How ABM Platforms Enabled Digital B2B (Well, In Theory)

An earnest love letter to ABM platforms and an account of why, for some businesses, it’s still time to move on.

Indulge me as I paint the bigger picture: Account-based marketing platforms entered the B2B world like knights of old, riding on the promise of revolution. They declared (with pomp) that “It’s all about the account!” These platforms proclaimed that the value of a lead is not confined to its status as an MQL or SQL but is, in fact, an account’s easily overheard cry for attention. Then they made a craft of it.

ABM platforms bestowed upon mere mortals (i.e. marketers) a peculiar clairvoyance: the ability to divine intent. Making a serious move on turning base metal into gold, they unlocked the magical powers of account-level insights, creating a language understandable to marketers, their sales counterparts, and executives alike.

And yet, discontent brews. It's hard to miss if you’ve spent any time speaking to CMOs on the subject of ABM. What has gone wrong? And, more importantly, how can we set right?

The Tasks of an ABM Platform

Consider, if you will, the three jobs for which these platforms were designed—and then the common troubles associated with them:

1. Predictive Analytics: First among an ABM platform’s duties is to peer into the future. Using intent data, it predicts, with precision, which accounts are ripening for engagement. If said platform then marries these insights to CRM data and website visitation patterns, it forms a trinity of prioritization that allows your sales and marketing teams to march forth with clarity and purpose, ready to conquer.

2. Account-Based Programmatic Bidding: Unlike the spray and pray methodology of regular programmatic advertising, account-based bidding makes proficient marksmen of us all. It targets the decision-makers and influencers within your high-value accounts, ensuring that your marketing messages land where they count. With precise filters—job titles, geographies, company names—the platform ensures that each coin spent is a bet well-placed.

3. Account-Based Measurement: Lastly, ABM platforms offer a way to measure success not by clicks or impressions but by the engagement of your key accounts. It tracks their journey from initial interest to action, offering marketers a crystal-clear view of how their efforts influence the otherwise nebulous realms of B2B decision-making—something your execs will be very keen to see.

The Hidden Dragons

If folktales are to be believed, every shining knight must face its dragons, and ABM platforms are no exception. Their noble ideals can often be hindered by hidden costs and complexities.

Cross-Department Chaos: To wield an ABM platform effectively requires serious teamwork—sales, IT, marketing, you name it. But alliances are fragile things. Marketing may march in one direction, guided by predictive insights, while sales, like wayward crusaders, follow their own instincts. IT, meanwhile, might balk at the platform’s ongoing demands for integration and governance.

The Weight of Implementation: Implementing an ABM platform is no joke. It requires change management, training, and perpetual upkeep. Without careful and continuous stewardship, the platform’s complexity becomes a millstone, dragging down the teams it was built to empower.

The Golden Chains of Cost: ABM platforms are not cheap. The contracts often tie companies to annual fees of six figures or more. Hidden charges for advanced features or integrations can make this already steep price even more burdensome—particularly for smaller companies where every dollar not spent on working media is a painful tradeoff.

Beyond the Platform

In short, ABM platforms are great, they might just not be for everyone. For those unwilling or unable to bear their hidden complexities, there are other paths to mastering the account.

The Agency Ally: A skilled ABM specialist agency, like The Imaginarium, can be to ABM what the trusted squire is to the knight. These partners bring expertise, tools, and strategies you need—without requiring your marketing team to master every nuance of the platform itself.

Point Solutions: Rather than embracing a single monolithic platform, companies can tap into individual point solutions. Specialized tools for intent data, programmatic bidding, and account-based measurement allow for a more flexible and tailored approach to ABM. The Imaginarium has pioneered this approach with its Unbundled Growth System.

Managed Service Partners: Hybrid entities like Intentsify and Anteriad offer not only the technology of an ABM platform but also the hands-on management needed to navigate it. They free internal teams to focus on strategy while ensuring the work of execution proceeds smoothly.

The True Quest

ABM platforms have given us much. We love the marketing philosophy they represent, and the age of digital B2B they ushered in, but they are not the only way to unlock account-based growth. With a willingness to adapt, bold minds can walk without these platforms to find their way to success.