How to secure leadership buy-in for digital marketing initiatives

Digital marketing and martech are transforming businesses, but getting leadership to invest can be difficult. Marketing teams often struggle with doubts about past results, tight budgets or a fear of change, making it hard to win support.

Below are strategies to help you gain leadership support for digital marketing investments. With insights from marketing leaders Traci Ward and Tim Hicks, we explore how to navigate this process successfully.

Common challenges in securing buy-in

Marketing leaders often face significant obstacles when advocating for digital marketing and martech investments. According to Tim Hicks, vice president of marketing at Integrate, these challenges boil down to three main themes:

Skepticism and trust issues

“Past marketing performance that fell short of revenue goals can breed distrust among stakeholders, while misalignment between sales and marketing often leads to finger-pointing and further erodes confidence,” says Hicks. “Clarity and alignment are crucial,” he emphasizes, noting that vague reporting on performance can quickly undermine trust. 

To combat skepticism, Hicks advises marketers to have clearly defined goals and a plan to report on them accurately. “Be a clear, no-BS communicator,” he adds. “Transparent goals and reporting allow stakeholders to see what’s working and what isn’t, paving the way to rebuild trust.”

Resistance to change

Hicks notes that a common barrier to buy-in is the mindset of “it’s always been done this way.” Whether due to a deeply entrenched company culture or an over-involved founder, resistance to new approaches is a formidable challenge. “The best way to combat this, in my experience, is by taking action and getting small wins to prove change is good,” says Hicks.

He recommends auditing historical performance, identifying low-hanging fruit and crafting a scalable strategy. Hicks warns against spreading yourself too thin. “You’ll set yourself up for failure if you try to combat resistance to change by rushing through multiple initiatives half-heartedly instead of dedicating your full effort to the most impactful ones.”

Budget constraints

“The market will always be a factor and budgets are constantly shrinking, so demonstrating clear ROI is paramount,” Hicks explains. “Consolidate where you can. Bringing tech savings to leadership is a great way to build trust and confidence in marketing that will be very helpful when budgets start to grow again.”

Dig deeper: Data literacy: The key to correcting the C-suite trust deficit

Align digital marketing goals with business objectives

One of the most effective ways to secure leadership buy-in is by aligning digital marketing goals with broader business objectives. CMO and data-driven senior marketing leader Traci Ward explains, “Typically, those that hold the keys to the budget want to know that you understand the business goals and that you have a shared objective of driving them, not just playing with a shiny new digital investment.” 

Tim Hicks also emphasizes the importance of clearly defined goals and alignment: “Know your business, your market, your Ideal Customer Profile and tie your KPIs to them. Haphazardly introducing new technology or agencies is not enough to yield success.”

Dig deeper: 5 things martech leaders wish their teams knew

Develop a realistic business case

Developing a strong business case for digital marketing investments requires a balance of optimism and realism. Ward warns against overpromising. “A lot of times, people try to get buy-in by promising unrealistic results. While being clear on what you expect to deliver with the budget is important, I’ve seen instances where crazy expectations are set. And while that may work for some leaders one time, if the results aren’t met, you’ve really hurt your chances of a second opportunity.”

Ward suggests breaking down new investments into phases and connecting them to specific progress points or “gates.” “Be clear about what the minimum investment and time frame are to really know if it’s working and then lay out a plan that shows what metrics you will be looking for and how those will inform if you keep going or pull back,” she advises. This phased approach allows for course corrections and builds confidence in the long-term value of the initiative.

Ward advises marketers to be transparent about digital investments’ potential benefits and risks. “For most leaders, they want real talk — what do you think you can achieve, what are the risks or things that may get in the way of those results. Even if you don’t hit the benchmarks, what do you hope to learn and how will those learnings inform future investments.” 

Dig deeper: How marketing ops can learn to speak C-suite

Foster collaboration and clear communication

Successful buy-in often hinges on strong cross-department collaboration and transparent communication. Hicks emphasizes the importance of alignment with sales, leadership and other stakeholders. “Be in lockstep with sales and leadership. Have clearly defined goals and plan to transparently report on them,” he advises. “Have strong relationships with your vendors and agencies and have accountability.”

Fostering collaboration allows marketing leaders to break down silos and create a unified approach to enhance digital marketing adoption. Engage stakeholders early and often to keep everyone informed and invested in your initiatives.

Leverage data and analytics for decision-making

Data and analytics help secure approval for martech investments by offering valuable insights. By analyzing current marketing performance, customer engagement and efficiency, you can find gaps and opportunities new tools can fix. 

Looking at historical data and using predictive analysis allows decision-makers to choose the best technologies for improved targeting, streamlined operations or personalization. Data-backed examples reassure leadership that these investments will lead to real business results.

Dig deeper: How to clarify marketing metrics to impress the C-suite

Securing leadership buy-in for digital marketing

Securing leadership buy-in for digital marketing and martech investments requires strategic alignment, data-driven insights and clear communication. You can win the support you need to drive their initiatives forward by:

• Addressing common challenges head-on.
• Fostering collaboration.
• Presenting a realistic, well-supported business case.

Remember, it’s not about playing with shiny new tools; it’s about demonstrating real value that moves the business forward.