Google’s reversal on eliminating third-party cookies in Chrome isn’t exactly breaking news – but cookies remain a less effective way to truly connect with audiences. So, it is the perfect moment to explore how smart marketers are gaining an edge by leaning into first-party data and contextual targeting. In this post, we’ll break down what really happened, what it means for your brand, and how to sharpen your ad strategy to stay competitive in a shifting landscape. So, what happened? Google first announced its plan to phase out third-party cookies in Chrome back in 2020, citing a commitment to enhancing user privacy and creating a more privacy-conscious web. However, the timeline faced multiple delays. Then in May 2023, Google declared it was moving full steam ahead, with plans to begin phasing out cookies in January 2024. Marketers everywhere braced for impact, diving into strategy sessions to prepare for a cookieless future. Step one in Google’s rollout involved disabling third-party cookies for 1% of Chrome users worldwide – around 30 million people – to support real-world testing. The goal: ramp up to 100% deprecation by the end of 2024. But in April 2024, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) stepped in, requesting a pause. With Chrome holding a 64% global market share, the potential impact was massive. Amid mounting concerns over Google’s proposed cookie alternatives and the broader industry readiness, Google reversed its decision after more than four years of planning and delays. Marketers, exhausted from revising their cookieless strategies (version #163, anyone?), finally hit “save” one last time – tucking their plans away, hoping never to need them again. With emotions parked, attention turned back to what really matters: refining audience-engagement strategy, maximizing performance, and staying ahead in a still-evolving digital landscape. Google Flip-Flops – But First-Party Data Remains the Cornerstone of a Resilient Strategy The goal remains – to identify and influence the buying group that matters. So, the real question is: what strategies are helping marketers stretch their budgets further and stay ahead? One powerful solution is first-party data. Let’s keep it simple – first-party data is the information a content publisher gathers directly from its audience as they interact with its platforms. It includes website visitors, social media followers, and existing customers, covering demographics, preferences, on-site behavior, purchase history, and feedback – making it both highly relevant and unique. So, every business with an online presence has their own 1st party data. This data is typically gathered through tracking pixels on websites, social platforms, or products, and stored in a CRM or customer data platform (CDP). But not all first-party data is created equal. To be truly valuable, it must be accurate, relevant, actionable, and privacy-compliant – a level of quality not every provider can guarantee. Gaining customer data and consent is no easy feat, either. With growing awareness and concern around data privacy, PrivacyEngine found that 81% of users believe the risks of sharing data outweigh the potential benefits. Still, customers are willing to share personal information if they perceive a high-value return. When captured and used effectively, first-party data becomes a powerful competitive advantage. Why? Because it gives marketers the kind of insights that drive smarter, more efficient campaigns. Imagine knowing exactly what content topics, formats, and channels resonate with your audience – along with how engaged they’ve been in the last 90 days, and whether they match your ideal region, company size, or role. With that level of clarity, you can execute with confidence, reduce wasted spend, and improve both conversion rates and pipeline impact. In fact, brands leveraging first-party data see a 2.9x increase in revenue and 1.5x cost savings, according to CMSWire – a clear signal of its effectiveness. But it’s not just about performance metrics. Marketers are also rethinking how ads fit into the overall customer experience, ensuring relevance and value at every touchpoint. Right Place, Right Time: The Power of Context in Advertising Meeting Buyers Where They Are – Digitally In a physical store, meeting buyers where they are is simple. But in the digital world – with countless platforms, channels, and formats – it’s far more complex. Each advertising tactic has its strengths, but one continues to stand out: contextual advertising. Unlike data-targeted ads, which rely on previously captured user information, contextual advertising aligns ads to the content of the page that users sought out. It matches your message to the moment – showing cookware ads on a recipe blog, for example – making the ad feel natural, non-intrusive and informative. This alignment pays off. Research shows that consumers are significantly more receptive to ads that match the content they’re engaging in. They’re in the right frame of mind, making the message feel more relevant, trusted, and less promotional. The result? A smoother user experience and stronger brand connection. Performance-wise, the numbers speak volumes: contextual ads are 93% more memorable than mismatched ads (ExchangeWire), and 32% of consumers are more likely to act on contextually aligned ads (Seedtag). In today’s privacy-first world, contextual advertising isn’t just compliant – it’s a smarter, more cost-efficient way to drive engagement, boost recall, and build trust with your audience. Smarter Strategies, Stronger Results Google may have made a major U-turn by reversing its decision to phase out third-party cookies in Chrome – leaving marketers understandably frustrated after years of planning. But those hours spent analyzing alternative strategies haven’t been wasted. In fact, they’ve laid the groundwork for smarter, more resilient approaches. Now is the time to turn that pivot into a positive milestone. Here’s how: 1. Reassess and Refine Campaign Performance Take a fresh look at your existing campaigns. What does success actually look like for your business? Are your current efforts truly delivering, or is there untapped potential? It’s never too late to test new formats, re-evaluate messaging, or shift tactics. Revisit how you’re measuring ROI – are you focused on metrics that matter to your stakeholders, or just surface-level stats? To make advertising a strategic growth driver – not just a “nice to have” – focus on metrics that reflect real impact across the entire funnel. 2. Maximize the Value of First-Party Data First-party data – whether yours or that of a partner – is one of your most powerful assets. Make sure your owned channels – websites, content, and outreach – offer engaging experiences that encourage users to act. This not only improves conversions but strengthens the quality of the data you collect. Work with original content publishers and benefit from their powerful first-party data. This allows you to deliver high-impact campaigns built around buyer intelligence. Work with partners who take data seriously. Ask your ad providers about their approach to first-party data collection and compliance. Look for transparency, consent-first models, and enriched user insights – not just volume. Key questions to ask providers: How is consent managed? What systems are in place to verify data accuracy and relevance? How frequently is data refreshed or validated? 3. Prioritize the Customer Experience Put yourself in your buyer’s shoes. Would your ad stand out against a competitor’s? Is it helpful, relevant, and well-placed – or disruptive and forgettable? One effective strategy is partnering directly with original content publishers. These environments offer accurate topic alignment, trusted editorial standards, and a more natural context for your ads. Deliver what your audience wants – authentic engagement with tangible, decision-making value. When done right, this boosts both engagement and brand perception. The Bottom Line Don’t treat Google’s decision as a reprieve. Now is not the time to sit still. It’s the time to ask smart questions, challenge assumptions, and work with partners who are just as invested in your success. “Audiences are more selective about where they provide their data. So, while third-party cookies remain – for now – advertisers should focus on channels where users willingly share their data in exchange for meaningful content. Going directly to publishers not only places your brand in trusted environments but also unlocks contextually relevant placements that consistently outperform industry benchmarks. Building trust through transparency and relevance is where the real competitive edge lies.” – Jane Qin Medeiros, Head of Informa TechTarget’s Brand and Content Group Learn about TechTarget’s first-party advertising and intent solutions today.

The B2B buying process is undergoing a seismic shift. Today’s marketers are witnessing purchasing decisions being made before sellers even have a chance to engage with audiences. In fact, 81% of B2B buyers choose a vendor before ever speaking to sales. Despite this, marketing teams are being asked to do more than generate leads. They are now responsible for guiding complex buying networks, enabling informed decisions, and navigating the rise of AI in purchasing journeys. The call to today’s marketers has never been clearer – the time is now to evolve. This was just one of the many messages coming out of Forrester’s B2B Summit earlier this month, where hundreds of B2B marketing luminaries and leaders gathered in Phoenix, Arizona for the Super Bowl of the B2B marketing and sales world. To discuss key takeaways from this year’s event, B2B changemaker Katie Martell sat down with Informa TechTarget’s own Dara Such. They explored how expectations are changing among buyers, as well as what conditions are affecting marketers and impacting their decision making. Below we explore three essential takeaways from the 2025 Forrester Summit North America that can be applied now and in the years to come. To view the entire conversation, watch the video below: #1 – Buying Groups Meet Buying Networks Over the past several years, we’ve witnessed the purchasing process become more independent with individuals trying to self-educate so they feel confident when speaking to a salesperson, a vendor or a potential supplier. Because of this, today’s buying decisions aren’t confined to a handful of stakeholders. Instead, buying groups need to expand and meet other networks and those that are influencing buyers – suppliers, procurement teams, competition, colleagues and members of a buying group themselves. This expanded buying network also includes a surprising new player: AI. Advances in technology have quickly integrated into the sales process with chat and generative AI tools influencing buying decisions. Whether in more robust or minor roles, marketing teams are utilizing generative AI in the RFP process to discover new vendors and determine what their requirements or criteria should be. But with great automation also comes great responsibility. While AI offers speed and scale, marketers must ensure their content is not only discoverable but credible. Therefore, human intervention is still needed to make sure results pulled from these tools are accurate. Trust is the currency of modern marketing, and the only way to earn it is through clear, valuable, human-centric messaging.  When done effectively, good messaging provides clear business value that goes beyond just features and functionality. And as a result, content has become a great vehicle for brands to reach the right buyer audiences. This means the long game when it comes to buying networks is often won or lost well before a pitch deck hits a prospect’s inbox. The challenge? Making your brand discoverable, credible, and trusted from the very start. #2 – Don’t Assume You’ll Get an Early At-Bat with Buyers – Focus on Enabling Buyers Marketers can no longer assume they’ll have the opportunity to tell their story directly. Instead, they must enable buyers to build confidence in their own decisions – through third-party validation, robust content, and consistent brand messaging. Having a singular focus on Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs) no longer serves everyone the way it used to. But this does not mean that they are dead. We know that buyers are using content as their way to self-educate. Whether it’s through ChatGPT, LinkedIn, or research reports, buyers are drawing their own conclusions before a sales rep approaches them. This means marketing must serve as both educator and enabler, offering credible insights across all touchpoints. Marketing and sales need to layer MQLs with other buying group signals – intent data, buyer behavior across third-party sites, competitive engagement – to get a fuller picture of opportunities. Even with a largely buyer-led research process, according to Forrester, 81% remain dissatisfied with the winning vendor. Pre-purchase buyer enablement is essential, but vendors must also make sure that they are paying attention to value realization and post-sale strategy alongside sales and customer service. Marketers must think beyond the sale, ensuring that customers not only buy, but succeed. That’s what it truly means to be customer-obsessed. #3 – Treat AI as the “Sixth Man of the Year” In pro basketball, the “Sixth Man of the Year” award is given to the player that is the most valuable bench player for their team. AI is not here to replace marketers or sales teams, but it can “come off the bench” to help buyers reshape how they discover, evaluate, and decide. Already, 1–3% of referral traffic is coming from generative AI tools, and some experts predict up to a significant drop in direct vendor traffic as AI becomes a dominant entry point. As noted earlier, buyers are increasingly turning to AI tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft CoPilot as their first step in the purchasing journey. This technology helps to summarize options, compare features, and surface solutions – sometimes well before a vendor even knows they’re being considered. This does put some pressure on vendors to equip their sellers with talking points, value statements that are about what really matters to buyers. Today’s buyers are more educated than they were previously when sellers would interact with them early on. They have interpreted content at their fingertips, so you risk buyers knowing more about your business’ product than your rep does if you’re not equipping them to have a powerful, valuable conversation. Sellers have the tools to have better conversations and buyers have the knowledge to make smarter decisions. That’s where the magic happens and where you can really start seeing revenue acceleration. But if you don’t have those two together, your business will be at a disadvantage. To adapt, marketers must: Feed AI with accurate, differentiated messaging Optimize for AI discovery—not just SEO Arm sales teams with more powerful insights, such as intent data, to match expectations of more informed buyers Win With Confidence, Not Just Conversion In this new era, marketing is no longer just about visibility – it’s about relevance, trust, and enablement at every stage of the buyer’s journey. The most successful B2B brands will be those that treat AI as a partner, create touchpoints with many members of the buying network, and focus not solely on conversion, but on building decision-making confidence. Learn more about how Informa TechTarget can support your needs across the entire product lifecycle.

Every buyer has an email address, but with inboxes overflowing, the challenge for marketers isn’t just reaching an audience but engaging them effectively. For demand gen emails, this means capturing your reader’s interest and driving them to take action through compelling copy, high-value offers and concise CTAs – all with the goal of moving prospects into the sales funnel.  Fortunately, email marketing is a democratic system. As Jay Schwedelson, CEO and Founder of Subjectline.com, GURU Media Hub and Outcome Media, puts it: “… the inbox is an equal playing field … you have the same exact space as Apple does, as IBM does, as Salesforce does, as the NFL does.” Each business has an equal opportunity to make an impact.  With this in mind, the task at hand becomes creating meaningful, relevant and scalable email campaigns that stand out in a sea of sameness. Let’s break down the core elements of an email and the proven tactics to craft compelling, high-performing messaging that feels personal, even in a 1-to-many environment.  Subject line: The first impression  Subject lines single-handedly determine whether your email is opened or ignored. You can have the best body copy, CTA and visuals, but none will matter if the recipient never opens the email.  Before writing an email subject line (or any email copy really), it’s important to clearly identify “who” you’re talking to – a process most often done through audience segmentation. This ensures you’re delivering a relevant message to the right audience.   “The sooner you can tell somebody who they are, the quicker it is that they want to engage.”   — Jay Schwedelson, The Anatomy of a Killer Demand Gen Email  Marketers can improve their subject lines by telling recipients how they are segmented. Use data points like job function, company, company size, industry and more to craft subject lines that are tailored to your audience segments.   Examples of using audience segmentation information to personalize email subject lines  Source: Outcome Media  The once clever but now basic approach of including a recipient’s name in the subject line isn’t cutting it anymore. Good personalization is about telling the recipient who they are, at scale. As much as marketers would love to write a personalized, 1:1 email every time, it’s just not realistic.   The challenge is to bring the same level of personalization to a 1:many message. Even as AI becomes more capable of supporting personalization efforts and marketers become more technologically savvy, the perfect solution hasn’t been found – yet. But there are several strategies out there to increase readability and open rate.   B2B subject line tactics: Last 90-days open rate increase  Source: Outcome Media  According to Jay and research his team ran at Outcome Media, there are many subject line tactics that can improve open rates, but these are the top four:   Capitalizing the entire first word – In a crowded inbox, this draws immediate attention to your subject line. For example, “NEW: 2025’s Funniest Marketing Campaigns So Far” is more visually striking than a subject line written in sentence-case.” is more visually striking than subject line written in sentence-case.  Placing brackets around the first word or phrase – Brackets provide context to your subject line in a concise way, such as “[Webinar] Why Classic Content Captivates Audiences.” In this example, the reader immediately has the crucial details from the subject line alone.  Having a number be the first character – Numbers make the subject line of the email digestible. For instance, “Three B2B Video Trends Marketers Should Watch,” sets clear expectations for the reader in a compelling way.  Using less than three words – Short subject lines create intrigue and cut through the inbox clutter. For example, “Last Chance,” “Exclusive” or “You’re Invited.”  Take the tactics above, apply them to your email marketing program and test to see what is successful for you.    Event email promotions: First word of subject line open rates drop by:  Source: Outcome Media  While there are strategies to employ, there are also words and phrases Jay recommends to avoid. Take words like “learn,” “discover” and “join” for example. Did somebody say lackluster, drab and just overdone? You might as well have. Starting your email subject lines with overused words or phrases like these can depress email open rates.   To keep your emails fresh, perform an audit of your past subject lines to spot patterns in word choice that increase open rates and those that decrease engagement. A/B testing can help you further identify what words resonate best with your audience. When in doubt, swap in more action-oriented, curiosity-driven language that feels timely and specific to your audience.  And finally, don’t be afraid to be bold. Some marketers hesitate to personalize too much, fearing they might come off as “creepy.” But the key is relevance. If your email references past behavior, like website activity, or details from a form they filled out, such as industry, most consumers will see the personalization as relevant rather than intrusive.   Content and offers: Provide value  Once your email is opened, it’s time to prove it was worth it to your reader by providing them value. A compelling offer or engaging content is what keeps readers interested. Take into account what offers or content formats drive the most engagement from your audience in emails, according to Schwedelson.  To do this, analyze past email performance to see which content types and formats resonate most with your audience, closely looking at click-through-rates to identify what drives the highest engagement.  Email content/offers ranked by percent increase in click-through vs. generic product offer   Source: Outcome Media  According to Jay and the research his team ran at Outcome Media, the top five email content formats that garner the most clicks are: Top # list  – This format promises a structured and digestible way to gain insights. An asset titled “Top 50 Content Marketing Brands of 2024” instantly sparks curiosity and sets expectations for readers for what they’ll get from the content.  “Most read” content – If a recipient’s peers are engaging with content, they’ll likely assume it will provide value for them too. Consider an offer like “Our most read article this month.” This signals credibility and compels the reader to be in the know about what everyone else is reading.  Checklist – Similar to a “top # list,” checklists are tactical and practical, making them highly appealing to professionals. Take “ESG Content Strategy: An Essential Checklist for the Reflective Marketer” for example. This tells the reader exactly what to expect and delivers immediate value.  On-demand video – Videos are a top format for B2B and B2C and marketers because they are engaging and require minimal effort from the audience, especially if they can watch it whenever they want.  Free guide – An offer like “Download the Free Guide: Designing a Comprehensive Intent Data Strategy” implies value with no cost or risk, increasing the likelihood of a click.  Increase in registration rate in head-to-head test of “webinar” vs. “alternate name”  Source: Outcome Media  Finally, experiment with how you frame your content. For example, does a “Insider Session” sound more exciting than a “Webinar”? In the case of Schwedelson’s research, it did. Although this feels like a small change, it can make all the difference in email conversions. “If email doesn’t work for you, it’s because you’re not looking at the little things. This is what matters.  — Jay Schwedelson, The Anatomy of a Killer Demand Gen Email  To find what resonates best with your audience, run A/B tests on subject lines, headlines, body copy and CTAs. Split your audience into test groups and track open rates, click-through rates and conversions to see which wording drives the most engagement.  Call to action: Seal the deal  Your call to action is the bridge between the email, content and connecting with your audience. Let’s dig into a few ways to get your audience to cross the bridge and click.  One effective tactic is directly referring to the reader in the first person. Take, for example, an email with the CTA “Register” vs. “Save my spot.” The second option is more compelling for the reader because it creates a sense of ownership with their click.  “When your call-to-action buttons are written in first person, believe it or not, it will lift your click-through rates by over 28%.”  — Jay Schwedelson, The Anatomy of a Killer Demand Gen Email  Next, don’t shy away from long(er) CTAs. Full-sentence CTAs can be more effective than one-word commands. Consider the difference between “Download” and “I want top HR tips.” The ladder speaks directly to the audience and feels more conversational (bonus points for personalization).   The Moral of the Story: Test, Test, Test  What works for others might not be best for your audience. The key is to continuously test, reiterate and optimize. Take it from Jay, “Don’t ever be nervous about testing something that doesn’t go well. Because who cares? Move on to the next one.”  By focusing on meaningful personalization, refining your subject lines, crafting compelling offers and using conversion-driving CTAs, you can build high-performing email campaigns to engage your audience and spur results.  For more insights on how to supercharge your email marketing, watch The Anatomy of a Killer Demand Gen Email. 

Globally, organizations across different industries have embraced account-based marketing (ABM) to reshape their go-to-market (GTM). This is a result of fundamental change in how businesses buy and how B2B marketers [...]The post ABM in EMEA: Top Challenges and Emerging Opportunities appeared first on Informa TechTarget.

I recently did a catch-up call with my old friend David Edelman of Boston Consulting Group. I went to college with him but didnt know him then, but then we ended up working together when he was consulting and I was running global demand generation at SAP. When we last chatted at a great local Mexican restaurant (right before the pandemic closed it for good), he was CMO at Aetna, and I was deep in the world of intent data-driven B2B. Now he (and Boston Consulting Group colleague, Mark Abraham) have written a wonderful book Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AI. It seems like theyre onto something thats resonating far and wide with marketers and other businesspeople (Davids LinkedIn has blown up to over a million followers). So last week, I decided to read it voraciously on my way to the B2BMX show in Scottsdale. I can tell you unequivocally that I agree.Personalization is a supercharged catalyst for customer revenue growthWhile the bookInforma TechTarget. In their analysis, the authors cover the B2B Tech sector well, with detail that explains how companies that have focused hard on personalization are growing faster and delivering greater shareholder value than their peers.(From Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AI. Copyright 2024, The Boston Consulting Group, Inc.)Most important for my practitioner purposes, the book puts forward a very clear 5-point framework for personalization, drilling into each element in ways that I think will be very helpful to my Informa TechTarget colleagues in product, marketing and sales here as well as those in the industry at large.Right at the beginning, the authors note that customer priorities, not technology, should drive your personalization game plan so everything starts with potential buyers and the classic stages of a customer journey (from Awareness through Loyalty). Its a helpful reminder and a simple rubric for teasing out important questions about where Personalization could impact performance in a range of go-to-market use cases.To assess the impact of and guide the personalization efforts of any given business, theyve created the BCG Personalization Index, which they dissect and discuss at length within the book.Working from the customers perspective, they make the point that to win going forward, vendors should be aspiring to better empower, know, reach, show and delight the buyers they hope to attract and retain over time. This framework has me really jazzed because it so closely aligns with what were working on here at Informa TechTarget.The 5 key steps for assessing personalization How does Informa TechTarget measure up?When we speak of Empowering the customer, yes were thinking of our clients for sure, but as publishers audience builders were thinking especially hard about the needs of our clients buyers. As the leading internet provider of B2B tech editorial, our 50 million permissioned readers our clients buyers count on us for the objective guidance they need to make better solution-oriented business decisions.(From Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AI. Copyright 2024, The Boston Consulting Group, Inc.)This part is key: In exchange for the information we provide free of charge, tech buyers give us explicit permission to track their topical content consumption behaviors and share the resulting intent data with our clients. Unique to our industry, this enables our in-house experts and our vendor partners to better Know the target audiences, what their day-to-day professional needs are, and of course, what they require to help them in making critical solution purchase decisions.When you put this combination together: our deep behavioral and research insights and our incredible digital and physical network of touchpoints, we have an amazing ability to help customers and technology companies efficiently and effectively Reach and connect with each other.And whether its via our 220 digital properties covering tech categories and vertical industries in multimedia, our more than 600 global events and festivals, or, ideally, both, were working tirelessly to help clients create the content and experiences necessary to Show their target buyers exactly whats needed to make business happen. We believe that better than anyone else in the industry, we help buyers understand clients differentiated value and deliver Delightful experiences in the process.Make the time to apply these principles to your own workSo far, Ive spent a highly focused 6 hours or so, getting to know the ideas packed into this important book. Over the coming weeks, Im going to keep coming back to it and using it to further energize our amazing teams here at Informa TechTarget. I very much believe that wherever you play in the go-to-market, you should consider picking up some copies for your team to dig into as well!

As a marketing strategist with over a decades worth of experience, Ive seen personalization strategies that run the gamut from compelling and persuasive to weak and ineffectual. And the hard truth is that the same tired strategies based on the same tired data arent going to differentiate your business.In this article, well examine how generative AI (GenAI) and intent data can work together to drive deeper personalization at scale.Personalization: What it is (and what it isnt)Personalization refers to the truly unique interactions, content and messaging that speed the buying journey by speaking directly to a buyers problems and pain points. It does not pertain to personal interests, nor is it merely personal information scraped from the web.In todays environment, generic data like information pulled from online sources is readily available. If every business is using the same generic data and employing the same outreach strategies, your content and messaging are going to look equally generic. Theres nothing there to separate what your organization is doing from what Business B or Business C or Business D is doing.Take, for example, this email sent to our CEO:Nothing in the attempt at personalization here the recipients name, the company he works for, the state in which it operates demonstrates a knowledge of the recipient or an understanding of his challenges. The call to action at the end of the email is, likewise, too general to deliver any real value.The power of GenAI to improve response rates: TechTargets real-world improvementsWhen it comes to member engagement, we at TechTarget believe in the fundamental principle of putting the right content in front of the right prospective buyers at the right time. Were able to match content with our readers needs by personalizing each and every user experience, targeting individual users based on the recency of their activity as well as the topical areas around which theyve been active. This technique of leveraging intent data and recency of activity alone results in a 1.7x increase in response rates.However, when we add machine learning (ML) models into the mix in order to discern the expected content needs of our readers and make predictive recommendations that match relevant content with their activities, the difference in response rates is nothing short of momentous: combining intent data with AI results in a staggering 3.6x response rate increase. The AI-enhanced personalization strategy has also seen improvements in longer-term outcomes, including customer retention and engagement.The bottom line, based on our own testing, is this: theres a ton of value in activity data, but you can really unlock the full power of that data when you add in AI to scale your personalization efforts.Learn more about TechTargets IntentMail AI to learn how to tap into the full power of your data.Avoiding Big Brother languageAt its strongest, personalization allows you to connect with users based on their individual profiles and day-to-day challenges. While content and messaging based on generic data will likely fail to resonate with the intended recipients, swinging too far in the opposite direction can be downright Orwellian. To avoid coming across as an all-knowing Big Brother, adhere to these best practices:DoDontBe the solution your audience is looking for without telling them that you knew they were looking for it.Come off like youre looking over their virtual shoulder by using language like TechTarget told us that you viewed XYZ Use your knowledge of prospects topical activity to send relevant content and messaging that aligns with the trends or pain points theyre researching.Remind your audience that their online activity is being tracked its no secret that it happens, but the reminder can be a major turnoff.Position yourself as a helpful partner who sympathizes with their challenges to demonstrate you understand their perspective, provide content thats likely to appeal to them and show how your brand and products can fulfill their needs.Overuse explicit references to content downloads or research history be mindful of the difference between a message that says, Thanks for viewing! and one that says, Because you downloaded content X, do you want to talk to a rep about product Y?When trying to find the right balance between personalized messaging and potentially off-putting messaging, consider the idea of progressive disclosure that is, building a relationship based on your previous interactions and reflecting that progression in your messaging. Just as youre unlikely to ask intimate questions of someone you just met, a similar concept applies here: you need to establish a relationship with your intended recipient before you can expand upon it.Done strategically, combining high quality data with GenAI enables stronger personalization at scalePersonalization refers to the interactions, content and messaging that speaks to a buyers challenges and saves them time. Adding GenAI to your targeting efforts can deliver much greater value than using intent data and user activity alone. The key is to find balance between GenAI and human-driven efforts by bringing the two together you can achieve high-quality personalization at scale.

Account-based marketing (ABM) continues to be a top priority in B2B marketing, so its no surprise research indicates that ABM is more effective in driving account engagement and conversion to sales accepted lead (SAL) than traditional lead gen methods. But it appears that areas like average deal size, win rates and deal velocity are not experiencing the same boost from ABM efforts. This suggests that tech businesses are producing more marketing activity with ABM but sales reps are not necessarily closing more deals as a result. According to HubSpot, the average sales close rate remains at 29% and has not improved significantly over time. Clearly theres an opportunity for further innovation when it comes to tapping into ABM for sales acceleration and revenue growth.When paired with ABM, generative AI (GenAI) has the potential to act like rocket fuel for go-to-market (GTM) efforts and can help fill in gaps where traditional ABM efforts might be falling short. To help revenue teams leverage this powerful combination, weve compiled a few tips to keep in mind when incorporating GenAI into an ABM strategy.Tip #1: Pair ABM and GenAI with reliable data to increase engagementGenAI can be seen as a valuable tool for a variety of critical business cases but it is only as effective as the data its built on. When tapping into GenAI for ABM, inaccurate or incomplete data can lead to targeting the wrong accounts or sending irrelevant messages, which is a waste of both time and resources.Many traditional ABM lists are focused on selling to companies that match an ideal customer profile (ICP). This often translates to Sales coming to Marketing and saying, Heres a list of accounts we really want to sell to go create demand. But we know that in a buyer-led research process, demand cant be created, it needs to be identified. When going after ICP targets that havent yet demonstrated an initial need or interest, theres a high probability that the timing wont be right, no matter how relevant the sales and marketing outreach is.Another approach to building ABM lists uses in-market accounts, or accounts indicating intent to purchase. These accounts are either actively researching directly with a business or theyre researching a problem that a businesss product can solve through other channels or networks. With visibility into which accounts are actively conducting research, you can enable your sales reps with context on those in-market accounts to help them determine who, when and how to best engage these accounts and the active buying teams within them.Tip #2: Prioritize buyer insights to ensure the success of ABM contentHigh-quality, educational content can help build relationships with target accounts and establish businesses as thought leaders in the industry, which is crucial in a buyer-enabled sales cycle. To create successful content marketing campaigns, its important to understand the target audience and their needs. This can be done through market research, customer surveys and visualizing research activity observed from in-market accounts. These buyer insights are key to developing content that will successfully educate the buyer and enable them to purchase your product.Although the GenAI movement continues to pick up steam, were learning a lot about where GenAI can help accelerate or automate content and campaign creation, and where it falls short. Its important to remember that these tools are focused on scale and automation, but lack the buyer context and insights that can get you ahead of your competition. When tapping into GenAI for content creation, be sure to pair these tools with buyer insights that help drive up the resonance and relevance of your content with your priority buyers.Tip #3: Shift from a sales-focused to a buyer-focused approach to help buyers buyOver the years, theres been much discussion about how new ABM thinking is shifting our traditional view of lead generation. Many are deeming MQLs and lead-centric interactions as flawed, and are shifting to an account and buying team focused approach. For marketing and sales, that first lead interaction can be viewed as the entry point to understanding and engaging the buying group. And yet, we often forget that on the buyer side, that first interaction is the entry point into the consideration of whether to buy a product. Instead of putting the focus on how sales can move leads down the funnel, businesses should direct efforts into buyer enablement that educates and helps buyers buy.To make this shift, sales teams must be equipped to tailor their messaging to the individual needs of each buyer. TechTarget recently launched IntentMail AI, a new feature within our Priority Engine platform that drastically reduces the time it takes to personalize sales outreach and follow-up. IntentMail AI combines recent, relevant account information with insights on what the specific buying team member is researching on TechTargets network of decision-support content, allowing account teams to continue building trust with buyers by educating them on the topics they care about.Sellers and marketers need to remember that their job is to help buyers buy and when much of buying research is self-guided, they need to do everything they can to supply the right content to continue engaging and enabling buyers.AI can help supercharge ABM efforts, but only when paired with reliable dataWhile ABM remains a cornerstone of B2B sales and marketing, its continued success hinges on the integration of advanced technologies like GenAI and the utilization of accurate, actionable data. By shifting the focus from purely selling to actually understanding and addressing the specific needs of buyers, you can enhance engagement with your ABM programs and improve conversion rates. Embracing a buyer-centric approach, enriched with insights from reliable data will allow you to more effectively apply GenAI to your ABM efforts and lead to more successful deals.For more insights on how to scale your ABM programs using AI, watch ABM Engagement in the Age of AI, a keynote session from TechTargets recent Focus: What is the Future of ABM? virtual event.

Account-based marketing (ABM) has become a fundamental strategy for many tech organizations to engage target accounts more effectively and drive more revenue overall. Now, as ABM teams have settled into foundational ABM tactics, rapid technological and market changes are shifting the focus from maintaining the current strategy to How can we use ABM in the future?Gemma Davies, Head of Global ABM at ServiceNow and a 20-year ABM veteran for multiple Fortune 500 companies, is working to answer this question. In a recent webinar, we spoke to Gemma about her predictions for the future of ABM and how we can best prepare.Prediction #1: ABM strategies will center on account-based experiences that build genuine connections.According to TechTarget research, 65% of tech professionals say that continuing to solve their problems and understand their needs is the best way for vendors to retain them as a customer. Gemma predicts that for ABM, the focus on customer priorities will become even greater. Marketing strategies should focus on how we build those genuine connections with customers says Gemma. To reach buyers in the future, ABM teams need to prioritize authenticity and transparency in their messaging, which can be achieved through validating solutions, showcasing company values and highlighting social responsibility. This approach not only differentiates a business but also becomes the foundation for establishing deeper relationships.To build genuine connections with target accounts, GTM teams should focus on relevance, rather than just personalization, because it improves the likelihood a prospective buyer will become a customer. 91% of tech buyers are more likely to buy from a brand that provides them with relevant content. Personalization is great, but relevance is way more important. And our ability to leverage the data, analytics and AI to tailor content and messages to those individual preferences and behaviors at scale will be an absolute game changer, says Gemma.As teams tap into authenticity, transparency and relevance to build connections, they also need to think about using this approach for every message with an account. ABM is relevant to the whole customer lifecycle. So, we need to ensure were delivering these exceptional experiences at every touch point to really help create those long-term advocates.Prediction #2: GenAI will help ABM practitioners leverage data and insights to better tailor content to buyers preferences and behaviors.The integration of generative AI (GenAI) into ABM strategies gives marketers the ability to analyze real-time data to optimize campaigns more quickly, and potentially put buyers in the hands of sales teams faster. However, GenAI adoption requires experimentation and risk-taking amongst marketing teams to achieve success. Buyers have yet to fully adopt GenAI, with 90% of buyers prioritizing content from trusted experts over GenAI. From Gemmas perspective, harnessing the great power of GenAI begins with ABM leaders: as leaders, our most important job is to build the AI culture. I think as with all things culturally, its difficult to define exactly. But how do we instill a healthy curiosity in our teams to explore new innovations and learn from them and continuously feel brave enough to try things and encourage others?Part of that shift can be made by thinking of GenAI as an opportunity rather than a risk or danger. Its about shifting the culture to thinking: How do we learn to work with AI as if they were a coworker rather than fearing that it could take or replace our jobs? Gemma suggests. To achieve this, Gemma balances GenAI content with human insights, which ensures that the customer experiences remain personal and engaging.Prediction #3: The next era of ABM will require better alignment and synergy across the entire organization, not just marketing.While ABM typically falls within Marketings remit, aligning the goals of the entire business helps ABM make the right impact, more quickly. To evaluate and evolve their ABM strategy, Gemma and the entire ServiceNow team have a collaborative culture of learning and experimentation. At ServiceNow, Gemma says ABM is a great channel for different teams to be able to attribute actual business impact and pipeline. For example, to boost ABM-focused content, Gemma meets with her editorial team to align their content strategy to topics target accounts are reacting to in real-time, and then sharing that content with target accounts ahead of wider audiences. This approach helps the ABM and editorial teams both achieve their objectives through a collaborative process. Its a win-win, with a foundation of using ABM as a point of growth for the entire business.ABM is not a team, says Gemma. Its a way we orchestrate the great work of Marketing across the board. Here are some other ways Gemma is building an ABM-centric approach across GTM teams:Enable Sales and Marketing to help each other: Gemma has seen many sales leaders become great contributors to ABM and marketing strategy, and vice versa. To enable this, she has conversations with Sales to review ABM performance and collect feedback to adjust strategies accordingly. Continuing to advocate and build on that is really important, says Gemma.Balance short-term and long-term goals: While the goal of ABM is to drive more revenue from a set of accounts, revenue-specific objectives can take time. Gemma recommends balancing short-term KPIs and long-term goals. Short-term KPIs, such as engagement rates, contact engagement and email conversion rates can help CMOs understand value and show the importance of early impact. And when combined with long-term goals such as account penetration and pipeline acceleration, ABM teams can build a narrative that articulates the full impact of their program on the business.Develop skills and capabilities to avoid burnout: ABMers are often integrated into large complex accounts and work at a fast pace. They take a lot on their shoulders, which can lead to burnout. As an ABM leader, Gemma has found its useful to take a proactive approach with her team members: I think part of [reducing burnout] comes from training and developing skills that go beyond the core marketing competencies thinking about their presentation skills, their own personal development. Experimenting with new AI technologies with her team also can help eliminate the rote administrative tasks so ABMers have more time to focus on the deep thinking required to be successful.The customer should always be the heart of ABMWhile ABM teams must always evolve to keep up with broader industry changes, they should continue to focus on the preferences and needs of their buyers as their North Star. By building relevant customer experiences, leveraging emerging technologies and aligning across the entire organization, you can reap the benefits of a customer-first approach and stay ahead of the curve.As Gemma notes, No one can ever say youre doing anything wrong if you can justify that its in service of driving an outcome for the customer.For more insights into Gemmas ABM philosophy, watch ABM Predictions: Planning for the Future with Gemma Davies.

This blog is a guest post from our friends at LeanData.Theres a popular Goldilocks analogy gaining momentum in B2B sales and marketing circles that states:Leads are too narrow.Accounts are too broad.Buying Groups are just right.After years of Marketing throwing so-called leads over the fence to Sales, and account-based marketing (ABM) teams completely missing new buying centers within an account, its time for a go-to-market (GTM) revolution.The primary motivator is, for many organizations, the B2B buyer is not one person, but a buying group composed of multiple players.And, applying lead-centric or legacy ABM processes to members of a buying group results in a longer sales cycle, a poor buying experience, lead leakage and a waste of marketing investment. The better solution is a buying group motion where revenue teams focus on identifying, qualifying and moving opportunities through the sales cycle.But how do you drive organizational change in systems and processes entrenched in leads?Well, heres your pitch Limitations of the MQL modelMore and more sales and marketing teams are noticing that lead-centric processes are breaking down. Here are the all-too-familiar signs:Most opportunities are either closed-lost or recycled.Lead-to-opportunity conversion rates are low, wasting resources and spend.Opportunities have only one contact when there are obviously more people on the buying committee.The sales team has limited to no visibility into the engagement of the full buying team.Marketing teams are incentivized to deliver high lead volumes that dont convert down the funnel.Despite these problems, many companies are stuck on a hamster wheel of MQLs that dont convert and dont result in revenue.Ultimately, MQLs should never be your source of truth or sole KPI. Rather, they are a leading indicator, a data point and a way for companies to identify priority leads. They are a dial to hone your messaging, processes and follow-up approach. By focusing on MQLs and by-extension, leads sellers often underestimate all the personas on the full buying committee. Essential context about the group making the buying decision is missing, including relevant buying signals. Simply stated, MQLs alone ignore the signals that matter.Further, when focusing solely on leads and contacts, sellers cant see the buyer overlap and the influence those disparate opportunities have on the account as a whole.The answer lies in gathering signals from the entire buying group.Your B2B buyer is a groupForbes, conventional wisdom believed the buying committee was around six people. In reality, buying committees are 10, 12, 14 people or more.Buying groups are similar to buying committees found in most ABM initiatives. In the context of GTM motions, a buying group is connected to a particular deal moving through a sales cycle. They have been assembled to solve a particular organizational problem.Buying groups are made up of multiple departments, roles and personas which include subject matter experts, contributors from a relevant department and other stakeholders or gatekeepers.While an individuals department and persona are static, their role on the buying committee may change depending on the organizational problem the group is trying to solve.Phases of a buying group GTM motionLeanDataThere are five fundamental building blocks marketing and sales teams need to consider in a buying group motion:What solution(s) are applicable to the account?Who is in the buying group for each solution?What are the key roles and buying drivers?How can we connect these people and qualify them?How can we orchestrate the go-to-market motion?Because of the organizational change involved in adopting a buying group motion, a phased approach is recommended. The timeline can be highly variable, depending on your organizations readiness and motivation.Phase 1: AlignThe first phase in adopting a buying group motion is all about gaining organizational alignment. There must be a logical rationale for making this change and a clear explanation of its financial impact.Phase 2: BuildIn the build phase, processes and technology are set up to capture buying signals, prioritize them, and move existing opportunities forward.Phase 3: OrchestrateThe steps and responsibilities in the orchestrate phrase are divided by the marketing, SDR/BDR and sales teams. Marketing will develop and optimize campaigns to attract and engage with members of the buying groups.BDRs/SDRs identify buying group members, adding members to a suspect opportunity, and potentially scheduling meetings.Sales and Marketing will collaborate throughout the entire opportunity cycle to ensure a cohesive approach to engagement.Phase #4: MeasureIn the measure phase, companies create reports and dashboards to evaluate the success of their buying group motion. Some suggested metrics include number of engaged buying group members, average buying group members at a qualified stage, or average buying group members who attended a meeting.Source: LeanDataUsing technology to operationalize a buying group motionOn a tactical level, a buying group motion is played out in three basic stages:Stage 1: In Stage 1 of a buying group motion, the primary focus is to detect buying signals from members of a buying group. Technology platforms capture various forms of buying signals, match leads to a single unique contact under the right account and surface contacts as members of marketing campaigns.Stage 2: In Stage 2, either through automation or working in conjunction with SDR/BDR teams, contacts are assigned to open opportunities as members of a buying group. Opportunities are qualified and prioritized. The opportunity may sit in an early stage until minimum qualifications are met.Stage 3: In Stage 3, qualified opportunities with a predefined minimum number of buying group members are sent to the appropriate sales team or channel, or even Customer Success, ready to be worked.LeanData customers who have successfully transitioned to a buying group motion took two primary paths in regards to their tech stack: (1) re-architecting existing systems without adding any new tech and (2) reconfiguring existing systems as well as buying new tech.Out with the old, in with the newNavigating the transition from lead-centric and ABM strategies to a buying group GTM motion is admittedly no simple feat. It will require both a cultural and operational shift to adjust sales and marketing philosophies to make the shift.On a high level, this transformation requires a thorough internal process evaluation, an understanding of industry best practices and data management strategies, and potentially the adoption of new technologies.LeanData customers using a buying group motion today report the following improvements:Less siloed departmentsCompetitive advantageDecreased lead assignment timeShorter sales cyclesTo investigate a buying group motion further, visit the LeanData Buying Groups Resource Center.

Data is the new soil. This may sound like hyperbole, but in the world of B2B tech marketing and sales, they ring true. In fact, Gartner reports that 60% of B2B sales organizations will transition from more intuition-based selling to a data-driven approach by 2025. And with an increased focus on data, its critical for organizations to understand how their data flows both internally specifically with their CRM platform and with their partners.In the past, the model for data flow was very linear one direction from the providers database to the customers database. Now, with so much data available, businesses are leaving deals on the table by only utilizing a single direction. In this blog, well explore the benefits of multi-directional data flows and how organizations can work with their partners to make their data flows smarter, more intelligent and more focused across individual use cases.Youre choking off deals when data flows one wayBenefits of syncing your CRM data with your data/marketing providerAccuracy and truthWithout a single source of truth (as Boolean logic tell us), combining insights from various sources like your own, with those of a third-party is the best way to eliminate false positives and improve precision in desired outcomes. This means being able to more accurately target the right accounts at the right time.AutomationGone are the days of relying on manually updated spreadsheets with ABM targets, sales territory lists or prospect information. By setting up multi-directional information sync between your own data and a third-party, necessary information on which accounts to target is presented automatically, saving valuable time and reducing errors for both marketers and sales reps.Sales rep interest and productivitySpeaking of sales reps, time is always of the essence and lead quality matters. More accurate, real-time data flowing between systems allows sellers to be more responsive and attentive to accounts and prospects in their territory and not waste time on those that dont fit. And as a result, marketers wont miss hearing from sellers that their leads are no good!Integrating with CRM automates improved account intelligence, prospect acquisition and systems synchronizationCompliance and data securityOne piece of working with personal data that cannot be ignored is compliance and data security. Partnering with a provider that sets up compliance, privacy and security protection controls over the custodianship of that data gives both marketers and sellers the ability to execute their motions more fluidly with confidence.Opportunity velocityAt the end of the day, marketers and sellers alike are working towards the same goal: increased deal velocity and revenue generation. By utilizing their most important asset and implementing multi-direction data flows, organizations can get there faster and with more efficiency across both marketing and sales teams.As we enter this new era of relying on data more than we ever have, organizations must use it to their advantage or risk being left behind. Having a CRM as a central data hub was once enough but third-party data providers are proving that synchronization of all available data is the next step in maximizing its power. And were seeing it first-hand, as TechTarget customers that sync their CRM data with Priority Engine see 43% faster deal cycles.To learn more about how prospect-level intent data from TechTargets Priority Engine can help your organization increase revenue, watch the webinar How Marketers and Sellers Can Deliver More Revenue with Intent Data or reach out today.

Andrew Kisslo, SVP of Global Partner Marketing at SAP, always likes to say, You own your career, so you must be intentional and deliberate about your path. Every path is unique, but having clear goals and holding them loosely is part of your path to success.Partner Marketing is becoming more and more critical to overall business strategies. What was once a niche, time-consuming business strategy is now a key contributor to overall business revenue and success. As a result, it is more important than ever for partner marketers to define a career development path in partner marketing.Recently, TechTarget connected with partner marketing leaders Andrew Kisslo (SAP), Heather Deggans (Microsoft), Tricia Blade (Trellix) and Erica Moore (Splunk) to start defining career paths for partner marketers in Career Growth: Your Roadmap to Becoming a Partner Marketing Leader. Our speakers determined that whether you are looking to grow in your partner marketing career or break into Partner Marketing from a different industry, this advice is critical to success.1. Find a mentorMentorship is a form of advocacy: finding the right mentor will help you broaden your network, see your big picture goals without managing your day-to-day tasks like a manager and will action on your behalf to ensure your growth.Andrew says, Mentors are really a board of directors for yourself assembling quite a few of them that have different takes on what is ultimately going to make you a better human in all endeavors. Furthermore, he mentions that mentors will challenge you and keep you honest in the best ways possible.With so many options for potential networks, it can be hard to know who to go to or who to trust.Erica suggests that a mentor outside of your organization can lead to more holistic, role-agnostic mentorship. However, looking for mentorship inside of your organization has its benefits at certain moments. Go inside the organization for an advocate who can help you get those visible moments because thats what really helps you take those stepping stones, is when leadership can see the potential that you have, she points out.Heather recommends talking with your manager, skip-level manager, manager peers and teammates, who can set up a warm introduction. Be able to say, This is really what Im looking for. I want to learn more about this function, or I want to gain insights into this skill set. Then you can start to use your network to help identify potential mentors.2. Build your identity and advocate for yourselfHeather thinks it can be scary to say what a next career goal might be; however, it is necessary to advocate for career growth. She recommends, Use your network, use your mentor and state your intentions. Try not to pigeonhole yourself into one thing, unless its absolutely the thing that you know with all your conviction that you want to do next.Furthermore, Tricia thinks its important to build your identity not brand, which will eventually come. Building your own identity is so important because it is exclusively yours and can be transferable between any organization or role build your identity through every engagement, every interaction, every call, every conversation, every in-person meeting. That is going to provide the fundamentals for who you are in this career and then who you service in this career as you grow.3. Be open to diverse experiencesSuccessful careers may often seem linear and step-by-step, but more often theyre very fluid and flexible. Our speakers argue that more diverse experiences will serve career growth in the long term.One of the areas that made me a much better partner marketer in the end is owning a bag (budget) just for a little bit of time. The minute you see that skill, you develop empathy for sellers and partners. Ultimately, they ask a customer for their most precious resource: their money. In this business climate, that takes a lot of skill, Andrew posits.Heather agrees that owning the budget is valuable: You begin to understand what its like to walk in the sellers shoes. Both agree that understanding this skill will help partner marketers be able to empower other partners to do this effectively, whether its through great marketing or events.Heather suggests that it goes even deeper: Ive always really valued the diverse experiences to make me a better marketer Ive done technical and sales roles. Ive been a partner account manager, helping partners of all types build their business, set their goals and really achieve those goals with it. I even did a couple of back-of-the-house jobs and chief of staff jobs. You get to see a little bit of the sausage-making of how decisions are made and how decisions are weighed, which is a great experience to bring back to marketing.4. Be a learn-it-allMicrosoft CEO Satya Nadella often talks about being a learn-it-all. Heather explains the theory aptly, Instead of coming into an environment as a know-it-all, how do we learn and adapt?This is particularly important for todays partner marketer, who is constantly juggling with new and emerging technologies. Heather argues that many partner marketers will need to learn as they go, which can be exciting but also a big commitment. All of the things that made you successful in the past may not be the things that are going to make you successful moving forward.To do this successfully, Heather recommends job shadowing join a few carefully-selected meetings and then debrief on the experience. Learners can do this at any stage of their career, which can be an excellent opportunity to leverage mentors and a network alike.A large part of being a learn-it-all is the acknowledgement of not being a know-it-all, which can be difficult. Erica suggests that acknowledging when you dont know something is often the key to success. I think educating yourself, realizing and recognizing your gaps early and often, understanding where you can get better and taking the initiative to be resilient when those obstacles come give you the space to grow.Erica also recommends committing to continuous growth and learning, such as taking advantage of events and opportunities like the Partner Marketing Visionaries community.5. Serve partners with a better together mentalityAs partner marketers, we always talk about better together joint messaging but Tricia and Erica agree that coming to the table with this attitude when working directly with partners will make for a better partnership and foster relationships that will support career growth.Partners need to be a part of a strategy, not a recipient or observer, Tricia states. Foster an environment where there is a perpetual and continuous arena of divergent thoughts. Every partner is going to have a different way that they visualize joint campaigns and success Having that eclectic mix of partnerships and receiving it with divergent thought and reciprocity is amazing.Erica argues that the better together mentality is what got her going in partner marketing in the first place. I think a big skill that I always lean on is: What have I done for my partner lately? And what can I do better for them tomorrow?6. Continuously build relevant skills for growthLastly, our speakers advocate for developing the right skills for a career path, whether this is an individual contributor role or a managerial role.Whether youre looking to be an individual contributor or manager, Tricia suggests building acumen across the marketing fundamentals and trends, collaborating with partners with an accepting and divergent mindset, and refresh or reinforce skills often.For those interested in people management, find ways to grow management skills. Being a peer mentor is a really important role for helping the team to be more productive and helping people ramp, but it helps you to really exercise some of those management skills without managing by authority, Heather suggests.Ericas favorite leadership quote reads, If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, itll live its whole life thinking its a failure. Fitting teams into small buckets of work does not challenge people in the right way, thinking of them as learning, growing people will.She further recommends, When managing people, you should always give them a functional role, a stretch project role and a visibility role (i.e. presenting to leadership). This will foster continuous engagement and improvement through multiple outlets, challenging people to reach their best while also giving them opportunities to showcase their existing skills.Interested in learning more?Watch the entire webinarBrowse the Partner Marketing Visionaries communityLearn how TechTarget can help

In a recent Partners GTM Survey, 73% of companies with a partner program said that they rely on partners for +25% of their revenue. However, partner marketing teams are most often lean and responsible for the entirety of the partner lifecycle. This means that partner marketers are under more pressure than ever to juggle multiple priorities and enable partners to accelerate their sales, build pipeline and meet revenue goals. To say that partner marketers are strapped for time and constantly facing new challenges is an understatement, particularly as revenue goals for 2025 start to shift even higher in the partner and channel spaces.TechTarget recently sat down to discuss the reality of limited resources in partner marketing with partner marketing leaders Pooja Golechha (Pegasystems) and Tonya Vincent (CyberArk) in a Partner Marketing Visionaries episode Whats Keeping You Up at Night? Overcoming Common Partner Marketing Challenges. Both speakers agreed that with a lack of resources and constantly shifting priorities, partner marketers need to be efficient and creative.Pooja highlights, Top of mind for me is to do more with less. Of course, were here to drive growth, whether its accelerating deals or new business. When budgets are tight and resources are limited, we are constantly trying to see how we can do more and add speed to our programs. Doing more with less isnt always easy but our speakers recommend three strategies to be more efficient in partner marketing.1. Align with broader teamsIts 2024 and all marketing teams are strapped for time, resources and budget. Why not work together to help each other achieve goals?Pooja suggests, The opportunity here is to align with those teams and see what we can do together. As partner marketers, were always building a strategy with our partners. But can we align with our field teams to then lead the execution or take their help in executing regionally?In addition to working with field marketing teams, aligning partner marketing efforts to other marketing teams may also work more effectively. For example, Pooja is also speaking at TechTargets upcoming Reach Summit, where shell be walking through A Practical Guide to Getting Started with ABM in Partner Marketing. If account-based marketing (ABM) is the right fit for your partner marketing strategy, consider working with your ABM teams to support partner campaign execution.Furthermore, theres no reason to make joint campaigns more complicated than they need to be. Why not leverage product marketing teams from your partner organizations to ensure that joint messaging is aligned, consistent and accurate?Tonya has had good experiences working with campaign strategy teams for partner marketing efforts. We have an amazing campaign strategy team. Not only are we working with them to build partner campaign kits for consistency and alignment of message for how we want to go to market, but when a partner is interested in executing a campaign, were leveraging a campaign strategist for their expertise.There are so many ways to work with broader teams across multiple partner organizations, whether they are focused on sales, marketing or product.2. Leverage specialized partner marketing agenciesSmall partner marketing teams may be challenged by the sheer amount of effort it takes to stand up joint campaigns. In this case, our speakers recommend leveraging specialized partner marketing organizations/agencies to scale programs.TechTarget offers multiple ways to scale partner marketing programs through our Partner Marketing Services, including strategy, content, demand and channel solutions. Whether youre looking to execute campaigns-in-a-box for joint campaigns, validate your joint messaging, create sponsored content or generate high-quality leads, TechTarget can help.Contact us to learn how TechTarget can help you be more efficient and effective in your partner marketing goals.3. Create repeatable and scalable programsPooja questions, If weve had success with one partner in a particular region or industry, how can we take that success to other regions, to other markets?Creating repeatable and scalable programs can help partners go-to-market more efficiently, ensuring a quicker build in demand. These scalable programs can also help with joint brand consistency and sustainability.Partner marketing campaigns, particularly through-partner campaigns relying on MDF funding, typically span one fiscal quarter (three months). By creating repeatable and scalable programs, partners have a reliable, tried-and-true approach that they can leverage to garner more success over multiple quarters.TechTargets Anita Covelli, who moderated this discussion, believes that repeatability is incredibly important to partner marketing and partner success. Finding a campaign structure that works and repurposing it thats the secret sauce. Being able to duplicate a campaign-in-a-box across other partners to help scale that demand creation is really effective, Anita agrees.Furthermore, Tonya suggests, Utilize a campaign strategist to ensure partners are using the right channels themselves within the campaign that we have found effective, across that customer journey from awareness to consideration to decision to purchase. Integrating teams in order to create effective scalability with the right amount of differentiation across partners may be the secret sauce for partner marketers.In our Partner Marketing Visionaries Community, were always looking for ways that partner marketers can be more effective and innovative in their partner marketing strategies. If you have ideas for how partner marketers can do more with less, consider joining our LinkedIn Group to share your best practices.If youre interested in learning more about how to maximize partner marketing impact, watch the full webinar here.