← All posts
General
ABM in 2026: Less Account Lists, More Intent Signals
Traditional account-based marketing built static lists. Modern ABM responds to intent signals in real time.
Felix Diaz 2026-02-02 10 min
The Old ABM
Pick 100 target accounts. Build personalized campaigns for each. Wait for the sales cycle to play out. Track in Salesforce. Quarterly review.
The New ABM
Buy intent signals from 6sense, Demandbase, or RB2B. Trigger personalized outreach in real time when an account shows research behavior. Score every account on engagement velocity. Hand to sales when score crosses threshold.
Tooling Cost
Intent data: $30K to $80K annually for SMB-friendly tools, $150K+ for enterprise platforms. The cost is real but the ROI for $50K+ ACV products is consistently 3 to 8x.
When NOT to Run ABM
Products under $5K ARR. ABM economics only work when each closed deal funds extensive personalization.
Discussion