Just under two-thirds (65%) of B2B marketing and sales decision-makers believe social media is the most effective way of communicating with prospects and customers in account-based marketing (ABM).
This was closely followed by email marketing, which 61% of respondents felt was most effective according to the report ‘A Perfect Match: ABM and ABS’.
Customer references such as case studies and testimonials took third place in the ranking. Media relations was the fourth most popular way of reaching them for marketers, while video took the same spot for sales.
Marketers unhappy with impact of ABM
The report – conducted by Vitreous World on behalf of Whiteoaks International – found 81% are currently working on ABM or ABS (account-based sales). Despite this 60% of marketers and 79% of sales people cited they were dissatisfied with the impact.
The majority of respondents agreed they were either very closely or closely aligned – something considered essential to ABM strategy. A shared use of CRM was pinpointed as the primary facilitator of this collaboration.
Suzanne Griffiths, MD at Whiteoaks International, said alignment was rising in importance but the level of dissatisfaction from sales and marketing indicated a change to strategy was needed. “In the B2B technology sector, the alignment and collaboration between sales and marketing departments to achieve a shared strategy is becoming ever more crucial. With 67% of the typical B2B buyer’s journey taking place online, we can now better prove and understand the importance of social media and email marketing in supporting the sales function.”
The report surveyed 200 UK sales and marketing professionals.