Must-Know Account-Based Marketing Trends in 2025
Why bother about account-based marketing trends?
Because despite its complexity, account-based marketing (ABM) remains a go-to strategy for B2B marketers. And thanks to recent innovations in tech, marketers can now dive deeper into our customers’ minds, predict their future needs, and hone our campaigns to personalized perfection.
Let’s dive headfirst into the future of account-based marketing, and explore the top emerging trends in ABM in the coming year and beyond. Together, we’ll learn the exact tactics marketers are using to impact revenue and drive long-term growth.
Why is Account-Based Marketing Important?
Account-based marketing (ABM) forgoes the traditional, widespread lead generation approach for hyper-targeted marketing campaigns. An ABM strategy identifies and targets smaller groups of high-value accounts, treating each as its market.
This targeted approach increases personalization and directs resources towards accounts that are most likely to convert, improving productivity and efficiency. ABM removes the need to nurture a broad range of prospects and is particularly useful for B2B sales, where deal sizes are larger and take longer to close.
For instance, say you’re selling an enterprise-level SaaS product. Instead of casting a wide net across various businesses, ABM enables you to zero in on accounts with the highest need and available budget.
Other key benefits of account-based marketing include:
- Enhanced Engagement: Personalized campaigns with tailored messaging and content address the specific needs and pain points of each account.
- Lift in Average Contract Value: Companies that have implemented ABM have seen a lift in average annual contract value of 171% (TOPO, ABM Leadership Alliance).
- Stronger Relationships: By addressing individual challenges and goals, ABM fosters stronger connections with key accounts and decision-makers.
- Proven ROI: 72% of marketers using ABM report it delivers the highest ROI compared to other marketing strategies (Momentum ITSMA).
9 ABM Trends For Revenue Success in 2025
As B2B marketing evolves, it's crucial to stay ahead of emerging trends that drive revenue growth and improve your ABM strategy. Here’s a look at the top trends to watch in 2025:
1. Identify Ready-to-Buy Prospects Using Intent Data
Intent data improves your ability to identify high-value accounts and build effective target account lists for your ABM strategy. It also tracks online interactions to predict when a buyer is nearing a purchase decision, providing key information for hyper-personalized campaigns.
This is a major reason why it has become a popular ABM software use case.
There are four main types of intent data: search-intent data, engagement data, firmographic data, and technographic data. This data is collected from either a first-party source, such as your website, or a third-party source, such as another website online.
Best practices for using intent data in ABM:
- Pinpoint early-stage prospects: Use intent data to identify accounts in the early stages of their buyer's journey and be the first business to reach out.
- Improve MQL quality: Utilize intent data to score leads based on their demonstrated intent to purchase, prioritizing those with the highest potential.
- Increase cold call conversions: Leverage insights from intent data to address prospects' specific searches, challenges, and potential solutions during calls.
To begin using intent data to build your target account lists and score leads, invest in an intent data provider, such as Demandbase, Bombora or Cognism. These tools and providers make it possible to monitor purchase signals across all online sources your prospects use. This trend is why most folks prefer ABM vs. demand generation.
2. Surface Revenue Opportunities Across the Buyer Journey
One of the primary benefits of account-based marketing is the ability of marketers to make a direct impact on revenue growth. However, future-forward ABM strategies must move beyond a top-of-funnel mindset in order to maximize revenue potential.
Zoom out and consider the entire buyer journey when building your account-based marketing approach. Outline metrics for success for every buying stage, from lead generation through to conversion.
Best practices for surfacing revenue opportunities across the buyer journey:
- Map the buyer journey: Clearly define and document the stages your prospects go through, from awareness to post-purchase, to identify key touchpoints and opportunities for engagement.
- Use data to optimize engagement: Continuously collect and analyze data from each stage of the buyer journey to refine your strategies and improve your ABM efforts.
- Segment your target accounts: Divide your target account list based on their stage in the buyer journey to deliver tailored content and messaging that resonates with their current needs and interests.
Be sure to gather data and insights at every possible touchpoint. This includes tracking interactions on your website, monitoring engagement with marketing materials, and understanding the key pain points and motivations of your target accounts.
3. Design and Launch Integrated ABM Campaigns
Full integration and commitment to an account-based strategy are crucial for the effective use of resources and maximum ROI. Integrated ABM campaigns minimize operational silos by consolidating data from various sources, tools, and teams, creating a comprehensive approach to targeting high-value accounts.
This integration enables real-time tracking of account progress through the ABM funnel, providing visibility into when an account is ready to move into the buying stage.
Best practices for launching integrated ABM campaigns:
- Centralize your data sources: Consolidate data from CRM, intent data providers, and analytics tools into one platform for a unified view and consistent tracking.
- Automate data flow and reporting: Automate data transfer to reporting tools to keep teams updated with the latest insights and respond quickly to changes.
- Align teams and objectives: Align marketing, sales, and other teams with shared goals and strategies to foster collaboration and drive campaign success.
To build and launch integrated ABM campaigns, you'll need customer data platforms (CDPs) and ABM software. These tools enable real-time tracking of account progress through the funnel, providing visibility into when an account is ready to move into the buying stage.
The Best Account-Based Marketing Software
If you’re looking for ABM software that delivers on its promises, I’ve used our painstaking review system to compile this no-nonsense list of the very best account-based marketing software along with what I found each does best:
4. Deploy Personalized Account-Specific ABM Content Campaigns
Personalized account-specific content is a cornerstone of a successful ABM content strategy. Delivering highly customized content to individual accounts enhances engagement and conversion rates.
Best practices for creating account-specific content and campaigns:
- Leverage account insights: Use data and insights about each account to tailor your content. Understand their industry, challenges, and business goals to create messaging that resonates with their specific needs.
- Create customized content: Develop content specifically for each account, such as personalized emails, custom landing pages, and tailored case studies. Read through our guide to building an ABM content strategy to learn the best tactics for tailoring content to your target accounts' unique pain points.
- Engage with relevant touchpoints: Identify and utilize the key touchpoints for each account, such as preferred communication channels and decision-making stages. Deliver personalized content through these touchpoints to maximize engagement and impact.
This approach involves tailoring content and messaging to address the unique needs, challenges, and interests of each target account. This level of personalization not only increases the likelihood of engagement but also positions your brand as a valuable partner in solving their challenges.
5. Expand ABM Strategies Across the Full-Sales Cycle
In the past, ABM was focused on improving the quality of leads entering the sales funnel. However, modern ABM strategies must be integrated throughout the entire sales cycle.
Doing this ensures you maintain consistent, personalized interactions with accounts at every stage. This approach helps in nurturing leads, retaining, and upselling to existing customers. And drives more value and revenue from each account.
Best practices for tailoring ABM strategies to the full sales cycle:
- Build a cross-departmental ABM team: Form a team that includes members from sales, marketing, product management, customer success, and finance. This ensures a cohesive approach throughout the sales cycle.
- Track full-funnel metrics: Shift from just top-of-funnel metrics to evaluating ABM’s impact throughout the entire sales funnel. Track metrics such as lead-to-customer conversion rates, average deal size, and customer lifetime value. Read our guide to ABM metrics to learn more about tracking the impact of your ABM efforts.
- Monitor and optimize: Continuously monitor the effectiveness of your ABM strategies across the full sales cycle. Gather feedback, analyze performance metrics, and make necessary adjustments to optimize your approach and maximize results.
6. Use AI-Powered Automation to Transform ABM
AI-powered tools are a fantastic option for rapidly scaling and improving your account-based marketing efforts. Some of the many ways to use AI in ABM include automating repetitive tasks, improving lead scoring, and running predictive analytics.
To win in ABM, you need to display a deep understanding of target accounts’ needs and challenges. You need intent data to do this, and combining intent data with AI increases the speed and accuracy of your analysis and account understanding.
Best practices for using AI-powered automation in ABM:
- Start by evaluating your options: The AI space is rapidly growing with new tools emerging weekly. Start by aligning key stakeholders on ABM goals and assess AI tools compatible with your strategy and budget.
- Use predictive analytics to identify target accounts: Invest in AI tools with predictive analytics to forecast account behavior and prioritize accounts that are most likely to convert.
- Commit to the long haul: AI is here to stay. Ensure your marketing team is set up for continuous education and upskilling. This prepares you to adopt newer, more effective AI-driven tools and methods as they emerge.
7. Prioritize Account Expansion and Retention
Account-based marketing and traditional marketing differ in their approach to long-term client connections. Traditional marketing views lead generation through a “quantity over quality” lens, while ABM does the reverse.
In ABM, the focus is on nurturing, expanding, and retaining customer relationships because you've done the work of identifying these accounts as valuable.
Best practices for account expansion and retention:
- Deepen engagement: Regularly engage with your key accounts through personalized content, targeted campaigns, and proactive support. This ongoing interaction helps maintain strong relationships and keeps your brand top-of-mind.
- Identify upsell and cross-sell opportunities: Use data analytics and customer feedback to identify opportunities for upselling and cross-selling within your existing accounts. Tailor your offerings to meet their evolving needs and demonstrate how additional products or services can add value.
- Deliver exceptional customer service: Ensure that your support team is well-equipped to handle inquiries, resolve issues promptly, and go above and beyond to exceed customer expectations.
Prioritizing account expansion and retention maximizes your customer lifetime value and minimizes wasted resources.
8. Prioritize User Data Compliance and Adherence to Data Regulations
Privacy concerns are top of mind in B2B tech and SaaS, as more than half of U.S. adults have chosen not to purchase a product or service due to recent data breaches and privacy concerns. Given that ABM is a data-forward marketing strategy, a careful approach to data privacy and data regulations is required.
ABM involves the collection and use of personal data, which must comply with regulations like GDPR and CCPA. Non-compliance can result in significant fines and damage to your company’s reputation.
Best practices for managing user data and data regulations:
- Define data collection and usage policies: Establish clear policies for how personal data is collected, used, and stored. Ensure these policies are communicated effectively to stakeholders and target accounts.
- Obtain explicit consent: Always seek explicit, informed, and unambiguous consent from individuals before using their data.
- Implement robust security measures: Protect personal information with secure servers, data encryption, and strict access controls. Ensuring data security helps prevent breaches and unauthorized access.
9. An Increase in ABM Strategies that Prioritize Sales and Marketing Alignment
B2B buyers have grown to expect a personalized and seamless customer experience, and are willing to pay up to 30% more to get it. Sales and marketing alignment is required for your ABM efforts to live up to these expectations.
Without alignment, marketing and sales operate in silos, resulting in a fragmented customer experience. This not only limits your ability to deliver a cohesive customer experience but also opens the door to errors and inefficiencies.
Best practices for improved sales and marketing alignment:
- Establish shared goals and metrics: Ensure both teams are working towards the same objectives by setting shared goals and performance metrics. This alignment helps synchronize efforts and fosters collaboration.
- Implement regular communication and feedback loops: Schedule regular meetings and create channels for continuous communication between sales and marketing. This allows both teams to share insights, address issues, and adjust strategies in real time.
- Leverage technology for integration: Utilize integrated CRM and marketing automation tools to streamline data sharing and ensure both teams have access to the same information. This reduces duplication of efforts and improves coordination.
Prioritizing alignment between sales and marketing is essential for delivering a cohesive and personalized customer experience. Be sure to collaborate on content and messaging to ensure consistency across touchpoints and invest in joint training to build mutual understanding.
Join For More Account-Based Marketing Insights
Staying ahead of ABM trends is essential for maximizing revenue and enhancing your marketing strategy. From leveraging intent data and AI-powered tools to ensuring seamless sales and marketing alignment, each trend offers valuable opportunities for refining your ABM efforts.
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