The question came up in a budget review. “Our account-based ads get a tiny click-through rate. Buyers now research in ChatGPT. Why are we still paying for this?”
It’s a fair question. And for many teams, the honest answer is that ABM advertising still works, but not in the way they’ve been measuring it.
This piece explains what’s changed, what account-targeted ads still do well, and how to judge them properly.
What Changed in B2B Research
Three shifts have reshaped the buying journey:
- Buyers research with AI. 6sense’s 2025 research found that 94% of buyers used AI tools during their buying process.
- Shortlists form early. The same research found buyers rank their preferred vendors before first contact, and the winning vendor is usually already on that list.
- Vendors get little direct time. Gartner estimates buyers spend only about 17% of their buying time with suppliers.
So much of the decision now forms in places ads can’t reach directly, such as AI chats and private conversations. We covered this in our piece on the dark funnel.
Why Clicks Were Always the Wrong Test
Here’s the part many teams miss. B2B ads were never good at driving clicks from decision-makers. A CFO rarely clicks a banner, even one that’s perfectly relevant.
The real value was always something else: making sure the right people at the right accounts recognize you when it’s time to choose. Judging that by click-through rate is like judging a billboard by how many people pulled over.
That’s why the question isn’t “do ABM ads still get clicks?” It’s “do ABM ads still shape who makes the shortlist?”
Three Jobs ABM Advertising Still Does Well
1. Building Memory Before Buyers Are in Market
Most of your target accounts aren’t buying right now. Research by Professor John Dawes of the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute found that companies change providers of many business services only about every five years. That means roughly 5% are in market in any given quarter.
The other 95% will buy eventually. When they do, they’ll start with brands they already know. Consistent ads across your target account list build that familiarity long before the buying window opens.
2. Reaching the Roles That Never Talk to Sales
Finance leaders, security reviewers, and senior executives often shape decisions without ever meeting a vendor. Account-based ads are one of the few ways to put a relevant message in front of them.
That works best when you know which roles you’re missing. Our guide to buying committee mapping shows how to find them.
3. Staying Visible While Buyers Verify
Buyers don’t trust AI answers blindly. After an AI tool suggests a shortlist, many check reviews, analyst content, and vendor sites, as we explained in our piece on AI in B2B buying.
During that checking phase, well-placed ads keep your name present and reinforce the same proof points buyers find elsewhere. Consistency builds confidence.
| Job | Who it reaches | The right measure |
|---|---|---|
| Build memory | Accounts not yet in market | Branded search and direct traffic from target accounts |
| Reach silent roles | Finance, security, executives | Engagement from those roles in target accounts |
| Support verification | Accounts actively comparing vendors | Shortlist inclusion and pipeline from engaged accounts |
What Ads Can’t Do
It’s just as important to be clear about the limits.
- Ads don’t change AI answers. AI tools draw on reviews, editorial coverage, and other independent sources, not your ad impressions.
- Ads can’t replace proof. If your third-party presence is thin, ads alone won’t convince a careful buyer.
- Ads rarely convert cold accounts quickly. Expecting fast pipeline from out-of-market accounts sets the program up to fail.
Build the Ad Plan Around Roles and Moments
Instead of one campaign for every account, match the message to the account’s stage and the role you’re trying to reach:
| Account stage | Role to reach | Message focus | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not in market | Broad buying group | What you’re known for, in one clear line | Short video, display, social |
| Researching | Champion, business lead | The problem you solve and proof it works | Case study ads, comparison content |
| Evaluating | Finance and IT | Return, integration, and effort | ROI summaries, technical overviews |
| Verifying | Security, executives | Trust, compliance, and customer proof | Security overviews, customer quotes |
Intent data helps you know when an account moves between stages. Our piece on intent data for ABM explains how to use topics to identify which roles are researching.
Measure ABM Advertising by What It Changes
The most reliable way to prove ABM advertising works is a simple holdout test:
- Split a group of similar tier-two accounts into two halves.
- Run ads to one half. Keep the other half ad-free.
- After one to two quarters, compare the two groups.
Compare them on these measures:
- Branded search and direct traffic from each group
- Number of roles engaging per account
- Opportunities created
- Win rate on those opportunities
If the advertised group performs better, you have real evidence. If it doesn’t, you’ve learned where to cut, which is valuable too.
A Note on Budget
Two habits tend to waste ABM ad budget. The first is switching ads on only when intent spikes, which misses the memory-building work that makes intent convert. The second is spreading the same spend across every account on the list.
A better approach is a steady baseline across your target list, plus extra spend when intent rises at priority accounts. Many ABM platforms support this kind of setup. For the mechanics of automated buying, see our guide to programmatic advertising, and for tier-by-tier tactics, see ABM tactics.
The Short Answer
Account-targeted ads still work. What changed is the job they do and how you should judge them.
They won’t win the AI answer or drive many clicks. They will keep you familiar to accounts that aren’t buying yet, reach the people sales never meets, and stay visible while buyers check their shortlist. Measure those outcomes, and ABM advertising becomes much easier to defend.
Want ABM advertising you can actually prove?
ColedaB2B plans and runs account-based ad programs built around buying roles, intent, and holdout testing. Talk to us about your ABM program.
FAQs:
Yes, but its main value isn’t clicks. ABM advertising builds familiarity before accounts are in market, reaches roles that rarely talk to sales, and keeps you visible while buyers verify their shortlist.
Buyers now form shortlists earlier, often using AI tools that ads can’t influence directly. That makes brand familiarity and consistent proof across channels more important than direct response.
Research by Professor John Dawes of the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute found that only about 5% of B2B buyers are in market in a given quarter. The other 95% will buy later, usually from brands they already know.
Run a holdout test. Advertise to half of a group of similar accounts, leave the other half out, and compare branded search, roles engaged, opportunities, and win rates over one to two quarters.
Not on its own. Senior B2B buyers rarely click ads, so low click-through rates don’t mean the ads failed. Track engagement, branded search, and pipeline from target accounts instead.
