Looking to stop wasting ad dollars on generic campaigns and actually get the attention of your dream accounts? This is for B2B marketers and demand gen folks who want to build real personalized ads in Influ2—not just swap out a company name and call it a day.
I’ll walk through the steps, flag what actually matters, and point out the shortcuts you can skip. No fluff, no empty promises—just straight-up advice from someone who’s seen both the wins and the facepalms.
Why Personalization Beats Spray-and-Pray
You probably already know: generic B2B ads get ignored. Personalization is the difference between an ad that gets scrolled past and one that makes someone think, “Huh, they actually get what we’re doing.” With Influ2, you can target specific people at specific accounts. The trick is making your ad creative feel like it was made for them—not just algorithmically stitched together.
But here’s the catch: overdoing it wastes your time, and underdoing it is a waste of money. The sweet spot? Just enough personalization to make it feel real, but not so much you’re writing a new ad for every lead.
Step 1: Get Your Target Account List Right
Before you make a single ad, your account list has to be solid. Otherwise, you’ll be personalizing for companies that don’t matter.
- Start with sales. If you don’t know which accounts matter, ask sales. They’ll tell you who they actually want to talk to.
- Don’t get greedy. More accounts = more work. Start with a manageable batch (think 20–50, not 500).
- Check your data. Make sure you have the right decision-makers’ names, titles, and company info. Garbage in, garbage out.
Pro tip: If you can’t get person-level data (name, title, etc.), you’re not ready for Influ2-style personalization. Fix your list first.
Step 2: Decide How “Personalized” You Want to Get
Personalization is a spectrum. Not every account needs a custom video. Here’s what actually works:
- Tier 1: Big opportunities. Full custom creative—maybe even use their logo or reference a recent news event.
- Tier 2: Mid-value accounts. Use dynamic fields (company name, industry, etc.) but keep it template-driven.
- Tier 3: Lower-priority accounts. Minimal personalization—maybe just the company name.
If you try to make every ad totally custom, you’ll burn out fast. Focus your effort where it’ll move the needle.
Step 3: Pick the Right Ad Format
Influ2 supports multiple ad formats (display banners, native, video, etc.). Don’t overthink this:
- Static banners: Easiest to personalize and scale. Good for quick customizations.
- Videos: Great for Tier 1, but time-consuming. Only do this if the account is really worth it.
- Native ads: Sometimes feel more organic, but can be harder to personalize visually.
What to ignore: Don’t get caught up making a bunch of different sizes or formats “just in case.” Focus on the one or two formats your audience actually sees.
Step 4: Build Your Creative Templates
Templates are your friend. You want a basic layout where you can swap in personalized elements—fast.
- Headline: The best place to personalize. Mention the company (“How [Company Name] Can Cut Cloud Spend”).
- Visuals: If you have design resources, add the company logo or a relevant product shot. But don’t use a stretched, low-res logo just for the sake of it.
- Body copy: Reference something industry-specific or a problem you know the account cares about.
- CTA: Keep it simple, relevant, and non-pushy (“See How It Works for [Company Name]”).
Pro tip: Set up your templates in whatever design tool you use (Figma, Canva, etc.) and plan your variable fields. Save yourself a ton of manual editing later.
Step 5: Personalize at Scale (Without Losing Your Mind)
Here’s where most teams hit a wall. Influ2 lets you personalize ads for each person or account, but doing it one by one is a slog. Here’s how to keep it sane:
- Use dynamic fields. Influ2 supports variables like {company}, {first_name}, etc. Build these into your template.
- Bulk upload. Prepare your creative variations in a spreadsheet. Influ2’s upload tools can pull in these variables automatically.
- Set up quality checks. Look for broken fields (“Hi {first_name}” with no name is embarrassing). Do a test run before you launch.
What to ignore: Don’t try to shoehorn in personalization that feels forced (“We saw you attended {conference} in 2022!”). If it’s not relevant, skip it.
Step 6: Launch and Monitor
Hit go, but don’t set and forget.
- Track engagement by account. Influ2 gives you person-level metrics—use them. If a key account isn’t engaging, tweak the creative or try a different message.
- Check for weirdness. Broken images, wrong logos, weird headline wraps—catch them early.
- Don’t obsess over CTR. In B2B, a click isn’t always the goal. If the right people are seeing your ads, you’re on track.
Pro tip: Ask sales if anyone mentions your ads. Anecdotal feedback can be more telling than dashboard stats.
Step 7: Iterate Without Burning Out
The beauty of this approach is you can improve as you go. Don’t try to make it perfect from day one.
- Start small. Personalize for a handful of accounts, see what works, then scale up.
- Recycle what works. If a headline or image gets a reaction, use it for other similar accounts.
- Regularly clean up. Drop accounts that never engage. Add new ones as priorities change.
What to ignore: Updating the creative every week. Unless you’ve got a big launch or message change, minor tweaks are enough.
What Actually Works (And What Doesn’t)
A few real-world truths:
- Real personalization beats “Dear {first_name}.” If you can reference a specific challenge or initiative the account cares about, do it.
- Logos and visuals help, but only if they look good. A pixelated company logo does more harm than good.
- Don’t overpromise. Claiming you can “10x ROI” for every account makes you sound like a spammer.
- Don’t just copy ABM playbooks. What works in email doesn’t always translate to ads. Test, don’t assume.
Keep It Simple, Stay Sane
Personalized ads in Influ2 can cut through the noise—but only if you keep your process realistic. Start with the basics, focus on accounts that matter, and don’t get sucked into perfectionism. Test, tweak, and don’t be afraid to ditch what isn’t working.
Personalization isn’t magic. But done right, it’s a lot more effective than shouting into the void with generic ads. Keep it simple, and you’ll actually see results.