B2Bs Leverage Programmatic to Target Specific Accounts

Programmatic advertising is unlocking new opportunities for account-based marketing (ABM), and according to industry experts, interest and investments are ramping up. Research from Dun & Bradstreet found that 63% of B2B marketers worldwide are already buying or selling programmatically, and 41% expect to spend even more in 2019. The main appeal is in the ability to target specific accounts, and the people within those accounts, with ads that tell a story sequentially through the buyer’s journey. For example, a buyer might be served an awareness-type ad, followed by a series of ads that give more detailed information on a product or brand, finishing with one that’s meant to close the deal. Dun & Bradstreet found that 48% of B2B marketers already had this type of ad personalization in place, and many in the industry see even more potential for it. “If you’re asking me what the thing of the future is, it’s sequencing and making sure you’re serving relevant content, and not overexposing people to one message,” said Steve Weeks, director of media strategy and planning at Adobe. “A programmatic platform allows you to do that better than you could going direct.” The idea is that, with buyers being guided through the funnel more effectively, marketers will be able to accelerate pipeline velocity by shifting dollars based on how specific accounts perform. The same Dun & Bradstreet research found that 46% of marketers were already doing this type of real-time optimization.