🕵🏻♂️ Signals
How to use 1st party and 3rd party signals in ABM
Most ABM programs are based on tracking 3rd party signals and personalized outreach. But here is the brutal truth:
If the buying group doesn't know you, no personalization will help.
The best quote I've heard is from Snowflake VP at Grafana Labs sales summit:
"I don't trust cold outreach at face value (doesn't matter how personalized it is), but if someone I trust vouches for the solution, I will take a look."
Here's what no vendor offering signals will tell you:
The vast majority of B2B companies use 3rd party intent data for the same obsolete cold outreach playbooks - just with "signal-based personalization" added.
If you get lucky, you might get a reply. But what you won't achieve is holistic account awareness, engagement, nurturing, and presence across the entire buyer journey.
In today’s newsletter, we cover:
How B2B buyers ACTUALLY discover solutions in 2025
4-step framework to holistically use 1st-party and 3rd-party signals, and match them with the buyer journey stage.
What top-performing teams are doing differently today (podcast).
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How B2B buyers ACTUALLY discover solutions in 2025
AI brought lots of positive things, but at the same time accelerated what everybody was already fed up with: mass automated outbound.
In Q1, Wynter has finished a new research: How B2B SaaS CMOs Buy Software in 2025. They asked 100 CMOs from $50M+ companies with 200+ employees how they make these choices. Here is a short recap.
72% start their vendor search in private communities BEFORE moving to Google or review websites
45% specifically mention starting in spaces like Pavilion, CMO Coffee Talk and Exit Five
27% text trusted peers directly
Only 12% start with Google (even though 51% use it later in their process)
As one CMO said "My WhatsApp group of CMOs is my first stop."
Next, Wynter ran a similar research surveying CTOs and engineering leaders.
73% begin with Google searches. Then check trusted sources like Gartner, G2, and peer networks.
Most importantly, in both cases, senior leaders mentioned that they trust their peers and anonymous strangers on Reddit more than vendor case studies or personalized outreach.
Here is the best proof:
The moral of the story:
The 3rd party ABM signals should be used for account selection and value-based touchpoints to warmed-up and engaged accounts, not for pitching.
Below we’ll share our playbook on how to leverage them properly.
GET ACCESS TO A NEW FULL-FUNNEL ABM 2.0 COURSE
What's included with the course access:
12 modules covering step-by-step ABM strategy development: goal decomposition, ICP, account list building, ABM team, warm-up and activation playbooks, reporting, scaling ABM and building a cohesive ABM & demand gen function.
Short explanation videos and "how to" examples. We believe it's better one time to see a practical example then listen to the theory hundreds of times.
5 orchestrated and ready-to-use ABM playbooks and a detailed explanation
Report dashboard for 4 types of ABM programs: new revenue, pipeline acceleration, expansion and churn prevention
Live case studies and examples of the campaigns we implemented with the clients of Fullfunnel.io in the past few years
17 templates to simplify your ABM strategy launch: ICP, revenue analysis, intent data tracking, account warm-up cadence, customer research, account scoring and prioritization, ABM budget planning and forecasting, account planning, reports, personalized offers, and many more.
Planning & Presenting a Pilot ABM Program to Execs and Sales Framework
Minimal viable stack recommendation and guidelines on how to use it to avoid ramping up budget and being pressured to show ROI for the purchased $50k software
4-step framework to holistically use 1st-party and 3rd-party signals.
The best ABM programs that we executed always follow this 4-step framework and include playbooks that match the level of signal and the buyer journey stage.
Here is the 4-step framework we use.
1. RUN ACTIVITIES THAT GENERATE 1ST PARTY SIGNALS.
The strongest intent signals are the ones your target accounts generate by engaging with YOU:
Personalized "account love letters" posted on LinkedIn that mention target accounts' initiatives
Webinars with 1:1 invites to buying committee members and progressive profiling questions
Expert roundups featuring industry voices your buyers respect
Thoughtful commenting on buyers' posts (not generic "Great post!")
Market research that includes target accounts and positions them as thought leaders
*We share all of them in our ABM course.
Real example:
I recently wrote a personalized "account love letter" for a B2B fintech company expanding their enterprise pipeline. The post analyzed their current strategy and recommended optimizing their ABM approach:
Shifting from verticals to use case clusters for their cash flow management solution
Starting with a small-scoped program in their strongest market (Germany or France)
Building a specific team structure with dedicated ABM lead, experienced SDR, and content marketer
Creating an internal center of excellence to avoid regional silos
After publishing this on LinkedIn, I reached out to 5 stakeholders on LinkedIn and via email with a personalized content hub (knowing they were already subscribed to our newsletter).
The result?
Three of them replied the same day, appreciating the approach and sharing detailed insights about their current ABM status and upcoming initiatives.
This opened the door for meaningful conversations about their challenges—all without a single "Can I book 15 minutes on your calendar?" message.
This approach works because:
It demonstrates deep understanding of their business
It provides genuine value before asking for anything
It positions you as a thoughtful advisor, not just another vendor
2. BUILD ONE ACTIVITY ON ANOTHER FOR HOLISTIC ACCOUNT AWARENESS.
The mistake most companies make is running disconnected one-off campaigns. Instead:
Start with account research to identify key initiatives and challenges
Move to growing your network with buyers from target accounts
Create personalized content that addresses their specific challenges
Track profile visits, content engagement, and accepted connections
Develop insights for personalized solutions based on engagement patterns
Connect insights from multiple activities: content → webinar → expert roundup → market research → webinar presenting market research) to have a mix of value-added touchpoints
Real example:
Before Full-Funnel B2B Marketing Summit, we surveyed 158 B2B tech companies with long sales cycle and high ACV products.
First, we published a series of posts analyzing the "State of B2B Marketing". Then, instead of a one-off promotion, we created a multi-touchpoint campaign:
Published in-depth analysis of specific challenges mentioned in the surveys
Invited engaged accounts to participate in follow-up research with more detailed interivews
Created personalized content addressing specific vertical challenges
Hosted a webinar inviting not only target accounts but also summit attendees to present the research.
Suggested free strategy sessions and consultations to engaged accounts.
Without ever pushing target accounts, we ended up with 5 sales opportunities.
GET ACCESS TO A NEW B2B DEMAND GENERATION PLAYBOOK
You’ll get access to:
25 short and actionable videos and tutorials. No theory or high-level overview
15-mins max videos to explain a specific process or show how to implement it
10 ready-to-use templates including demand gen reports, budgeting demand gen program, creating joint playbooks with sales, a pilot demand generation program presentation, demand generation program examples, thought leadership, nurturing content production templates, and many more
30/60/90 launch plan with step-by-step instructions, demang gen plan example, and a timeline
P.S. If you have access to our ABM course, the new demand generation playbook will help you increase awareness and support your ABM program with engaged strategic accounts.
3. USE 1ST PARTY & 3RD PARTY SIGNALS FOR VALUE-BASED TOUCHPOINTS.
Only after establishing awareness and initial engagement should you leverage signals for outreach.
Which signals actually matter?
Not all engagement is created equal. Here's how we categorize engagement signals by intent level:
Example of 3rd party signals to monitor:
Hiring announcements that indicate new initiatives
Management changes that signal potential shifts in priorities
P&L reports and press releases identifying business challenges
Questions in communities asked by target buyers
Investment rounds and new funding
Accounts researching your company or competitors on G2, Capterra, or TrustRadius
1st party engagement signals:
Content engagement and consumption in content hubs
Replies to polls and profiling questions to enrich product need insights
Profile visits and accepted connection requests
Repeated visists to high-intent pages (pricing, case studies, integration docs)
Webinar signups & attendance, particularly for solution-focused webinars
Newsletter engagement showing regular opens and clicks (not just one-time interactions)
⚠️ Important distinction:
This is not about MQL scoring. Just because someone reads a blog post doesn't mean they're ready for sales. Not every signal equals buying intent—you need to classify signals based on level of engagement and where the buyer is in their journey.
The logical question you might have:
How to turn these signals into conversation?
Here's what most teams do:
"I saw you [viewed our pricing page]. We help companies like yours solve [industry challenge]. Do you have 15 mins to discuss it next week?"
Doesn't matter how sophisticated your signal stack is or how many signals you have access to, this approach still fails.
Here's what to do instead.
Community Engagement Example.
You notice your target buyer has posted a question in a marketing community asking for ABM tool recommendations. You also know their company just raised a Series B round.
Bad practice:
"I saw your question about ABM tools. Our platform has the highest G2 ratings and was just named a leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant. We help companies like yours scale their ABM programs. Are you free for a demo next Tuesday?"
Good practice:
"Congrats on the Series B! Are you planning to launch an ABM program soon? Our marketing team recently worked on a comprehensive guide about building an ABM tech stack based on different maturity levels and team sizes. Happy to share it if you're interested."
This approach adds value to the thread, introduces your brand naturally, and attracts their attention without pushing for a meeting.
Meanwhile, your marketing team can add this account to a retargeting campaign promoting the same guide, creating a cohesive experience.
*Learn more about capturing different signals in our guide “Demand generation for long sales cycles”
4. CREATE A MIX OF NURTURING AND FULLY PERSONALIZED CONTENT.
Not every touchpoint needs to be 100% personalized (which is unsustainable). Instead, develop a three-tiered content approach:
1:many content: Segment-specific content that addresses common challenges for groups of accounts
1:few content: Cluster-based nurturing sequences for accounts with similar needs or industries
1:1 Content: Fully personalized solutions for high-priority accounts showing clear engagement
Learn more about account-based content strategy in our guide.
Real example: How we increased win rates to 50% with 1:1 account-based content.
In Q4 2024, we increased our win rate to 50% from all qualified inquiries because of tweaks in our 1:1 account-based content approach. Here's exactly what we did:
BEFORE THE DISCOVERY CALL
We analyzed all sales calls we had in 2023-2024 and extracted all questions our prospects ask us. For every type of question (how we'll work together, what to expect from a pilot ABM program, etc.), we created a separate deck with clear answers and examples.
Next, we transcribed all live case studies with our customers and added a short summary for each case study with a link to the full interview, categorizing them by vertical and use case.
Depending on the inquiry, we added tailored content to prepare our prospect for the call. For example:
What stack do I need?
How to get buy-in from sales?
We sent this personalized content hub before the call and asked them to review it before our conversation.
AFTER DISCOVERY
For the discovery call, we updated our questionnaire using best practices from Nate Nasralla and Jen Allen-Knuth. The entire discovery focused on extracting:
a) The buying trigger and why it's important to launch an ABM program now
We focused on what's happening, the root challenges, and what will happen if the company doesn't solve it (the cost of inaction)
b) Competing priorities
Is there anything else that could distract a pilot ABM team from execution?
c) Competing priorities leader
Who has a different opinion on how the company's challenge should be solved and why?
d) Current marketing and sales setup and skillset
e) What we need to get program approval
After a discovery call, we prepared a detailed business case and additional content for our Champion to facilitate internal conversations and explain to leadership why they need an external partner.
We updated the entire content hub with example program timeline, metrics, resources, and stack information tailored to their specific situation.
As one of our clients said: "All I needed was to make a few screenshots from your deck to present everything to my leadership."
The key insight: Whenever your ABM team starts any engagement with a target account, you must immediately switch to 1:1 fully personalized content.
Understand what questions your Champions might have before even talking to you, what internal conversations they might have and with whom, and create content that addresses issues the entire buying committee might have.
TLDR;
Using 3rd party signals for personalized outreach is not Account-Based Marketing. It's the same obsolete outbound, just more targeted.
Doesn't matter how good is your signal stack and to how many signals you have access to, you still rely on volume and luck.
But what you miss is a holistic account awareness, engagement, nurturing, and presence across the entire buyer journey.
To build a truly effective ABM program, stop focusing on just capturing intent and signals. Instead:
Generate your own signals through thoughtful content, expert roundtables, and account-specific insights
Build genuine relationships with buying committees before pitching products
Create an ecosystem of engagement with both wide and core circles in each account
Match your activity to intent level — build awareness with non-sales touches, and only activate with tailored offers when they show clear interest
Prepare your champions with the right tools to sell your solution internally
And above all, remember that you can't push B2B buyers to make six-figure buying decisions. You can only be there, consistently engaged with what they care about, earning the right to be involved when they're ready to buy.
Drive pipeline THIS quarter with full-funnel ABM programs.
If any of these challenges sound familiar:
You are aligned in theory with sales but don’t do anything in practice aside from receiving wish lists from sales and sharing with them your marketing plan. In reality, you work in silos and miss the revenue targets and are being pressured by your executives.
You understand that your marketing and sales playbook is broken (mqls, gated content) but despite many attempts you don’t know how to fix it
Your outbound, paid ads and organic pipeline drastically decreased while CAC increased mostly because most of your market is problem unaware and not buying.
You lack brand awareness among target accounts and sales can’t get even a reply.
You clearly see that you're already behind your revenue targets
We can help.
We'll develop a custom full-funnel ABM strategy aligned with your resources, budget and stack and execute it together to drive results THIS quarter.
Listen to Real Pipeline Strategy
*If you want to attend the next live episode, sign up here to receive an invite. Usually, we host them every Wednesday at 4 pm CET (Central Europe) - 10 am ET (Eastern Time).
While we paused Fullfunnel Live during Easter, we joined Mario Peshev on his podcast sharing what top-performing teams are doing differently in 2025.
Tune in to learn:
Why RevOps isn't just reporting and dashboards
How enterprise B2B companies waste intent data without even knowing it
Why “silo syndrome” is killing cross-functional revenue growth
The real reason your 2023 LinkedIn ads stopped working (hint: it’s not the algorithm)
Scaling cross-functional GTM framework in the era of macro turbulence and AI
Dealing with multiple stakeholders and securing executive buy-in
How industry-wide virtual events fit perfectly in the full-funnel equation
A smarter approach to pipeline creation through ABM, demand gen, and signal tracking
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