AI adoption for marketers in B2B firms

While the realities of its complexity have tempered the initial confidence in AI capabilities, the strategic use of AI remains a critical component of successful B2B buyers’ strategies. Sellers need to respond by leveraging AI to generate insights, engage clients, innovate marketing activities, automate tasks, and optimize resources, driving client-centric growth and securing a competitive edge in the market. 

In 2024, the B2B marketing landscape was abuzz with optimism as buyers expressed high confidence in their generative AI capabilities. Nearly 45% of buyers rated their organization’s AI sophistication as a 4 or 5 out of 5, indicating a strong belief in their mastery over this transformative technology. However, as we near the halfway point in 2025, this confidence has been tempered. Buyers now have a more conservative view, recognizing that the practical use of generative AI is more complex than initially perceived. 

Despite this shift in perception, AI remains a pivotal tool throughout the buying cycle, particularly in the early stages, where more than one in two buyers utilize AI to create a shortlist of providers and compare their capabilities. Notably, it enables buyers to identify any gaps in sellers’ strategies. In other words, there is nowhere for sellers to hide during the pitch process. If you are not in it, you are not part of it.

Momentum ITSMA, a leading growth consultancy, recently organized an event to help sellers navigate this evolving landscape by fostering client-centric growth through content and AI. At the event, attended by senior B2B marketers in the UK, we highlighted the importance of client-centric content storylines, which we covered in our first blog. Here, we explore the five top use cases of generative AI, which are essential for enhancing marketing strategies and driving business success.

One of the primary use cases of generative AI is its ability to generate deep insights into the needs of accounts – market insight, account insight, and stakeholder insight. Marketers are combining and analyzing data from a wider variety of sources with greater efficiency than they would by doing it manually. By analyzing vast amounts of data, AI can uncover patterns and trends that might otherwise go unnoticed. This enables marketers to spend more time studying the implications, anticipating and responding to the specific needs of their clients, fostering stronger relationships, and improving client satisfaction. 

AI plays a crucial role in engaging clients more effectively. Marketers are using AI to efficiently tailor content for a broader range of buyer personas across each stage of the buying journey. Through personalized interactions and real-time responses, AI-driven tools can create a more engaging and satisfying experience for clients. This not only helps in retaining existing clients but also attracts new ones by showcasing a commitment to understanding and addressing their unique needs. The use of AI in this context involves creating meaningful connections that extend beyond transactional interactions.

Innovation is at the heart of successful marketing strategies, and AI is a powerful tool for generating new ideas. Marketers can accelerate the process of developing creative ideas and multi-channel campaign strategies, testing and refining until they truly resonate with target audiences. This capability allows marketers to stay ahead of the curve, continuously adapting their strategy to meet the evolving demands of the market. The creative potential of AI is vast, offering marketers endless possibilities to explore and implement.

Automation is one of the most significant benefits of AI, particularly in marketing, where routine tasks can consume valuable time and resources. AI can automate the tasks that have a standardized approach, allowing marketers to focus on more strategic activities that require human creativity and insight. From data entry to scheduling and reporting, AI streamlines operations, improving efficiency and productivity. This not only reduces operational costs but also enhances the overall effectiveness of marketing campaigns.

Finally, and perhaps most controversially, AI can reduce marketing spend on headcount by optimizing resource allocation. By automating manual and lower-value tasks and enhancing efficiency, AI allows organizations to achieve more with fewer resources. However, it is essential to recognize that AI is a tool to augment marketing resources, rather than replace them. To gain the best value from AI, marketers need a comprehensive understanding of company goals, go-to-market strategies, the product and solution portfolio, buyer and client needs, and client relationships, paired with strategic thinking and general business acumen skills. Marketing leaders must reallocate investment in learning and development to enhance these capabilities within their teams, ensuring future success.   

Get in touch with me Andrew.rogerson@momentumitsma.com if you’d like to learn how to harness the power of AI to build trust, foster relationships, and drive market-beating growth for your organization.