For too long, data has led marketers by the nose. Yes, it can provide valuable insights for campaigns, but between inaccurate data or an overabundance of insights, marketers are spinning their wheels and making little progress. This is where AI transforms the way data is managed through actionable insights, writes Seth Myers, VP of product, Demandbase.
B2B marketers have come to rely on data as the source of truth for their campaigns, using it to inform strategy and uncover new opportunities. But as more data becomes available with each passing year, the focus has shifted on turning that abundance of information into scalable, actionable insights through artificial intelligence.
Artificial intelligence undoubtedly brings the impact of B2B marketing to the next level, but only when used in tandem with clean, quality data.
COVID-19 created a new – and unprecedented – reality. Yet B2B marketers are still on the hook for delivering on goals promised before the pandemic. Success seems a bit out of reach in those terms. Many of their go-to marketing tactics, such as conferences and field events, are canceled, and a hard sell will come off as tone-deaf. They need to get creative in order to navigate this new reality, and the answer lies in this powerful combination of quality data and AI.
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Shifting to Digital with Precision and Scale
Because so many in-person channels are inaccessible due to social distancing restrictions, B2B marketers rely more on digital channels and technology to reach target audiences. One of the most powerful ways to take advantage of digital is to prime an account-based advertising strategy to deliver data-driven engagement, precisely and at scale through AI.
For B2B marketers, getting in front of target accounts is already easier said than done, as there is often uncertainty as to whom within a given account is the most likely buyer. This was a perpetual issue for Optmyze, provider of cloud enterprise applications before its marketing team adopted a new account-based advertising strategy centered around data and AI. They leveraged an AI-driven B2B targeting technology to execute on the strategy, going after 577 prioritized companies with display advertising with precision. The campaign, which ran over the course of a month, reached 99.7% of targeted accounts. It drew a majority of the accounts on Optymyze’s list closer into its orbit, generating clicks from 66% of target accounts.
The industry traditionally took a “spray and pray†approach but advances in data and AI technology have catapulted B2B marketing into a sophisticated machine, enabling the precision of account-based targeting to be performed at scale. And when it comes to B2B targeting – especially with this shifting and sensitive landscape – precision is even more critical for marketers to reach the right members of the buying committee with the right, careful message.
Maintaining the Human Element
While data and AI can supplement and fuel the nuances of a campaign, and deliver a quality message at scale, it still needs a human touch to break through and really connect with people on the other end. A major benefit of AI is that it frees marketers from tedious tactics, like spinning their wheels trying to translate data, so they can be more strategic and creative with campaigns and messages. The speed at which AI can make microdecisions at scale and with precision frees marketers to better strategize and develop meaningful connections.
This human element is key to success and particularly important in today’s uncertain environment. We all know how irritating it is to open a tone-deaf email from a brand during a crisis, so relying too heavily on AI could be detrimental. For example, a typically impactful message might come across as insensitive over the coming weeks and months, and only a human can understand why. Or, an account that you’ve been chasing may have experienced layoffs, and now is simply not the right time to reach out.
Because any missteps now can impact success in the long run, marketers must figure out ways to creatively and carefully connect with their prospective buyers using messages that resonate. They should consider a consulting approach that offers more guiding and less selling, providing support and guidance on how to adapt to these unprecedented times. Then, they can let AI take it away with precision at scale.
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Moving Ahead
While now is undoubtedly an unprecedented and challenging time to be a B2B marketer, the industry has a lot to look forward to when it comes to the evolution of data and AI. In the near term, orchestration will continue to get better and better – for example, identifying accounts as they move through the buyer journey and understanding which channels and targeting strategies are appropriate at what times. With quality data and AI paving the way, campaigns will shift to “always on,†where marketers can set up an account and have it grow and develop as behavioral signals change.
In years to come, AI will only get smarter. The industry is just starting to see breakthroughs in content generation, for example, Gmail text suggestions becoming more advanced. Eventually, marketers will have the technology generating entire emails, case studies, and articles, freeing their time up even more for strategic tasks.
Until then, the reality is that today’s B2B marketers need more help than ever. They are already tasked with doing more with less, with goals that were set before COVID-19 shook up businesses around the world. During these times of uncertainty, the smart use of data and AI will allow them to be as impactful as possible, leading to knowledge and success that will outlast the pandemic.