2025 is here, and marketing leaders are asking the million-dollar question: How can we maximize ROI in a rapidly changing tech landscape? Marketing leaders everywhere are sizing up their budgets and making strategic bets on which initiatives will deliver the best return on investment. New research from 10Fold suggests that 65% of marketing leaders experienced bigger budgets in 2024 and anticipate these budgets will continue to rise in 2025. At the same time, fewer than half of respondents were expected to increase their KPIs at the same rate. This highlights a cautious marketing climate, driven by slower tech sales and a growing demand for scalable systems to support sales goals.
From artificial intelligence (AI) adoption to data-driven campaign strategies, below are the top priorities technology and B2B marketers should keep front and center as they plan their 2025 spend.
- Doubling Down on AI and Automation to Build an Effective Marketing Plan
According to 10Fold’s B2B tech budgets report, many marketing leaders that are allocating budgets toward AI-based tools are demonstrating more success and getting more incremental budget than marketing leaders not investing in AI-based solutions. This shift includes everything from AI-driven content optimization to automated lead nurturing platforms.
- Personalization at Scale: AI helps deliver hyper-relevant messaging. Marketers can segment audiences more precisely and tailor campaigns to individuals—improving conversion rates.
- Efficiency Gains: Automation reduces the heavy lifting associated with repetitive marketing tasks. This frees teams to focus on strategy, creative ideation, and relationship-building rather than manual processes.
- Predictive Insights: Advanced analytics tools powered by AI can predict audience behaviors and optimize campaigns before costly missteps occur.
Pro Tip: Evaluate AI tools that can seamlessly integrate with your existing marketing stack. Look for products that offer robust analytics and predictive modeling to ensure your 2025 budget is invested in strategic growth.
- Elevate Content and Thought Leadership Within Your 2025 Marketing Plan
Even as new technologies disrupt marketing, compelling content remains the backbone of every successful campaign. Thought leadership content—like whitepapers, eBooks, contributed articles placed in publications and in executive LinkedIn profiles and research-driven blog posts help position your Company as a trusted authority in the industry.
- Data-Driven Storytelling: Invest in original research or unique data insights that ensures your content stands out.
- Multimedia Approach: As the saying goes “a picture is worth a thousand words” and the average impatient, content-consuming prospect prefers carousels, short-form videos, and summaries of the high-points of webinars and podcasts are more “clickable” than longer form content. Although podcasts and some webinars are highly consumable by technical buyers and those differentiating approaches at the bottom of the funnel.
- SEO and Organic Reach: In 2025, aligning with search engine algorithms and leveraging the latest SEO tactics in your content strategy will maximize visibility.
- Strengthening Data & Analytics Capabilities in B2B Tech Marketing Plans
Modern marketing is as much about data science as it is about creative thinking. As reported by 10Fold, advanced analytics and real-time data collection will be crucial initiatives shaping the tech landscape in 2025.
- Unified Analytics Platforms: Centralize your marketing data—from email conversions to social media metrics—in one dashboard. This gives a holistic view of campaign performance and simplifies decision-making.
- Attribution Modeling: With more channels in play (and more budget on the line), accurate attribution becomes mission-critical. Invest in tools that help you understand exactly where your program is getting the best results.
- Compliance and Privacy: As consumer data regulations tighten worldwide, ensure your analytics stack complies with relevant data protection laws (GDPR, CCPA, etc.). A proactive approach to privacy can safeguard your brand’s reputation and trust.
- Investing in Influencer and Advocate Marketing as a Vital Program in Tech Marketing
Despite shifts in digital marketing trends, influencer marketing remains one of the most effective ways to build brand credibility—especially in B2B and technology sectors. Whether you’re working with industry thought leaders or micro-influencers, the authenticity they bring can drive higher-quality leads.
- Micro-Influencer Engagement: In tech communications, niche influencers often have highly engaged followers. A single tweet or LinkedIn post from a respected figure can carry more weight than large-scale ad campaigns.
- Employee Advocacy Programs: Your best influencers might be under your own roof. Encourage employees to share brand content—equipping them with tools and training can significantly extend your digital reach.
- Executive Posts and Long form content: Your social strategy is not complete without leveraging the authority and reputation of your key executives, along with their extensive networks, to build your corporate audience and increase engagement with your brand.
- Creating Reasonable Marketing KPIs for Tech Companies
Interestingly, the 10Fold study reveals that while marketing budgets are growing, the KPI focus is still top of mind. In some cases, KPIs did not increase at the same rate as the budgets in 2025, offering marketers a unique opportunity to over-deliver on results by adopting KPIs that align closely with strategic business goals.
- Quality Over Quantity: Instead of measuring success by sheer volume (e.g., traffic or leads), focus on metrics that capture intent and engagement. Qualified leads or MQL-to-SQL conversion ratios, for example, offer more actionable insights.
- Customer Lifetime Value (CLV): As subscription and recurring revenue models dominate in tech, CLV is a critical metric to watch. Aim to measure not just one-off conversions but overall customer journey value.
- Experiment & Optimize: With budgets on the rise, it’s tempting to chase every new opportunity. Instead, carve out a small percentage of your budget for experimental initiatives, measure rigorously, and double down on what works.
Allocating Your 2025 B2B Marketing Budget and Making Every Dollar Count
In 2025, marketing budgets are expected to climb in step with the evolving digital landscape. Yet the challenge remains the same: How do you make every dollar count? Strategic allocation toward AI tools, advanced analytics, engaging content, and influencer partnerships can deliver exceptional returns. At the same time, keeping KPIs realistic—and tying them directly to business goals—ensures you’re well-positioned to demonstrate the measurable impact of your marketing efforts.
By prioritizing initiatives that align budget increases with forward-thinking strategies, you’ll not only meet 2025’s demands but also set the foundation for sustainable growth and continued success in an ever-evolving marketing environment.