When ABM & Demand Generation Go Hand-in-Hand to Deliver Critical Targeted Messaging

The balancing scenario between traditional demand generation and ABM strategies forefronts the marketing world. Now they go hand-in-hand to deliver critical targeted messaging by making new waves in B2B marketing. Research from Demand Gen Report shows that 58% of B2B marketers are duly focused on a blend of ABM and demand gen initiatives.

The gap between demand gen and ABM is so profoundly blurred. Experts such as Danny Nail, Head of Account-Based Engagement at Microsoft, say that a 1: many ABM approaches is more of a targeted demand gen tactic than true ABM. Demand generation and ABM can and do co-exist in modern B2B. They both use the same tactics to reach diverse goals. But as per Nail, ABM profoundly relies on the information demand gen teams are feeding them to find new accounts to engage.

B2B businesses are looking for innovative ways to effectively combine their ABM and demand gen strategies. This way, they can generate new qualified leads for the funnel and strengthening account-based engagement through shared datasets. Businesses are also working meticulously to maintain consistent messaging across channels and build malleable content for various impending marketing goals.

Further, Nail mentioned that “they operate separately, but can work together. The best thing these could do together is understanding each other’s data and messaging and partner with each other when marketing to similar accounts. Yet, 1:1 ABM is not the same as 1: many targeted marketing and the two teams need to understand how to not inhibit each other’s processes.”

In addition, with demand generation and ABM tactics relying on different approaches to target and engage prospects, marketing teams essentially consider the messaging they send out to the market. In such a case, one of the most acceptable ways to maintain consistent messaging is through shared data.

Hana Jacover, Director of Demand Gen at marketing ops platform MadKudu, explained that both teams can pull information from the same databases to identify leads or accounts to engage. This would present an easy opportunity for collaboration through messaging strategy.

On a similar note, Breezy Beaumont, Head of Growth Marketing at product-led revenue platform Correlated, explained that internal data is critical to identifying leads and new accounts. This helps Correlated’s ABM and Demand Gen teams precisely differentiate between a qualified lead or a key account.

Furthermore, blending ABM and demand gen also requires understanding the channels internal teams use in their strategies and where their messaging may overlap.

According to Beaumont, most teams often operate in the same social channels, naturally where prospects openly share their pain points. Beaumont explained that ABM and demand gen teams can work together and leverage that information to identify potential buyers and determine the form of engagement best suited to meet them.

Therefore, as traditional demand gen and ABM are considered two different strategies, the benefits of blending some of their processes cannot be ignored. Both ABM and demand gen teams can help simplify the lead/account identification process while creating consistent and omnichannel experiences.