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Last week, we explored the balance between AI speed and human judgment in marketing. This week, we’re zeroing in on a tactic that leans fully into human strengths — and is quietly becoming a competitive advantage for top GTM teams: LinkedIn Thought Leader Ads . In a world where AI can churn out “content” faster than we can scroll, influence  still comes from people. Trusted voices with a point of view build credibility, move markets, and open doors AI alone can’t. LinkedIn’s Thought Leader Ads put your execs, experts, and even customers at the center of your paid strategy — then scale their reach with the precision targeting LinkedIn is known for. This special edition is your playbook: why they work, how they fit into your ABM motion, and what I learned from my own tests.

I tried HubSpot’s new GPT Deep Research integration this week — here’s what I found 👇 I’ve been curious how this would work in a real marketing workflow (and how it could benefit my clients), so last weekend, I ran tests in a sandbox version of my own HubSpot setup — side‑by‑side with GPT and Claude, to separate hype from reality. What I Tested Connected HubSpot → GPT for prospecting insights, predictive scoring, personalized follow‑ups, and dynamic campaign ideas. What I Liked (and where I’m Stuck) 1. Real-Time Data Insights Real‑time insights were 🤯 — surfaced micro‑segments and intent patterns we’d been blind to, making audience refinement almost effortless. 2. Automation that still needs a human hand Sequences ran smoothly, but I kept tweaking copy/timing to avoid “robotic follow‑ups.” 💭 Which customer signals does GPT actually read well — and what still needs prompt tweaking to feel human? 3. Privacy + compliance is still the Elephant in the Room Cool features, but I kept wondering. 💭 What guardrails keep data fully compliant? 4. Powerful… but not an exactly “plug and play” for everyone The power is real but I think many marketers may still hit friction. They know the questions to ask, but not how to phrase them so GPT understands.   💭 Will this evolve into a true no‑code tool, or keep staying ops‑heavy? 5. Dashboard + testing gaps Strong MVP, but I miss native marketing dashboards to experiment before pushing live. 6. "Deep Research" mode only Right now it only runs in "Deep Research" mode, which is great for depth, but not ideal when you just need quick questions or tweaks.   My Overall Impression: This could cut out so much those pains in “export → clean → then re‑import" and finally put GPT’s power inside a CRM marketers already know. But strong   data governance   and team readiness   for prompt‑driven workflows is key before scaling. What's your takeaways from this new Hubspot <-> ChatGPT connector? DM me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/oceaneli .

Edition #44 | Published August 4, 2025 Last issue we asked whether content should be gated in an AI‑shaped buyer journey. This week we zoom out: If there’s “an AI for everything,” where do humans still make the difference in GTM? Automation promises speed (e.g. personalization at scale within x minutes), but speed alone could be a trap. The reality often leads to missed fresh context, lack of company nuances, generic plays, and stalled deals. As SaaStr founder Jason Lemkin reminds us this month, sophisticated buyers judge your operational competence as much as your product. The real edge is balancing AI scale with human judgment . Our hands-on run with HubSpot’s new ChatGPT Deep Research connector  drives the lesson home. In this edition, we break down how to let AI handle the heavy lifting while protecting brand trust, pipeline quality, and the nuance that only humans can deliver. Let’s break it down. 🚀 The Pulse: AI in B2B Marketing Industry News You Shouldn’t Miss We read the latest AI x ABM News so you don’t have to.  Demandbase Unveils Major Buying‑Group Enhancements Demandbase’s July update introduced a set of New Buying-Group Agents , plus their super useful “ Unknown Visitor → Recommended High-Intent Buying Group Contacts from This Account ” alerts. Early users are reporting 2.6× larger deal sizes  and 65% higher CTR  when buying‑group coverage is complete.  GTM Partners Unveils “Intent Data Maturity Curve” Research New research shows multi‑signal programs outperform single‑source plays by 48%  in pipeline velocity, as putting too much weight on one type of intent is like basing your entire forecast on one weather app. The leading GTM teams go beyond and above, using AI predicts when prospects will be ready , what they care about, and how best to engage.  Demand Gen Report Released Key Trends Influencing Buyer Engagement 84% of ABM programs now rely on multi‑signal AI models , and teams personalizing beyond job title  see 30% higher opportunity rates . From a distribution channel perspective, conversational advertising represents a significant evolution beyond traditional display formats, frequently surface sales-ready opportunities significantly faster than conventional lead capture methods .  Zapier Publishes Its “AI Fluency” Framework to Assess Marketer’s Skills in Hiring  Zapier’s CEO Wade Foster defined four competency levels (Unacceptable, Capable, Adoptive, Transformative) to evaluate AI fluencies across roles . These are evaluated through screenings, async exercises, and live interviews. Signals compound across stages. Very interesting read! ChatGPT Agent is Launched  ChatGPT now thinks and acts, proactively choosing from a toolbox of agentic skills  to complete tasks for you using its own computer. The agent can also leverage ChatGPT connectors⁠ , which allows you to connect apps like Hubspot so ChatGPT can find information relevant to your prompts and use them in its responses.  🎙 Voices of Influence: Where AI Wins - and Where Humans Still Lead in Marketing The AI future isn’t going to be a handful of vendors pushing one-size-fits-all tools to the market. It’s every GTM team spinning up purpose-built agents  that solve their  specific bottlenecks.  The winners won’t be “most AI automated.” They’ll be the teams that combine AI’s scale  with human judgment and fresh context . Where does AI shine? In my humble opinion,  Heavy-lift, low-context, highly-repetitive tasks : preliminary research, basic lead qualification, first-draft copy, message optimization, etc.. Dynamic distribution : conversational ads that adapt to persona-tailored messages and capture real-time intent, far faster than static traditional ad forms. Strategy accelerators:  providing your data and tools are ready, optimized dynamic prospect lists, segment prioritization, always-on scoring models, etc.  Contextualized insight delivery:   HubSpot’s ChatGPT connector  (we tested in Sandbox) now drops tailored summaries and next-best actions directly into the CRM view. . But more AI isn’t always better. It shouldn’t be a disconnected, tactical fix for an isolated problem. Over‑implementing AI in B2B Marketing without human oversight or strong data governance, can hurt both your brand and your pipeline. Over-automation without proper human oversight and data governance can put brand trust at risk , especially when AI data privacy and security are still fuzzy.  Hyper-personalization at scale is powerful, yet SuperAGI’s latest report  reminds us the human layer is what keeps relevance from drifting into creepiness .  Bottom line here is, let AI handle speed and scale, but keep humans accountable for  fresh context,   industry nuances , data compliance , and the final “should we push send?” call . 🔥 What’s Trending This Week “Good Growth” Redefined:  SaaStr data shows 40‑60% growth  is now exceptional for pre‑$100M ARR. ChatGPT Hits 2.5B Prompts/Day :  Catching up to Google’s 14B daily searches. HubSpot Launches First CRM Connector  for Anthropic’s Claude. 🚀 Notable Funding Rounds in AI-Powered GTM Startups  Loveable  and Replit  both hit $100M ARR in 8 months. This is highlighting how successful AI‑powered startups are racing to category leadership .  🛠 Martech Spotlight: Cool Tools & Innovations Search Console Audit:  Identifies opportunities to boost traffic on Google and AI search platforms. Lindy.ai :  Smart automations connecting Gmail, HubSpot, Clay — enrich, trigger, and personalize follow‑up automatically. E.g. set up a trigger based on keywords, then move the leads into pipeline stage in Hubspot.  There’s an AI for That:  Curated directory of AI tools and workflows. 📚 Knowledge Vault: Must-Reads for ABM Operators What B2B Can Learn From Consumer Brands How to Get Recommended by ChatGPT  – Kyle Poyar Lean AI at Scale: The Official Playbook for Scale‑Ups Step‑by‑Step Guide: Using AI for Strategic Marketing Tasks ⚡ Execution Tips & Tricks for AI x ABM Success  Combine third‑party surge data  (topic research trends) with first‑party engagement signals  (e.g., pricing page visits) for stronger intent validation  before outreach. Repurpose event content  into months of LinkedIn posts using AI transcription + summarization workflows , shared by Lisa Shaw (my fellow MarTech contributor) Tap HubSpot’s AI Prompt Library  to improve campaign ideas and testing velocity. Record real conversations, feed transcripts into AI, and extract authentic content ideas   vs. generic prompts, published by Devin Reed ( Founder of The Reeder) 🎤 ABM Insider: Events We’re Attending  Ghosted to Growth: Revenue Leaders on Buyer Re‑Engagement – Aug 6 Zero‑Party Data in Action: Turning Discovery into Conversions – Aug 12 HubSpot Inbound 2025 – Sept 17‑19 ZapConnect 2025 – Sept 25 💬 Quote of the Week “The fundamental mistake today’s B2B marketers make is deploying artificial intelligence tactically rather than strategically. When AI is relegated to isolated point solutions — writing individual emails, optimizing ad creative, or repurposing content assets — it delivers incremental efficiency gains but fails to address the core challenge of engaging complex buying committees effectively.”  — Anna Eliot, CMO, pharosIQ, Source  “The most significant shift with AI isn’t tactical; it’s mental. Marketers must rethink their entire approach to the workday and workflow. Instead of asking, “How do I do this?” asking, “How can something else think or create for me so that I can focus elsewhere?”  — Madison Sofield, AI Expert at Tomorrow.io ,  Source “When you’re selling to sophisticated buyers, they’re evaluating not just your product, but your operational competence.”   — Jason Lemkin , Founder SaaStr  Source ABM is your go-to-market motion, not a marketing function.  🧠 Ready to revamp your strategy? Check out our past editions  or let’s chat . 🎯 Until next time—stay bold, stay targeted.  📩 Subscribe here  | More insights for you

Next Gen ABM partners with early-stage startups to build AI-powered account-based go-to-market strategies, ABM orchestration programs, and scalable demand generation engines. Gain actionable ABM & ABX insights to fuel growth. AI-Powered Full-Funnel ABM and Demand Programs, Built to Scale Unlock efficient growth through AI-powered targeting, GTM alignment, and scalable execution — all without the overhead of full-time hires. Uncover GTM Gaps 2024 Marketing Innovator Winner | Targeting and Engagement Recognized by the esteemed B2B Marketing Exchange and Demand Gen Report Read More The GTM Gap Most Startups Face Founder-led sales drive early traction — but they often hit a wall. Messaging becomes inconsistent. Targeting lacks precision. Sales and marketing fall out of sync. Growth slows. That’s where fractional leadership and agency support come in. Startups need senior-level expertise to scale — but also need to stay lean . A strategic GTM service offered by NextGenABM brings embedded fractional leadership , battle-tested frameworks and execution , and AI-enabled strategy and operationalization to help bridge the gap between founder-led growth and scalable GTM models — all without the cost of a full-time hire. Why NextGenABM See Portfolio Founded by Océane Li , a B2B marketing leader with 13+ years of experience scaling revenue at Looker, Google, MapR Data, Shopify, and several venture-backed startups and scale-ups with 3 exits . NextGenABM is a certified service provider and solution partner of Demandbase, Salesloft, and HubSpot — and winner of the 2024 B2B Innovation Award (by Demand Gen Report) for excellence in AI-driven marketing. Our strategies extend beyond just ABM . Whether you're running inbound marketing, demand generation, or user-led growth — we bring clarity, targeting, systems, and scalable execution to modernize your GTM. What sets us apart: ✅ AI + full-service GTM : Strategy, orchestration, and execution in one place ✅ Data and operational expertise : We work with the right tools, not just the familiar ones ✅ Deep B2B SaaS expertise blended with both product-led and sales-led growth strategies ✅ B2C-inspired personalization : Bringing creative and dynamic personalization into B2B ✅ Strong GTM alignment: Integrating sales prospecting and inbound marketing into one motion ✅ Cross-industry perspective : While grounded in SaaS, my early background in manufacturing and supply chain brings a systems-thinking lens that strengthens GTM execution. Approach: ✅ Fractional. Strategic marketing leadership without the headcount. ✅ AI-Enabled. Campaigns, content, and routing powered by GTM signal-based intelligence. ✅ Outcome-Driven. Focused on pipeline, alignment, and measurable revenue lift. ✅ Scalable. Engagements that flex with your stage, stack, and growth pace. Based in: SF Bay Area | Serving: Global fast-growing B2B teams (incl. EMEA) What We Do NextGenABM is a strategic consultancy that helps tech companies, especially those scaling from founder-led growth, build smarter, leaner go-to-market engines. Align GTM teams around one revenue strategy Operationalize AI to scale full-funnel demand gen Build CRM + RevOps infrastructure for GTM scale Run multi-channel campaigns that convert high-intent signals into pipeline Delivered through: Strategic Workshops & Messaging Frameworks Fractional Marketing Leadership Executional Support with ABM + GTM Campaigns More Info What is ABM? Account-Based Marketing (ABM) is a B2B growth strategy focused on identifying and engaging high-fit accounts and buying personas, rather than casting a wide net. It aligns marketing and sales around shared targets and uses personalized, full-funnel campaigns to increase conversion and deal velocity. Even if you're not running formal ABM today, the same principles apply to any business trying to grow smarter with : Targeted Engagement Team Alignment Optimized ROI and Revenue Impacts ABM/ABX Services Demand Gen Services Revenue Operations Services Go-to-Market Services Patners Trusted Service Provider Partners Next Gen ABM Partner with Best-in-Class Technologies for Your Account-Based Revenue Excellence. Recognized by Leading Account Based Marketing and Sales Technology Vendors “Working with Océane felt like having a true thought partner. She helped us clarify our positioning and narrative, making it easier to engage investors and connect with the right early adopters to lay a strong foundation for future growth.” Asa Whillock, Founder & CEO, Euphonic AI Insights to Power Your Next Move💡 Curious how leading B2B teams are using AI and account-based sales and marketing to unlock growth? Whether you're building your first GTM engine or evolving from founder-led sales, these are the resources to help you move faster — and smarter. Get Insights My Test and Takes on HubSpot’s new GPT Deep Research integration My Test and Takes on HubSpot’s new GPT Deep Research integration Aug 6 Weekly AI x ABM Insights – Speed vs. Context: The Pitfalls of Over-AI in B2B Marketing Weekly AI x ABM Insights – Speed vs. Context: The Pitfalls of Over-AI in B2B Marketing Aug 5 Weekly AI x ABM Insights – Gated or Ungated? Your Content Strategy Could Make or Break Pipeline Edition #43 | Published July 21, 2025 Last week, we explored how invisible buyer journeys dominate modern B2B sales cycles. This week,... Jul 21

Explore our portfolio of successful projects | Discover how Next Gen ABM has delivered ABM Orchestration & Personalization at Scale for clients. Past Projects ABM Orchestration & Personalization at Scale Industry: B2B SaaS; Digital Commerce Company Profile: 1,000 - 10,000 Employees, Public Market: Global, Enterprise and Mid-Market Customers Objective: Drive demand and generate sales pipeline for a new enterprise software product Success: 2x increase in account engagement and conversion Sourced $xxM/quarter new business sales pipeline and accelerated revenue growth Considerably faster in pipeline creation vs. Baseline Approach: Conducted an in-depth win/loss analysis and Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) study, then developed and executed a targeted, full-funnel, multi-persona account-based campaign, leveraging account based dynamic marketing and sales personalization at scale, multi-channel outreach / acquisition, and automated cross-channel orchestration, powered by existing tech stack and newly developed API capabilities. ROI-Proven Account Scoring and Segmentation Industry: B2B SaaS; BI / Data Analytics Company Profile: 100 - 1,000 Employees, High-growth Scale-up Market: Global, Enterprise, Mid-Market & Scaled Customers Objective: Develop a scalable data-driven approach to identify and prioritize accounts, and create targeted integrated campaigns to drive engagement and pipeline Success: 30+% increase in sales-qualified leads 25% increase in funnel to pipeline conversion rate 60% gains in sales / business development efficiency Approach: Developed a proprietary account scoring model to identify and prioritize high-value high-propensity accounts, implemented the model within CRM and MAP technologies, and designed & created targeted marketing campaigns tailored to both technical and business personas, leveraging persona-tailored content and multi-channel outreach to warm up account and drive pipeline creation. Scalable ABM Infrastructure for Efficient Execution Industry: B2B SaaS; BI / Data Analytics Company Profile: 100 - 1,000 Employees, High-growth Scale-up Market: Global, Enterprise, Mid-Market & Scaled Customers Objective: Design and implement a scalable infrastructure to execute account-based marketing campaigns, enabling personalized engagement and pipeline creation at scale. Success: 2X in ABM campaign ROI% and 60% efficiency gains 20+% increase in target account engagement Approach: Developed a cloud-based infrastructure integrating cloud data warehouse, marketing automation, CRM, and data analytics tools, enabling the execution of highly targeted and personalized ABM campaigns across multiple channels and teams (marketing, sales development, account sales), and providing real-time insights for optimization and improvement. Igniting Enterprise C-Level Engagement Industry : B2B SaaS; Big Data & Analytics Company Profile: 100 - 1,000 Employees, High-growth Scale-up Market: North America, Enterprise Customers Objective: Develop and execute a targeted account-based integrated campaign to effectively engage IT executives in Fortune 1000, drive conversions and accelerate pipeline. Success: Sourced $xxxM/quarter sales pipeline from campaign 30+% increase of sales-qualified leads in targeted prospect engagement during campaign live quarters 20% increase in account-to-pipeline conversion rates Approach: Designed and executed end-to-end a multi-channel ABM campaign combining field and digital engagement tactics, including a creative C-level engagement strategy using branded direct mailing tactics, targeted content and email campaigns, targeted AE and social media outreach, and AI-powered account identification to prioritize high-propensity accounts within Fortune 1000 to maximize campaign ROI. Digital Acquisition Meets ABM Industry: HealthTech; B2B SaaS & B2C Company Profile: 50 - 100 Employees, Early-stage Startup Market: North America, Public Sector Customers Objective: Build and execute a digital acquisition strategy from scratch, leveraging ABM principles to drive high-quality lead generation from partners and fuel users growth. Success: 3X partner applications from accredited institutes vs. baseline 25% increase in lead generation from partners 30% increase in app's user subscription Approach: Spearheaded the development of a digital acquisition function, executing a multi-channel ABM strategy including: created targeted Paid & SEO web content to attract and engage high-priority universities and research institutes, designed and launched batch and always-on email campaigns to nurture leads, and leveraged social media channels to amplify brand awareness and drive engagement among targeted organizations. Could It Be Your Next Project?

Find the right Next Gen ABM solution for your unique business challenges | Our innovative solutions help you streamline ABM operations to achieve better pipeline results with less resources. We Are Coming SOON Why We Are Doing This Where Product Marketing, Demand Gen, Sales Development, and Revenue Operations Converge Revenue teams manually spend hours setting up and running account-based campaigns. Our solution aims to make that work obsolete, helping you achieve faster results from your campaigns with fewer resources. Get on the List Sign up to receive the first word when we go live. First Name Last Name Business Email Subscribe Thanks for submitting!