7 ABM Trends and Predictions for 2023 & Beyond
In 2022, Account-Based Marketing (ABM) stepped up to the plate to change the B2B marketing game. We were fortunate to work with more than 100 companies this past year and we predict that number will keep growing. Why? There were a few trends we noticed that will make the future of ABM even brighter:
Trend #1: Everyone didn’t just move to digital, they embraced it.
With 45% of remote workers returning to offices that employ a work from home policy, WFH is now a lifestyle. And with 48% of trade shows still canceled last year, ABM makes it possible to engage those target accounts where they are online–from web to social to even CTV. That’s why 38% of our customers expanded their ABM campaigns to be omnichannel last year. If you wait, it’s too late.
Trend #2: The ROI of ABM became clear.
Numbers don’t lie. While some companies may still be a bit wary of the power of ABM, we simply show them the numbers. 100% of Jabmo customers used control groups to compare the effectiveness of their campaigns. Compared to these control groups, ABM is drastically improving engagement and sales–proving the value and ROI of ABM and helping our customers get more budget for marketing.
Trend #3: The move away from third-party cookies.
Despite third-party cookies being phased out by Google in 2024, they still account for 90% of digital media advertising. By contrast, only 28% of sales reps are using valuable first-party intent data to gather account-level engagement data. Instead, an omnichannel ABM platform allows marketers to identify buying intent surges using first-party ad third-party intent data, so sales teams can schedule real meetings at the right time in the buyer’s journey and experience increased win rates.
Trend #4: ABM was all about the customer.
ABM is the key to reaching new target accounts, but it can also be a critical piece in engaging current customers too. Upselling, cross selling, and retention is essential, which is why 74% of our clients’ ABM spend was on current customers. Plus, these customers want to know you understand the complexities of their industry. That’s why 72% of our clients refreshed their website to reduce jargon and provide real value. On top of that, our clients are now reaching those customers on a global scale–increasing international ad delivery by 30-76%.
While we don’t have a crystal ball, here are a few predictions for the year ahead.
Prediction #1: Intent Data will be the new “it” KPI.
Engaging target accounts is an old art, but there’s so much data available now, it can be difficult to know where to start. Luckily, there’s a new KPI in town. With third-party cookies going the way of the dinosaur, first-party and third-party intent data has become critical to ensuring accounts are sales-ready. A buyer’s journey can be a months-long process, so handing an account over to the sales team when they’re unlikely to buy, can be detrimental to that sales cycle. In 2023, make sure intent data is at the core of your strategy, so Marketing can identify when an account is surging and help guide Sales to an account win.
Prediction #2: Omnichannel (and video) will dominate.
From social media to streaming services to desktop to mobile, the number of marketing channels has exploded and with it consumer attention span has dwindled. That’s why omnichannel ABM is the way forward in 2023 and beyond. Gone are the days of one campaign on a couple platforms. Now, we must move with the buyer through their journey, increasing the touchpoints at each stage, on each platform they use.
On top of that, web users are consuming more video than ever before – doubled since 2018. With it, Connected TV (CTV) marketing is emerging as a force to keep customer attention. In the year ahead, ensure video ads are a part of your omnichannel strategy.
Prediction #3: There will be greater executive buy-in and ROI.
Today’s corporate leaders want to get in front of the right companies. While it’s been a slow embrace, there will be an increase in ad personalization in an attempt to reduce waste, ultimately providing understanding of the customer at all levels. After all, the goal is always to increase revenue. With ABM’s direct impact on revenue and Marketing’s alignment with Sales, we predict marketing and sales teams will gain greater executive buy-in and increased budgets to support their ABM campaigns in 2023.
You don’t need a crystal ball to see that marketing success stems from a global, omnichannel ABM strategy. It’s how we’re helping more than 100 companies reach their sales goals, achieve ROI and change the B2B marketing game.