Report: Marketers Anxious to Execute ABM Strategies Despite Challenges

As more marketers look to develop an account-based marketing (ABM) strategy, new research indicates that they are still faced with many challenges in this area.

DemandGen recently published the results of its “ABM Benchmark Survey,” and statistics showed that 98% of respondents already utilize or intend to implement an ABM strategy. However, most marketers (46%) say that their top challenge remains tackling personalization at scale toward target accounts. Forty-three percent cite their main challenge as proving return-on-investment/attribution, and 36% pointed to a lack of sales and marketing alignment.

Despite these obstacles, most marketers (53%) claim that their ABM efforts are at least meeting organizational expectations. About 22% said that they are exceeding organizational expectations, and only 16% stated that they are underperforming organizational expectations.

Poor Sales and Marketing Cooperation Impacting ABM Success

There have been many challenges associated with executing ABM, and previous research suggests that they are not exclusively impacting marketing teams.

Conversica conducted its “2021 State of Account-Based Marketing Report,” and data indicated that both marketing and sales reps are on the same page about the potential of ABM. However, 30% said that there is still a lack of cooperation between sales and marketing teams when it comes to ABM.

Nearly 37% cited “insufficient experience” as the reason why their ABM strategy is not reaching its potential, while 33% said insufficient staffing was to blame. That being said, 86% of respondents still believe in ABM’s ability to help close deals.