After more than two decades working across both B2C and B2B in technology organizations, stepping into a finance-focused enterprise software company required a fundamentally new approach. At BlackLine, the focus is on enabling the Office of the CFO: an audience that is among the most discerning, operationally focused, and results-driven in the business ecosystem. These leaders are not seeking flashy messaging or high-level brand promises. They expect clarity, control, and measurable outcomes.

The past 12 months have provided several actionable takeaways for B2B marketing leaders looking to more effectively reach and resonate with finance leaders. Below are five key strategies that can help marketers elevate their approach in today’s enterprise finance landscape.

1. Apply transactional marketing discipline to long-cycle sales

Enterprise buyers, particularly in finance, are operating differently than they were even a few years ago. They heavily lean into digital channels, for example, and source insights before even vendors are aware of their intent. Therefore, measuring user intent across digital channels by tracking key metrics and analyzing user behavior is instrumental to understand their needs and goals.

This shift requires marketing teams to apply the same rigor and responsiveness common in high-velocity, transactional environments. Performance marketing tactics such as paid search, intent-based targeting, and conversion optimization are effective when adapted for longer journeys. Top-of-funnel success should be measured by buyer alignment and progress, not just volume. Engaging CFOs and their teams demands content that is useful, not salesy, and speaks to their specific challenges around control, compliance, and efficiency.

2. Balance event-driven engagement with digital scale

When marketing teams rely too heavily on in-person events, they often end up engaging the same contacts repeatedly. That was the case at BlackLine a few years ago, where a significant portion of marketing spend was tied to hosted events and conferences. While those efforts are still valuable, they are no longer the centerpiece of the strategy.

The focus has shifted to a digital-first model, and one that reflects how finance professionals consume information. Campaigns now span paid media, organic social, SEO, and always-on content across platforms like LinkedIn or YouTube. This diversification has allowed the team to reach new audiences more consistently, including finance leaders who may never attend industry events but still influence buying decisions.

To support this change, the team relaunched the corporate website, added multilingual versions to reflect a global footprint, and invested in foundational technology. These updates made it possible to deliver a digital experience that is both scalable and tailored to how modern finance buyers engage.

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3. Make internal alignment a growth engine with joint KPIs

One of the most significant shifts has been the repositioning of marketing as a cross-functional connector within the organization. Historically, many marketing teams operate independently, disconnected from product, sales, or customer success. But in an enterprise software environment, particularly one focused on automation for finance, misalignment creates inconsistent messaging and customer experience.

By building tighter feedback loops with product, marketing is now surfacing real-time competitive and customer insights to inform roadmap decisions. Collaboration with sales has resulted in a refined pipeline strategy. And by working closely with customer success, marketing has identified key advocacy opportunities and surfaced cross-sell pathways that directly impact retention and expansion.

As a result, the team has shifted away from volume-based lead generation toward a value-over-volume approach grounded in shared goals. This began with a “Crawl, Walk, Run” maturity model that aligned teams around lead definitions, intent signals, and funnel stage progression. New joint KPIs now track performance not just at the top of the funnel, but across the entire customer lifecycle. The result is a more cohesive, high-performing go-to-market engine that reflects the priorities of the CFO and supports every stage of their digital finance transformation.

4. Speak the CFO’s language with empathy and relevance

Finance leaders don’t want to feel like they’re being marketed to. They want to be understood.

This has driven a strategic shift toward value-driven storytelling, with an emphasis on customer testimonials, use cases, and data-backed proof points. Messaging now reflects real-world finance challenges, including process automation, global compliance, and cash flow visibility. Tone and content formats have been adjusted to reflect the expectations of busy, detail-oriented professionals.

Rather than focusing on ROI in abstract terms, campaigns now highlight how automation directly solves pain points within the CFO’s remit. The shift in tone has not only improved engagement, but also helped accelerate trust-building in early sales conversations.

5. Build a team and tech stack that can scale with change

No marketing transformation is possible without the right people and platforms in place. A key factor in recent success has been the intentional blending of homegrown talent and experienced hires. Some team members were promoted into new roles where they could innovate and lead. Others were brought in to inject new ideas, approaches, and best practices.

This hybrid model helped balance continuity with change, and it has supported the evolution of a high-performing team that understands both the company and the customer. On the tech front, tools like FirstUp (for internal communications) and Highspot (for sales enablement) have played a foundational role. These platforms have helped ensure alignment across go-to-market teams and deliver more consistent messaging across channels.

Looking ahead, we will increasingly embed AI in targeting, content development, and campaign orchestration. While this is still early for many enterprise teams, especially those marketing to finance, the groundwork is being laid to capitalize on these capabilities.

Marketing Fundamentals Still Matter, But They Must Evolve

Marketing to the Office of the CFO requires precision, credibility, and deep alignment with business outcomes. In an environment where finance leaders are guiding digital transformation, marketing must evolve to not just support, but accelerate, that shift. By embracing digital-first strategies and delivering content that truly speaks the CFO’s language, CMOs in enterprise software can become essential drivers of business growth.

The past year has shown that even the most established marketing programs can evolve meaningfully. The fundamentals still matter, but how they are applied must reflect the needs of modern enterprise buyers.

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