If paid media feels harder than it did two years ago, you’re not imagining it. Costs are up. Buyers are using AI to research you before sales ever speaks to them. And leaders and clients alike want proof that every dollar turns into pipeline.
This week we’re getting some practical strategies and real-life case studies based on our recent webinar with Devin Littlefield, CEO of Market Vantage.
I had the pleasure of working with Devin at two different companies now, and he knows his stuff! Dig in, and don’t forget to check out the recording for the full presentation.
In this edition:
Cutting paid ad waste without losing pipeline
Templates to connect ad spend to pipeline
New: Chat with your data using Databox MCP
Silo-smashing GTM reads
🎥 Cutting paid ad waste without losing pipeline
In our latest webinar, Devin Littlefield shared what he’s seeing across B2B SaaS teams heading into 2026:
Google CPCs up 13%.
LinkedIn CPCs up 147%.
94% of buyers using AI during the sales process.
30% of marketing budgets allocated to paid.
And yet, many teams still optimize toward cost per lead. According to Devin, that’s a problem.
In one case study Devin walked through, a B2B AI SaaS company generated 562 leads in a quarter. But nearly 50% were disqualified.
Two quarters later, after cutting the LinkedIn budget in half and restructuring targeting, they improved their sales accepted lead rate to 60%.
Less spend but higher conversions → that’s a win for everyone.
Tie costs to pipeline impact
Instead of obsessing over cost per lead, Devin recommends measuring:
Cost per sales accepted lead
Cost per opportunity
Cost per new deal
Customer acquisition cost
Payback period
Because if your paid campaigns can’t tie to pipeline impact, they will always be questioned.
The PEAK framework
Devin provided a simple experimentation model, called “PEAK,” which stands for Plan, Execute, Analyze, and Keep going. It’s simple, but it also forces disciplined decisions like:
Defining ICP and buying committees first
Testing audiences and formats intentionally
Running minimum 14-day creative cycles
Aligning tightly with sales
That last one is particularly important – according to Devin, “You must be able to spend time understanding who sales is targeting and why they are targeting them.”
If marketing and sales are not aligned on target accounts, no campaign optimization will save you.
Watch the full interview to learn how Devin:
Cuts budgets strategically without sacrificing pipeline
If this week’s conversation made you rethink how you’re measuring paid, here are two resources to help you put the math into practice:
📊 Paid Ads Dashboard Templates
Track cost, conversions, ROAS, and performance trends across platforms in one place. These templates make it easier to move beyond CPL and start evaluating paid campaigns against real outcomes.
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