Is ABM compatible with demand gen?
As an ABM vendor, we frequently get asked this question. There’s a lot of confusion when it comes to where ABM will fit in with already existing demand gen programs.
Over the past 3 years, many organizations have added an ABM strategy to its existing marketing programs. However, traditional lead generation still plays a big part in most B2B marketing strategies. As ABM (and intent data) has become more popular and more success stories are shared, there’s pressure to adopt a more targeted approach.
Businesses are always moving towards what’s more efficient and effective, and that’s what ABM does for B2B marketing teams. Marketers with access to an end-to-end ABM platform and buyer intent data can sharpen their targeting and manage spend more efficiently. However, not everyone sees ABM as a viable option for generating demand within their organizations.
Based on our conversations with marketers, we find they tend to talk about ABM and demand gen compatibility in three ways:
- No, ABM and demand gen are not compatible. Some marketers believe they aren’t compatible and usually come from more traditional industries, for example, insurance. This is because established industries, especially those surrounded by a lot of regulation, are more risk-averse and therefore slow to adapt to new technologies and trends.
- Yes, they’re compatible, and ABM serves as a way to get more leads. These marketers are deeply ingrained in a lead-gen mindset. They look to “leads generated” as the definitive metric for ABM success because “leads” are their most important KPI. However, while capturing a large number of leads may seem good, it doesn’t always help grow pipeline or revenue. If most of the leads you bring in aren’t in-target, then that’s a lot of marketing resources and effort wasted.
- Yes, they’re compatible, and ABM allows me to do targeted demand gen. These marketers view ABM as an efficient way to capture high-quality opportunities. Rather than focus on lead quantity, they’re trying to bring in more opportunities the sales team will actually want to talk to. This helps build trust between the marketing and sales teams. When sales and marketing efforts are aligned the outcome is a pipeline with the highest-fit, highest-intent accounts.
At Triblio, we encourage our customers to view ABM in the third way, targeted demand gen. ABM and traditional demand gen are compatible, but the strategy is different. With ABM the growth is more focused on accounts that fit within your ICP. Campaigns are segmented using account lists that show confirmed interest. This ultimately results in higher quality leads and better sales conversations. For marketers looking to incorporate ABM into their traditional lead generation programs, remember this transition is a shift in strategy and will take time and executive buy-in.
While these are our recommendations, we recognize there are still other challenges that arise when incorporating ABM. These challenges can vary from transitioning to an ABM strategy, establishing KPI’s or effectively measuring ABM success.
If you’re looking for a more targeted approach to demand gen in 2021 schedule a meeting with one of our ABM experts today.