Top 26 marketing KPIs to track in your annual plan

Marketing leaders are always under the microscope, especially with tight budgets. Every dollar spent demands a proven return beyond the channel metrics.

Yet many CMOs still struggle to close the credibility gap. According to a Gartner survey, only 52% of senior marketing leaders say they can prove marketing’s value and receive credit for contributing to business outcomes. Nearly half of CMOs say marketing is still seen as an expense.

Closing the gap starts with building proof. And that begins with clear, outcome-driven marketing KPIs.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to choose and track the right key performance indicators marketing leaders need in their annual plan to defend every decision in the boardroom.

What are KPIs in marketing?

Marketing key performance indicators (KPIs) are quantifiable metrics that measure and track marketing efforts in relation to business goals, like revenue growth, lead generation, or brand awareness.

KPIs in marketing are usually set during the annual planning stage to give structure to your strategy and make your goals measurable.

Marketing KPIs and metrics: What’s the difference?

All marketing KPIs are metrics, but not all metrics are KPIs. A marketing metric is any data point you can track, such as pageviews, email opens, bounce rate, and social likes. You might track dozens of them.

But a KPI is a metric that actually matters to your marketing goals. It’s the number your team is accountable for—the one you bring into planning meetings and performance reviews.

For example:

• “Video views” is a metric
• “Video completion rate” might be your KPI if you’re trying to build top-of-funnel awareness

Difference	Marketing KPIs	Marketing metrics
Purpose	Tied to specific business goals	Can be general performance data
Tracking frequency	Tracked consistently throughout the year	Tracked when needed
Role in marketing planning	Guides decisions and marketing investment optimization	Gives context and monitors market behavior
Audience	Reported to leadership or stakeholders	Often used by channel teams
Example	ROAS, MQLs, pipeline contribution	Pageviews, bounce rate, likes

Why should you be setting KPIs in your annual plan?

You should set KPIs in your annual marketing plan to get measurable and trackable targets to hit. Without clear KPIs, there’s no way to know if your marketing strategy is working or how to adjust it when it’s not. Marketing KPIs help you:

• Incentivize the right behavior: When teams are measured against smart KPIs, they don’t default to easy-to-measure media attribution metrics. Instead, they focus on full-funnel impact and prioritize work that aligns with business goals.
• Track progress across the customer funnel: From awareness to conversion, KPIs help you monitor performance at each stage and spot where leads are getting stuck.
• Define what marketing success looks like: KPIs give you clear benchmarks tied to business goals, so you’re not just launching campaigns, you’re measuring real impact.
• Manage performance consistently: KPIs give you a baseline for evaluating campaigns, teams, and tactics, and adjusting fast when things don’t work.
• Align cross-functional teams: Shared KPIs help connect marketing activities to sales, finance, and executive priorities.

What are the top marketing KPIs by channel?

Organizing KPIs by channel clarifies what success looks like across your marketing channel mix and who’s responsible for driving it. Channel-level marketing performance indicators make it easier to:

• Assign ownership to marketing teams, agencies, or specialists
• Set performance expectations based on the role of each channel in the funnel
• Allocate marketing budget based on what each channel is expected to deliver
• Evaluate channel efficiency so you can reallocate spend during the year

We’ve listed the most important KPIs, each tied to a specific funnel stage to help you connect daily execution to annual goals.

Performance marketing KPIs

According to Keen’s marketing insights report, paid media commands one of the largest shares of the marketing budget. So, it’s important to track paid media KPIs that reflect performance, efficiency, and contribution to revenue. 

Below are the most important cross-media measurement metrics to monitor channels like paid search, social, programmatic, and display.

1. Cost per mille (CPM)

CPM is the cost to deliver 1,000 ad impressions.

• Why measure: CPM assesses the cost-efficiency of your reach. A rising CPM signals increased competition or ineffective targeting. It’s useful for campaigns focused on brand awareness, especially in early funnel stages.
• When to measure: Use it when you’re comparing platforms, running prospecting campaigns, or trying to maximize exposure at a set budget.
• Funnel stage: Top of funnel

2. Click-through rate (CTR)

CTR is the percentage of ad impressions that result in a click.

• Why measure: CTR reflects how effective your ad creative and targeting are at driving engagement. A low CTR indicates message fatigue, poor targeting, or irrelevant offers.
• When to measure: Track CTR during A/B testing of creative, during marketing campaign launches, and when optimizing for engagement mid-flight.
• Funnel stage: Mid-funnel

3. Conversion rate

Conversion rate is the percentage of users who complete a desired action after clicking an ad, such as a purchase, form fill, or signup.

• Why measure: Conversion rate shows whether your paid traffic is converting into business value. It also tells you about your landing page quality and offer alignment.
• When to measure: Use conversion rate in always-on campaigns, performance media, and any paid programs with direct calls to action.
• Funnel stage: Bottom-funnel

4. Return on ad spend (ROAS)

ROAS is the amount of revenue generated for every dollar spent on paid media.

• Why measure: ROAS is a core profitability metric that determines whether your campaigns are delivering financial return.
• When to measure: Use this marketing performance indicator when evaluating channel efficiency, reviewing budgets, or comparing campaign performance.
• Funnel stage: Bottom-funnel

Read more: What is a good marketing efficiency ratio (MER)?

5. Incremental return on ad spend (iROAS)

iROAS is the additional revenue generated by paid media that would not have happened without the campaign, isolated through testing or modeling.

• Why measure: This performance metric removes inflated results caused by organic conversions or platform bias and gives a more accurate picture of true lift.
• When to measure: Apply it during incrementality testing, MMM modeling, and when assessing the marginal return of mature paid strategies.
• Funnel stage: Bottom-funnel

6. Marketing return on investment (mROI)

mROI is the total financial return generated by a marketing investment, typically expressed as a percentage gain over cost.

• Why measure: This marketing performance indicator accounts for total costs (not just media spend) and links marketing efforts to actual business returns. It’s useful for strategic budget planning and CMO-level reporting.
• When to measure: Use mROI in post-campaign analysis, channel comparisons, and when evaluating the overall efficiency of large-scale paid programs.
• Funnel stage: Bottom-funnel

Read more: The best marketing channel performance metrics

Content marketing KPIs

Digital and content marketing drive traffic, build trust, and support conversions across the funnel. These digital marketing KPIs track visibility, engagement, and revenue contribution, so content performance is measurable. 

7. Organic traffic

Organic traffic is the total number of users who arrive at your site through unpaid search.

• Why measure: Organic traffic shows whether your content is discoverable and ranking for relevant keywords.
• When to measure: Use it to monitor growth and compare topic or format performance.
• Funnel stage: Top of funnel

8. Keyword rankings

Keyword rankings are your positions in search engine results for specific target terms.

• Why measure: Rankings indicate your authority and relevance in core topics. They help identify gaps and opportunities for optimization.
• When to measure: Track your rankings weekly or monthly to evaluate SEO impact, content refreshes, and competitor shifts.
• Funnel stage: Top of funnel

9. Time on page

Time on page is the average duration a user spends on a specific piece of content. 

• Why measure: Time on page signals how engaging and relevant your content is. Low time on page often points to poor structure, slow load speed, or a mismatch with intent.
• When to measure: Use it in post-publish reviews and when auditing high-traffic or high-bounce pages.
• Funnel stage: Mid-funnel

10. Content-assisted conversions

Content-assisted conversions are completed actions (like form fills or purchases) that happen after a user engages with your content, even if the content wasn’t the last touch.

• Why measure: Conversions help to prove the role of content in influencing revenue, especially in long sales cycles where influence happens early.
• When to measure: Analyze conversions quarterly or during campaign wrap-ups to attribute value across the funnel.
• Funnel stage: Bottom-funnel

Email marketing KPIs

Email is one of the most direct and measurable channels in your mix. These email marketing KPIs will help you evaluate list quality, message relevance, and contribution to conversion.

11. Email open rate

Open rate is the percentage of delivered emails that are opened.

• Why measure: Email open rate indicates subject line effectiveness and list health.
• When to measure: Use for A/B testing and to monitor engagement over time.
• Funnel stage: Mid-funnel

12. Click-to-open rate (CTOR)

Click-to-open rate is the percentage of email opens that result in a click.

• Why measure: CTOR shows how compelling your email content is after getting attention.
• When to measure: Track it in campaign performance reviews and content tests.
• Funnel stage: Mid-funnel

13. Conversion rate

Conversion rate is the percentage of recipients who complete a target action after clicking an email.

• Why measure: Conversion rate shows your bottom-line performance and whether email marketing is driving leads or revenue.
• When to measure: Use this marketing KPI for transactional emails, nurture flows, and all performance-oriented sends.
• Funnel stage: Bottom-funnel

14. Cost per lead (CPL)

CPL is the total spend divided by the number of leads generated from email campaigns.

• Why measure: CPL connects email efforts to pipeline efficiency. Useful for evaluating acquisition and reactivation programs.
• When to measure: Track it for quarterly reviews and when comparing channels.
• Funnel stage: Bottom-funnel

Social media KPIs

Social media marketing isn’t just for awareness anymore. It also influences search, drives conversions, and builds long-term brand preference. And for younger audiences, it’s increasingly replacing traditional search engines.

According to a Forbes Advisor report, Gen Z turns to Google 25% less than Gen X, and 64% of them use TikTok as a search engine. That means your social media performance drives visibility, discoverability, and influence on buying decisions.

These social media marketing performance metrics help you separate surface-level activity from meaningful performance.

15. Reach

Social media reach is the number of unique users who saw your post or ad.

• Why measure: This marketing KPI tracks how far your content is spreading and whether you’re growing brand visibility.
• When to measure: Use it in brand awareness campaigns, brand tracking, and platform benchmarking.
• Funnel stage: Top of funnel

16. Engagement rate

Engagement rate is the percentage of users who interact with your content (likes, shares, comments) relative to reach.

• Why measure: Engagement rate reflects how relevant or resonant your message is with your audience.
• When to measure: Track it in content testing, brand campaigns, and when comparing formats.
• Funnel stage: Mid-funnel

17. Social referral traffic

Social referral traffic is the number of users who click from social media to your website.

• Why measure: Referral traffic shows how well your social content drives action and deeper engagement.
• When to measure: Use it in campaign wrap-ups and to track traffic contribution by platform.
• Funnel stage: Mid-funnel

18. Video completion rate

Video completion rate is the percentage of users who watch your video all the way through.

• Why measure: This marketing performance indicator shows whether your video content is holding attention and delivering its full message.
• When to measure: Track it during video-based brand campaigns, story-driven content, and when testing format length.
• Funnel stage: Top of funnel

Events and webinars KPIs

Events and webinars convert interest into intent. Whether you’re running a lead-gen series or targeting accounts, these KPIs help you measure how well your programs are attracting the right audience and contributing to the pipeline.

19. Registration rate

Registration rate is the percentage of people who sign up after viewing your event landing page or invitation.

• Why measure: This marketing KPI tracks how well your topic, timing, and promotion are converting interest.
• When to measure: Use it in event campaign reviews and when optimizing pre-event outreach.
• Funnel stage: Mid-funnel

20. Attendance rate

Attendance rate is the percentage of registrants who actually show up to an event.

• Why measure: This metric helps you understand if your event is compelling enough to follow through. Low rates may signal a disconnect between promotion and value.
• When to measure: Track it across formats, audience types, and time slots to optimize future events.
• Funnel stage: Mid-funnel

21. Marketing qualified leads (MQLs)

MQLs are attendees who meet your criteria for sales readiness based on engagement or firmographic fit.

• Why measure: MQLs connect event attendance to lead quality.
• When to measure: Use it in lead scoring models and to prioritize follow-up in post-event workflows.
• Funnel stage: Bottom-funnel

22. Pipeline contribution

Pipeline contribution is the total value of qualified opportunities that originated or were influenced by the event.

• Why measure: The pipeline contribution metric shows direct revenue impact by comparing specific events to other lead-gen or ABM investments.
• When to measure: Track it quarterly and during planning cycles to prioritize high-return formats.
• Funnel stage: Bottom-funnel

Product marketing KPIs

Product marketing drives go-to-market execution, competitive positioning, and customer adoption. The KPIs below are especially relevant in B2B SaaS, enterprise software, and product-led growth companies, where successful launches and feature adoption are tightly tied to revenue and retention.

23. Feature adoption rate

Feature adoption rate is the percentage of users who engage with a specific feature after it’s released.

• Why measure: Feature adoption rate helps you see if your messaging and onboarding are driving actual product usage. Low adoption can signal a disconnect between positioning and user needs.
• When to measure: Use it post-launch and when evaluating activation or expansion features.
• Funnel stage: Bottom-funnel

24. Sales enablement content usage

Sales enablement content usage is how often sales teams access and use collateral like pitch decks, battlecards, and one-pagers.

• Why measure: This metric assesses whether your messaging is reaching the field and supporting buyer conversations.
• When to measure: Track it during launches and onboarding cycles. Use to identify gaps in sales support.
• Funnel stage: Mid-funnel

25. Win rate

Win rate is the percentage of opportunities won out of total opportunities where your product was actively positioned.

• Why measure: Win rate quantifies the effectiveness of your positioning and competitive strategy in real sales cycles.
• When to measure: Track win rate by segment, campaign, or feature to understand positioning effectiveness.
• Funnel stage: Bottom-funnel

26. Product-related NPS (Net promoter score)

Product-related NPS is the score based on how likely users are to recommend your product.

• Why measure: NPS acts as a leading indicator of satisfaction, retention, and potential for expansion.
• When to measure: Track NPS post-onboarding, post-launch, or as part of quarterly VOC initiatives.
• Funnel stage: Post-sale retention/expansion

Marketing KPI examples based on the funnel stage 

Your annual plan should reflect full-funnel optimization and accountability, not just bottom-funnel performance. We created this table with marketing KPI examples to reiterate the value of mapping metrics to each funnel stage. Use it to:

• Spot gaps in your measurement strategy
• Assign KPIs to the right teams or owners
• Connect planning goals to execution and performance reviews

Marketing channel	Top of funnel	Middle of funnel	Bottom of funnel
Paid media	CPM, impression share	CTR	Conversion rate, ROAS, iROAS, mROI
Content marketing	Organic website traffic, keyword rankings	Time on page	Content-assisted conversions
Email marketing	New subscriber rate	Open rate, click-to-open rate	Conversion rate, cost per lead (CPL)
Social media	Reach, video completion rate	Engagement rate, social referral traffic	Social-assisted conversions
Events and webinars	–	Registration rate, attendance rate	MQLs, pipeline contribution
Product marketing	Product-related NPS (early awareness use case)	Sales enablement content usage	Feature adoption rate, win rate

How to choose the right KPI for your annual marketing plan

The best marketing KPIs are tied directly to your goals, measurable across the funnel, and actionable throughout the year. Use the following process to choose the right KPIs:

• Start with business goals: Map every KPI to a strategic outcome, not just a marketing activity. 
• Match KPIs to funnel stage: Make sure you’re measuring performance at each stage of your full-funnel marketing strategy—awareness, engagement, conversion, and retention—not just at the bottom.
• Assign KPIs by channel: Pick KPIs that align with the purpose of each channel. Don’t measure the success of your brand awareness campaigns with last-click conversions.
• Prioritize decision-making value: Choose KPIs that will guide how you allocate budget, optimize campaigns, or justify spend. If a metric won’t change your plan, it’s not a KPI.
• Limit the KPI list: Identify 1–2 core KPIs per channel and a handful of strategic KPIs to track across the plan. A plan with 40 KPIs has no focus. 
• Use forecasting tools to pressure-test your choices: Simulate how your selected KPIs will perform under different budget or media mix scenarios. An annual planning solution like Keen can model these outcomes in advance, helping you plan with confidence.

How to get started with marketing KPI tracking: 6 steps

Choosing KPIs is step one. The real impact comes from tracking them consistently and acting when things change. To stay accountable throughout the year, follow these six steps: 

1. Build KPIs into campaign briefs: Every campaign should include its primary KPIs up front, tied to the funnel stage, owner, and target outcome.
2. Use a centralized dashboard: Set up a single view that pulls in KPIs across all channels. Keen’s marketing measurement solution gives you one place to monitor progress, compare performance, and spot issues early, without juggling spreadsheets or siloed reports.
3. Review KPIs monthly and quarterly: Use monthly check-ins for short-term optimizations. Use quarterly reviews to identify trends and recalibrate goals or the budget.
4. Document baseline assumptions: For each KPI, write down your assumptions at the planning stage, including expected values, benchmarks, and what “good” looks like. 
5. Plan for scenario shifts: Budgets change, channels stop performing, priorities evolve. When your KPIs are visible, reliable, and tied to business outcomes, they’ll still guide the right decisions—even when plans shift.
6. Leverage a cross-media measurement tool: Use tools like Keen to measure incrementality, iROAS, and full-funnel impact. 

Measure marketing success with Keen

Clear KPIs in marketing give your team direction, your stakeholders confidence, and your strategy credibility at the executive level. KPIs are one of the only aspects that will tie your entire marketing planning together, from setting goals to running campaigns to evaluating performance. 

Keen’s MMM platform helps you stay on top of your marketing performance indicators, so you can:

• Forecast outcomes before launch using scenario planning and historical models
• Track cross-channel performance in real time, including iROAS, incrementality, and pipeline impact
• Adapt your plan mid-year with visibility into what’s working and where to shift budget
• Report with confidence using data that’s decision-ready, not locked in siloed platforms

 Request a demo to see how Keen helps you track and optimize every marketing KPI that matters.