ABM Trends

15. B2B Marketers Will Invest More in ABM

ABM is about to hit a huge growth boom 50% of B2B marketers have had ABM initiatives in place for more than a year, and another 25% of B2B marketers say they got started within the past year

This growth indicates that B2B brands are becoming more aware of the need to create tailored content and experiences for different buyer personas, not just targeting a single decision-maker

16. The ABM Embedding Gap Will Continue

However, despite the predicted growth in ABM spending, Forbes found that only 17% of ABM programs are fully embedded as a pillar of companies’ go-to-market (GTM) strategies Why?

Many marketing teams are structured around siloed marketing channels and data, not customers Because of this, ABM programs often operate in isolation outside of core marketing processes

Truly embedding ABM requires more than adding an ABM program It necessitates an organizational shift in how cross-functional GTM teams collaborate

ABM is not just about driving demand within target accounts It spans brand-building efforts like thought leadership and reputation management This means ABM requires coordination across various marketing activities

At the same time, marketing is already being tasked with many responsibilities from managing the employer brand and talent acquisition to enabling sales and driving mass demand

Consequently, B2B marketers will need to contend with this reality when moving into 2024 Increasing ABM spending and further developing ABM programs will only work so much full integration is required for achieving the largest business outcomes, though embedding ABM in GTM strategies will require time, effort, and interdepartmental cooperation, participation and buy-in

17% of ABM programs are fully embedded as a pillar of companies’ GTM strategies

Source: Forbes

17. Personalization = Key for ABM Success

Currently, 56% of B2B marketers say that personalized content is key to a successful ABM strategy and will continue to be key in 2024 Many others predict that the implementation of AI to scale and customize ABM initiatives will have a large role to play in the coming years

18. ABM Program Leaders Will Expand and Add to Their Marketing Efforts

According to ITSMA’s most recent benchmark study, ABM program leaders are planning to expand and add to their marketing initiatives in 2023 and beyond This includes:

Expanding what they do for accounts currently in their ABM program

Adding more marketing resources to cover more accounts, clusters and/or segments

Adding education and training to increase ABM skills among existing marketers

Adding technology to automate and create more leverage for existing programs

Adding a stronger focus on applying ABM to major defined sales opportunities or deal pursuits

19. ABM Program Leaders Will Focus on New Template and Tool Development

ABM program leaders also plan on developing new templates and tools to facilitate reuse and best-practice sharing per ITSMA

Examples include standardized templates for campaigns, presentations and RFPs

56% of B2B marketers say personalized content leads to a successful ABM strategy

Source: strategicabm