For many professional services firms and B2B businesses, marketing planning can feel rather like taking a shot in the dark. You carefully set out your activities, allocate your budget across various channels, and then simply hope that something will stick. But, with increasing pressure from above to demonstrate a clear return on investment, this approach is simply no longer going to be sustainable.

A data-driven marketing strategy offers a much smarter way forward for your business. Rather than relying on gut feel or simply doing what you have always done historically, data helps you to build a plan that is targeted, justifiable, and properly aligned with your broader business goals. And importantly, it helps you avoid wasting precious time and money on efforts that don’t deliver the results that you need.

What is data-driven marketing planning?

Data-driven marketing planning means using information, from both within your own business and from external sources, to inform the decisions that you make about your marketing activities.

That could mean reviewing client feedback to guide your campaign messaging and ensure that it resonates with your target audience. It might involve analysing LinkedIn engagement to determine the most relevant content themes that will drive interaction. Or it could be as simple as looking at which referral sources generated the most valuable leads in the past 12 months and focusing more of your effort there.

Rather than setting your plan and hoping for the best, a data-driven approach allows you to continually refine, improve and prove the value of your efforts to stakeholders within your business.

What data should you include in your marketing plan?

The good news is that most firms already have access to incredibly useful data, it just needs to be gathered and used with purpose. The most helpful sources that you should consider tend to include:

Website and digital analytics: Use tools like Google Analytics and LinkedIn Insights to track visitor behaviour, content performance and conversion paths. Look at which pages are most visited, where people are dropping off, and which content pieces drive the most enquiries.

Client feedback: Capture insights through surveys, informal conversations or feedback from BD meetings. What problems are your clients trying to solve? What language do they use to describe these challenges? This information can be gold dust when creating your messaging.

CRM and pipeline data: Identify patterns in how leads are generated, converted, and retained. Which marketing activities have historically resulted in the highest quality leads? How long is your typical sales cycle? Understanding these patterns will help you to create more accurate forecasts.

Competitor research: Look at what others in your space are publishing, promoting or investing in. This can inform your positioning and help you to identify gaps in the market that you could potentially fill.

Internal observations: Your team often has incredibly valuable insights into what’s working and what isn’t, from email engagement to event turnout. Create a simple system for collecting and sharing these observations regularly.

Five ways data strengthens your marketing plan

You’ll prioritise what works

Instead of spreading resources thinly across every possible channel, data helps you focus on the ones that genuinely generate interest or leads. For example, if webinars consistently result in qualified conversations with potential clients, you might build more of them into your strategy.

Consider creating a simple scoring system for your marketing activities based on past performance. This can help you make objective decisions about where to allocate budget and effort in the coming year.

You’ll uncover gaps

You might discover that a key client segment isn’t engaging with your current messaging or that you’ve overlooked certain touchpoints in your marketing funnel. Data makes these blind spots visible so you can take action before they impact your bottom line.

Try mapping your customer journey and identifying the data points you have (or need) at each stage. This exercise often reveals areas where you’re flying blind and could benefit from additional measurement.

You’ll improve targeting

Persona development is far stronger when it’s based on real-world behaviour, not assumptions. Data helps you shape messaging that speaks directly to your ideal audience’s priorities and preferences.

Take the time to analyse the characteristics of your most profitable clients. What industry are they in? What size is their business? What challenges did they come to you with? Use these insights to refine your targeting criteria and messaging approach.

You’ll justify spend and forecast ROI

If your board wants to understand what they’re getting from your marketing investment, a data-informed plan provides the clarity that they need. You can set expectations based on past results and make the case for budget where needed.

Create a simple dashboard that shows the relationship between marketing activities and business outcomes. This doesn’t need to be complex—even showing correlation between increased content publishing and website enquiries can be powerful evidence.

You’ll make better decisions faster

With regular data reviews built into your planning process, you don’t need to wait until year-end to see if something worked. You can pivot or optimise activities as you go, ensuring that you make the most of every opportunity.

Schedule monthly reviews of key performance indicators and be prepared to adjust your plan accordingly. This agility can give you a significant advantage over competitors who are stuck with rigid annual plans.

Common barriers (and how to overcome them)

Even firms that understand the value of data often struggle to use it effectively in practice. Here are three common objections that you might face and ways to respond:

“We don’t have the time”

Start small. A simple monthly dashboard with a few key metrics is better than nothing at all. You don’t need to boil the ocean or produce complex reports from day one.

Block out just one hour each month specifically for data review. This small time investment can yield significant insights that save you from wasting much more time on ineffective activities.

“Our data is all over the place”

That’s normal especially in firms without a centralised marketing function. Work on consolidating what you have and establishing a single source of truth, even if that’s a shared spreadsheet to begin with.

Consider appointing a ‘data champion’ within your team who takes responsibility for pulling together key metrics from different sources. Over time, you can work towards more sophisticated integration.

“We’re not sure what to look for”

Focus on alignment with your broader business goals. What does success look like for your business development and marketing efforts? Choose metrics that reflect those goals, whether it’s increased visibility, more client conversations or improved win rates.

Start by identifying your three most important business objectives, then work backwards to determine which marketing metrics would indicate progress towards those goals.

Practical steps to get started

Audit what you already have

Website stats, CRM reports, event feedback—you might be surprised how much insight is readily available within your organisation. Start by creating an inventory of all potential data sources and what information each contains.

Agree on a few core metrics

Start with three to five that link directly to your goals. These might include website visits from target sectors, engagement rates on thought leadership content, or conversion rates from marketing-qualified leads to proposals.

Set a rhythm

Build in regular review points (monthly or quarterly) to inform decisions. Make these sessions focused and action-oriented—the goal is to identify what’s working well and what needs adjustment.

Connect marketing to business outcomes

This helps secure buy-in from senior stakeholders and makes reporting more meaningful. For example, don’t just report on email open rates; show how email campaigns are contributing to new client conversations.

Final thoughts

Using data in your marketing plan isn’t about seeking perfection, it’s about making better-informed decisions for your business. It gives you the evidence to back your ideas, the clarity to focus on what truly matters, and the confidence to adapt when things change.

With just a little structure and consistency, data can transform your marketing from a tick-box activity into a genuine business growth driver. The firms that embrace this approach now will find themselves with a significant competitive advantage in the years to come.

Need help?

If you would like help with your marketing then bringing on a marketing consultant with a fresh pair of eyes can make all the difference. I work with B2B businesses and professional service firms in London, Kent, UK and Europe as well as specialising as a Legal Marketing Consultant. Please get in touch or book a free 30-minute consultation.

Related Services:

Marketing Planning

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