Tariffs. Trade tension. Shrinking discretionary spend. If you're a B2B marketer in 2025, you're feeling the heat and the mandate is clear: Deliver more pipeline and prove impact fast.
With CFOs doubling down on efficiency and the economic outlook keeping marketers on their toes, it's no surprise that 94% of U.S. advertisers are worried about the fallout from tariffs, and nearly half plan to tighten their belts. But constraint breeds creativity, and this is the moment for B2B marketers to step up and show off what we do best.
After seeing the all-too-familiar dynamic of rising competition and shrinking budgets collide, it’s clear we need a smarter way to look at those dotted lines and spreadsheets. Instead of juggling five tabs and chasing flashy tactics, it’s time to double down on the fundamentals that drive real results. Let’s cut the fluff, stay resilient, and rethink how we approach Account-based Marketing and Advertising when every dollar counts.
Check Your Budget Assumptions to Focus on Value > Cost
We’re here to let you in on a not-so-secret secret: You don’t always need more budget to get the job done. Instead, it’s time to rethink your big bets. You often hear this when it comes to product marketing — you don’t always need to lower the cost of what you sell, you need to increase its value. The same mentality should be applied to your budget. It’s not about spending less, it’s about spending smarter.
Here are 3 quick questions to ask yourself (and yes, we’ll then walk you through 3+ ways to answer them).
3 Budget Q&As for Quick Impact
Question 1: Are we focusing on the best prospects, and how do we optimize conversion rates across channels, especially when budgets are tight?
Answer 1: Double down on in-market accounts and ABMify your existing channels to do more with what you’ve got.
Capture in-market accounts to build a strong, fast-moving pipeline: In-market accounts are more likely to close than those that are not actively looking for a solution. By focusing your efforts on this sub-set of accounts, you’ll eliminate waste and zero in on high-fit, high-intent, and high-engagement accounts. That means no more throwing budget on the wrong leads, and gaining that budget back to spend wisely. Plus, your sales team will thank you for the spike in SQLs (and maybe even start responding to your Slack messages again).
Want to get your hands on accounts in-market for you today? Start with our free tool.
Improve engagement on existing channels with ABMification: Your existing channels are likely already generating leads, but there’s likely much room for improvement and some gaps in your conversion funnel. By taking a 1:many ABM approach to common channels like ads, email, content syndication, gifting, and events — you’ll double down on only spending budget in the right place. The best part is that ABMifying your existing channels is there’s no net new cost. By making small adjustments to your current campaigns, you can increase their impact and generate more leads.The result? Better conversion rates, a happier sales team, and a budget that does more with less.
Question #2: What vendors could help not only optimize my spending, but fit into the tech stack/goals/processes I have today?
Answer #2: Seek vendors who can optimize your budget to do more with less and meet you where you're at — after all, your tech should be automating and augmenting your impact.
Give your tech stack a reality check, and evaluate new vendors based on what they can do with the budget you DO have. This could be as simple as asking your content syndication vendor to only deliver leads that come from your target account list (TAL) or match your ICP. It also looks like making room in your tech stack for new tools that can automate and optimize your budget with the right data, engagement, and insights. For example, recent Gartner research shows the dividends of running with tech vs. no tech in ABM programs (that 15% higher win rate looks good, doesn't it?)
Come prepared to any demos or sales conversations with tech partners, and ask them to show real impact on pipeline, deal size, sales velocity, not just lead volume.
Look out for vendors who preach a 'one-size-fits-all' approach to adopting their tech. All marketers are in their own industry, on their own evolution, and have their own unique processes—opt for someone who can meet you where you're at, not require you to start from scratch with a 6-month overhaul. Tech that fits you, not the vendor, is crucial to staying nimble in 2025.
Question #3: Where do I have flexibility to shift budget and how do I get my leadership on board?
Answer #3: Once you’ve optimized channels and vendors, it’s time to explore reallocation—and bring a smart, strategic case to leadership.
Leadership isn’t likely to greenlight big swings or six-figure experiments right now, and who can blame them? Between tighter margins and leaner teams, the appetite for high-risk plays is low.
That’s why your approach needs to be laser-focused: come armed with data, a clear plan for reallocation, and a story that shows impact without extra headcount. Where are you reducing spend? Where are you leaning in? And most importantly—what’s the payoff in terms leadership actually cares about (pipeline, revenue, efficiency)?
Map out these shifts in digestible increments, highlight early wins, and show how your current team can carry the plan forward. Confidence breeds confidence and it just might get you that “yes.”
