Calculating return on investment (ROI) is a fundamental practice for businesses aiming to make informed financial decisions. ROI measures the profitability of an investment by comparing the gains to the costs, providing a clear picture of whether an initiative is worth pursuing. Whether you’re evaluating the success of a marketing campaign, a new product launch, or a major operational change, understanding ROI is key to optimizing your resources and achieving long-term success.
Knowing when and how to calculate ROI can make all the difference in strategic planning. For example, businesses often use ROI to assess the effectiveness of digital advertising campaigns, determining whether the revenue generated justifies the budget spent. Similarly, ROI is invaluable when deciding between competing investments, such as upgrading equipment or expanding into a new market.
To simplify these calculations, the free ROI calculator below was created to analyze your investments and make data-informed decisions. It provides a straightforward way to crunch the numbers, empowering you to confidently measure the success of your initiatives and prioritize opportunities with the highest potential return.
Mount Rushmore, a monumental human creation carved into the Black Hills of South Dakota, stands as a powerful symbol of American history. Few would argue against the four U.S. Presidents who grace its face.
1. George Washington
George Washington was the first President of the United States who led the American Revolution to victory.
2. Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the third President of the United States and author of the Declaration of Independence.
3. Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States and known for his role in negotiating the construction of the Panama Canal.
4. Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States who led the country through the Civil War and abolished slavery.
Now, what if there was a Mount Rushmore of the greatest marketing minds, those heroes that have made marketing what it is today? Well, I have gone and done just that, at least digitally. My Proposal:
1. Philip Kotler
Born May 27, 1931, in Chicago, Illinois, USA, and still with us, which I hope we can say for many years to come. Often referred to as the “father of modern marketing,” Kotler’s work has been instrumental in shaping the academic and practical approaches to marketing worldwide.
Developed the concept of social marketing, extending marketing beyond just selling products to influencing social change.
Authored the landmark textbook Marketing Management, used by universities and businesses globally.
Pioneered the idea of marketing as a strategic function rather than just a tactical one.
Advocated for customer-centric marketing, influencing how businesses engage with consumers.
His 4 Ps of marketing (Product, Price, Place, Promotion) became a foundational framework for marketing practice.
2. Peter Drucker
Born November 19, 1909, in Vienna, Austria, and died November 11, 2005, in Claremont, California, USA. Known as the “father of modern management,” Drucker’s work has had a profound influence on both marketing and business management, shaping corporate strategies for decades.
Introduced the concept of management by objectives (MBO), influencing how businesses set and achieve goals.
Emphasized the importance of customer orientation in business, shifting focus from products to the needs and wants of customers.
Defined marketing as a key business function that drives business growth, not just a support role.
Advocated for the concept of innovation and entrepreneurship within organizations.
His writings, including The Practice of Management, have become essential reading for leaders in all industries.
3. David Ogilvy
Born June 23, 1911, in West Horsley, Surrey, England, and died July 21, 1999, in Paris, France. Known as the “father of advertising,” Ogilvy’s innovative ad campaigns and focus on research-based marketing revolutionized the advertising industry.
Founded Ogilvy & Mather, one of the most successful advertising agencies in the world.
Created iconic campaigns for brands like Hathaway Shirts and Schweppes, which are still studied for their effectiveness.
Advocated for research-driven advertising, emphasizing the importance of understanding consumer behavior.
Wrote Ogilvy on Advertising, a timeless guide that continues to influence marketers today.
Pioneered the idea that “the consumer isn’t a moron, she’s your wife,” emphasizing the importance of treating customers with respect and intelligence.
4. Theodore Levitt
Born March 1, 1925, in Hartford, Connecticut, USA, and died June 28, 2006, in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Levitt’s work in redefining marketing and business strategy, particularly his famous “Marketing Myopia” article, has become foundational to modern marketing thought.
Authored the groundbreaking article Marketing Myopia, which challenged businesses to focus on customer needs rather than just their products.
Introduced the concept of global marketing, arguing that businesses should see the world as a single market.
Emphasized the importance of innovation and customer-driven strategy in business success.
Developed the idea of product life cycle management, helping businesses plan for the long-term sustainability of their products.
His work on brand differentiation influenced how companies position themselves in competitive markets.
With any short list, there will always be those “runner-ups” who perhaps in certain ways are more deserving or that you wish the list was extended to include a few more. If possible, a few other names quickly come to mind:
Seth Godin (permission marketing and reshaped how we think about customer relationships)
Jay Conrad Levinson (father of Guerrilla Marketing, unconventional marketing tactics)
All worthy inclusions. These figures represent the evolution of marketing from traditional to digital, emphasizing new approaches to consumer engagement, branding, and content in the modern world. Their influence on current marketing practices is substantial, particularly in the age of social media and digital marketing.
One of my favorite quotes from Jay Baer is “We are surrounded by data, but starved for insights.” In the fast-paced marketing landscape, always learning is a must and using your time wisely is more critical than ever. Perhaps like other learning sources, podcasts, books, events, and blogs to name a few, you have also tried to keep a pulse on newsletters. Yeah, me too. The following will be my growing list of newsletters focused on marketing that I think are both worthy of you inbox, and worth of your time.
Chartr – subscribe Audience: currently touting more than 543,000 list size About: 4x/week newsletter specializing in data storytelling, offering visual insights into various topics such as business, entertainment, and society. Free!a
Marketer – subscribe Audience: currently touting more than 1,000 list size About: 3x/week newsletter packed with marketing case studies, examples, and job opportunities. Free! Newsletter sections:
Lessons for Marketers
STP Analysis (segmenting, targeting, and positioning if you need the reminder)
SWOT Analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats if you need the reminder)
Marketing Mix (the four P’s – product, price, promotion, and place)
When it comes to achieving goals, the SMART framework has become a gold standard. The idea is simple yet powerful: make your goals Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Here’s a breakdown of the SMART framework, using the theme of losing weight, followed by an experience of mine that highlights the power of breaking goals into manageable chunks.
The SMART Goal Framework
S – Specific
A specific goal clearly defines what you want to achieve.
Less Effective: “I want to lose weight.”
Better: “I want to lose 15 pounds by eating healthier and exercising regularly.”
M – Measurable
A measurable goal allows you to track progress and know when it’s achieved.
Less Effective: “I want to exercise more.”
Better: “I will exercise 4 days a week for 30 minutes each session.”
A – Achievable
An achievable goal is realistic, given your resources and constraints.
Less Effective: “I will lose 30 pounds in two weeks.”
Better: “I will lose 1 to 2 pounds per week by reducing my calorie intake and exercising.”
R – Relevant
A relevant goal aligns with your overall priorities and values.
Less Effective: “I want to fit into a specific outfit.”
Better: “I want to lose weight to improve my health and energy levels.”
T – Time-bound
A time-bound goal has a deadline to keep you focused.
Less Effective: “I’ll start losing weight soon.”
Better: “I will lose 15 pounds over the next 12 weeks.”
My Push-Up Journey
In 2020, I had a simple goal: do 10,000 push-ups by the end of the year. I remember doing sets of less than five at a time when I started. This approach taught me two valuable lessons:
Breaking It Down: Instead of focusing on a big, intimidating target, I focused on small, manageable chunks—one day or one week at a time. Not that I was doing push-ups every day but this worked out to around 27 push-ups a day to hit this 10,000 goal.
Focusing on Activity Over Outcome: I didn’t obsess over the scale or immediate results. In fact, I didn’t even pay much attention to what I was eating which wasn’t ideal but instead of fighting that will power battle, the focus entirely was on the push-ups. Without realizing it, my body started looking more defined and less frumpy, and I became stronger and capable of more reps over time.
This method was a game-changer. By emphasizing consistent effort over immediate results, I achieved far more than I initially thought possible.
Three Lesser-Known Tips for Goal Setting
While the SMART framework is a fantastic starting point, here are three additional tips I’ve found helpful:
1. Make Tracking Easy and Accessible
Having an app or tool that’s always with you makes it easy to track progress and stay on top of your goals. Whether it’s a quick update during downtime or a reminder to stay on track, accessibility is key. For several years, I have been using the Strides. mobile app It’s not free but this is a case where you get what you pay for. It’s easy to update, I can see how I am pacing, and it offers flexibility not found in other apps like is this a daily/weekly/monthly entry or if every entry should be added to an overall total. Here’s a screen shot of one of my goals this year – simple but powerful.
However you want to track your goals, make sure it’s not adding friction to your whole goals process. One thing I noticed with Strides, is that I can bucket my goals into key categories – emotional, intellectual, physical, social, and spiritual. I often have too many intellectual goals with number of books to read, number of podcasts to listen to, number of videos to watch, and number of PDFs to read. This is too much and not realistic. Have balance and don’t sabatouge yourself.
2. Make Each Day a Fresh Opportunity
Set up your goals so that every day feels like a new chance to succeed. For example, with my push-up goal, I had a yearly target but also knew the daily average I needed to hit. Missing a day didn’t feel like a failure but rather an opportunity to catch up and stay on course. Seting up your goals this way should avoid the typical New Year’s resolutions that crash and burn just a few weeks into the new year. Keep in mind, if you have a goal that you are not making progress on after a month, perhaps it just needs to be broken down into smaller, more doable pieces. Make it easy on yourself to take action.
3. Celebrate Milestones
Recognizing progress along the way keeps you motivated. Whether it’s completing a week of workouts or hitting your first 100 push-ups, celebrating these wins helps maintain momentum. Share your successes with friends and family. They can better support you and they may also catch the vision of hitting goals one day at a time.
Setting and achieving goals is a skill anyone can master with the right tools and mindset. By combining the SMART framework with these practical tips, you’ll be well on your way to accomplishing your objectives—whether it’s weight loss, push-ups, or any. What goals will you tackle next?
Not long ago, attending an industry conference meant being there in person—virtual attendance wasn’t even a consideration. But COVID changed that, accelerating the shift to virtual conferences. It not only pushed us to refine virtual event technology but also proved how valuable and network-driven virtual conferences can be.
What’s even better is the rise of high-quality marketing conferences that are entirely free or offer a freemium option for consuming valuable content.
Here are some of the best free marketing conferences that are worth your time and won’t impact your budget.
DEMAND CONF https://demandconf.skale.so/ 2024 About: Designed for Heads of Demand Gen, VPs of Marketing, and Heads of Growth in SaaS companies.
Martech https://martech.org/conference/ Spring: April 2024 Fall: September 2024 About: MarTech is for senior marketing, technology, and digital executives and experts at the intersection of marketing, technology, and customer experience. If you’re looking to connect the dots between technical possibilities and strategic opportunities in the reshaping of modern marketing, this conference is for you.
SMX Advanced https://searchengineland.com/smx/advanced June 2024 About: SMX is designed especially for seasoned professionals in the search marketing industry eager to stay a step ahead of the competition. If you’re responsible for organic, paid, social, email, mobile, local, eCommerce… if you regularly work with Google Ads, Google Analytics, Bing, Microsoft, Amazon, WordPress, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram… if you are obsessed with algorithm updates, ad types, generative AI, ROI, and everything in between… this is the event for you.
DEMAND 2024 https://thedemandevent.com/ October 2024 About: Be a part of the #1 learning resource for demand gen marketers.
MeasureSummit https://measuresummit.com/ October 2024 Well worth the early bird price to have 24/7 access to the recorded sessions About: The Largest Virtual Event Dedicated to Leveraging Measurement, Data, and Analytics for Business Growth.
SMX Next https://searchengineland.com/smx/next November 13-14, 2024 About: SMX is designed especially for seasoned professionals in the search marketing industry eager to stay a step ahead of the competition. If you’re responsible for organic, paid, social, email, mobile, local, eCommerce… if you regularly work with Google Ads, Google Analytics, Bing, Microsoft, Amazon, WordPress, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram… if you are obsessed with algorithm updates, ad types, generative AI, ROI, and everything in between… this is the event for you.
Adobe Summit https://summit.adobe.com/na/ March 18-20, 2025 About: Learn from global innovators across industries, connect with other leaders, and get inspired by new and upcoming developments in generative AI, personalization at scale, and more. If you can’t attend the live event in Las Vegas, join us online from anywhere.
Tableau Conference https://www.salesforce.com/tableau-conference/ April 15-17, 2025 About: Grab a dashboard and join the DataFam at the industry’s leading analytics conference. If you love data — and you want to discover what’s next for AI.
