The digital landscape is constantly evolving, many B2B marketers are increasingly turning to top and middle-of-funnel strategies like ad display and retargeting to meet revenue goals and help offset the shifts in the decision-making process.  

It’s important to understand how your demand generation campaigns can not only partner with a “do more with less” mindset of today’s market, but also impact the growing needs of your sales team as they experience pipeline churn at an increasing rate year over year.  

What does it really mean to focus your display and retargeting campaigns on your company’s larger revenue goals? Here’s a quick walkthrough with some actionable takeaways that can help as you strategize your next campaign.  

The Role of the Sales Pipeline in B2B Marketing 

Before diving into the specifics of ad display and retargeting, it’s crucial to understand the sales pipeline's role in B2B marketing. The sales pipeline represents the journey prospective customers take from the initial awareness stage to becoming a closed sale. Each stage of the pipeline is designed to move prospects closer to making a purchasing decision, with the ultimate goal of converting them into paying customers. 

A well-structured sales pipeline enables marketers to: 

• Track and measure the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns. 

• Identify bottlenecks that may hinder lead progression. 

• Allocate resources effectively based on where leads are in the pipeline. 

• Forecast revenue based on the potential value of leads in each stage. 

The sales pipeline is not just a metric for tracking performance; it’s a roadmap that guides strategic decisions. B2B marketers must align their ad display and retargeting efforts to support the entire pipeline, from lead generation to closing deals. 

Leveraging Advertising Display for Top-of-Funnel Awareness 

Advertising display campaigns are a powerful tool for generating awareness and driving top and middle of funnel engagement. In B2B marketing, where the sales cycle can be long and complex, it’s essential to engage your buyers throughout their decision-making process. 

Demand Generation Strategies for B2B Ads 

Account Based Marketing 

ABM is a highly focused strategy where marketers create personalized campaigns for specific accounts rather than casting a wide net. By integrating ABM principles into your ad display campaigns, you can target high-value accounts with precision, ensuring that your demand generation efforts are directed toward prospects with the highest potential for conversion. 

Use tools like LinkedIn Matched Audiences or our own tool, atlasIQ, to tailor ad campaigns to specific accounts. Personalize the messaging and creatives to speak directly to the challenges and goals of each targeted account. 

Personalized Messaging 

Generic messaging can kill a campaign. To generate demand effectively, the messaging in your ad display campaigns should be tailored to address the specific pain points, needs, and interests of your segmented audience. This personalized approach not only captures attention but also fosters a deeper connection with potential buyer. 

Develop multiple variations of your ad copy and creatives to align with different audience segments. A/B test these variations to determine which messaging resonates most effectively. 

Multi-Channel Coordination 

Demand generation doesn’t happen in a silo. It’s important that you ensure that your ad display campaigns are part of a broader, multi-channel strategy that includes email marketing, content marketing, social media, and more. Coordinating these channels ensures a consistent and seamless experience for prospects as they move through the sales pipeline. 

Use marketing automation platforms to coordinate and track your multi-channel campaigns. This allows you to create cohesive experiences that nurture leads across different touchpoints. 

Measuring the Impact of Ad Display on Sales Pipeline 

To ensure your ad display campaigns are contributing to your sales pipeline, it’s important to track key performance indicators such as: 

• Impressions and Click-Through Rates: Monitor how well your ads are capturing attention and driving initial engagement. 

• Landing Page Conversion Rates: Analyze the effectiveness of your landing pages in converting ad traffic into marketing qualified leads. 

• Lead Quality: Assess the quality of leads generated by ad display campaigns by tracking their progression through the sales pipeline. 

How Retargeting Campaigns Influence Mid-Funnel Engagement 

Retargeting is a critical tactic for keeping your brand top-of-mind as prospects move through the mid-funnel stages of the sales pipeline. In B2B marketing, where decision-making processes involve multiple stakeholders and extended timelines, retargeting plays a pivotal role in nurturing leads and driving conversions. 

Advanced Retargeting Strategies for B2B Marketers 

Segmented Retargeting: 

• Behavior-Based Segmentation: Create retargeting audiences based on specific actions taken by prospects, such as visiting a product page, downloading a whitepaper, or attending a webinar. Tailor your retargeting ads to address their specific interests and needs. 

• Stage-Based Retargeting: Align your retargeting efforts with the buyer’s journey. For example, use different messaging for prospects in the consideration stage compared to those in the decision stage. 

Cross-Platform Retargeting: 

• Omnichannel Approach: Ensure consistent messaging across various channels, including display ads, social media, and email. This reinforces your brand message and increases the likelihood of conversion. 

• Sequential Retargeting: Deliver a series of ads that guide prospects through the funnel, starting with educational content and gradually introducing more product-focused messaging as they move closer to a purchase decision. 

Personalized Messaging: 

• Dynamic Content: Use dynamic retargeting ads that automatically adjust content based on the individual’s previous interactions with your brand. This could include displaying specific products they viewed or reminding them of an abandoned cart. 

• Account-Specific Ads: For high-value accounts, consider creating custom ads tailored to the specific needs and challenges of the target company. This level of personalization can significantly increase engagement and conversion rates. 

Integrating Retargeting with Sales Pipeline Metrics 

To measure the success of your retargeting efforts, align your KPIs with the stages of your sales pipeline: 

• Engagement Rates: Track how retargeted prospects interact with your ads compared to new audiences. Higher engagement rates can indicate that your retargeting efforts are effectively nurturing leads. 

• Pipeline Acceleration: Monitor the time it takes for retargeted leads to move from one stage of the pipeline to the next. Effective retargeting should help accelerate the sales cycle. 

• Conversion Rates: Measure the conversion rates of retargeted leads at each stage of the pipeline. This will help you assess the impact of retargeting on your overall revenue goals. 

Four Actionable Takeaways  

1. Align Ad Display and Retargeting with Pipeline Stages: 

• Ensure that your ad display campaigns focus on driving TOFU awareness, while retargeting efforts are strategically used to nurture and convert leads in the mid and bottom-of-funnel stages. 

• Regularly review your sales pipeline metrics to adjust your campaigns based on the effectiveness of your ad display and retargeting strategies. 

2. Invest in Data-Driven Targeting: 

• Use data analytics to refine your audience targeting for both ad display and retargeting. This includes leveraging CRM data, website analytics, and third-party data sources to create precise targeting segments. 

• Continuously test and optimize your targeting parameters to improve the quality of leads entering your pipeline. 

3. Focus on Personalization: 

• Personalization is key to driving engagement and conversion in B2B marketing. Use dynamic content and personalized messaging in your retargeting ads to address the specific needs and pain points of your prospects. 

• Implement account-based marketing (ABM) techniques to create highly tailored ad experiences for your most valuable prospects. 

4. Measure and Optimize: 

• Continuously measure the performance of your ad display and retargeting campaigns against your sales pipeline metrics. This includes tracking lead quality, engagement rates, pipeline velocity, and conversion rates. 

• Use A/B testing and other optimization techniques to refine your ad creatives, messaging, and targeting strategies. 

Conclusion 

Here’s the deal, B2B sales and marketing is getting harder across the board for everyone. However, it’s possible to use tried and true methods of lead generation with a greater focus on revenue and pipeline to help offset some of the challenges the current market presents.  

By implementing these key demand generation strategies, your team can create ad campaigns that not only drive awareness but also actively contribute to filling the sales pipeline with high-quality leads.  

Interested in learning more? Check out how IQengage not only utilizes data intelligence to meet your buyers where they are, but also boosts impression engagements through narrative-based advertising.