As the sun sets on a chaotic 2020, B2B marketers are eagerly looking ahead to a fresh start in 2021. In a few short months, the fallout from COVID-19 has accelerated digital transformation for every B2B company while exposing significant gaps in the core revenue engine led by marketing teams.

In 2021, progress, not perfection will win the day. With tight budgets and timelines, marketing teams must be pragmatic and focus their efforts on bolstering the handful of account-based playbooks and marketing programs that will deliver the greatest account engagement and revenue impact and empower marketing and sales teams to #GetItDoneIn2021.

In this first of a two part blog series about 2021 growth planning, let�۪s first take stock and highlight some key learnings from this past year. As Folloze helped customers navigate an uncertain marketplace, we identified four recurring themes and challenges: 

1. Old TOFU habits die hard: Many marketing teams feel stuck in an old-school demand generation model and rigid workflow that can�۪t dynamically adapt to the changing B2B buyer. Marketing automation tools that were built for speed and efficiency are poor substitutes to execute personalized account-based marketing campaigns at scale.

2. Pivot from physical events: Pre-COVID-19, most B2B vendors spent a good chunk of their budget on physical and events and tradeshows, and for a very good reason: While expensive, physical events delivered a proven ROI to build and accelerate pipeline. With the 2020 global cancelation of events, marketing teams were challenged to replicate the intimacy and personalized experiences from physical events to virtual environments. In 2021, virtual events will continue to play a pivotal role in the marketing mix. 

3. ABM falls short: For many B2B vendors, the marketplace challenges of 2020 highlighted the shortcomings of many ABM programs. How? Current ABM tools and practices focus on the front-end of the process by delivering ads and segmenting and prioritizing accounts but fail to deliver the depth and value-added experiences across the entire customer journey. Let�۪s make 2021 the year we unlock ABMs true revenue potential.

4. Sales and marketing alignment isn�۪t enough: Over the past few years, we�۪ve touted the importance of sales and marketing alignment. As the B2B buyer continues to evolve, sales and marketing teams must do more and transform their casual collaborative relationship into a true marriage of partners. Why? As marketing teams bolster the focus, precision and impact  of their account-based programs, sellers must be ready to quickly grab the baton and deliver the revenue.  

In part two of this blog series, I�۪ll discuss some best practices and practical playbooks to help you supercharge your 2021 ABM and growth programs. Meanwhile, I invite you to sign up for two educational webcasts that Folloze is hosting with Forrester and the Demand Gen Report. 

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Forrester and Folloze Webinar: The Top-3 Marketing Playbooks That Will Drive More Account-Engagement and Revenue in 2021

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For every B2B marketing team, the events of 2020 have accelerated digital transformation and exposed significant execution gaps across ABM and other revenue-generating programs. In 2021, progress, not perfection will win the day. With tight budgets and timelines, marketing teams must be pragmatic and focus their efforts on bolstering the handful of account-based programs that will deliver the greatest account engagement and revenue impact in 2021. 

Join Folloze and Laura Ramos, VP and Principal Analyst from Forrester for an informative webcast where we will share practical guidance for quickly evolving the performance of core account-based programs. Learn how top B2B brands such as Cisco, RingCentral, ServiceNow, Autodesk, and others plan to translate engagement into revenue and #GetItDoneIn2021. 

�ۍTuesday November 17, 2020
10:00 am PDT | 1:00 pm EDT

Click here to sign up

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Demand Gen Report and Folloze Webinar: Strategy and Planning Series - The New Rules For ABM & Growth In 2021: Building Your New Year�۪s Resolutions List

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This past year has tested the resolve of every B2B marketing leader and practitioner. In a few short months, the global pandemic has accelerated a decade worth of digital transformation for every B2B vendor and exposed significant digital and account-based marketing deficiencies. To succeed in 2021, marketing teams have zero margin for error and must shore up their growth engines.

Join Folloze and a Fortune 1000 brand as they help build your 2021 New Year�۪s resolutions list to boost your ABM and growth programs for a post-COVID-19 marketplace.

�ۍThursday November 19, 2020
10:00 am PDT | 1:00 pm EDT

Click here to sign up