ABM Under the Hood – Episode 4: Harness the power of AI in ABM

Jack Rawlings | Head of ABM & Josh Weale | Head of ABM

ABM Under
the Hood

Episode 4: Harness the power of AI

Our new podcast, ABM Under the Hood, takes a close look into the inner workings and practicalities of everything Account-based.

In this episode, we delve into the world of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and see how it can support Account-Based Marketing (ABM).

Technology and ABM
go hand-in-hand.

From intent tools to personalization support, the right ABM tech stack sets the foundation for your program (and simpler is often better!).

So, how should artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) tools fit in?

In Episode 4 of our ABM Under the Hood podcast, Jack Rawlings and Josh Weale chat about using AI in Account-based Marketing. They discuss how new innovations and AI technologies can – and can’t – support ABM, and they look at why AI could just be your greatest secret weapon for scaling programs, efficiency and results.

Key takeaways from
the episode include:

Considering using AI tools in ABM programs
The importance of human validation
Opportunities and use cases for efficiency,
How AI can enable personalization
Recognizing challenges
And more!

AI + ABM: The revolution
is coming

Using AI tools in ABM

There are plenty of tools out there, and Jack and Josh are on a mission to test them out!

From data analysis to generative graphics, many ABMers will be familiar with OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Bard and others such as MidJourney. But beyond that, there is a wide range of generative AI tools that can support a number of ABM-relevant use cases.

To find the right fit, the trick is often to have a use case in mind, and to be willing to trial it.

For the two Js, AI is helping to make their day more efficient, and their data clearer. This is giving them more time to delve further into deep account work, and other value-adding activity.

“One of the use cases I've been using recently is taking a bunch of data that I've collected… then running it through ChatGPT to get a head start on what the clear trends and patterns are.

What I've found is that having this little assistant allows me to quickly pull together trends and patterns, which I can use as a starting point to do the more human element; researching those particular trends, making sure that it's valid, and also that it's correct”.

Josh Weale | Head of ABM | strategicabm

AI can help to get your program
off the ground

“I use AI to try to avoid doing anything that's [what] I would call a lazy task. So, if it's a piece of work where I can do it and it takes a certain amount of time, I will still do that work!”

Josh Weale

How is using AI supporting Josh and Jack’s programs, day to day? Having tools to get started and avoid ‘blank page syndrome’ is one great way. Brainstorming ideas, planning foundations, and using AI to accelerate data compilation and trend analysis are good openers.

Looking to trial your own use case? Try putting AI to work on your more basic ‘admin’; compiling information, streamlining insights, and supporting some of the data-based tasks involved in program setup.

Type your content here…

But – remember the importance of human validation

No tool or technology is ever a magic bullet!

And although AI and ML are revolutionizing Marketing and Sales – and other industries, everywhere(!) – it’s important not to accept every output blindly as gold.

Whatever the task, be sure to sense check and source check, and to validate the outputs to make certain it is meaningful.

When AI is used well, especially for smaller ABM teams, it can save time and create a stronger foundation of insight and information to draw from. Just don’t forget to double-check its working!

We can't just take the output for granted. We have to apply a level of interrogation to what we get out of these tools."

Josh Weale | Head of ABM | strategicabm

With AI, we're not replacing the human element, we're augmenting it. We're giving ourselves the tools to make better decisions and create better strategies."

Josh Weale | Head of ABM | strategicabm

AI can empower personalization

"The more we can understand our audience, the more we can personalize and the more we can deliver a better experience for them."

Jack Rawlings | Head of ABM | strategicabm

ABM is ultimately an approach designed to personalize for your accounts, to ‘show them you know them’ and serve truly relevant messaging to the exact right person.

Doing that at scale has always been an ABMer’s nightmare!

However, as AI advances, so does the potential to expand your account understanding. Think; building out more in-depth messaging matrices to personalize a range of account experiences for targets, across seniorities, personae and functions:

“Essentially [with the right plugins] what you are potentially able to do is take, not necessarily real-time, but real-world data. Your interactions, the conversations that the Sales team are having. Any keywords or pain points that have come up in those conversations. What emails have they opened? What content have they engaged with? And bring that into the messaging matrix.”

Josh Weale | Head of ABM | strategicabm

AI could support
your account selection

Is AI a missing third party in your Sales and Marketing alignment mix?

When it comes to account selection, the answer may be ‘yes!’

As Jack and Josh suggest, AI may have the potential to add an additional layer of intelligence into steps such as account selection, to analyze which accounts are likely to be in market, or which are engaging with certain topics.

“The AI innovation with the greatest impact on ABM could be predictive analytics – leveraging AI and ML algorithms to analyze vast amounts of data, and identify patterns that can predict future customer/account behavior.”

Josh Weale | Head of ABM | strategicabm

So, armed with your own campaign data, you can analyze how different messaging or design has performed with certain accounts. You can then assess best-performing content for that active account – to reach them at the right moment.

The challenges of AI and ABM

Of course, there are still challenges with Artificial Intelligence!

Some issues are simply around capability; it’s important to recognize the abilities and limitations of any particular tool, and where it cannot – or should not – be used.

“The challenge with AI isn’t just about how to use it, but rather in picking the right tools. With so many available, it’s crucial to prioritize AI for high-impact, business-critical use cases.”

Jack Rawlings | Head of ABM | strategicabm

For Jack and Josh, understanding how to get the output you need will be one key challenge that marketers face. Developing a strategy to know what you want to get out of AI, and having prompts that are engineered to achieve it, will be increasingly key.

Secondly, and importantly for ABM messaging, there’s a challenge in creating and refining outputs that feel authentic, personalized and human.

And ongoing of course, are the bigger-picture ethical, IP and legislative challenges around the use and ownership of AI-generated material. There is the potential for increased regulatory restrictions – not to mention pricing issues – over GenAI and ML tools in the future.

Regardless of what tomorrow holds, there’s a lot to explore – and it is essential you stay informed and up to date in this fast-moving space!

It’s normal to feel overwhelmed!

Feeling overwhelmed by it all?

Don’t panic! So is literally everyone else!

One thing the two Js agree on from the start is that it’s OK not to know where to begin; to start slow, and consider where AI might support your workflow, uniquely.

Everyone’s day-to-day will look different! And, it’s important not to simply hand off tasks to GenAI for its own sake.

If we just turn to it [at] every opportunity, there's a risk that we become distracted and don't actually achieve what we aimed, what we set out to achieve.”

Josh Weale | Head of ABM | strategicabm

The best place to start? At the end! With your program’s ultimate goals – then, you can see how to reverse engineer your use case; to determine whether and where AI tools can support you in reaching that end point.

Don’t be afraid to test, trial and start wherever suits you best!

What else is under the hood?!

Don't miss this episode of ABM Under the Hood – when you'll be able to hear in full this conversation between Jack, more on the Marketing side, and Fes representing Sales, talking all about alignment – coming soon!

Aiming to provide expertise across all areas of Account-based Marketing, this podcast is dedicated to offering insight from professionals within our own Agency, and further afield. So, make sure you come back for future episodes and check out who else is talking, as well as what they’re talking about. There’s so much more under the hood!

And in the meantime, you can access more Account-based insights from leaders in ABM via our Let’s talk ABM podcast, here.