45 Account-Based Marketing Stats for 2026 (Backed by Original Research)

You’re probably used to defending the value of your ABM investments. You’ve faced the usual questions: “Wait, how much are we spending?” and “Why are we investing in this?”

We’ve compiled 45 research-backed stats to help you answer these questions and more, starting with five must-know stats about the state of ABM in 2026: 

• AI has disrupted buyer behavior: 40% of buyers say it’s easier to find information because of AI 
• Ads are a leading channel: 68% of agency leaders expect paid advertising will deliver the strongest results this year 
• Contact-level ABM delivers real ROI: Conversion to booked meetings increases by up to 74% when ABM is done at the contact level 
• Most teams can’t support personalization: 31% of marketers say they lack the right resources to personalize outreach at scale
• But many are starting to invest: 24% of teams plan to implement contact-level ABM in the next 12 months

Need more proof that ABM is a 2026 essential? Below, you’ll find 40 more stats that prove contact-level ABM should be an essential piece of your 2026 strategy. 

In every purchase—from brand-new boots to B2B software—LLMs are helping buyers make informed decisions faster. If you’ve noticed the shift, you’re in good company.

Buyers say they’re researching differently:

• Last year, 95% of buyers anticipated using AI to support their decision and purchase process in the next 12 months, and guess what? Their predictions were right. 
• This year, 72% of buyers encountered AI Overviews during their research, and 90% clicked through to at least one cited source. 
• Across industries, 73% of consumers reported using AI-powered search to learn about a category, brand, product, or service, with 40% of buyers saying it’s easier to find information because of AI. 

Go-to-market teams say they’re seeing the effects:

• 40% of leaders find it very challenging to generate qualified, sales-ready leads. 
• 73% of leaders say AI has changed how buyers discover content.

What does this have to do with ABM?

 When buyers research with AI, that means they don’t research through the usual channels. 

They’re bypassing traditional tactics entirely. Instead of filling out forms, downloading whitepapers, or clicking UTM links, they’re learning about you without ever visiting your website. 

As a result, tried-and-true lead generation is capturing fewer signals and fewer buyers. 

ABM solves this problem by targeting real decision-makers, no form-fill or UTM link needed. 

Here’s why it works. 

By the time they’re talking to you, buyers already have the basics.

They know who you are. They’re already interested. Now, they’re coming to you because they need relevance. 

Sure, 80% of buyers use independent research to determine their purchase criteria. But nearly half (42%) report that this research doesn’t provide enough information about their specific use case. When a buyer comes knocking, it’s because they need specific insights only you can provide. 

This need for relevance is why a generic approach won’t capture a buyer’s attention. Not when:

• 81% of consumers ignore irrelevant marketing messages
• 1 in 4 consumers are less likely to purchase after receiving a generic marketing message 

So, if classic top-of-funnel strategies aren’t working, what will? 

Many organizations are betting on paid advertising, as 68% of leaders anticipate that ads will deliver the strongest results this year. 

Looking at the data, they’re betting right.

Paid advertising is becoming a channel of choice because, when used with contact-level targeting, it gives you a chance to get in front of decision-makers and say “Hey! Did your AI tell you this?” 

This strategy is driving real ROI for the marketers with the technology to use it. 

Put yourself in your buyer’s shoes. 

You’re in the market for a tool, and your research has led you to a handful of vendors with similar offerings.

Most of them take the same approach to earning your business—sending you generic content and broad messaging. One of them uses targeted ads, and information tailored to your specific needs and priorities lands directly in your feed.

Which would you choose? 

Research shows that the personalized approach would win out; 93% of consumers say they’re likely to continue shopping with a brand when it provides personalized experiences.

If you can reach the right buyer with the right message, your chances of success improve:

• When ABM is done at the contact level, conversion to booked meetings increases by up to 74% 
• Contact-level ABM is associated with up to a 118% lift in pipeline conversion 

But it turns out that personalization is actually pretty hard to do. Just 13% of teams hyper-personalize their marketing. 

If 93% of marketers agree that personalization performs, but only 13% actually use it, what’s happening to the rest? 

According to our research, their tech stack just hasn’t caught up: 

• 42% of marketers can’t identify the right buyers
• 37% of marketers don’t know how to engage the right buyer at the right time
• 31% of marketers struggle to personalize outreach at scale

Due to gaps in their ABM tools, most marketers literally can’t use contact-level ads. Those who can have a real opportunity. 

Marketers who invest in contact-level ABM see real benefits. Access to buyer-specific behavioral insights has clear benefits: 

• 58% of ABM marketers see increased customer retention 
• 49% of ABM marketers optimize resource allocation 
• 47% of ABM marketers notice deepened alignment and collaboration between internal teams
• 43% of ABM marketers report strengthened performance of marketing efforts 
• 42% of ABM marketers see improved cost efficiency in campaign and program budget spend 
• 35% of ABM marketers create an improved unified buyer experience across touchpoints 
• 26% of ABM marketers report an enhanced customer experience 

Those that adopt contact-level ABM are seeing meaningful improvements in just about every area. Those limited to generic tactics are seeing the exact opposite. 

Marketers unable to target and engage specific contacts report real consequences:

• 40% of marketers see stunted pipeline growth
• 38% of marketers report lost revenue
• 37% of marketers notice low sales conversion rates
• 28% of marketers realize impacts to brand reputation
• 25% of marketers face difficulties with KPI/quota attainment
• 25% of marketers show stagnating deal velocity 

This performance gap is precisely why 72% of marketers feel contact-level ABM is an important, if not core, differentiator for successful ABM programs. It’s also why 24% of teams plan to implement contact-level ABM in the next 12 months. 

When traditional tactics stop performing the way they used to, it’s time to try a new approach. 

Nearly a quarter of marketers are making the shift to contact-level ABM. Looking at the data, you should too.

Looking to give yourself a competitive advantage in 2026?? Let’s talk.