🎛️ Moving on from MQLs? What's your replacement?

Are you ready to bid adieu to the MQL? Many marketers say they are. But MQLs are so woven into GTM strategy and KPIs that replacing them sounds better in theory than in practice.

Today, contributor Kathleen Schaub looks at the history and conundrum of MQLs and also offers five ideas for marketers ready to move on.

Also today, Zac Stucki looks at the role of marketing in customer churn. To paraphrase the famous line from “Top Gun,” your marketing is making promises your product can’t keep.” Want to guess what happens at renewal time when that’s the case?

Finally, today is the day Microsoft drops the hammer on non-compliant bulk email senders. We’ve added an audio deep dive to our popular page on bulk email requirements that sums it all up for you.

Mike Pastore
Editorial Director

Performance marketing

5 suggestions for moving beyond MQLs

MQL is more disinformation than data. Uncover why it fails and how to build smarter, more accurate go-to-market strategies.

Diversity and inclusion in marketing

Marketers could have saved Target and Southwest from themselves

Everything a company does impacts the brand. The C-suite would avoid many disasters by consulting the people who know the customers best.

Marketing management

How marketing’s broken promises are sinking your renewal rates

Contract renewals reflect your marketing's truth. If your story breaks, customers walk. Here's how to fix the gap and boost retention.

Digital asset management (DAM)

Beyond tagging: High-value GenAI use cases for DAM

DAM + generative AI = A new paradigm for creatives and martech leaders.

MarTech webinar

Still digging through folders like it's 2012?

It’s 2025. Your marketing workflow shouldn’t feel like a digital scavenger hunt. Join this webinar to see how GenAI is helping marketers ditch the busywork and find what they need fast.

MarTechCharts

Content generation outpaces other applications of AI for marketers

We can assume about two-thirds of marketers are using AI for content creation. But when will other applications catch on?

B2B marketing

Your top B2B YouTube ads questions – answered

YouTube isn’t just for B2C. Here's how B2B brands can use video ads to build trust and move buyers through complex sales cycles.

Marketing artificial intelligence (AI)

5 ways marketers are actually using AI to get more done

This guide covers five grounded, real-world ways marketers are using AI right now to improve efficiency without sacrificing quality.

Marketing technology

More consolidation among data tools, as Fivetran acquires Census

Vendors touching customer data keep pairing up as data becomes more essential in the AI era.

On-demand marketing training

The complete MarTech spring season is now available!

Unlock 45+ on-demand discussions on marketing strategy and solutions to overcome your biggest AI, GTM, ABM, and influencer marketing challenges – yours for free.

Start Watching

What else we're reading

MarTech research

What they're saying

From Search Engine Land