Few marketing strategies have become as closely associated with paid media as account-based marketing (ABM). In fact, 71% of B2B marketers now use an ABM strategy, up from 67% the year before, making it one of the fastest-growing approaches to B2B marketing. At the same time, email (92%) and in-person events (72%) rank among the highest-performing ABM channels, while paid social platforms such as LinkedIn remain the primary vehicle for introducing brands to target accounts and driving early-stage awareness.
For many organizations, ABM begins with a target account list, LinkedIn campaigns and display advertising designed to reach buying committees inside high-value accounts. There is good reason for that approach. Paid media remains one of the fastest and most effective ways to generate awareness, engage decision-makers and scale personalized messaging across named accounts.
However, while paid media provides a strong foundation, it cannot carry the entire strategy.
Today’s B2B buying journey is rarely linear. Buying committees continue to grow, buyers complete much of their research before speaking with sales, and organizations increasingly blend ABM with broader demand generation efforts—47% of marketers now integrate the two disciplines rather than managing them separately.
A true account surround strategy goes beyond paid media. It builds credibility, maintains engagement and keeps your organization visible throughout the buying journey.
Thought Leadership Builds Credibility
Paid media may create awareness, but credibility is often built elsewhere. Before engaging with sales, buyers validate potential partners through their own research. They read news articles and blogs, explore company websites, review case studies and seek insights from trusted industry sources.
Thought leadership helps shape those perceptions. It gives buyers another opportunity to engage with your brand before they ever speak with sales. Blogs, LinkedIn content, bylined articles and earned mentions in industry publications allow organizations to demonstrate expertise while offering valuable perspectives on the topics that matter most to their audience. Consistently sharing relevant insights reinforces authority and keeps your brand top of mind throughout the buying journey.
AI-powered search is also changing how buyers discover and evaluate potential partners and tools. Organizations that regularly publish authoritative, high-quality content create more opportunities to appear in AI-generated answers and industry-related searches. As AI becomes a more common starting point for research, strong thought leadership extends visibility beyond traditional search and helps keep your brand top of mind as buyers continue their research.
Marketing Automation Sustains Engagement
Earning attention and building credibility are only part of the equation. Organizations also need to stay engaged as buyers continue evaluating potential partners.
Marketing automation helps make that possible. Buyers aren’t always ready to engage after a single interaction. Consistent engagement helps keep your brand top of mind as they continue assessing their options. Nurture campaigns deliver relevant content based on buyer interests and behaviors, helping organizations stay connected over time. Whether they’re reading educational resources, exploring industry insights or reviewing product-focused content, buyers can engage when the timing is right for them.
Platforms like HubSpot help automate those interactions and provide greater visibility into account engagement. They also help align marketing and sales around buyer activity, making it easier to deliver timely, relevant outreach.
Bringing It All Together
Paid media may be where many ABM programs begin, but it shouldn’t be where they end.
The organizations seeing the greatest success are creating connected experiences that extend well beyond advertising. They are building trust through thought leadership, staying engaged with buyers over time and ensuring every interaction reinforces the value of their brand.
That’s what transforms ABM from a series of campaigns into a strategy that supports long-term growth.
