Planning and Budgeting for B2B Marketing Success in 2025

19 Nov

As 2024 comes to a close, B2B marketers are knee-deep in planning and budgeting for the upcoming year.

It’s a time for evaluating what worked, identifying opportunities for growth, and making critical decisions that will shape marketing strategies for 2025.

To shed light on how industry leaders are tackling this complex process, we held an extra special session for the Attributed Podcast, gathering insights from three experienced marketers: Alex Venus, Head of Digital Marketing at Personio; Alex Shipillo, VP of Growth Marketing at Clio; and David Mirzaei, Senior Director of Marketing at Byrd.

In this article, we’ll break down their strategies, share the key takeaways, and offer practical advice for B2B marketers preparing their budgets and plans for 2025.

Listen to the entire conversation here.

Planning: Build a strong foundation for 2025

The first step in setting up a successful marketing strategy for the year ahead is effective planning.

The panelists emphasized the importance of getting a head start, aligning metrics with business goals, and remaining adaptable to market changes.

1. Start early and give yourself time to plan effectively

One consistent piece of advice from the panel was the value of starting the planning process early.

Alex Shipillo shared that his team used to begin budget discussions in October, but they now kick off as early as July.

While this adjustment required a cultural shift, the early start allowed the team to finalize headcount and set company targets well before the busy Q4 season.

By starting early, Clio’s marketing team was able to use the final quarter to refine specific strategies, setting them up for a successful launch in January. This approach reduces the pressure on the team and ensures they have the clarity and focus needed to execute effectively from day one.

In contrast, David Mirzaei’s team at Byrd adapts their planning timeline based on their growth stage and the external funding environment, maintaining flexibility to respond to shifting market conditions.

2. Align metrics with business objectives to measure what matters

Effective planning also starts with focusing on the right metrics.

Rather than getting caught up in vanity indicators like MQLs, Alex Venus prioritizes metrics that reflect business impact, such as growth rate and GTM efficiency.

This focus on sustainable, revenue-driven metrics has helped the team at Personio make more informed decisions about where to allocate resources. By aligning marketing goals with broader company objectives, Personio ensures that their efforts contribute meaningfully to overall growth.

Alex Shipillo echoed this sentiment, stressing the importance of clarity and transparency in communicating metrics to finance teams, which helps build trust and secure additional resources when needed.

3. Stay flexible and agile to adapt to market shifts

Planning is also about being prepared to pivot when necessary.

David Mirzaei explained that at Byrd, the marketing plan is constantly evolving based on market dynamics and seasonality.

For example, Q1 is a critical time for Byrd’s customers in the e-commerce sector, as retailers re-evaluate their supply chains after the holiday season.

Mirzaei’s team front-loads their marketing spend in Q1 to capture this demand, aligning their budget with the natural decision-making cycle of their target audience.

This allows Byrd to respond quickly to market changes and adjust strategies as needed.

Mirzaei’s focus on agility ensures that the company remains competitive, despite rapidly shifting business conditions.

Budgeting: allocate resources strategically for 2025

Once the planning phase is complete, the focus shifts to budgeting.

The panelists shared their strategies for balancing budget allocations, prioritizing high-growth opportunities, and making data-driven decisions.

1. Balance brand and performance marketing

The debate between investing in brand-building versus performance marketing is a familiar one for B2B marketers.

While there’s no one-size-fits-all answer, the consensus among the panelists was that the optimal budget split depends on your company’s stage and market maturity.

David Mirzaei, for instance, leans heavily towards demand capture channels, especially in established markets where the company’s brand is already well-recognized. In newer markets, however, a greater emphasis is placed on brand-building to establish credibility and awareness.

Alex Shipillo and his team at Clio take a more flexible approach, emphasizing the importance of initiatives that may not require significant financial investment but demand considerable time and effort.

He points to examples like Clio’s Legal Trends Report and the CEO’s book, which serve as brand-building efforts that differentiate the company in the legal technology space.

These projects, while not expensive in terms of ad spend, are impactful in creating a lasting impression on customers.

Alex Venus focuses on creativity rather than simply increasing spend.

He believes that strong, innovative content can often deliver better results than simply outspending competitors. By investing in high-quality storytelling and design, Venus and his team at Personio aim to capture attention and drive engagement in a cost-effective way.

For more on balancing brand vs. demand check out this conversation with Paddle’s CMO Andrew Davies.

2. Prioritize high-growth opportunities

When it comes to deciding where to allocate the budget, each panelist emphasized the importance of prioritizing channels and segments with the highest growth potential.

Alex Shipillo shared his approach of categorizing channels based on their scalability and growth capacity.

At Clio, the team evaluates each channel’s ability to meet or exceed the company’s growth rate target. If a channel shows high potential for scalability, it receives a larger share of the budget.

Similarly, Alex Venus is honing in on a more targeted ICP and ramping up account-based marketing efforts. By narrowing the focus to high-potential segments, the team at Personio aims to improve efficiency and increase conversion rates.

This shift away from broad lead generation tactics reflects a more strategic, data-driven approach.

David Mirzaei is investing in advanced tools and AI features to enhance audience targeting and improve precision in their campaigns. By integrating these capabilities into their tech stack, Byrd aims to make more informed decisions and stay ahead of the competition, especially in highly competitive markets.

3. Be ready to pivot with your budget

Finally, remember to leave room in the budget for adjustments throughout the year.

This approach allows David Mirzaei to quickly shift resources in response to performance data or emerging opportunities.

Alex Shipillo and Alex Venus echoed this sentiment, advising marketers to embrace an iterative approach rather than locking in rigid budgets.

Both emphasized the importance of open communication with finance teams and other stakeholders, which helps facilitate quick decision-making and resource shifts when necessary.

Conclusion

Effective planning and budgeting for B2B marketing success in 2025 require a careful balance of strategic foresight, data-driven decision-making, and the flexibility to adapt to market changes.

The tips shared by Alex Venus, Alex Shipillo, and David Mirzaei offer a valuable framework for marketers looking to navigate the complexities of the coming year.

Whether you’re leading a fast-growing startup or managing marketing for an established enterprise, these lessons can help you craft a budget plan that is both strategic and responsive. By starting early, focusing on impactful metrics, and maintaining an agile approach, B2B marketers can set themselves up for a year of strong, sustainable growth.

About the speakers

Alex Venus, Head of Digital Marketing at Personio

Alex Venus is a seasoned digital marketing leader with extensive experience in HR SaaS. With a background in marketing automation and digital strategy at enterprise-level companies, Alex focuses on balancing short-term demand capture with long-term brand building. At Personio, he leads efforts to optimize user experience, paid acquisition, and product-led growth initiatives.

Alex Shipillo, VP of Growth Marketing at Clio

Alex Shipillo oversees growth marketing at Clio, a leading cloud-based technology provider for the legal industry. Alex’s approach to marketing focuses on early planning, data-driven decision-making, and strategic investments in brand-building initiatives. His ability to align closely with finance and cross-functional teams has been instrumental in driving Clio’s continued expansion into new markets.

David Mirzaei, VP of Marketing at Byrd

David Mirzaei is the VP of Marketing at Byrd, an innovative e-commerce logistics provider based in Vienna. With deep expertise in B2B marketing strategy, David focuses on aligning marketing goals with sales and growth objectives, leveraging data-driven insights to target high-potential e-commerce brands. He is known for his agile approach to planning, adapting strategies quickly in response to market changes and evolving customer needs.