Many B2B teams invest time and budget in account-based marketing, then struggle to show whether it’s working. Not because results aren’t there, but because they’re measuring the wrong things.

If you track ABM with the same metrics you use for demand generation, you’ll always feel like it’s falling short. ABM isn’t about volume. It’s about depth. The question isn’t “how many leads did we get?” It’s “how well are we building relationships with the accounts that matter most?”

This guide walks you through how to measure ABM success in a practical way. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to sharpen your reporting, you’ll find five clear measurement areas, concrete questions to ask at each stage, and tips on what to track.

Why ABM measurement is different from standard marketing metrics

Traditional B2B marketing optimises for volume. More leads, more clicks, more downloads. ABM flips that logic entirely.
In account-based marketing, you focus your efforts on a selected group of accounts. Your goal is to build engagement and relationships within those accounts over time, not to cast a wide net.

That means your metrics need to reflect account-level progress, not individual-level activity. A single decision-maker downloading a whitepaper means something different in an ABM context than in a general demand generation campaign. You want to know whether the right people, across the whole buying group, are engaging with your company.

This shift sounds simple. In practice, it requires a different mindset and a different reporting setup.

What does a strong ABM measurement framework look like?

A solid ABM measurement framework tracks five things: coverage, awareness, engagement, reach and impact, and influence. Together, they give you a full picture of where each account is in its journey with you.

Think of it as moving from “do we know who they are?” to “are we closing the right deal?”

Before you launch your ABM programme, take a baseline measurement across all five areas. That baseline becomes your reference point for everything that follows.

The five areas to measure in ABM

1. Coverage: do you know who’s in the room?

Coverage is where ABM measurement starts. You need to know who the key people are within each target account before you can reach or engage them.

Ask yourself:

• Do you know which accounts are showing buying intent?
• Have you identified the decision-makers and influencers in each account?
• Can you actually reach these people, via email, LinkedIn, or another channel?
• Is your database growing with the right contacts?

Measurement tip: Set a specific goal. For example, aim to have contact details and a way to reach 80% of the key decision-makers in your target accounts within 90 days.

Your CRM is the starting point here. If your data is incomplete, tools like LinkedIn Sales Navigator or contact enrichment platforms can help you fill the gaps.

2. Awareness: do they know who you are?

Once you know who the right people are, you want to understand whether they already know you. This is your baseline before the campaign starts.
Ask yourself:

• Do contacts from your target accounts visit your website?
• Are they already connected to you or your colleagues on LinkedIn?
• Do your ads reach them?

Measurement tip: Check your website analytics before launching your campaign. Filter traffic by company or account where possible. This gives you a clear “before” picture so you can track awareness growth over time.

Many marketing automation platforms and ABM tools let you track account-level website behaviour. Even basic tools offer enough visibility to get started.wareness and keep track of your marketing automation or ABM dashboard to see the progress.

3. Engagement: are they spending time with you?

Engagement is the heart of ABM measurement. All your content, campaigns and outreach are designed to create meaningful interactions. Now you need to check whether those interactions are happening.
Ask yourself:

• Do contacts from your target accounts read your blogs or visit specific pages on your site?
• Do they follow you on LinkedIn?
• Do they attend your events or webinars?
• Do they download your content?

Measurement tip: One way to make engagement comparable across accounts is to translate activities into time. A webinar attendance might equal 45 minutes. A blog read might equal 4 minutes. When you add these up per account, you can compare engagement levels and spot where more attention is needed.

This is also where signal-based thinking becomes useful. Rather than looking at isolated actions, look for patterns. An account that visits your pricing page, follows you on LinkedIn and attends a webinar in the same month is sending a clear signal.

4. Reach and impact: is engagement turning into real conversations?

Reach and impact looks at whether your ABM activities are creating actual opportunities, not just digital activity.
Ask yourself:

• Is engagement converting to real interaction? A phone call, a meeting, a demo?
• When sales reaches out to a decision-maker in a target account, are they willing to talk?
• Can you trace new opportunities directly back to your ABM programme?

Measurement tip: This is where close collaboration between marketing and sales becomes essential. Schedule a regular check-in, weekly if possible, to review what’s happening in each account. Look at CRM notes together. Discuss what’s been discussed, what’s progressed and what’s stalled.
Marketing should not hand over a lead and disappear. In ABM, marketing and sales stay aligned throughout the entire account journey.

5. Influence: is ABM making a commercial difference?

The fifth area is the one that answers the biggest question: is ABM actually changing outcomes?

The best way to measure influence is to compare your ABM accounts with accounts where ABM is not being applied.

Ask yourself:

• Is the sales cycle shorter for ABM accounts compared to non-ABM accounts?
• Are deal sizes larger?
• Are conversion rates from proposal to closed deal higher?

Measurement tip: Set up a clear comparison in your CRM or reporting dashboard from the start. Two groups: ABM accounts and standard accounts. Track the same metrics across both. Over time, the difference in pipeline velocity, deal size and win rate tells the real story.

This kind of comparison is also powerful for internal conversations. It helps you make the case for continued investment in ABM, especially when results take time to show up.

What tools do you need to measure ABM?

You do not need a dedicated ABM platform to get started. Many B2B teams measure their ABM programmes effectively with a CRM and a marketing automation platform.

Your CRM tracks contacts, accounts, deal stages, pipeline value and activity history. Your marketing automation platform tracks email engagement, content downloads, webinar registrations and website visits. Together, they cover a lot.

If you want to go further, you can layer in additional tools:

• Intent data platforms help you understand which accounts are actively researching topics related to your product or service, even before they’ve contacted you.
• LinkedIn Campaign Manager gives you account-level reach and engagement data when you run LinkedIn Ads targeted at specific companies.
• Web personalisation tools let you serve different content to visitors from target accounts and track how they engage.
• Reporting dashboards (built in your CRM, in Power BI, or in a standalone tool) help you visualise account-level progress across the five measurement areas above.

The most important thing is not which tools you use, but whether you set up a consistent way to capture and review account-level data. A simple shared dashboard that marketing and sales review together every week will outperform a complex setup that nobody looks at.

How does measuring ABM connect to the five steps of ABM?

Measuring ABM is Step 5 in SPOTONVISION’s ABM in 5 steps approach, but it isn’t a step you bolt on at the end. The best ABM teams measure from the very beginning.

When you select your target accounts in Step 1, you define your KPIs. When you gather account insights in Step 2, you take your baseline measurements. When you create content in Step 3, you build in tracking. And when you launch your campaign in Step 4, your measurement framework is already running.

Measurement is not a conclusion. It’s a continuous loop that helps you learn, adjust and improve throughout the programme.

Does ABM always show results quickly?

Honest answer: not always. B2B buying processes take time, especially for complex, high-value deals. Your target accounts may be in early research mode for months before they’re ready to speak to sales.

That’s one reason why ABM measurement matters so much. If you only measure deals won, you’ll feel like nothing is working for a long time. But if you measure coverage, awareness, engagement and reach along the way, you can see progress much earlier and course-correct before it’s too late.

Adjust your programme where needed. Experiment. Be patient with the results. ABM is a long-term strategy, and the teams that stick with it consistently see the commercial difference.

Wrapping up

Measuring ABM success comes down to five things: knowing who’s in your target accounts, tracking whether they know you, measuring the depth of their engagement, checking whether that engagement creates real conversations, and comparing outcomes with and without ABM.

You don’t need a complicated toolset to start. You need clear goals, consistent tracking, and regular alignment between marketing and sales.

Start with a baseline. Pick your metrics before the campaign launches. And keep reviewing together.

Want practical B2B marketing insights in your inbox? Subscribe to the SPOTONVISION newsletter and join thousands of B2B marketers who read it every month.

Related reading:

• ABM in 5 steps e-book — download the SPOTONVISION e-book
• How Cyclomedia accelerated lead generation with ABM — a real-world ABM example

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Why reach alone doesn’t work in complex B2B accounts

Many B2B marketing strategies are still designed for scale, focusing on visibility, engagement, and lead generation.

However, in complex accounts, this approach works only to a limited extent. Decision-making takes months, sometimes longer. Different stakeholders assess the same investment through different lenses: Finance looks at risk, Sales at revenue potential, Operations at feasibility, and IT at integration. Priorities also shift continuously.

Sopra Steria deliberately chose a different approach:

• Focus on a select group of high-value accounts
• Understand stakeholders and their role in the buying process
• Align closely with Sales on what truly matters

This focus creates space for more targeted and meaningful interactions.

Relevance starts with context

An important insight from the session is that relevance goes beyond personalisation. Many teams still confuse personalisation with a job title in the subject line or sector-specific copy. That is not relevance.

“Resonance is about delivering the right message at the right moment and being there when it matters most for customers.”

It’s not just about tailoring content to specific roles or sectors, but understanding what is happening within an account at that particular moment. This requires deep insight into the account’s context: what are the challenges, priorities, and what changes are taking place?

To make this context scalable, Sopra Steria uses AI. AI can help identify signals faster, cluster themes and accelerate content production. But without clear account choices and human judgement, you mainly automate irrelevance. Real relevance comes from combining technology with human interpretation.

Still, the human factor remains essential. Insights only become valuable when they are turned into personal, relevant conversations.

From visibility to real influence within accounts

Another important shift is moving from visibility to real influence within accounts. Many marketing teams report reach as if it signals progress. But without influence over the right decision-makers, reach becomes a KPI without value.

While Marketing often focuses on awareness, ABM is about building influence with the right people within an account. In practice, this means:

• Gaining insight into who is involved and where their interest lies
• Understanding which topics resonate
• Supporting sales with concrete tools for follow-up

Thus, Marketing becomes a direct part of building relationships within accounts.

“ABM works best when Sales and Marketing operate as one team. It’s not just a campaign, it’s a strategy that brings real change both inside and outside our organisation.”

In many organisations, Sales and Marketing still operate alongside each other rather than together. When that happens, ABM remains a campaign tactic instead of a growth strategy. When Sales and Marketing alignment is strong, ABM becomes more effective. Marketing efforts then support what Sales actually needs to convert target accounts.

Relationships are not built in a single campaign

In complex B2B journeys, impact rarely comes from a single campaign. Organisations that treat ABM as a standalone campaign miss how trust is really built: through consistent, relevant interactions over time. Emy Jager’s examples showed how digital outreach, events, webinars, personal follow-ups and physical touchpoints reinforce each other.

Key takeaways for ABM-practitioners

So, how can you apply these ABM principles in your own organisation?

1. Choose fewer accounts, but commit more resources to each one.
2. Look beyond personalisation. Without context, it quickly feels superficial.
3. Collaborate closely with sales. Without shared priorities, alignment remains theory.
4. In complex deals, momentum is built over months, not in a single campaign.
5. Technology accelerates execution, people determine relevance.

A practical step forward in ABM

What makes this approach powerful is that it does not require complicated models or large-scale transformation. The biggest gains rarely come from more campaigns or more tooling, but from better choices: sharper focus, shared priorities and more relevant commercial interactions.

Curious where your biggest ABM opportunity lies: focus, alignment or relevance? We would be happy to help. Plan a conversation with our ABM specialists and discover how we can strengthen the connection between Marketing and Sales to help you convert target accounts faster.

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From “more noise” to better focus

Most people talk about AI like it’s a high-speed printing press: more content, more emails, more automation. But that just creates more noise.

Marije put it perfectly: “Stop trying to ‘align’ Sales and Marketing through meetings. Start aligning them through a shared AI intelligence layer.”

The goal isn’t to automate the output; it’s to automate the insight. It’s about turning those “silent signals” buried in your systems into immediate, high-intent action.

Your CRM is a moat, not a filing cabinet

We tend to treat the CRM as a chore, a place for pipeline tracking and “feeding the beast” for your forecasting meetings. But while we’re busy building dashboards, the system is quietly building a much richer story.

Underneath the surface are the real gems:

• The specific nuance in a sales note that explains why a “sure thing” stalled.
• Stakeholder patterns that reveal who the actual decision-makers are.
• The historical context that tells you exactly when a “lost” lead is ready to talk again.

As Marije pointed out, sales teams accumulate mountains of data that usually just gather digital dust. AI enables us to mine that history to uncover opportunities that are hiding in plain sight. Your CRM shouldn’t just be a system of record; it should be your primary source of insight. And your CRM shouldn’t just tell you what happened; it should tell you what to do next.

What this looks like in the real world

AI doesn’t replace your data; it gives it a voice. Here is how that actually changes the game for an ABM team:

• The “second chance” signal: Identifying closed-lost deals where the original objection (like budget or a specific feature gap) is no longer true.
• The timing trigger: Flagging role changes or contract renewals before the “official” outreach window opens.
• The reactivation: Catching an account that’s suddenly showing intent signals after six months of radio silence.

How to build your “Lean” AI stack

You don’t need a Silicon Valley budget to do this. While Culture Amp uses a sophisticated stack (Salesforce, 6sense, Gong), Marije was clear: you can start simple.

1. Revisit the “Lost” files: Mine the last 18 months of closed-lost data for patterns.
2. Define your triggers: What actually matters? Is it a new CEO? A funding round? A specific contract date?
3. Bridge the gap to Sales: Don’t just give them a dashboard. Give them an alert they can actually use.

The bottom line: Your history is your edge

This was my favorite takeaway from Marije: “Think of your CRM data as a moat. Anyone can buy the same AI tools we use, but nobody can buy the history we have with our customers.”

Your competitors can copy your tech stack. They can copy your ad copy. But they can’t replicate the years of context, relationships, and nuanced data sitting in your CRM.

The value isn’t in the AI tool itself, it’s in the proprietary data you feed it. If you’re only using your CRM for reporting, you’re leaving your biggest competitive advantage on the table. It’s time to stop looking for “new” leads and start looking at the value you’ve already captured.

Deal-based marketing (DBM), or Pursuit marketing, has evolved from traditional Account-based Marketing (ABM), focusing on maximizing sales and marketing alignment for high-value (RFP) deals. This blog breaks down DBM into practical stages and insights on how we can position ourselves in this strategy, create value at each deal-phase and build on success. 

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About DBM: A staged hyper-focused strategy

Deal-based marketing can be seen as an extension of ABM, focusing on individual deals rather than broader accounts. It closely aligns with the sales process, helping marketers shape conversations, differentiate offerings and reassure decision-makers during critical deal stages.

In short: the three stages of Deal-based marketing

Stage	Goal
Shape (Pre-RFP Stage)	Create urgency, relevance, and early interest before the RFP is issued. “It’s about connecting the dots for sales and ensuring we’re talking to the right people with the right message.”
Differentiate (Active RFP Stage)	Help your team stand out under tight deadlines and present your solution as the best fit. “AI can assist marketers by analyzing deal material like RFPs, helping streamline responses and identify key differentiators.”
Reassure (Shortlist/Final Stage)	Reduce lingering doubts and reinforce trust in your solution. “Making sure the buyer feels confident, they need to trust your company.”

The changing role of Marketers in the DBM process

In the DBM process, our role evolves as the deal progresses. Here’s a look at how marketers adapt.

Early Stage – Identifying and nurturing stakeholders:

In the Shape stage, we focus on identifying key stakeholders and nurturing relationships before the RFP is issued. We use ABM insights to ensure the right conversations happen with the right people, helping the sales team gain access to decision-makers early on.

Ulrike adds: “We leverage ABM insights to engage with the right stakeholders early, setting the stage for meaningful relationships.”

Middle Stage – Refining messaging:

In the Differentiate stage, we tailor our messaging to meet specific buyer needs. With an RFP in play, we must differentiate our solution quickly and clearly, ensuring it stands out from competitors.

Katrin reflects: “At this stage, our role is to make sure our solution’s unique value is instantly clear to the buyer, even under tight deadlines.”

Later Stage – Reassuring the buyer:

In the Reassure stage, we help reinforce the buyer’s confidence by providing evidence-based content like case studies or testimonials, ensuring the buyer feels secure in their decision.

Ulrike highlights: “At this point, we focus on reassurance, showing the buyer, they’ve made the right choice with trust-building content.”

How AI can support and accelerate DBM

As both the goals and marketing’s role change, different AI-agents and tools help us at different stages of DBM:

• Shape: Early-stage AI can provide deep insights into accounts and decision-makers, helping shape the messaging.
• Differentiate: During the active RFP stage AI assists in evaluating RFPs and streamlining responses, ensuring clarity and focus on the buyer’s unique needs.
• Reassure: At the final stage AI can help analyse past successful case studies and provide data-driven content for the final push.

As Katrin points out: “AI helps us analyse deal material quickly, allowing us to focus on what really matters in the RFP process.”

Pursuit marketing: essential qualification criteria

Not all deals are suited for this hyper focused marketing approach.

Ulrike wisely puts it: “Having an account plan in place is non-negotiable, if it’s missing, it’s a no-go. And if sales are hesitant about the commitment, that’s a clear red flag.”

To make the most of DBM efforts, establish and stick to clear qualification criteria. This ensures that the deals you pursue with DBM are the right fit for both you, your company and the buyer.

Key elements to consider:

• Existing customers: Focus on opportunities where you have an established relationship. Upselling and cross-selling within existing accounts is a high-value pursuit.
• Internal commitment: Ensure that the broader sales team is fully committed to you helping the pursuit. From leadership to bid-teams and legal or procurement during the later stages. Without their active involvement, DBM efforts can lose momentum.
• Due diligence: Thoroughly assess the opportunity before diving in. Understand the buyer’s needs, challenges and potential objections to better tailor your approach.

Katrin shares from a Marketers perspective: “Every deal is unique. We learn from each one and continuously improve our approach, but we always stay focused on adding value at every stage.”

Building upon DBM success: Leveraging knowledge and collaboration

Once a deal is successfully closed, it’s important to build upon your DBM success for future opportunities. This requires creating a repository of best practices, success stories and insights gathered from past deals. So, you can replicate it in future pursuits.

Other ideas for scaling DBM:

• SWARMS (cross-functional teams): When facing challenges, create a ‘swarm’ of experts from different departments (e.g., product, content, solutioning) to come together and brainstorm solutions.

As Katrin states the value of SWARMS within Kyndryl: “When you get stuck, it’s invaluable to pull in colleagues from across the company to gain fresh perspectives.”

• Center of Excellence (CoE): Establish a CoE for DBM, where you can continually refine processes, gather feedback, and share successful tactics with other teams across the organisation.

Ulrike’s reflection on how NTT DATA is implementing DBM at scale is a great example: “We are considering making DBM an independent function alongside ABM, not just an extension. It’s about leveraging our learnings and expanding them beyond a single deal.”

Wrapping up: the deal on Deal-based Marketing

However highly dynamic, deal-based marketing is an essential strategy for marketers looking to influence high-value deals. By aligning closely with sales, leveraging ABM insights and incorporating AI, marketers can help their teams navigate the pursuit process and close deals faster.

You know ABM works. The question is how to make it work for your organisation — without wasting time, budget, or sales goodwill. Many organisations are implementing ABM or want to get started with ABM. But what exactly is ABM and what is the importance of an account-based approach for your organisation? Not sure if ABM is right for you? Start with a free session.

Account-based marketing: key takeaways

• ABM focuses on high-value accounts, not broad audiences
• It requires tight marketing and sales alignment
• Success is measured by engagement and pipeline, not leads
• It works best for complex B2B sales with long deal cycles

In this guide:

• What is account-based marketing?
• ABM vs. inbound marketing
• When and why use ABM?
• Advantages of ABM
• Is ABM the right choice for us?
• Sales and ABM
• Create an account-based marketing plan
• ABM framework
• Successfully measure account-based marketing
• Examples of account-based marketing
• Account-based marketing software
• How to use LinkedIn for ABM
• Starting with ABM?

What is account-based marketing?

Account-based marketing (ABM) is a B2B strategy in which you engage with a predefined group of target accounts using tailor-made sales and marketing campaigns. When running an ABM programme, you focus on the personal needs of your key (potential) customer, creating exceptional customer experiences.  

ABM vs. inbound marketing

To get started with account-based marketing (ABM), you first define your goals. For instance, do you aim to engage with 3 high-priority accounts, a broader list, or an entire industry? Then, your marketing team collaborates with Sales to define target accounts and identify key personas within those accounts. Using these insights, you create personalised content and campaigns designed to improve your pipeline of opportunities.

While inbound marketing attracts customers broadly, ABM takes a hyper-focused approach. This targeted strategy allows organisations to efficiently allocate resources to pursue accounts with the highest potential return.

When and why use ABM?

Account-based marketing is often used by organisations looking for big (international) customers with a high deal value or those who provide a significant part of the total revenue and profit.

Account-based marketing is also a great approach when dealing with complex purchasing processes. In B2B, this is often the case. Buyers in different roles can be responsible for purchasing your product or service, and you need to cater to multiple interests.

By targeting specific accounts and focusing on the quality of interactions, ABM improves customer retention and builds stronger relationships. In short, you focus on influencing the buying group.

Advantages of ABM

Compared to traditional marketing campaigns, account-based marketing programmes offer some important benefits to you. At SPOTONVISION, we’ve helped B2B teams across Europe unlock exactly these benefits. Here’s how: 

1. Better insight into the buyer and buyer journey 

Personal customer experience is increasingly important in B2B. Account-based marketing plays into this trend. ABM leverages account intelligence to create more relevant, value-driven campaigns, improving the buyer experience and ensuring that content resonates with specific accounts.

2. Better collaboration between marketing and sales 

For a successful ABM campaign, you need input from sales and marketing. Consider account plans and data, market developments, existing contacts, history, intent data, etc. You start together by defining the scope before creating and rolling out a campaign using relevant content. This alignment fosters better outreach, shared best practices, and ideally, a unified approach to account management. Stakeholder management is a key aspect of ABM. 

3. A more strategic go-to-market approach 

In ABM, you focus on target accounts that could add real or substantial value. Therefore you invest time, money and resources in accounts that really matter. This will give you a head start on your competitors who do not implement an ABM strategy. You simply focus on accounts that provide the greatest opportunities, helping your organisation sell strategically and gain a competitive edge.

4. Better results with ABM 

Research consistently shows that ABM gives a higher Return on Investment (ROI). The average deal size is higher because you only focus on accounts that can add a lot of value, and ABM also enables you to create more buy-in within the DMU of your target account. Therefore you can focus on spending your marketing resources more efficiently.

Is ABM the right choice for us?

Whether your market and/or organisation is the right choice for ABM depends on the market and internal organisation. With the help of this infographic, you can assess whether ABM fits you. Or you can read this article: Is ABM right for you? Seven questions and seven tips to help you decide. 

Sales and ABM

To make account-based marketing successful, it is essential to establish good collaboration between Marketing and Sales. Together, you gather interesting and relevant information on the market and the key target accounts. Sales can share insights and knowledge regarding contacts that they have already. Based on that, Marketing can find ‘signals’, or intent data and first and third-party data to drive successful account targeting and build engagement. 

Create an account-based marketing plan 

An ABM plan is the foundation for a successful engagement programme and business growth. A well-structured ABM plan means a bigger chance of success during the actual execution and optimisation. At SPOTONVISION, we use the following 5 steps. 

Step 1. Getting to know your accounts

Together with the sales team, define which accounts you want to focus on. Then choose the target accounts with high value that fit your organisation. And finally, you define the goals and determine your KPIs.

Step 2. Look for account insights

Gather relevant information about your accounts, including decision-makers, influencers, and their value proposition. Understand their business drivers and challenges to craft tailored messaging. Finally map your contacts and map the purchasing process.  

Step 3. Create account-relevant content

Get started with the creation of personalised and account-relevant communication. Specifically, creating appealing content for your ABM campaign. This could include blogs, infographics, e-books, and customer success stories that highlight best practices.

Step 4. Build and launch your campaign

Combine online and offline tactics, such as digital advertising, email campaigns, and personalised outreach. But make sure you align messages across all touchpoints to maximise engagement.

In addition you need close collaboration between Marketing and Sales and work on a consistent message together. Listen to the story of ABM expert Karin Schaff Glazier on how to build an ABM programme and what ABM pitfalls to avoid. In an earlier interview, she also gives us some tips to get started with ABM quickly. 

Step 5. Measure and optimise

Track metrics like engagement, pipeline impact, and account influence to refine your ABM efforts. In addition, share successes with your team to foster continuous improvement and search for ways to optimise your campaign where needed.  

The rollout of an account-based marketing programme requires a coordinated and personalised approach from Marketing, Sales and other commercial teams. So, once your plan is ready and before you start executing, make sure there’s a sales playbook available.   

Successfully measure account-based marketing

In ABM you don’t try to generate as many leads as possible, but you build as much engagement as possible within your selected accounts. To measure success and progress, look at the information on the account level. Think of: 

• Engagement – All activities that are part of your ABM approach are aimed at having valuable interactions with the contacts in your target account. You want to measure this.  
• Reach and impact – Are your ABM activities actually reaching the right people? 
• Influence – A good way to measure your actual impact and influence, is to compare results between different accounts.

Also, read ‘How to measure ABM and its success‘.

Three account-based marketing examples

Example 1: Account-focused content 

Personalised and customised content can be a powerful base for your ABM strategy. Think of blogs, infographics, e-books, and whitepapers you can make buyer, account or industry-specific. You can use a personalised title or subtitle or a front page adjusted to a segment or industry. Or you can share customer cases that fit your target accounts.

Example 2: Out-of-the-box 1-1 actions 

In order to close big accounts and stand out from all commercial actions of your competitors, you can develop a special and personalised action for one account.  

To raise interest, it is important to play into the needs and challenges of this specific account. Finally, you can make it even more personal by using the same language and words your target account uses.  

This example is from GumGum, a software company that wants to close McDonald’s as a new customer. They developed a special kit of a Big Mac containing different ‘ingredients’, each explaining a part of their services.

Example 3: Web personalisation for specific accounts

You can apply web personalisation for account-based marketing in different ways. You can use dynamic content to personalise websites for different accounts or persons within the DMU of an account.

You can also adapt images and texts on a specific landing page. Or go the extra mile and show different content (e.g. blogs, e-books, and infographics). This will lead to improved customer experiences.

These examples show that ABM can be executed in an approachable or a more labour-intensive way. Of course, this also depends on your budget and available time.

Yet, with a lot of creativity, originality, guts, and the help of AI, you can come a long way. And don’t forget; ‘One swallow doesn’t make a summer’. With one successful action, you’re not there yet. In order to build long-term engagement with your accounts, you need multiple moments of contact, spread out over a longer period of time.  

For more account-based marketing strategy examples, have a look at some of our customers who implemented ABM:  

• How Ultimo successfully started with ABM 
• How Unit4 scaled ABM 
• Cyclomedia from Lead Gen to ABM 
• Odido: from outbound to inbound and starting ABM  

Account-based marketing software

Even though you can execute and monitor your account-based marketing campaigns using an excel sheet, our advice is to at least have access to a CRM and marketing automation platform. Per phase, we explain how other ABM tools could also help you.  

Determining target accounts 

To determine your target accounts your CRM system is leading. Who is your ideal customer? In marketing terms, what is your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). The goal is two-sided: 

1. Determine the characteristics of your ICP 

2. Select accounts within your CRM that meet your ICP 

The account data in your CRM might not be sufficient due to missing data, such as the number of employees, revenue, etc. In this case, you can enrich your CRM data using an external source such as the Chamber of Commerce or Apollo.io.  

Collecting relevant contacts 

The next step is to get insight into the DMU on a contact level. Which people are involved in the purchasing process of your product or service? Also think about influencers. You identify these roles and functions through buyer persona research.

Next, map the specific people using your CRM or LinkedIn. To identify and enrich contacts at scale, tools like ZoomInfo, Clay, and Apollo.io are widely used. Clay lets you build and enrich account lists automatically by pulling data from multiple sources. Apollo.io combines a large B2B contact database with outreach sequencing, making it useful for both finding and engaging key contacts within your target accounts.

Gathering insights into target accounts 

Within your organisation, much is known about the target accounts. Gather this information and enrich it with information from the website and by monitoring social channels and news about the accounts. In addition you can use Google Alerts or intent monitoring tools for this.  

There are also tools you can use to grasp ‘intent’. There are plenty of product and service comparison tools that offer visitor information. This way you immediately know which accounts show an interest in your product or service. 

Content creation 

You use the insights you found for your content creation. Personalisation plays an important role. For example by adding a company logo to a whitepaper for a specific account. Or personalising web pages based on which accounts view your page. This way you can provide each target account a relevant experience on your website.  

There are plenty of tools that offer personalisation. Most important is that these are linked to your marketing automation platform (MAP). Many MAPs have this functionality already, such as Hubspot, Pardot and Marketo. For stand-alone personalisation tools, you can have a look at Trendemon. 

Campaign execution 

In order to reach and engage persons within your target accounts, you use different tactics: 

• LinkedIn or LinkedIn Sales Navigator – You may already be connected, otherwise you can use InMails or LinkedIn Ads 
• Account-based advertising – Tools that recognise the IP addresses of target accounts and have these available for online advertising 
• Website personalisation (see above) 
• E-mail marketing via marketing automation 
• Chat functionality via website or messenger platform 
• Physical post (Direct Mail) 
• Face-to-face (online) events 

Measure and optimise 

Your CRM and marketing automation are the basis for measuring and optimising. In addition, there are cloud solutions specifically developed for the execution of ABM programmes. Examples are Demandbase or 6sense for account engagement. Existing marketing automation platforms are also enhancing their systems for ABM functionality.  

How to use LinkedIn for ABM 

For ABM, you want to focus on your key accounts and nurture your DMU. To do this you can use LinkedIn in a couple of ways. LinkedIn as a branding tool or LinkedIn for targeted reach, and/or build out your account list. Read more in ‘How to leverage LinkedIn for your ABM strategy’.  

Getting started with ABM?  

Do you want to get started with account-based marketing and are you looking for practical step-by-step guidance? At SPOTONVISION we make ABM easy, whether we collaborate face-to-face or online.

The most important ingredient for success is close co-operation between your Marketing and Sales. So, when you are ready to work together, SPOTONVISION can facilitate and support with impact. We work in pre-defined sprints, quick wins, and no surprises in the process. Talk to an ABM specialist for more information. 

About the author:

Frequently asked questions about account-based marketing

Reputation + Relationships = Revenue 

For years, B2B marketing has focused on visibility. More content. More campaigns. More automation. But something fundamental is changing, and it starts with trust. 

As artificial intelligence makes it easier to generate content at scale, buyers are becoming more sceptical. The amount of information available to them is exploding, but their ability to trust that information is declining. In this environment, trust is becoming the most valuable currency in B2B. Not reach. Not impressions. Trust. 

This shift is not just theoretical. According to the Edelman Trust Barometer 2026, 70% of people globally are hesitant or unwilling to trust someone who is different from them. While Edelman’s research covers consumers broadly, the pattern is even sharper in B2B: Dentsu’s Superpowers Index 2025 found that trust is the number one driver of B2B brand choice, for the third consecutive year. 

Trust is no longer a nice-to-have. It is the key differentiator in every B2B relationship. And it shapes how buyers think, decide, and buy long before they ever speak to a salesperson. 

The AI content explosion 

Generative AI has dramatically increased the volume of content companies can produce. Blogs, whitepapers, product descriptions, and entire campaigns can now be created in minutes. From a productivity perspective, this is remarkable. From a buyer perspective, it creates a serious problem. 

When everything looks polished and professional, how do you know what is real, relevant, and reliable? 

Buyers are already responding to this challenge. They validate information across multiple sources before trusting it. They read analyst reports, check peer recommendations, watch independent reviews, and compare different perspectives. Trust is no longer built primarily by the content a company produces. It is built by the signals buyers observe. 

Gartner predicts that by 2026, 60% of CMOs will use content-authenticity tools to protect brand credibility. That tells you something. When even the tools are shifting towards proving authenticity, the game has changed. 

Buyers verify before they trust 

In most B2B buying processes, vendors enter the conversation surprisingly late. Research consistently shows that the bulk of decision-making happens before buyers engage with suppliers at all. By the time the first sales conversation takes place, buyers often already have a shortlist of vendors they consider credible. 

According to 6sense, buyers complete around 61% of their decision process before contacting a vendor. And the eventual winner is almost always on the initial shortlist, in 95% of cases. 

That shortlist is shaped by brand familiarity, market reputation, thought leadership, peer recommendations, analyst coverage, and existing customer experiences. In other words, trust is established long before the formal buying process begins. Companies that are not visible or credible during this early phase find it very difficult to catch up later. 

Trust is built before the buying journey begins 

One important implication of this shift is that trust is increasingly built before the formal buying process even starts.

In many B2B environments, buyers form preferences early. They explore the market, compare options, and often create a shortlist before engaging with suppliers.

This means that a large part of the decision-making process happens long before a sales conversation takes place.

If you are not on the shortlist on day one, the chances of winning become significantly smaller. This is where the idea of “shifting left” becomes relevant. Instead of focusing only on active buying moments, organisations need to build visibility, credibility and trust earlier in the journey, when buyers are still shaping their view of the market.

At the same time, the journey does not end at the deal. Customer experience, onboarding, and ongoing value creation determine whether trust grows, leading to retention, expansion and advocacy.

In that sense, the B2B journey is no longer linear. It stretches both to the left, before the buying process starts, and to the right, long after the deal is closed.

The connected customer 

Buyers are more connected than ever. Information flows quickly across networks of colleagues, partners, and communities. People discuss suppliers with peers, share experiences in professional networks, and exchange recommendations in industry groups. According to the Edelman Trust Barometer 2026, as a result of major societal events, people have lost trust in national government leaders (-16 net) and major news organisations (-11 net), while gaining trust in their immediate circle; neighbours, family, coworkers. 

This means reputation travels faster than any marketing message. A single positive or negative customer experience can shape how a company is perceived across an entire market segment. 

Harvard Business Review puts it plainly: developing positive customer experiences is fundamentally about building relationships and reputation. In B2B, those two things are inseparable. Experience is not just a post-sale concern, it is a trust signal that shapes reputation long before a contract is signed. 

Customer experience as a growth engine 

Trust is not built through messaging alone. It is built through experience. Every interaction a customer has with an organisation contributes to their perception of the brand, from onboarding and support to how transparently you handle problems, how responsive you are, and how easy you make it to do business with you. 

Even small improvements here can significantly influence loyalty, retention, and advocacy. Satisfied customers stay longer, buy more, and recommend suppliers to others. 

This is why customer experience is no longer a support function. It is a growth driver. According to Forrester’s Global Total Experience Score Rankings 2025, companies that align their brand and customer experience are positioned to achieve up to 3.5x revenue growth and significantly higher customer loyalty than competitors who do not. 

From marketing to trust building 

All of this has implications for how B2B companies approach marketing. Instead of focusing primarily on generating attention, organisations need to think about how they build trust across the entire customer lifecycle. 

That means creating credible thought leadership, ensuring consistent customer experiences, investing in reputation and relationships, aligning marketing with sales and customer success, and genuinely listening to customer feedback and acting on it. 

Marketing still plays a vital role. But its purpose is evolving. It becomes less about persuasion and more about credibility. Less about reach and more about relevance. Less about volume and more about trust. 

Conclusion 

AI will continue to change how B2B companies create and distribute content. But one thing remains constant: buyers ultimately make decisions based on trust. 

The organisations that succeed in the coming years will not necessarily be the ones that produce the most content. They will be the ones that build the most credible relationships with their customers and markets, because in B2B, that is what converts reputation and relationships into revenue. 

At SPOTONVISION, we help companies build trust across every customer touchpoint. Want to find out where trust is being built across your customer journey? Get in touch for a tailored strategy session.

In the evolving world of B2B marketing, choosing the right marketing automation platform (MAP) is a critical decision, particularly when your strategy revolves around account-based marketing (ABM). This 2026 guide will help you navigate the most popular platforms for ABM, evaluate their strengths and weaknesses, and provide actionable recommendations to help you select the right solution for your business.

What marketing automation means for B2B account-based marketing

Marketing automation refers to the technology used to automate repetitive marketing tasks, optimise campaigns, and track the effectiveness of marketing efforts. When applied to account-based marketing (ABM), a tailored approach for targeting and engaging high-value accounts, marketing automation becomes essential for managing complex campaigns, nurturing prospects, and tracking interactions at the account level.

Key aspects of ABM in marketing automation:

• Account-level tracking: Instead of tracking individual leads, marketing automation tools help you manage and assess the engagement of entire accounts.
• Personalised workflows: Tailored messaging for each account or decision-maker based on their unique needs and behaviours.
• Seamless integration with sales: Align marketing efforts with sales teams, ensuring that account insights are actionable and that campaigns drive sales engagement.

How to evaluate marketing automation platforms (quick criteria overview)

When selecting a marketing automation platform for ABM, consider the following key evaluation criteria:

1. Strength of ABM features: Does the platform allow you to build targeted account lists, track interactions at the account level, and engage decision-makers across multiple channels?
2. Integration capabilities: Can the platform seamlessly integrate with your CRM, sales tools, and other systems used by your team?
3. Account-level analytics: Does the platform offer robust analytics that track engagement at the account level, providing clear insight into the effectiveness of your campaigns?
4. AI-assisted features: Does the platform leverage AI to help personalise content, predict buying intent, and recommend actions for specific accounts?
5. Scalability: Will the platform support your business as it grows and your ABM efforts expand?
6. Simplicity of workflows: Is the platform intuitive and easy to use, or does it require a steep learning curve?
7. Alignment with sales teams: Does the platform facilitate collaboration between sales and marketing teams to drive account engagement and conversion?
8. Data governance: How does the platform handle data privacy (e.g., GDPR compliance for European businesses)?
9. Pricing transparency: Are pricing models clear and scalable according to your needs?
10. Partner ecosystem and local support: Does the platform have a network of trusted partners and support teams, particularly in your region (Benelux, Netherlands)?

Platform comparison (updated for 2026)

Here’s a detailed look at several leading marketing automation platforms, evaluating their ABM capabilities, strengths, and limitations.

HubSpot Marketing Hub

Short verdict: Hubspot is a user-friendly platform ideal for small to mid-sized B2B companies looking to scale ABM efforts.

Strengths:

• All-in-one solution with CRM, email, landing pages, and social media tools.
• Robust ABM tools, including targeted account lists, workflows, and dashboards.
• Easy-to-use interface with strong reporting capabilities.

ABM capabilities:

• Advanced segmentation and personalisation.
• Account-based workflows to nurture key decision-makers.
• Integration with sales teams for better alignment.

Limitations:

• Limited customisation compared to enterprise-focused platforms.
• Pricing increases as contact volumes grow.

Best suited for:
Small and medium-sized B2B businesses looking for a comprehensive, easy-to-use marketing automation platform with strong ABM capabilities.

automation platform. Several ABM functionalities have already been included in the development.

Marketo (Adobe)

Short verdict: Adobe Marketo Engage is a powerful platform suited for larger organisations with complex ABM needs.

Strengths:

• Advanced reporting and analytics.
• Robust integration options with CRM, sales tools, and third-party systems.
• Strong support for multi-channel campaigns.

ABM capabilities:

• Advanced account scoring and reporting.
• Seamless handoff from marketing to sales teams for targeted follow-up.

Limitations:

• Steep learning curve and high setup costs.
• The platform can be overwhelming for smaller teams.

Best suited for:
Large enterprises that need highly customisable ABM tools, comprehensive analytics, and seamless CRM integration.

ActiveCampaign

Short verdict: ActiveCampaign is a budget-friendly option with a focus on ease of use and email automation.

Strengths:

• Affordable pricing with strong email marketing automation tools.
• Easy-to-setup workflows and segmentation.
• Excellent customer support.

ABM capabilities:

• Basic account segmentation and automated email drip campaigns for ABM.
• Good for small businesses starting with ABM.

Limitations:

• Lacks some advanced ABM features seen in larger platforms like Marketo or HubSpot.
• Limited multi-channel engagement tools.

Best suited for:
Small businesses or startups looking to begin their ABM journey with a simple and affordable marketing automation solution.

Demandbase

Short verdict: Demandbase is a leading platform focused on ABM, offering AI-driven insights and tailored solutions for B2B marketers.

Strengths:

• Strong account identification and intent data features.
• Advanced AI-driven personalisation and account targeting.
• Seamless integration with CRM and sales systems.

ABM capabilities:

• Intent data-powered ABM, allowing for more accurate targeting.
• Real-time analytics to measure account engagement.
• Personalised campaigns across multiple channels, driven by AI insights.

Limitations:

• Can be complex to implement, especially for smaller teams.
• Pricing can be high, depending on the scale of your operations.

Best suited for:
Medium to large B2B organisations looking to leverage AI and intent data for highly targeted ABM strategies.

6sense

Short verdict: 6sense is an AI-powered platform that helps B2B businesses discover buyer intent and personalise ABM strategies at scale.

Strengths:

• Strong AI-driven analytics and predictive insights.
• Advanced intent data and engagement tracking across various channels.
• Deep integration with CRM, sales tools, and marketing systems.

ABM capabilities:

• Account identification and real-time intent tracking.
• Personalised engagement across email, web, and social media channels.
• Integration with sales teams for better conversion rates.

Limitations:

• Steeper learning curve compared to more basic platforms.
• Can be costly for smaller organisations.

Best suited for:
Larger B2B companies with a focus on predictive analytics and AI-driven ABM for complex, multi-touch engagement.

Key differences between the major platforms

Feature	HubSpot Marketing Hub	Marketo (Adobe)	ActiveCampaign	Demandbase	6sense
Ease of use	High	Medium	Very High	Medium	Low
Advanced ABM features	Medium	High	Low	High	Very High
Email automation	High	High	High	Medium	Medium
Account-level analytics	Medium	High	Medium	High	Very High
CRM integration	Native CRM integration	Extensive CRM options	Limited CRM support	Strong CRM integration	Strong CRM integration
Best for	Small to mid-sized B2B	Large enterprises	Small businesses	Medium to large B2B	Large B2B organisations

Which platform fits your ABM maturity level

Starting with ABM: If you’re just beginning your ABM journey, HubSpot or ActiveCampaign may be the best fit due to their ease of use and straightforward features.

Growing your ABM programme: As your ABM efforts scale, Demandbase and 6sense offer more robust data-driven ABM capabilities that are ideal for larger and more sophisticated campaigns.

Advanced ABM: For enterprises with highly sophisticated ABM programmes, Marketo, Demandbase, and 6sense provide the deep AI insights, predictive analytics, and advanced targeting needed for larger-scale, multi-touch ABM efforts.

Common pitfalls when selecting a marketing automation platform

1. Ignoring integration capabilities: Make sure the platform integrates seamlessly with your existing CRM, sales tools, and other systems.
2. Overestimating your ABM maturity: Select a platform that matches your current ABM maturity, rather than opting for the most advanced solution out of the gate.
3. Underestimating pricing structures: Keep an eye on pricing and understand how it scales with your business.

How SPOTONVISION helps B2B organisations choose and implement marketing automation

At SPOTONVISION, we specialise in guiding B2B organisations through the process of selecting and implementing the right marketing automation platform. With our deep expertise in account-based marketing and a strong understanding of the European market, we ensure that your platform selection aligns with your unique business needs.

Summary

Choosing the right marketing automation platform for your ABM efforts can significantly impact the success of your campaigns. While HubSpot offers an intuitive, user-friendly option for small and mid-sized businesses, platforms like Marketo, Demandbase, and 6sense provide the deep customisation and advanced analytics that large enterprises require. By evaluating your organisation’s needs and understanding the capabilities of each platform, you can make a strategic choice that supports your ABM goals.

For years, B2B marketing has been built around a simple exchange. Content for contact details. Fill in the form, get the whitepaper, wait for sales to follow up.

That model is breaking down fast.

Buyers are still researching. They are still comparing options. But they are doing it on their own terms. They avoid forms. They block tracking. They switch devices. And they expect relevance without friction.

This is not a temporary dip in conversion rates. It is a structural change in how B2B buying works.

The shift from responding to form fills to responding to signals is one of the most practical changes B2B teams need to make right now.

Why form fills no longer reflect buying intent

Form fills used to be a reliable proxy for interest. Today, they are a weak signal.

Senior buyers do not want to be chased after downloading a single asset. Buying groups research anonymously for longer. Many use private browsing or corporate security tools that reduce tracking visibility.

As a result, the volume of form fills goes down. The quality becomes less predictable. And sales teams lose trust in what marketing hands over.

The mistake is trying to fix this by forcing more forms, more required fields, or more aggressive follow-up.

The real change is recognising that intent shows up in many other ways.

From intent data to signals

B2B teams have talked about intent data for years. The term intent signals is also used by platforms such as Demandbase. Topic surges. Keyword monitoring. Third-party intent feeds. The thinking was right, but the execution often stayed abstract.

Signals are easier to work with. A signal is any meaningful behaviour that suggests a real account is moving closer to a decision. Not a single click or visit, but a pattern of activity over time.

Signals can be first-party, such as visits to specific pages on your own website. They can also be broader, such as engagement across channels or renewed activity after a quiet period.

On their own, these actions mean little. Combined, they tell a story.

The job of modern B2B teams is to recognise those patterns early and respond in a way that helps buyers move forward.

How B2B buying is really changing

Buying decisions are increasingly made by groups, not individuals. Research happens across channels, devices and time. And AI has raised expectations for relevance and speed. This leads to three practical shifts.

1. Marketing can no longer focus mainly on lead capture. It must focus on account progression.
2. Sales can no longer wait for a perfect lead. They need context, timing and confidence.
3. Technology is no longer just about automation. It is about interpretation.

This is where signal-based approaches connect naturally with account-based marketing.

Account-based marketing (ABM) without the complexity

Account-based marketing still feels intimidating to many teams. It sounds heavy, manual and expensive.

In practice, the core idea of account-based marketing is straightforward. Focus on the accounts that matter. Understand where they are in their buying journey. Engage accordingly.

Signals make this practical. Instead of asking whether someone filled in a form, you ask whether an account is showing buying behaviour. Instead of handing over a name, marketing hands over insight.

AI helps by connecting the dots at scale. It brings together behavioural data, firmographic data and engagement history. It highlights which accounts deserve attention now, not next quarter.

You do not need a perfect account-based marketing setup to start. You need a shared definition of what a meaningful signal looks like.

What this means for marketing teams

Marketing teams need to rethink success metrics. Volume matters less. Momentum matters more.

This means shifting from campaigns to continuous listening. From isolated actions to journeys. From anonymous traffic to known accounts, even when individuals remain unknown.

Content plays a different role too. It is no longer just a lead magnet. It becomes a signal generator. Certain pages, formats and messages are designed to reveal intent, not hide it behind a form.

Most importantly, marketing needs to work closely with sales on interpretation. Not every signal deserves a call. But every strong signal deserves a plan.

What this means for sales teams

Sales teams benefit most when signals are timely and clear. Instead of cold outreach, they get warm context. Instead of guessing, they know why now.

This changes conversations. Outreach becomes helpful rather than intrusive. Questions are informed. Follow-up feels relevant.

Sales also need to feed signals back. Conversations, objections and engagement patterns improve future prioritisation. This is not a one-way handover. It is a loop.

Getting started without a full account-based marketing programme

You do not need to replatform everything. Start small. Identify your most important accounts. Agree on a short list of high-intent behaviours. Map what should happen when those behaviours appear.

High-intent behaviours are actions that usually occur when an account moves from general research to active consideration. Examples include repeated visits from the same company to pricing, product or comparison pages. Multiple people from one account engaging with similar topics within a short time frame. A return to your site after a period of inactivity, especially following a campaign or sales interaction. Or engagement with decision-stage content without completing a form.

The key is not volume, but consistency. One action means little. Patterns matter. Test, learn, refine.

The biggest risk is waiting for perfection. The biggest opportunity is acting on what you can already observe.

The role of AI in making this work

Without AI, signal-based marketing is difficult to scale. With AI, it becomes realistic. In practical terms, AI supports teams in three ways.

First, it connects data points that would otherwise remain separate. Website behaviour, email engagement, CRM activity and firmographic data are combined at account level.

Second, it filters noise. AI looks for patterns over time instead of reacting to isolated actions. This reduces false positives and helps teams focus on what genuinely indicates buying intent.

Third, it supports next actions. Based on historical outcomes, AI can help prioritise accounts for sales follow-up, continued nurturing or temporary pause.

This does not mean handing decisions over to machines. Teams still define what a good signal is and how to respond. AI helps apply those decisions consistently and at scale.

The most effective teams combine human judgement with machine pattern recognition. That is where revenue impact becomes visible.

From reacting to responding

Form fills pushed B2B teams into a reactive model. Wait, then chase. Signals enable a responsive one. Observe, interpret, engage.

This is not about doing more. It is about doing the right thing at the right moment.

Introduction – The year of orchestration 

As European B2B marketing and sales leaders look to 2026, one question matters most: What will set the pace for growth next year? After a decade of digital acceleration, 2026 marks a turning point. The tools are no longer the story. What matters now is how people and technology work in harmony to create growth that lasts. 

Across recent research from CMI, Dentsu, Forrester, Gartner, McKinsey and 6sense, one pattern stands out. Competitive advantage now depends on combining machine precision with human understanding. 

Here are five predictions that highlight where this balance will matter most for European B2B organisations. The themes: AI, buyer insight, buying-group personalisation, sales and marketing alignment, and brand trust. 

The five 2026 B2B Marketing Predictions:  

1. AI as co-pilot, not driver 

2. Buyer Insight 2.0: From intent to understanding 

3. Buying group personalisation at scale 

4. Sales and Marketing alignment gets real 

5. Brand and metrics: earning trust in the age of algorithms 

As we look ahead to 2026, one technology dominates every conversation. That is where our first prediction begins. 

Prediction 1: AI as co-pilot, not driver 

“Competitive advantage now depends on the ability to combine machine precision with human understanding.” 
SPOTONVISION B2B Marketing Predictions 2026 

AI has moved from hype to habit. In 2026, the challenge is governance and trust. Forrester warns that ungoverned generative AI will cost B2B companies more than US $10 billion in enterprise value. McKinsey notes that the more AI is used, the greater the need for clear top-down processes. Many organisations will need fundamental redesign. 

Gartner predicts that by 2026, 60 percent of CMOs will use content-authenticity tools to protect brand credibility. McKinsey also reports that 27 percent of marketers still check AI output manually. Dentsu advises brands to balance efficiency with emotion, using AI to enhance creativity, not replace it. 

What this means for B2B marketers 

AI now sits beside every marketer as a creative co-pilot. The strongest organisations define clear roles. They decide where AI assists, where humans decide, and how data integrity is maintained. 

Main takeaways on AI 

• Build AI maturity, not activity. This means adopting AI not just for quick wins but in a way that is aligned with your long-term strategy, incorporating governance, clear metrics, and training for teams. 

• Start with a governance framework, then pilot specific use cases: content drafting, segmentation, predictive targeting. 

• Let AI speed up the routine processes so people can focus on relationships, storytelling and strategy. 

• Use AI to augment strategy and creativity, not replace people 

But even the smartest technology is only as good as the insight behind it. 

The next prediction shifts focus from machines to people, understanding what truly drives B2B buyers. 

Prediction 2: Buyer insight 2.0: from intent to understanding 

“The best marketers will stop tracking clicks and start decoding confidence.”
SPOTONVISION B2B Marketing Predictions 2026 

According to Kerry Cunningham (6sense), the recent B2B Buyer Experience Report 2025 reveals that most B2B Wins trace back to Day One. Much of the shortlist is now determined on the first day of the buyer journey, and the eventual winner is almost always on that list (95 percent).  

Major change from last year’s data, when we always repeating that 70 percent of the buyer’s journey happens without contacting the vendor, this year 6sense reveals that buyers complete about 61 percent of their decision process before contacting a vendor. In Europe, 75 percent of deals were closed with the vendor that buyers contacted first.  

Forrester reports that 30 percent of buyers already use generative-AI tools to evaluate options. The modern buyer co-creates the shortlist with machines. 

Buyer insights and buyer enablement content are now more important than ever. Yet the Content Marketing Institute (CMI) found that only 29 percent of marketers rate their content strategy as effective. We are seeing plenty of signals, but not enough genuine insight.  

The modern buyer rarely acts alone. Even in the early research stages, multiple stakeholders are involved, comparing information and sharing views. This is why buyer insight increasingly means buying-group insight. 

What this means for B2B marketers 

Intent data shows what buyers are doing, but not why. In 2026, the best teams will combine data with empathy to understand both buyers and buying groups. Personalisation can only succeed when it is based on a deep understanding of real needs. 

Main takeaways on buyer insights 

• Combine quantitative intent data with qualitative buyer interviews. 

• Map not only journeys but emotions, motivations and obstacles. 

• Create experiences that feel human at every stage and ensure they remain visible through conversational and multimodal search, also known as Search Experience Optimisation (SXO). 

• Build buyer enablement content for the entire buying group. 

Once we understand our buyers better, the challenge becomes activation. The next prediction looks at turning insight into personalised engagement for the entire buying group. 

Prediction 3: Buying-group personalisation at scale 

“The implication of this trend is that account-based marketing and sales will go mainstream, ABM will become business as usual.” 
SPOTONVISION B2B Marketing Predictions 2026 

Buying decisions are now collective. The typical EMEA buying group includes around 10 people. Even with abundant data, many deals stall midway.  

The 2025 Science of B2B BDR Benchmark shows that BDRs (Business Development Reps) must now make more attempts per contact, and that 90 percent are reaching out to three additional personas within the same account. This means that the Agentic AI that is used in sales must support personalisation. 

Dentsu’s Human Truths 2026 echoes this shift. Decision-makers respond faster when experiences are both useful and emotionally relevant. 

Yet B2B marketers struggle with personalisation at scale. The B2B Content & Marketing Trends: Insights for 2026 shows that 59 percent use only basic personalisation, and just 6 percent are advanced.  

What this means for B2B marketers 

Personalisation must expand from individuals to buying groups. Each role, whether CFO, CTO, user, needs its own narrative within one coordinated experience. Forrester reinforces that growth will depend on orchestrating engagement across those collective dynamics.  

The implication is clear: account-based marketing will go mainstream. ABM will become Go-To-Market business as usual. This is already happening in the US and in the UK.  

Sales, marketing, and customer success alignment will become essential. Local nuance, such as language, culture, and buying dynamics, will influence global ABM programmes. 

Main takeaways on buying-group personalisation 

• Use buying-group intelligence to deliver role-based personalisation. 

• Combine intent and CRM data to identify active members and craft content that answers their priorities. 

• Integrate ABM, marketing automation and sales-enablement around shared opportunity metrics so every touchpoint advances the same deal. 

Executing personalised experiences at scale requires teams to work as one. Our next prediction explores how sales and marketing alignment is becoming a measurable reality. 

Prediction 4: Sales and marketing alignment gets real 

“Marketing and Sales will jointly own the pipeline stages.” 
SPOTONVISION B2B Marketing Predictions 2026 

We have talked about alignment for years. In 2026 it becomes measurable. The CMI 2026 report shows fewer than one-third of content teams work closely with Sales, yet those that do achieve stronger ROI. 

Both Forrester and McKinsey point to orchestrated omnichannel models where Sales and Marketing act as one continuous conversation.  

What this means for B2B marketers 

Alignment now means shared ownership of the pipeline. Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) counts fade and opportunity progression becomes the core metric. Real-time data closes the feedback loop between campaigns and sales activity.  

The next stage of alignment is to organise around the buying journey itself. Sales and Marketing will co-own the account journey, not as separate functions but as one continuous flow. This buying-group perspective will become the new measure of alignment. 

Main takeaways on co-owning sales opportunities 

• Establish joint planning and KPIs tied to buyer stages. 

• Create digital sales rooms or shared content hubs to manage accounts together. 

• Alignment in 2026 means transparency and teamwork, not meetings and reports. 

• Marketing and Sales will act as stewards of the entire account journey  

Alignment delivers efficiency, but growth still depends on trust. Our final prediction looks at credibility and attention. 

Prediction 5: Brand and metrics: earning trust in the age of algorithms 

“Use attention and trust as leading indicators of pipeline health.” 
SPOTONVISION B2B Marketing Predictions 2026 

The attention economy is tightening. Dentsu’s Human Truths warns that attention is a scarce resource and brands must focus on quality over quantity. 

Forrester forecasts that 75 percent of enterprise B2B companies will increase influencer-relations budgets to rebuild credibility. AI makes content cheap. Trust makes it valuable. 

What this means for B2B marketers 

Trust becomes the strongest differentiator. Measurement is shifting from activity to impact. Marketers will combine attention metrics such as time and engagement depth with commercial results. Gartner expects search volumes to fall by 25 percent as AI assistants influence discovery. This increases the importance on community and influencer trust. 

Main takeaway on brand and trust 

• Connect brand storytelling to measurable business impact.  

• Link engagement metrics to pipeline quality and sales acceleration. 

• Use trust and attention as leading indicators of pipeline health. 

• Invest in authentic voices, advocacy programmes, and data-driven storytelling that build reputation, not just reach. 

From AI governance to brand trust, each of trend points in the same direction. Technology and humanity must work in sync to drive resilient growth. 

Conclusion: How AI and personalisation drive B2B  growth

After four years of exploring how technology reshapes marketing and sales, 2026 signals a human comeback. Progress is no longer about acceleration but orchestration, bringing insight, creativity, and technology into harmony. 

Sustainable growth depends on understanding people as well as platforms. Combine data with empathy to build seamless, personalised buyer journeys. Use AI to speed up routine tasks, but ensure humans stay in charge of strategy, creativity, and relationship-building. 

At SPOTONVISION, we help organisations achieve that balance, aligning sales and marketing, build ABM programmes that drive resilient growth, and turn buyer insights into stronger relationships.  

Use technology to serve the human purpose behind every deal. That is how B2B leaders will win in 2026. 

Sources: 

• CMI  Content & Marketing Trends – Insights for 2026 
• Demandbase Data-driven GTM planning for 2026: a strategic framework 
• Dentsu Human Truths in the Algorithmic Era | 2026 Media Trends 
• Forrester 2026 Predictions Guide: B2B Marketing, Sales, & Product 
• Gartner Podcast AI, Strategy & Marketing Growth 
• McKinsey The state of AI 
• McKinsey Next best experience: How AI can power every customer interaction 
• Propolis Quarterly Index Report | Q4 2025 
• 6sense The 2024 B2B Buyer Experience Report 
• 6sense The 2025 B2B Buyer Experience Report 
• 6sense The 2025 Science of B2B BDR Benchmark