By Paul Conant, Strategic Marketing Consultant & Founder of Gizoom Consulting
Let’s get real: most business owners know they need marketing… but don’t have a clue if it’s actually working. Sound familiar?
According to a February 2025 study by DISQO and AdExchanger, only 27% of advertisers are extremely or very confident in their measurement accuracy. That means the majority are out there spending real money on guesswork—while the brands that are winning? They’re measuring, adjusting, and optimizing with precision.
In other words: they’re not just advertising—they’re benchmarking what works.
So what can small-to-midsize companies (especially those without a full-time marketing manager) learn from the big players?
Let’s break it down.
What Is Benchmarking in Advertising?
Think of benchmarking as your campaign’s GPS. It’s how you track where you are, what direction you’re heading, and how fast you’re getting there compared to the competition.
It’s not about copying what others are doing—it’s about understanding how your marketing stacks up against industry norms and what you should be measuring to make better decisions.
At Gizoom, we help companies define those benchmarks early, so you can stop throwing darts blindfolded and start planning with confidence.
Why Most Small Businesses Struggle with Measurement
If you’re running a business between $1M and $5M, chances are:
- You don’t have a full-time marketing manager.
- You’ve been burned by agencies that promise the world but can’t show results.
- Your campaigns feel like black holes—money goes in, silence comes out.
- You know you need to advertise, but you’re terrified of wasting money.
That’s where strategy—and benchmarking—makes all the difference.
What Winning Brands Are Doing Right
The best brands aren’t just running ads—they’re tracking performance across the entire customer journey. DISQO’s latest benchmarks show how leading marketers are aligning their KPIs across every stage of the funnel.
Here’s what that looks like:
Top-of-Funnel (Awareness)
- KPIs that matter: Ad recall, reach, video views, website visits.
- Why it matters: You can’t sell to people who’ve never heard of you. Brands that win build brand memory before they try to close.
Mid-Funnel (Consideration)
- KPIs that matter: Time on site, lead magnet downloads, add-to-cart actions, form starts.
- Why it matters: This is where buyers are checking you out. If they bounce too fast, it’s a red flag your messaging—or targeting—is off.
Bottom-of-Funnel (Conversion)
- KPIs that matter: ROAS, cost-per-acquisition, sales calls booked, purchases.
- Why it matters: This is what you live for—actual, trackable results. But they don’t happen in isolation. Conversion is a system, not a magic bullet.
How to Measure Effectiveness Without Cookies
We’re living in a post-cookie world, which means relying on traditional tracking pixels is becoming less reliable. Smart brands are shifting to consented data, first-party insights, and cross-platform analytics to measure what matters.
Some practical steps:
- Install UTM tracking links on everything. I mean everything. Emails, ads, social posts, landing pages.
- Use CRM software to track lead sources and lifecycle stages. If you don’t have one, we’ll help you set it up.
- Leverage surveys or check-in forms that ask “How did you hear about us?”—it’s old-school, but it works.
- Use call tracking numbers per channel. You’d be amazed how many companies don’t know where their calls are coming from.
- Get a dashboard. Even a simple Google Looker Studio setup can help you visualize trends and know what’s really working.
Real-World Example: Plumbing Company vs. “Hope & Pray”
We recently worked with a plumbing company in Mesa, AZ. Before we stepped in, they were spending $5K/month on ads—with no clue which platform was driving leads.
We benchmarked their industry averages, created new tracking methods, and aligned their KPIs by funnel stage.
In 60 days, we:
- Cut waste by $2K/month
- Doubled call volume
- Improved their cost per lead by 37%
That’s the power of measuring what matters.
So Where Should You Start?
Here’s the simple formula I give business owners:
- Pick your primary goal: awareness, leads, or sales.
- Identify 3 KPIs that support that goal.
- Track those KPIs weekly in a simple dashboard.
- Compare them to benchmarks from your industry (we’ll help you find those).
- Adjust every 30 days—not every day, not every 6 months.
This isn’t about fancy dashboards or hiring a data scientist. It’s about clarity.
Let’s Benchmark Your Brand
If you’re spending any money on marketing—or thinking about it—but don’t have confidence in your numbers, it’s time to change that.
Let’s have a quick, no-obligation conversation.
We’ll help you understand:
- What to track
- How to benchmark against others in your space
- What you should do next (not what a billion-dollar brand would do)
Your marketing doesn’t have to be a mystery. Let’s measure what matters—together.
Reach out to me directly at 1.855.528.2848 or schedule a free discovery call.
Trust me, you’ll walk away smarter—even if we don’t work together. But we probably will.
