In the face of so much technological change, delivering effective and efficient ABM continues to be a challenge for marketers. Laura Holmes believes ABM-ers will need to broaden their skills to manage complex ecosystems and wonders if early adopters may have the advantage.
Working with clients and listening to other experiences at the recent B2B Marketing Global ABM conference, it is clear that the choice of tools, technologies, and partners has never been greater. It makes for an interesting debate on whether those who adopted ABM early have found themselves with the perfect springboard to deploy these tools and techniques, or whether those still experimenting with ABM can take the learnings from their counterparts and leapfrog to reap faster results.
Whether you are an established ABM-er or kick-starting your programme in 2024, collaboration is becoming more vital to ABM success. As well as the skills required to coordinate internal stakeholders (and obviously the customer) ABM-ers now need to manage a more complex partner ecosystem. This might involve an ABM consultancy, intent/insight specialists, creative and brand agencies as well as internal resources. Balancing the benefits of buying in external expertise versus the cost advantages of deploying in-house resources will be tricky too, but is critical.
Talking about early adopters, we can see a quiet revolution happening in ABM execution, particularly from those who have embedded ABM programmes. While roundtables, content, and roadmaps still have their place, we can see more digital, emotive experiences really cutting through. Admittedly, up until recently, I had dismissed ABX as the latest ABM buzzword, but we are seeing clients responding well to more immersive experiences that take specific client challenges and solve them using next-generation, visionary technology. This will no doubt be a key trend in 2024.
If you are struggling to get on top of the change happening in ABM right now, our highly experienced, practitioner-led consultants can help you navigate the options. Email hello@inflexiongroup.com for more information.
