How to Audit Your Mid-Year Pipeline to Ensure You Hit Year-End Revenue Goals
We’re now almost the midway point into the calender year. Your team has executed campaigns, spent ad budgets, and published content.
But here’s the real question:
Are your marketing activities filling your sales pipeline with qualified, closeable sales leads?
If you’re unsure, you’re not alone. Many businesses run head-down into Q3 without pausing to assess whether their marketing is truly driving revenue.
This post gives you a step-by-step framework on how to audit your marketing results and lead generation efforts right now, so you can:
Stop wasting money on ineffective campaigns,
Double down on what’s working,
And ensure you’re generating the pipeline you need to hit your annual sales goals.
Why Mid-Year Marketing Reviews Are Non-Negotiable
The Hidden Risks of “Set It and Forget It” Marketing
Most businesses set their annual marketing strategy in Q4 or Q1 of the year, and rarely revisit it. If they do, its often not until it’s too late. Markets shift. Buyer behavior changes. What worked in January may already be stale by June. (This year has demonstrated this fact far more starkly than ever before!)
The cost of not pausing to review:
Wasted Ad Spend: Campaigns that looked promising on paper might be burning budget without driving qualified traffic.
Lead Quality Issues: You might be generating volume but attracting the wrong people; i.e. those who will never buy.
Missed Market Shifts: Competitors may have repositioned, leaving your messaging feeling outdated or irrelevant. Tariffs might have completely upended your buyer, and industry.
Pipeline Gaps: Your sales team may be starved for qualified opportunities while marketing celebrates vanity metrics.
The 4-Step Mid-Year Marketing & Lead Generation Audit
Step 1: Measure Lead Generation Performance
Start by reviewing your lead quantity and quality.
Questions to Ask:
Are we hitting our lead generation targets?
What percentage of leads are qualified?
Which channels are delivering the best leads?
Data to Analyze:
Total leads generated YTD
Qualified lead rate (MQL (marketing qualified lead) to SQL (sales qualified lead) conversion)
Channel performance: SEO, PPC, Social, Email, Referral, etc.
Cost per lead (CPL) by channel
Warning Sign: High lead volume with low qualification rates is worse than no leads—it wastes sales time and kills conversion efficiency.
Step 2: Evaluate Channel ROI
Not all marketing channels perform equally. Identify where you’re getting the best cost-per-acquisition (CPA) and customer lifetime value (LTV).
Questions to Ask:
Are our top-spending channels delivering real ROI?
Are there underfunded channels showing strong efficiency?
Are we relying too heavily on short-term paid tactics?
Data to Analyze:
ROI by channel (Revenue / Spend)
LTV:CAC Ratio
Attribution models (First click, last click, multi-touch)
Pro Tip: Consider reallocating budget from expensive, underperforming paid channels to higher-margin owned or organic channels like SEO or email.
Step 3: Audit Messaging & Market Relevance
Your marketing could be flawless in execution but fall flat if your messaging no longer resonates.
Questions to Ask:
Are we speaking to our buyers’ current pain points?
How do our competitors’ messaging and positioning compare?
Data to Analyze:
Campaign engagement (CTR, time on page, bounce rates)
Competitor messaging analysis
Customer feedback and sales team insights
Adjustment Example: Reposition offers to reflect shifting market priorities or customer budget constraints.
Step 4: Validate Sales & Marketing Alignment
Generating leads is worthless if sales can’t close them. Ensure both teams are aligned on what a good lead looks like.
Questions to Ask:
Does sales agree these are quality leads?
Are leads being followed up on promptly?
Are marketing and sales using shared definitions for lead stages?
Data to Analyze:
Lead-to-opportunity conversion rate
Sales cycle length changes
Lead status and follow-up velocity in CRM
Pro Tip: Host a joint sales-marketing sync to recalibrate your ideal customer profile (ICP) and lead scoring model.
How to Apply What You Find
1. Prioritize High-Impact Adjustments
You’ll likely uncover multiple opportunities to improve. Don’t try to fix everything. Focus on the few adjustments that will generate the biggest lift.
2. Reallocate Budget With Confidence
Shift resources away from underperforming channels toward those that have proven ROI based on data, not gut feel.
3. Align Marketing & Sales Goals
Ensure both teams have shared targets, understand lead definitions, and are communicating regularly to optimize the funnel.
4. Refine Messaging for Relevance
Update your campaigns and content to reflect today’s buyer—not the buyer you imagined in your January strategy session.
5. Commit to Monthly Reviews
The market won’t wait for your annual planning cycle. Set up monthly check-ins to review pipeline health, lead quality, and conversion metrics.
Conclusion: Make Your Marketing Work Smarter, Not Harder
If your marketing isn’t consistently driving qualified pipeline, you’re not on track to hit your sales goals—no matter how good your campaigns feel.
Take control now by auditing your mid-year marketing results and making the data-driven adjustments your business needs to finish strong.
Need a second opinion? We offer free marketing audits to help you spot leaks in your lead generation strategy. Book yours here.
Let’s make the second half of the year your most productive yet.
