Here’s what drives us crazy about the industry: everyone treats digital advertising benchmarks like finish lines.

Hit the number, throw a party, call it done.

Advertising Benchmarks aren’t victory laps. They’re permission slips.

Permission to test new platforms and increase budgets. Permission to make your life beautifully more interesting.

We saw this play out perfectly with Talent Reef, a talent management platform. Started simple: drive lead generation for one industry. Hit the digital advertising benchmark. Got more budget and things started to ramp.

Over three years and nine planning cycles, that simple lead gen program evolved into a multi-tiered beast with vertical, horizontal, and ABM campaigns. Each optimization unlocking the next level.

The results? Sales up 179%. SQLs up 141%. MQLs up 85%.

But here’s the real magic: halfway through, the client stopped being the skeptical boss and became our co-conspirator. They started asking “What should we try next?” instead of “Why does this cost so much?”

That transformation happened because we proved ourselves with smaller wins first. You can’t jump straight to enterprise ABM. Sales teams need to trust you won’t waste their precious leads with garbage.

So celebrate your advertising benchmarks for exactly five minutes.

Then ask the better question: what doors did you just unlock?

Author: Suzanne Corriell, CEO | Founder