As the B2B marketing landscape continues to evolve, buyers now engage with sellers on their own terms, initiating contact approximately 70% of the way through their buying journeys. This seismic change sparks several critical questions: What does ABM mean today? Where does it fit within organizational structures? And most importantly, why should ABM be seen as a targeted, account-based approach rather than merely a campaign or a tool?
At the B2B Marketing Exchange 2024, these questions were central to many sessions, offering practical insights that addressed everything from demand generation to the growing influence of AI. These discussions provided valuable takeaways that I’m excited to share with you.
1. A Fresh Look at ABM
The evolution of Account-Based Marketing (ABM) has transformed it into more than just a tactical initiative - it’s now a core B2B revenue strategy. ABM, along with other frameworks like ABX/E/S/GTM/SLG, you name it, serves as an approach that aligns the revenue team around a set of shared target accounts. Much like DevOps, ABM is a methodology that bridges multiple functions, ensuring all teams are focused on the same objectives.
At its core, it is the solution to the often overlapping GTM motions across organizations. ABM and Demand Gen should not exist in silos. These approaches must be intertwined in an account-focused, data-driven strategy that supports long-term business success.
However, ABM is not a one-size-fits-all strategy. Depending on the stage of your business, you’ll need to strike a balance between lead generation and demand generation on one hand, and ABM on the other.
Startup: Focus on leads to establish your market presence.
Scaleup: Once you’ve found product-market fit, shift toward ABM to drive more targeted engagement.
Enterprise: At this stage, ABX (Account-Based Experience) becomes the key to scaling efforts.
To assess ABM readiness, companies must ask themselves three critical questions:
How actionable is your GTM data?
Are you able to track all engagement activities in one place?
Do you have the right tools to report and scale ABM effectively?
My thoughts: ABM should not compete with your existing marketing or sales initiatives. Instead, it must work in harmony with them, ensuring that every team is aligned around the customer to achieve company-wide goals.
2. GTM Alignment for Efficient Growth
In a standout session, Todd Silverstein from Toptal and Brandon Borden from CHEQ stressed the need for alignment across GTM teams. Misaligned metrics across GTM teams and a one-size-fits-all demand generation approach that overlooks intent and prospect differentiation often hinder growth efficiency. Their solution? A cohesive measurement framework that connects marketing with broader company goals.
Todd’s advice: "Architect the measurement framework by first understanding the whole company’s framework and its conjunction with marketing."
Another critical topic related to functional alignments, explored by company Demandworks and Creatorbuzz, was leveraging influencers to align brand and demand generation in the "Dark Funnel" - the untrackable stages of the buyer's journey. Developing content pillars and starting small with micro-influencers is key to engaging B2B buyers early.
My thoughts: Efficient growth relies on alignment - across functions like sales, demand generation, and branding, as well as through the integration of metrics and technologies. As buyers increasingly navigate a self-guided "dark funnel," where much of their journey is untrackable, it’s critical to be PRESENT and deliver VALUE early and throughout. Building authentic, always-on influencer campaigns is a highly effective way to engage with buyers during these hidden stages. Whether using micro- or macro-influencers, fostering trust and awareness through these channels helps keep your brand top-of-mind and relevant.
3. A Not So B2B Approach to Demand Gen
Liz Wood from MOI Global and Marcia Steffen from INFUSE emphasized the need to focus on both out-of-market and in-market buyers, citing their recent AWS campaigns as an example. By leveraging firmographic data and predictive AI models, companies can prioritize accounts more effectively, improving engagement and account velocity. What I found most refreshing was the discussion around B2B technical buyers becoming increasingly active on non-traditional platforms like Reddit and Quora, as well as the growing influence of B2C marketing tactics in B2B.
For out-of-market buyers, they recommend starting with a foundation list infused with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd party data, then using AI-driven insights to guide re-targeting and content syndication.
For in-market buyers, a targeted single-touch program, combined with re-targeting and a personalized outreach strategy, helps keep your product top-of-mind through the deal close.
Liz Wood’s advice: "It’s not about how you want to sell, it’s about how your customers want to buy."
My thoughts: The advice of allocating out-of-market buyers with 70% of your marketing assets was particularly eye-opening. The blend of AI-driven insights with personalized content syndication strategies is a game-changer. As technical buyer engagement increasingly shifts to social channels like Reddit, Quora, and even personal networks like Facebook during the weekends, more B2C tactics are influencing B2B. Marketers need to adapt by leveraging the right channels and targeting both in-market and out-of-market buyers with tailored data-backed content.
4. The Growing Influence of AI in Demand Gen
Neil Patel's session and Pam Didner's on AI in demand generation emphasized the transformative impact of AI in automating processes, personalizing interactions, and enhancing decision-making at scale. Companies are increasingly leveraging AI not only for task automation but also to shape their overarching strategies, empowering teams to make informed decisions and swiftly adapt to shifts in the buyer landscape.
What I’m most excited about is AI powered hyper-personalization, where real-time analysis drives tailored content for designated segments and adaptive messaging is customized at the individual level, showcasing how B2C strategies and technologies are influencing B2B practices.
Another refreshing finding was that buyers increasingly rely on Gen AI to research and select vendors. Check out tools like Reveal.ai that is designed to help individuals and organizations understand how they appear in Gen AI models.
Key takeaway: AI can help scale demand generation efforts, but it’s crucial to first explore the capabilities of existing platforms before investing in new tools. Pam's advice to use AI tools in scaling stages resonated with me, especially when considering how my own company could leverage this in our marketing efforts.
5. Rethinking ABM for Must-Win Accounts
Rob Leavitt from Momentum ITSMA shared valuable insights into the evolution of ABM. Once regarded as a niche tactic, ABM has now become a central element of B2B strategies across various industries. The focus has shifted toward cultivating deeper, longer engagements with a list of carefully selected target accounts and building stronger, more personalized relationships with key decision-makers.
Leavitt advocates for a lighthouse strategy, where understanding one key account serves as the foundation for broader strategic initiatives. Deepening conversations through fewer campaigns but longer programs that demonstrate relevant thought leadership resonated the most with me. This involves creating account-based nurture campaigns that continuously reinforce the core message.
Rob Leavitt’s advice: “Narrow the focus - fewer accounts, fewer campaigns, longer programs, clearer value. And humanize connections with fewer relationships, but more champions.”
My thoughts: ABM has transcended its role as merely a tool; it has evolved into a comprehensive methodology. As ABM continues to advance, it becomes crucial to align GTM teams around shared target accounts, emphasizing less random campaigns and more structured, longer account-based programs. Integrating these efforts with go-to-market (GTM) sales plays ensures a cohesive approach that reinforces core themes and messages. This company-wide strategy, involving every customer-facing team, can significantly enhance our ability to engage high-value prospects effectively.
6. The Shift Towards a More Humanized B2B Approach
Another fascinating discussion revolved around how B2B marketing is borrowing more from B2C tactics. This includes creating “build in public” content that shows the behind-the-scenes workings of your business and humanizes your brand. Additionally, the use of personal social media channels like Facebook for B2B ads is becoming increasingly effective, with weekends seeing a spike in engagement.
As B2C technologies become more accessible to B2B, these influences are reshaping how businesses approach their marketing strategies. To truly humanize connections, businesses should focus on cultivating fewer, but more meaningful relationships with champions. Buyers are motivated to engage for only compelling reasons, such as:
seek new ideas
desire peer connections
want to influence your product roadmaps
appreciate having a personal platform to share and refine their thoughts / personal brands
My thoughts: The lines between B2B and B2C approaches are blurring, and marketers need to think creatively about how they engage buyers. Personalization, transparency, and authenticity are key drivers in today's B2B landscape.
7. Quick Win Campaigns for B2B Buyer Success
Michael Phelan from Go-to-Market Pros and Colt Briner from Scappy AF Solutions shared some excellent strategies for launching quick win campaigns. One example that stood out was the “Thought Fellowship Campaign,” where businesses interview stakeholders from target accounts on industry trends, then publish these interviews to drive brand awareness and create relationships. Another campaign I personally find highly effective based on past experience was the “How Do I Compare With Peers” outreach, which positions your company as a resource for industry benchmarking.
My thoughts: These quick win campaigns are perfect for organizations looking to create high-impact, low-investment programs that generate demand and foster relationships. At my company, we’re already exploring how we can integrate similar campaigns into our marketing efforts to accelerate results for our clients.
Benchmarking Your B2B Marketing Strategy
Here are some critical benchmarks shared during the conference that will help you measure and refine your marketing efforts:
70%: Buyers are 70% of the way through their buying cycle before they first contact a vendor. (Source: 6Sense & INFUSE)
11 months: The average time it takes for a buyer to choose a vendor after starting their research. (Source: 6Sense & INFUSE)
10-person buying group: On average, this is the size of buying groups evaluating solutions. (Source: 6Sense & INFUSE)
16 touches per person: The number of interactions needed to engage buying groups, with 4 vendors typically being evaluated. (Source: 6Sense & INFUSE)
13+ content touches: Required in a buyer’s journey, mixing creative, tactical, and practical content. (Source: 6Sense & INFUSE)
5% to 10% of revenue: The typical marketing budget for high-ticket tech SaaS companies, established companies in mature industries tend to spend less and rely more on existing customers, while growing or innovative companies that need to capture market share tend to spend more.
50% drop: The decline in lead-to-meeting conversion rates in 2024, underscoring the need for more personalized strategies, according to Sales Mastery
Final Thoughts
The B2B marketing landscape is evolving rapidly, and the B2B Marketing Exchange provided an abundance of fresh ideas and strategies. From AI-driven demand generation to deeper ABM campaigns, the future of B2B marketing is all about alignment, personalization, and agility.
This conference reaffirmed a few key trends I’ve been noticing - AI’s growing role in B2B marketing strategy, the blurring lines between B2B and B2C approaches, and the increasing importance of personalized, data-driven marketing. As we move forward, it's clear that B2B marketing will continue to evolve, and so must our strategies to stay ahead of the curve.
If you're looking for ways to optimize your B2B marketing efforts, whether through ABM/ABX, AI, or personalized lead gen or demand gen, feel free to reach out us at info@nextgenabm.io or follow our thoughts leadership. We'd love to discuss how we can drive growth together.
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