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Enroll todayWhat is Person-Based Marketing (PBM)?
A go-to-market motion that targets named individual buyers—not just accounts—using contact-level intent and engagement data to lower CAC and shorten sales cycles.
Person-Based Marketing (PBM) flips traditional marketing on its head. Most business marketing targets entire companies, which forces your sales team to hunt for the right person inside that office. PBM targets the specific individuals directly. It looks for intent signals, which are clues like what a person reads or clicks on, to show they are ready to buy. Instead of guessing who might be interested, you focus your budget on the specific people who have shown they want your help.
This software often works with website de-anonymization. That is a tool that tells you exactly who is visiting your site instead of just showing you their company name. By seeing the person behind the screen, you can start real conversations much faster. You won't waste money showing ads to employees who have no power to make a purchase.
Think of it as the difference between mailing a letter to a whole apartment building and handing it directly to the person who lives in 4B. You get full visibility into the entire buying journey. This makes your marketing feel more personal and keeps your sales team focused on the right leads.
Who is Person-Based Marketing (PBM) for?
This software is for business-to-business (B2B) teams that sell products to other companies. It is built for demand generation and growth marketers who want their ads to be more precise. It also helps outbound sales teams, like Sales Development Representatives (SDRs) and Account Executives (AEs). These teams usually already focus on specific target accounts but want to stop chasing every employee and start talking to the actual decision-makers.
How can you benefit from Person-Based Marketing (PBM)?
The main benefit is a lower CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost), which is the total amount of money you spend to get a new client. You stop wasting money on the wrong contacts and only spend where it matters. Your sales cycle, or the time it takes to close a deal, gets shorter because you are talking to the buyer from day one. You don't have to wait for them to introduce themselves.
It also helps your marketing and sales teams work together. Both teams will have the same list of names and see the same engagement signals. You get individual-level attribution, which means you can see exactly which person clicked an ad before they bought. This clarity makes it easier to prove which marketing campaigns are actually working and which ones are not.
Signs it may be time to level up your Person-Based Marketing (PBM):
- Are you wasting your budget showing ads to the wrong people inside your target companies?
- Do your sales reps spend hours every day just trying to find the right name and email for a buyer?
- Is your data stuck at the company level so you can't see which specific person is visiting your site?
- Does it take too long for a lead to move from a marketing interest to a real sales conversation?
- Are you struggling to prove which ads led a specific person to sign a contract?
- Do you feel like you are guessing who the actual decision-maker is in a large account?
Person-Based Marketing (PBM) FAQs
What is the difference between Account-Based Marketing and Person-Based Marketing?+
Account-Based Marketing focuses on a whole company, while Person-Based Marketing focuses on the individual employees who make the decisions. Traditional methods often treat every person at a company the same way. This software lets you target specific job titles or people who have personally shown interest in your product.
How much does Person-Based Marketing software usually cost?+
Most vendors in this category charge a monthly subscription fee based on how many contacts you are tracking. Some also charge based on how many people on your team need to use the software. You should also plan for the costs of the ads you will run using this data.
Do I need a large sales team to use these tools?+
You do not need a giant team, but you should have a dedicated person to follow up on the leads. These tools work best when you have at least one or two people who can reach out to the contacts immediately once they show interest or intent to buy.
Can I use Person-Based Marketing for small businesses?+
Yes, but it is most effective when you sell expensive products to large companies with many employees. If you sell simple products to very small businesses, you might not need the level of detail this software provides. It is best for complex sales where finding the right buyer is difficult.
Top Software for Person-Based Marketing (PBM)
Person-based advertising platform that targets named individuals on LinkedIn, Facebook, and across the web.
Learn why it's right for my business →PBM platform that builds buying-committee audiences and activates them across paid, outbound, and CRM workflows.
Learn why it's right for my business →Need Help Deciding Between The Options?
Scan how each tool stacks up on the dimensions that matter for a buying decision.
| Capability | Influ2 | Propensity |
|---|---|---|
| Named-person paid targeting | Best in class | Yes |
| Buying-committee identification | Yes | Best in class |
| Multi-channel activation (paid + outbound + CRM) | Partial | Best in class |
| Enterprise ABM workflow depth | Best in class | Yes |
| SMB / mid-market pricing | No | Best in class |
- Named-person paid targetingBest in class
- Buying-committee identificationYes
- Multi-channel activation (paid + outbound + CRM)Partial
- Enterprise ABM workflow depthBest in class
- SMB / mid-market pricingNo
- Named-person paid targetingYes
- Buying-committee identificationBest in class
- Multi-channel activation (paid + outbound + CRM)Best in class
- Enterprise ABM workflow depthYes
- SMB / mid-market pricingBest in class
Choose Influ2 if…
Enterprise B2B running named-person paid campaigns.
Choose Propensity if…
SMB / mid-market PBM bundled with outbound and CRM.
Features and pricing tiers change frequently. Always confirm the latest details on each vendor's official website before making a buying decision.
Which person-based marketing (pbm) tool should you pick?
Start with the head-to-head breakdowns below—each one covers pricing, where the two tools genuinely differ, and which team each is the better fit for.
Related capability
Website De-anonymization
PBM lives or dies on identity data. Pair PBM tools with website de-anonymization (Primer, RB2B, Knock2) to turn anonymous site traffic into named individuals you can target across paid social and outbound.
Explore Website De-anonymizationNeed help choosing the right person-based marketing (pbm) tools?
Our consultants can audit your current stack and recommend the best fit for your team's needs and budget.
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