How is Artificial Intelligence (AI) helpful in B2B marketing? Some marketers may not realize what roles AI plays in their companies. Over one in three B2B marketing businesses use some form of artificial intelligence (AI), even if every employee isn’t aware of it. Many  B2B marketing teams make strong use of AI in account-based marketing programs. As a result, AI and ABM have become the “new black” in B2B marketing. 

B2B Marketing Turns to Data-driven Account-based Marketing

The goal of AI in ABM is to have data insights at your fingertips. AI in ABM generates automated insights on lead generation and campaign performance related to specific accounts. It can assign a higher lead score for vital accounts, recommend next-step activities, and provide other suggestions on how to engage buying groups at the accounts with content.

AI Adoption Gaining Traction

So much AI-driven engagement already touches our daily lives in some form or another. It’s hard to avoid. Amazon uses it. Google does, too. Even Gmail. How do you think the autocomplete in your email text works? And just those few companies alone bring AI to who knows how many others. 

Businesses like how AI looks on them. Salesforce states that 30% of B2B marketing organizations use AI in some way or other, an increase of 24% over the previous year. Still, that’s a lot of marketers who aren’t putting AI in their wardrobes.

Data-Driven Intelligence About ABM Targets

We cover many of the opportunities for B2B marketing to implement AI in other articles, but it all comes down to data. If you don’t have data, AI can’t do much for you. To be done correctly, AI-driven initiatives need quality data collected in one place. The challenge to bring data together to find the truth around it can be possible with the help of AI. 

Unfortunately, in many typical companies, account and prospect data is all over the place; in the CRM, ad platforms, in a database. If the account data isn’t stacked in one particular place, you can’t implement AI properly to gain insights, like highest performing campaigns and choices for rerunning campaigns. 

Many B2B marketing companies turn to AI-driven solutions to solve specific problems with making use of big data. However, business and technology must connect well to obtain the best results.

Where ABM and AI Start – With Accounts

ABM starts with selecting target accounts and then, sales and marketing align around those specifically. Data accumulated by both teams should be stored in the same place for machine learning to access and filter. 

If you don’t have your arms around your data, you’ll run into trouble, especially if you’re tracking sales data separate from marketing data. Often sales data doesn’t match the marketing data or vice versa; hence it’s so challenging. If you align the sales and marketing teams, you need a unified view into sales, marketing and data. 

For client data, content selection and engagement, try to use the same metrics. Else, the marketing team is measuring the impact of ABM, whereas the sales team is gauging a whole different set of metrics.

AI and ABM: Trend-setting Data-driven Marketing

B2B marketing evolves continuously, especially as it relates to best practices for both AI and ABM. Both are increasingly popular with B2B brands.

B2B marketers reach customers via LinkedIn, Instagram, Google and other digital channels. Today most of these processes and audiences are powered by AI. For ABM, it’s becoming the same story. 

AI-powered ABM campaigns, for example, recommend new campaigns to consider for the target accounts, as well as new account types to target. For example, in financial services, there are sub-categories like wealth management and brokerage firms. AI might recommend running a campaign that targets a whole new group of clients — high-net-worth individuals. 

Things we can’t even imagine will be possible in the next three to five years. Don’t wait until then to get on board with the new black: ABM and AI.

Where to Learn More about Accelerating Revenue with AI

Learn more about AI and B2B in these articles; 5 Applications for AI in B2B Marketing and 3 Ways AI Ramps Up Lead Conversion. You’ll also want to register for the latest looks at the Anteriad Spring Summit: Accelerating Revenue with Artificial Intelligence. Join B2B marketers for a Q/A with Jay Leno, plus customer stories and expert panels.