Five community member, you can check out our templates for B2B Paid Media and ABM:
Not an Exit Five member? You can try it out for free for 7 days and check out our ABM templates and so much more. Just sign up here.
