Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for B2B Marketing Manager
💰 $ - $
🎯 Role Definition
The B2B Marketing Manager is a strategic marketing leader responsible for designing, executing, and optimizing multi-channel demand generation and account-based marketing (ABM) programs that drive qualified pipeline, accelerate sales cycles, and increase customer lifetime value. This role partners closely with Sales, Product, Customer Success, and Analytics to align go-to-market (GTM) strategy, deliver measurable ROI, and scale repeatable processes across digital advertising, email, content, events, and channel programs. Ideal candidates combine data-driven campaign management, marketing automation expertise (e.g., HubSpot, Marketo, Pardot), CRM proficiency (Salesforce), and strong cross-functional leadership to deliver consistent revenue impact.
📈 Career Progression
Typical Career Path
Entry Point From:
- Marketing Coordinator / Marketing Specialist (demand gen, content, or digital)
- Demand Generation Specialist / Senior Demand Gen Associate
- Content Marketing Manager or Product Marketing Associate
Advancement To:
- Senior Manager, Demand Generation
- Head of Growth / Director of Marketing
- VP Marketing
Lateral Moves:
- Product Marketing Manager
- Growth Marketing Manager / Performance Marketing Manager
- Partnerships & Channel Marketing Manager
Core Responsibilities
Primary Functions
- Develop and lead the strategy and execution of multi-channel demand generation campaigns (ABM, email, digital advertising, content syndication, webinars, and events) to generate, nurture, and convert high-quality pipeline for enterprise and mid-market accounts.
- Design and operationalize integrated go-to-market (GTM) plans for product launches and major feature releases, aligning sales enablement assets, pricing communications, and targeted acquisition tactics to accelerate adoption and revenue.
- Build and manage scalable account-based marketing (ABM) programs including account selection, personalized content journeys, targeted advertising on LinkedIn and programmatic channels, direct outreach coordination with Sales, and measurement frameworks for account progression.
- Own end-to-end campaign lifecycle: audience segmentation, creative briefing, channel selection, deployment (email, paid, organic), lead scoring, handoff to Sales, and post-campaign analysis to optimize funnel conversion and cost-per-acquisition.
- Partner with Sales leadership to develop SLAs, sales-accepted lead definitions, and closed-loop reporting in Salesforce to ensure attribution accuracy and continuous improvement of lead quality.
- Manage marketing automation and CRM systems (e.g., HubSpot, Marketo, Pardot, Salesforce), including campaign setup, lead routing, nurture flows, dynamic segmentation, and data hygiene best practices to maximize deliverability and conversion.
- Define, track, and report on key marketing KPIs (MQLs, SQLs, pipeline influenced, customer acquisition cost, CAC payback, LTV:CAC) and produce executive-ready dashboards for weekly and monthly business reviews.
- Lead creative direction and content strategy for B2B audiences: whitepapers, case studies, thought leadership, solution briefs, blog series, and video content optimized for SEO and demand-generation performance.
- Plan, execute, and measure paid media campaigns across LinkedIn, Google Ads, industry publications, and programmatic networks; optimize bids, creatives, and landing pages to reduce CPL while improving lead quality.
- Design and run automated lead nurturing programs and continuous testing (A/B, multi-variate) on creative, subject lines, landing pages, and CTAs to increase engagement and conversion rates across buying stages.
- Collaborate with Product Marketing to translate product differentiation, value props, and competitive positioning into campaign messaging, sales enablement kits, and customer-facing collateral that shorten sales cycles.
- Lead cross-functional project management for major marketing initiatives—event sponsorships, trade shows, virtual summits, analyst relations—ensuring budget adherence, vendor management, and on-time delivery of assets.
- Oversee content syndication, partner co-marketing, and channel marketing initiatives that expand reach into strategic accounts and verticals while ensuring clear lead ownership and attribution.
- Implement SEO and inbound marketing tactics—keyword research, on-page optimization, technical SEO fixes, and thought leadership content—to grow organic traffic and capture intent-driven leads.
- Develop pricing promotions, nurture plays, and reactivation campaigns for upsell, cross-sell, and renewal motions in coordination with Customer Success to maximize customer lifetime value.
- Manage marketing budgets and vendor relationships, forecasting spend by channel, negotiating media buys, and reallocating resources based on performance analytics and ROI.
- Coach, mentor, and (where applicable) manage direct reports or external agencies, establishing clear goals, OKRs, and performance metrics that align marketing activities with revenue targets.
- Ensure all campaigns and content comply with data privacy laws (GDPR, CCPA) and industry regulations, working with Legal and Security teams to maintain best practices for consent and data handling.
- Continuously analyze funnel metrics with advanced analytics tools (Google Analytics, GA4, Adobe Analytics, Looker, Tableau) and translate insights into actionable optimizations for conversion rate, funnel velocity, and marketing-attributed revenue.
- Establish and maintain playbooks for lead qualification, sales handoff, scoring thresholds, and campaign templates to reduce time-to-launch and improve repeatability of high-performing programs.
- Monitor competitive activity and market trends, conducting win/loss analysis and buyer research to refine targeting, messaging, and product-market fit for strategic verticals.
- Drive cross-channel personalization and dynamic creative strategies to increase engagement at account and persona levels, leveraging first- and zero-party data to improve relevance and performance.
- Create and present monthly and quarterly marketing performance reviews to senior leadership, tying campaign outcomes directly to revenue impact and recommending prioritization of future investments.
Secondary Functions
- Support Sales by developing playbooks, battlecards, and one-pagers that enable reps to effectively position solutions and close deals faster.
- Coordinate logistics, sponsorships, and on-site/virtual execution for industry events, trade shows, and customer conferences to maximize lead generation and brand presence.
- Assist in vendor selection, manage agency relationships, and oversee creative, media, and technology partners to ensure deliverables meet quality and ROI expectations.
- Work with Finance to track marketing spend, reconcile campaign budgets, and report on spend-to-pipeline metrics to maintain disciplined budget governance.
- Conduct training sessions for Sales and Customer Success on new campaign assets, product updates, and lead follow-up best practices to improve conversion rates.
- Support ad-hoc executive projects such as competitive launches, investor decks, or cross-functional strategic initiatives as required.
- Contribute to company thought leadership by coordinating executive interviews, PR outreach, and analyst briefings in partnership with Communications.
Required Skills & Competencies
Hard Skills (Technical)
- Demand generation strategy and execution (email marketing, paid media, content, events).
- Account-Based Marketing (ABM) program design and tooling (Engagio, Demandbase, 6sense).
- Marketing automation platforms (HubSpot, Marketo, Pardot) — campaign builds, nurture flows, lead scoring.
- CRM proficiency (Salesforce) including reporting, lead routing, and closed-loop attribution.
- Paid media management (LinkedIn Ads, Google Ads, programmatic platforms) and bid/creative optimization.
- SEO and content marketing — keyword research, on-page SEO, technical SEO collaboration.
- Analytics and reporting (Google Analytics / GA4, Adobe Analytics, Looker, Tableau) and building executive dashboards.
- A/B and multivariate testing frameworks for landing pages, emails, and ad creative.
- Lead scoring, lead lifecycle design, and SLA implementation between Marketing and Sales.
- Budget planning and media buying, vendor negotiation, and marketing ROI analysis.
- Event marketing and webinar platforms (ON24, Zoom Webinars) coordination and measurement.
- Data privacy and compliance knowledge (GDPR, CCPA) related to marketing programs and consent management.
- Familiarity with content management systems (WordPress, Contentful) and basic HTML/CSS for landing page edits.
- Experience with attribution models (first-touch, multi-touch, time-decay) and pipeline influence analysis.
Soft Skills
- Strategic thinker with a revenue-first mindset and strong business acumen.
- Excellent cross-functional communicator able to translate marketing metrics into commercial outcomes.
- Results-oriented, data-driven decision maker who prioritizes experiments and optimizations based on measurable impact.
- Strong project management skills with the ability to juggle multiple campaigns and deadlines.
- Leadership and coaching ability to mentor junior marketers and coordinate external agencies.
- Creative problem solver comfortable with ambiguity and rapid iteration.
- High attention to detail and commitment to quality in campaign execution and reporting.
- Collaborative team player who builds trusting relationships with Sales, Product, and Customer Success.
- Persuasive presenter able to influence senior stakeholders and secure investment for strategic initiatives.
- Adaptable and continuous learner who stays current on B2B marketing trends and technologies.
Education & Experience
Educational Background
Minimum Education:
- Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business Administration, Communications, or related field.
Preferred Education:
- MBA or Master's degree in Marketing, Business, or Analytics preferred but not required.
- Certifications in HubSpot, Google Ads, Google Analytics, or marketing automation platforms are a plus.
Relevant Fields of Study:
- Marketing
- Business Administration
- Communications
- Data Analytics / Marketing Analytics
Experience Requirements
Typical Experience Range:
- 4–8+ years of progressive B2B marketing experience with 2+ years owning demand generation or ABM programs.
Preferred:
- 6–10 years of B2B marketing with proven success driving pipeline and revenue in SaaS, technology, or complex solution sales.
- Demonstrated experience managing marketing automation tools, CRM systems (Salesforce), paid media budgets, and cross-functional GTM programs.
- Track record of scaling programs, mentorship of junior staff, and presenting performance to executive leadership.