13 Jan 2023

7 Account-Based Marketing (ABM) Trends for 2023

Account-based marketing (ABM) is a strategic approach to sales and marketing focusing on the highest quality prospects and customers. In 2023, as businesses strive to keep up with consumer demands for personalisation, attempt to increase customer lifetime value, and drive ROI, the role of ABM will become even more pivotal.

With this dynamic field becoming increasingly popular among B2B companies and as technology continues to evolve, new account-based marketing trends are likely to shape the future of B2C and B2B marketing in the coming years.

 

1. Personalisation

In today’s competitive environment, personalisation is key as more and more businesses recognise the importance of tailoring their marketing efforts to individual accounts. This could involve using data and insights to create personalised and user-generated content (UGC) and messaging or using technologies like chatbots to provide personalised experiences on company websites.

With data now available on individual customer behaviours and preferences, businesses can effectively tailor their approach to target each customer uniquely, allowing them to create bespoke messages that speak directly to their consumers’ needs and interests. 

Additionally, AI technology is helping marketers to efficiently segment customers according to factors such as location, buying behaviour and demographics – allowing messages to be finely tuned and optimised for maximum impact.

 

2. Integration with sales

The line between sales and marketing teams will continue to blur in 2023 as ABM becomes more closely integrated with the sales cycle process. This could involve aligning sales and marketing efforts around specific accounts or using marketing automation tools to support the sales process.

By leveraging data from both marketing and sales departments, organisations can better target potential customers through personalised outreach and offer improved customer experiences. This can ensure organisations close deals faster and become more efficient overall by utilising resources from both sides of the organisation. 

Additionally, integrating marketing and sales strategies helps create a unified message across all channels that can result in stronger customer relationships built on trust and credibility.

 

3. Use of artificial intelligence and machine learning

With the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), 2023 promises to bring a host of new opportunities for businesses looking to drive customer engagement and automate and scale their efforts through ABM tactics. Many organisations will look to utilise AI technologies such as natural language processing (NLP) algorithms to customise messaging across multiple channels to maximise engagement with prospects.

AI tools are becoming increasingly sophisticated, making it easier than ever for marketers to identify the right accounts to target with highly personalised content and optimise their campaigns in real time. 

AI-powered segmentation allows businesses to analyse customer behaviour and respond accordingly with bespoke messaging based on past interactions or predicted interests. This advanced level of targeting can help companies create more impactful campaigns that are sure to resonate with customers on a deeper level than traditional approaches like email blasts.

 

4. Increased focus on data and analytics

We can expect to see an emphasis placed on leveraging data and analytics to identify target audiences likely to convert. In order to be effective, ABM requires a deeper understanding of targeted accounts and those that have an increased focus on data-driven decisions will improve customer experience and increase ROI.

Companies should design their marketing tactics around real-time analysis that measures customer engagement across multiple touch points. This allows marketers to make informed decisions on the most successful channels and the best-performing content to resonate with customers. With advanced analytics tools, marketers can track user behaviour and create targeted messages to deliver higher conversion rates.

 

5. Omnichannel approach

In 2023, businesses will continue to adopt an omnichannel approach to ABM, using a variety of channels to reach their targeted accounts. Companies will no longer solely rely on email campaigns but instead explore a variety of platforms and tactics like Social Media, direct mail, and more for their ABM campaigns. 

A multi-channel approach enables brands to be more precise with their messaging, creating a unified experience across all channels so that customers can access all products and services from any channel or device 24/7. Through this experience, businesses can develop stronger customer relationships by providing seamless experiences tailored to individual customer preferences and needs.

 

6. Use of customer experience (CX) data

In 2023, ABM will increasingly focus on using customer experience (CX) data to identify and target key accounts. Companies will be looking at ways to leverage CX data to better understand customer motivations and behaviours when it comes to purchasing decisions. 

By gathering and analysing data on how customers interact with your business, you can identify opportunities to improve the customer journey and drive results. This data can then be used to create highly personalised experiences for each individual customer by utilising predictive models and AI technology.

 

7. Emphasis on ROI

As ABM becomes more widely adopted, marketers will seek out marketing strategies that bring them tangible results, placing a greater emphasis on an ROI-driven approach. This means that ABM strategies will need to be designed with measurable goals in mind and that brands will need to monitor and analyse the results of their marketing campaigns.

By staying up-to-date on these trends, businesses can effectively implement ABM and drive results in 2023.

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