• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, September 6, 2024

Most B2B marketers plan to use AI for personalization. And many feel it will actually help, judging by a new study from ON24: Personalization in the AI Era—What B2B Marketers Need to Know and What They Should Do.

Of the B2B professionals surveyed, 88% expect to use AI To help them with personalization, and 84% believe it is a key enabler.  

In contrast to the more primitive benefits from earlier periods, the AI era that started in 2023 provides these, the study says:

• Fully automated end-to-end campaigns
• Personalized journeys
• One-to-one AI-driven content
• Actionable insights
• Pipeline and revenue

As for personalization itself, 54% believe it is the key to driving pipeline and revenue growth. But only 35% personalize based on engagement data. 

B2B marketers personalize these experiences and content:

• Sales outreach and activity — 55%
• Content recommendations — 47%
• Email — 46%
• Display advertising — 42% 
• Webinars and virtual events — 40%
• Live chat — 40%
• On-site content — 34%
• Social — 34%
• Video — 28%
• Direct mail — 24%
• Do not personalize any digital experience or content — 1%

Despite email’s high ranking, the study warns: “Today’s marketing is complex — and personalization has evolved a long way from simply adding a name to an email.” 

Meanwhile, here are the key data points needed for B2B personalization:

• Demographic
• Firmographic
• Technographic
• Third-party intent
• First-party account intent
• Engagement data from previous events 

“Every company knows it’s mission-critical to deliver personalized experiences to achieve ongoing pipeline growth, but the truth is that few have the technology, resources and expertise to do so — especially at scale,” says Callan Young, CMO, ON24, adding: “Our research demonstrates that AI is key for personalization to become reality.”