Welcome to the second edition of The B2B Marketing Brief! Your front-row seat to the ever-evolving world of B2B marketing. Where we keep it real—sharing wins, tackling pain points, and uncovering growth opportunities. Each edition is packed with stories, tips, and the latest trends to help you master the art of B2B engagement. Get your cup of coffee, and let’s get marketing!

In this issue:

• The ABM Mistake Every Marketer Makes: Calling Demand Gen ABM

• Crack the Code: Mastering 6sense & LinkedIn for Unstoppable ABX Success

• What Brand All Marketers of B2B IT Companies Need to Pay Attention To

The ABM Mistake Every Marketer Makes: Calling Demand Gen ABM

In B2B marketing, ABM (Account-Based Marketing) or ABX (Account-Based Experience) has become the go-to strategy for driving revenue, building relationships, and maximizing growth potential. But there’s a mistake many marketers make when they hit a revenue lull or get pressured to scale up quickly—they turn to ABM as the quick-fix solution. Let me be clear: this is a fundamental misunderstanding of ABM's role and value.

ABM is not a magic bullet for instant revenue generation. It’s a strategic play, designed for the long game, particularly in one-to-one and one-to-few ABM models. When clients rush to implement ABM with the hopes of rapidly boosting revenue, they’re missing the point. ABM is about building meaningful, personalized relationships with high-value accounts. It’s about protecting and expanding existing client relationships, while also exploring potential new opportunities. But it’s not a short-term lead-generation machine, and misdiagnosing it as such leads to wasted resources, unmet expectations, and damaged marketing credibility.

ABM vs. Demand Generation: The Core Confusion

Demand generation is an “always-on” marketing tactic. It's designed to drive awareness and keep your brand top-of-mind across a broad audience. Demand gen focuses on casting a wide net and being consistently present with relevant content that engages your target audience, even if they aren’t in the buying stage yet. Its goal is to fill the top of the funnel with prospects who will, eventually, enter the buying cycle—whether they’re up for contract renewal, issuing RFPs, or simply exploring solutions for future needs.

But demand gen isn’t ABM, and it certainly isn’t one-to-many ABM. Where demand generation works to attract a wide audience over time, ABM is about specificity and deep engagement with a targeted few.

The Purpose of One-to-Many ABM

A one-to-many ABM program targets a broader set of accounts than the more intimate one-to-few or one-to-one approaches. But this doesn’t mean it’s akin to demand generation. While demand generation focuses on brand awareness and filling the pipeline, one-to-many ABM is about deeper, more focused industry plays.

In a one-to-many ABM strategy, you’re targeting accounts with a shared problem that your product or service can solve in a very specific way. These prospects might not be existing customers, but they are high-value targets that have a pressing, identifiable need. The challenge in one-to-many is to deliver personalized, relevant messaging at scale—messaging that resonates deeply enough to establish your brand as the only viable solution to their problem. It’s not about reaching the largest possible audience; it’s about reaching the right audience with the right message at the right time.

Another key difference is that a one-to-many program focuses on preselected accounts that you’ve already vetted as having a strong propensity to buy from you or are actively looking for solutions you offer. There is much greater intention behind this list than you’d see in a typical demand generation persona. These accounts have been carefully chosen because they exhibit clear signals or market behavior indicating that they are primed for your solution.

Think of one-to-many ABM as a long-term investment: you’re laying the groundwork for meaningful engagements with potential clients who are primed for change. Yes, the approach is broader than one-to-few or one-to-one ABM, but the depth of engagement should still far exceed what you’d do in a standard demand gen campaign. You’re building relationships, trust, and advocacy—not simply collecting leads.

The Role of Demand Generation

This brings us back to the role of demand generation. Demand gen is essential because it keeps your brand relevant and visible. It’s the bread-and-butter work that ensures your business stays in the conversation, regardless of where a prospect is in their buying journey.

Demand generation fills your top-of-funnel pipeline, bringing in a wide range of leads that can be nurtured and eventually segmented into more targeted campaigns—such as one-to-many ABM. This is where the two strategies complement each other: demand gen brings in leads, while ABM focuses on deepening relationships with those leads to drive long-term growth.

Demand generation helps build an engaged audience, while ABM is where you establish trust, demonstrate value, and create the long-term partnerships that lead to sustainable revenue growth.

The Right Tool for the Right Job

ABM is not a short-term solution for revenue issues. If your marketing revenue is under pressure, rushing to implement ABM will only set you up for failure. ABM is a strategic, long-term play that requires careful planning, personalization, and a deep understanding of your target accounts. It’s about nurturing relationships with your most valuable customers and prospects—those with the potential to deliver significant revenue over time.

Instead of turning to ABM as a quick fix, marketers should first evaluate their demand generation strategy. Is your brand consistently visible to your target audience? Are you delivering relevant content that engages them, even if they’re not in a buying cycle? Demand generation is the engine that keeps your brand in front of the right people, day in and day out. It fills your pipeline with potential leads, from which you can hand-pick the most promising candidates for a targeted ABM approach.

When used correctly, demand generation and ABM are powerful, complementary strategies. But they are not interchangeable, and treating them as such will only lead to disappointment. Understand the role each plays in your overall marketing strategy, and you’ll be better equipped to drive long-term growth, instead of chasing short-term fixes.

Crack the Code: Mastering 6sense & LinkedIn for Unstoppable ABX Success

When it comes to ABX strategies, there’s no magic “set it and forget it” approach. From refining keyword strategy to segmentation and personalization, each component is critical in driving performance.

With 6sense and LinkedIn working together, you can create a powerful combination that optimizes targeting and maximizes reach. But to unlock their full potential, the devil’s in the details. Let’s see why.

Getting Started: Fine-Tuning 6sense Keywords for a Strong Foundation

Let’s talk 6sense keywords. The temptation is to cast a wide net—short, broad terms like “ransomware” or acronyms like “IoT”—but this can lead to a deluge of irrelevant data that skews results. The first rule? Avoid single keywords that could have multiple meanings.

Instead, focus on multi-word keywords that narrow down intent. Rather than just “cloud security,” use “cloud security solutions for finance” to get clearer, more targeted signals. Keyword length and specificity are critical because 6sense’s natural language processing (NLP) doesn’t prioritize word order. Phrases like “soar costs” can end up matching with “costs soar” — an outcome that could pull in irrelevant audiences.

When assessing your keyword setup in 6sense, always keep relevance at the forefront. A good rule of thumb: If a keyword generates tens of thousands of accounts in 6sense, it’s too broad.

Structuring Segments for Better Performance

Segmentation is where the magic happens in ABX strategies. Think of it as your roadmap to targeting the right accounts. Here’s how it works:

• Clean up segments and governance:

  Remove any overlap or redundancies to avoid segment sprawl and limit the users creating segments to mitigate strategy misalignment.

• Switch to dynamic lists:

  Ditch static lists in favor of dynamic lists that show real-time account movement. This provides more accurate tracking and reporting.

• Integrate with Salesforce fields:

  Segment by geo, employee size, persona, or vertical—the details of your ICP—with greater precision by leveraging Salesforce fields in 6sense.

• Sync with LinkedIn targeting:

  Push 6sense segments to LinkedIn audiences to optimize budget allocation and ensure LinkedIn data flows back into 6sense for robust reporting.

Exclusion Review: Cutting Out the Noise

Reviewing exclusions quarterly is crucial for maintaining high-quality engagement and preventing wasted budget. Common exclusions include company names, website URLs, and even specific ad inventory that doesn’t align with your targeting goals.

One overlooked exclusion type? Excluding irrelevant research categories or overly broad keywords like “phishing attack” or “ransomware email.” These terms can surface off-topic content and clutter your campaigns with false positives. Set up detailed exclusion lists and audit them routinely to keep your targeting tight.

Campaign Mapping and Orchestration

With optimized keywords, clean segments, and strong exclusions in place, it’s time to map out your campaign structure. Establish uniform parameters for campaign names, audience strategies, and ad types across platforms to maintain parity between channels. This makes reporting a breeze and gives you a clear view of performance.

Putting It All Together: Insights from Pure Storage

Let’s look at how this all plays out in the real world. Data storage and management provider Pure Storage faced segmentation and keyword issues that led to inconsistent campaign performance. After a comprehensive 6sense audit, we:

• Refreshed segmentation

  We removed redundant lists and established better governance.

• Optimized keywords

  We cut overly broad keywords and refined targeting to capture clearer signals.

• Aligned campaigns

  We synchronized 6sense segments with LinkedIn targeting, improving tracking performance and overall efficiency.

The results? A 175% increase in influenced form fills and a 28% reduction in cost-per-lead from June to July 2024. And that’s not all—by restructuring their campaign mapping and pivoting to dynamic lists, Pure Storage maintained 80%+ account reach and investment visibility.

The Power of Intent Data and Real-Time Insights

The future of 6sense and LinkedIn optimization is all about turning intent data into actionable gold. Imagine knowing exactly what your prospects are researching—before they even hit your site. With sharper insights and hyper-personalized campaigns, you’ll reach key accounts earlier, shepherd them through the sales stages, and close deals faster.

The Takeaway: Setting Up for Success

Optimizing 6sense and LinkedIn for ABX isn’t just about setting up campaigns—it’s about maintaining a solid foundation and making strategic tweaks that amplify your targeting and segmentation. Here are some final tips:

1. Slow down to go fast

   Take the time to set up keywords, segments, and exclusions correctly.

2. Pair channels for maximum impact

   Sync up your 6sense and LinkedIn strategies for consistent messaging.

3. Regularly audit and optimize

   Continuously review campaign performance and make adjustments.

4. Trust the process

   When built correctly, your ABX strategy will transform engagement and drive meaningful results.

With the right approach, 6sense and LinkedIn can become powerful engines that turn complex data into clear actions. Ready to dive in and fine-tune your own campaigns? Audit like the 6sense experts and get your ABX strategy rolling with our free audit template. 🚀

What Brand All Marketers of B2B IT Companies Need to Pay Attention To

In the fast-moving, sometimes downright confusing world of B2B IT marketing, marketers face the tricky task of juggling short-term revenue goals with long-term brand development. Sigh. While performance-driven marketing often hogs the spotlight, brand marketing is crucial to building trust, winning over those sneaky hidden stakeholders, and creating lasting emotional connections.

Why Pay Attention to Brand Marketing?

For many B2B marketers, the pressure to prove immediate returns has led to an obsession with the 'money in, leads out' model. But this laser focus on short-term gains can cost you brand equity, which is crucial when buyers aren’t actively looking for a solution. Investing in brand marketing helps create familiarity, trust, and recognition—key elements that influence decision-makers when they eventually start shopping around.

Simply put, brand marketing is all about being remembered when a need pops up. When in-market buyers start searching for solutions, they gravitate towards familiar brands—brands they’ve heard about, seen in articles, or noticed at events. Brand marketing ensures your company is top-of-mind during these pivotal moments. It’s about creating a presence so strong that when buyers think of your category, they think of you first.

In-Market Versus Out-of-Market Buyers

Let’s be real: Most of your Total Addressable Market (TAM) isn’t even thinking about buying right now. They might not even realize they have a problem you can solve! Some organisations are ready to purchase, but they're the minority. That catchy 95:5 rule of in-market versus out-of-market buyers? It’s way too simplistic. The ratio can vary a lot depending on the industry—marketing low-orbit satellites isn’t the same as selling SaaS subscriptions. If you’re only targeting in-market buyers, you’re missing a huge opportunity to build brand awareness and preference for when out-of-market buyers decide they need you.

A balanced marketing strategy needs to engage both in-market and out-of-market buyers. Out-of-market buyers might not respond immediately, but consistent messaging helps create a mental association that’ll be there when the time comes. Brand marketing is like planting seeds that will grow when conditions are right—your job is to make sure those seeds are planted.

The Hidden Buyers of the B2B IT Marketplace

Traditionally, B2B marketers have focused their campaigns on target buyers like IT decision-makers (ITDMs). But recent research from LinkedIn's The B2B Institute and Bain & Company shows that there are two types of buyers in buying committees: Target buyers, who are product experts; and hidden buyers, who are process experts—often from procurement, finance, or legal.

Hidden buyers are tricky—they don’t engage with typical B2B content. They’re not downloading whitepapers or attending webinars, but they have a ton of influence. Hidden buyers care about brand reliability, peace of mind, and trust—attributes that brand marketing directly impacts.

Deals often fall apart not because the product lacks innovation but because hidden buyers see risks. Investing in brand awareness that resonates with the entire buying committee—especially the hidden buyers—can significantly increase the chances of success by building a positive reputation that removes objections before they come up.

Hidden buyers are risk-averse and responsible for mitigating potential downsides. If your brand isn’t well-known to them, they’re more likely to say no, simply because they don’t want to take unnecessary risks. This is where brand marketing plays a massive role—building a solid, reassuring presence in the minds of all stakeholders, even the ones you don’t see.

But…Your Brand Is Not What You Think It Is

One of the biggest misconceptions about branding is thinking it’s all about the logo, the product, or even the promises made by advertising. A brand is not just a visual identity or a product; it’s the perception that lives in the minds of your customers. It’s their gut feeling about your company—formed by all the impressions and experiences you offer.

Brands are especially important in B2B, where the buying cycle is long and involves multiple stakeholders. A strong brand is one that buyers remember positively when it’s time to make a decision. It’s about being in that mental "consideration set" when they’re weighing their options.

Your brand isn’t just a logo or tagline—it’s what people say about you when you’re not in the room. It’s that gut feeling they get when they think about your company. In B2B, where relationships and reputations matter, branding is all about building positive associations that stick.

The Role of Emotion in B2B IT Decision-Making

Emotion is often misunderstood in B2B marketing. Many assume that B2B decision-making is purely rational, driven by data and ROI analysis. But let’s face it, emotions play a huge role—even if they’re different from those in consumer purchases. B2B buyers, especially in IT, tend to be risk-averse. The primary emotion driving their decisions is fear—fear of making the wrong choice, causing disruptions, or picking a vendor that could let them down.

This explains why many B2B buyers prefer to play it safe by choosing industry leaders or familiar brands. The fear of potential backlash leads decision-makers to go with the safe bet, offering them emotional comfort. B2B marketers must address both the rational and emotional sides of decision-making—the rational mind looks for ROI and tech specs, while the emotional mind needs stories of reliability, testimonials, and case studies that provide reassurance. 

Another emotion at play is frustration—especially when it comes to getting consensus from large buying committees. With more stakeholders involved, buyers struggle with internal politics, often delaying or derailing deals. By creating content that helps align and reassure all stakeholders, brand marketers can alleviate this frustration and make decision-making smoother.

And don’t forget emotions like pride and the desire to be seen as an innovator. These can influence certain buyers, particularly early adopters. While fear might be the primary emotion for some, others want to be part of something cutting-edge or are motivated by making a name for themselves. Understanding these different emotional drivers allows marketers to craft messages that resonate with all segments of their audience.

Bringing Reality Back to Brand Marketing

Too often, brand marketing in B2B is driven by fleeting trends like "brand purpose" or flashy creative campaigns that are more about winning awards than achieving real business goals. Let’s be honest—those awards are nice for the agency’s trophy shelf, but they don’t exactly pay the bills. Instead, brand marketing should focus on what really matters: Measurable outcomes and results.

Think of each ad as a purposeful message, not just a pretty picture or a clever line. Each outreach needs to serve a strategic purpose:

• Capturing and holding your audience's attention

• Creating durable associations between your brand and your product category

• Establishing recall triggers tied to key buying scenarios

• Differentiating your brand with a clear, memorable reason to choose you over competitors

If we take a more disciplined, outcome-focused approach, brand marketing can regain its credibility and deliver results that genuinely matter to the buying committee.

Forget chasing fleeting trends. Brand marketing should be about building something that lasts, not just impressing the creative community. Real impact beats a round of applause any day. When done right, brand marketing establishes your company as a leader, builds familiarity across stakeholders, and makes the buying decision so much easier.

So, the next time you’re planning your marketing strategy, don’t just think about leads and conversions. Think about the bigger picture—being remembered, creating emotional connections, and making sure your brand is the one they turn to when it really matters. Brand marketing isn’t just about awareness; it’s about making your company unforgettable.

Catch our next issue out on 20 November 2024!

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