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Today, when traditional marketing is experiencing a downturn - increasing cost per lead, oversaturated direct response channels, need to prove marketing impact on pipeline - B2B marketers are switching to personalized ABM campaigns as a reliable strategy to better target high-potential, strategic customers that convert better, faster, and with higher ACV.
Studies show that 78% of ABM programs drive moderate to significant pipeline growth, and improve relationships with high-value accounts.
At the same time, implementing ABM is no jog in the park. According to research, 37% of marketers find it challenging to get an adequate budget and resources dedicated to account-based initiatives. Some struggle with internal pressure to get short-term results, while others find it daunting to get sales and marketing teams to work in complete harmony.
As a B2B marketer, you must jump through the hoops to convince multiple stakeholders to execute ABM in your organization. That’s why we've included here a list of reliable ABM statistics for you to use in your ABM presentation and align your company’s key decision-makers.
Why Should You Invest in ABM?
1. 81% of B2B marketers who measure ABM ROI said it’s higher than other marketing initiatives.
2. 50% of North American marketers are actively using account-based advertising.
3. Effective ABM strategies can increase pipeline conversion rates by 14%.
4. ABM lifts several key sales metrics, including a 28% increase in overall account engagement and a 25% rise in the marketing-qualified lead (MQL) to sales-accepted lead (SAL) conversion rates.
5. 67% of brands are using account-based marketing.
ABM and Business Impact
6. 93% believe their ABM efforts have been very or extremely successful, up from 84% last year.
7. 89% of marketers say account-based ads are extremely or very successful in impacting their pipeline.
8. 66% say ABM has notably improved marketing and sales alignment.
9. ABM results in more upsells and renewals. 80% say ABM enhances customer lifecycle value.
10. 58% of B2B marketers experienced larger deal sizes with ABM.
11. A significant 85% of marketing professionals reported enhanced customer retention as a direct result of implementing an account-based marketing strategy.
12. 60% of companies report a revenue improvement of at least 10% in the first year of their ABM program.
13. Businesses implementing account-based marketing (ABM) tactics typically experience 90% account engagement levels.
14. By implementing an ABM strategy coupled with tailored messaging, companies have the potential to enhance customer re-engagement rates by as much as 50%.
15. The older the ABM program, the better the results. Among marketers with ABM programs over a year old, 59% are satisfied with the outcome; the same is true for only 45% of those who recently launched their programs.
ABM Trends
16. 91% said they use intent data/scoring within ABM to prioritize their accounts.
17. 90% of APAC marketers are confident about the validity of their data sources.
18. 94% of North American marketers believe their alignment with their sales teams is strong, up from 74% in 2022.
19. 63% of marketers said they use Account Insights technologies to drive their ABM programs.
20. 43% of marketers strongly agree that advanced data management is the key to ABM’s success.
21. Companies quick to adopt ABM are in the computer software, IT, and marketing/advertising industries.
22. Metrics based on the account level, such as target account revenue generated and target account engagement, are reportedly the most helpful in measuring the success of an ABM program, according to 44% and 42% of marketers, respectively.
23. “Researching accounts” and “identifying target contacts” are the top two strategies used by ABM marketers. (HubSpot)
24. For ABM to thrive, the essential tools include a CRM system, utilized by 83% of professionals; marketing automation platforms, favored by 73%; and LinkedIn, which is integral for 60%.
25. 68% of businesses have hired a specialized leader to steer their ABM strategies.
26. The objective of ABM strategies for 74% of companies is the acquisition of new clients.
27. A significant 79% of companies have reported a boost in earnings after incorporating artificial intelligence into their account-based marketing tactics.
28. Companies experiencing a positive return were three times more likely to employ a dedicated leader for account-based marketing (ABM) compared to the 2.3% of firms reporting minimal or no ROI from ABM.
29. 58% of marketers have merged their demand generation and ABM strategies to optimize their marketing initiatives. Meanwhile, 20% prioritize ABM strategies, putting them above conventional demand-generation tactics in their marketing hierarchy.
30. 80% of organizations use three or more tools for account-based marketing.
31. Several marketers have started turning to personalized video messages and content strategies to enhance the impact of their outreach and account communication. Since 2019, marketers have used video content significantly more, with a 40% increase.
32. 56% of marketers advocate personalized content to achieve ABM success.
33. Intent-based ads had a 220% higher click-through rate as compared to control group campaigns.
ABM Challenges
34. Implementing a fully functional ABM program requires a fair bit of expertise, time and resources. 34% of marketers are in the planning stages for implementing an ABM strategy in the future. Only 14% of marketers are currently in the process of rolling out an ABM pilot program, while another 22% report having a measurable strategy in place.
(Source)
35. Marketing and sales alignment is a top challenge for 32% of marketers, who agree that the two working in harmony is critical to the success of an ABM program.
36. Majority of marketers (62%) report that less than 25% of the marketing budget is currently being dedicated to account-based efforts. Only 13% of those surveyed operate with budgets representing over 50% of the marketing budget.
37. 43% said inauthentic data makes it difficult to know who to target within their accounts.
38. A mere one-fifth of marketing professionals possess the internal capabilities to oversee their account-based marketing initiatives effectively.
39. 23% of participants expressed concerns about the pressure to favor immediate successes at the expense of long-term planning.
40. ITSMA reports that 37% of surveyed marketers find monitoring and quantifying ABM outcomes a big obstacle. Also, 30% find instructing sales teams on ABM's methodology and advantages a paramount concern.
41. According to IDG, 36% of surveyed individuals identify account prioritization as their primary obstacle, and closely following, 35% consider the development and attainment of targeted account lists to be a significant hurdle.
42. According to HubSpot, 45% of marketers implementing account-based marketing face challenges in providing a tailored experience to customers.
43. 40% of surveyed marketers say connecting with the right audiences at the right time remains their top multichannel marketing challenge.
44. Only 52% of companies measure ABM ROI (ITSMA, 2023), and the businesses that measure returns often struggle. According to Gartner, measuring the efficacy of ABM programs is a severe hurdle for 42% of companies.
What the Future Holds for ABM
45. By 2025, the term “account-based marketing” will disappear, and “account-centric” will become how most B2B companies identify and manage key accounts (Forrester).
46. 66% of B2B marketers plan to increase ABM spending in 2024.
47. Delivering personalized experiences is one of the most common challenges in ABM.
48. Global account-based marketing is expected to reach $1.6 billion by 2027.
49. The US ABM market is estimated to grow to $202.3 million by 2027.
50. 38% of marketing executives are optimistic about AI's potential to lower ABM marketing expenses, while 47% anticipate it will simplify their professional tasks.
51. Investment in ABM efforts is fast growing; the global ABM market is estimated to go from $1.1 billion in 2022 to $3.1 billion in 2030.
Recap: How To Convince Your CEO To Invest In ABM
If you haven’t implemented ABM in your organization yet, it’s time you did. These statistics prove that ABM is an efficient way to generate consistent revenue for your B2B business. It’s the most effective strategy to connect with prospects across the marketing funnel.
If you’re looking to get buy-in for ABM from key stakeholders in your organization, you can use the statistics in this post to create a strong presentation highlighting its benefits. Tailor your pitch to address your leadership team’s specific concerns and priorities.
Don’t forget to highlight case studies from similar businesses to add weight to your argument.
Besides that, you must work with your sales and marketing teams to run a few test campaigns and showcase early wins to gain strong supporters of a long-term ABM program.
