If you’ve ever burned time and ad budget showing the same generic message to a whole company—only to have it ignored by the people who actually matter—this guide’s for you. I’m diving deep into Influ2, a B2B go-to-market software tool that claims to let you target, track, and personalize ads at the individual decision-maker level. No fluff, no marketing fairytales—just an honest look at what works, what’s hype, and what to watch out for if you’re considering Influ2 for account-based marketing.
What is Influ2, Really?
At its core, Influ2 is a digital advertising platform built for B2B marketers who want to do account-based marketing (ABM) with actual precision. Instead of blasting ads company-wide and hoping the right people see them, Influ2 promises you can serve display ads directly to specific people at your target accounts—think the actual VP or director, not just anyone with a company email.
How it works:
You upload a list of target contacts (names, emails, titles, companies). Influ2 uses all kinds of data-matching and ad tech to show those people your ads on platforms like Facebook, Google, and LinkedIn. It tracks which contacts see or click on those ads, then pushes that data back into your CRM or marketing automation.
Here’s the pitch:
- Stop wasting budget on “spray and pray” B2B ads
- Get crystal-clear visibility into which target buyers are actually engaging
- Trigger sales outreach based on real buying signals, not just website visits
Sounds great, right? Let’s dig in.
Setting Up: What’s Involved
You don’t need a big IT lift to get started, but you do need decent data hygiene. Here’s what setup actually looks like:
- Upload your target list:
- This is just a CSV with names, emails, titles, and companies. Garbage in, garbage out—so make sure this list is tight.
- Integrate with your CRM/marketing tools (optional but smart):
- Influ2 plays nice with Salesforce, HubSpot, Marketo, Eloqua, and others. The integration’s not rocket science, but you’ll want marketing ops involved.
- Build your ads:
- The platform supports simple creative: banners, text, a few basic formats. Don’t expect fancy video or animated stuff—keep it straightforward.
- Set budgets and rules:
- You can cap frequency and set daily/overall spend. Influ2 isn’t cheap, so watch those numbers.
- Launch and monitor:
- You’ll see which contacts are being reached, clicking, and visiting your site. Influ2 tracks this at the person level (not just company), which is rare.
Pro tip:
If your contact data is messy or missing LinkedIn profiles/emails, expect lower match rates. Influ2 does some matching magic behind the scenes, but it’s not perfect. Clean lists = better results.
Strengths: Where Influ2 Delivers
True Person-Based Targeting
This is the main reason to bother with Influ2. Most ABM tools brag about “account targeting,” but they’re just targeting IP addresses or company domains—so you end up wasting budget on interns, contractors, or even people who left last year.
Influ2 actually targets and tracks named individuals. That means you can: - Show ads to just your key decision-makers (not the whole company) - See who is engaging, not just that “someone from Company X” clicked - Trigger sales or nurture steps when a specific person shows intent
If you’ve ever heard a sales rep say, “I wish I knew if the CFO saw our stuff,” this is for you.
Clear Attribution and Buying Signals
Influ2 pushes real engagement data back into your CRM. You’ll know if Jane Smith (your target VP) saw your ad, clicked, and then visited your pricing page. That’s a legit sales signal.
This helps you: - Prioritize outreach to warm contacts - Justify spend with actual pipeline results (not just vague impressions) - Coordinate better handoff between marketing and sales
Easy to Use (Mostly)
The interface is clean and not overloaded with features you’ll never touch. If you can use LinkedIn Campaign Manager or Google Ads, you’ll figure this out in an hour. The learning curve is short.
Weak Spots: What to Watch For
Pricey for Small Budgets
Influ2 isn’t bargain software. Minimum monthly spends can start at $2,500+ depending on your target audience size and campaign scope. This makes sense if you’re selling high-ticket SaaS or services, but it’s overkill for smaller deals or broad-demand gen.
If your sales team is chasing $5k contracts, you’re not going to see ROI here.
Match Rates Can Disappoint
You might hear “person-based ads” and think everyone on your list gets hit. In reality, match rates (the percentage of your list that actually sees your ads) are usually between 30–60%. This depends on how complete your data is, whether your contacts are active on the ad platforms, and the quality of Influ2’s matching.
Don’t count on 100% coverage. Always check your match rates before bragging to your sales team.
Ad Formats Are Basic
If you want video, native, or interactive ads—look elsewhere. Influ2 sticks to simple display banners and static formats. This works fine for B2B, but don’t expect creative fireworks.
No Magic Bullet for Bad Messaging
If your ads stink, Influ2 can’t fix that. If your offer’s not relevant, or your creative is generic, even the best targeting won’t move the needle.
Real-World Results: What Actually Happens
What Works
- Sales and marketing alignment gets tighter:
When sales reps see exactly which decision-makers clicked their ads, they’re more likely to follow up fast. This shortens sales cycles, especially for high-consideration products. - Pipeline influence is easier to prove:
Because you can map ad engagement to closed-won deals, it’s easier to show marketing “moved the needle.” Attribution isn’t perfect, but it’s way better than old-school display. - Personalized follow-up pays off:
Outreach that references ad engagement (“I noticed you checked out our [webinar/product page]…”) gets higher response rates—if done thoughtfully.
What Doesn’t Work
- Using Influ2 as a replacement for outbound:
This isn’t a “set and forget” lead machine. You still need sales to reach out, nurture, and close. Influ2 just makes that process smarter. - Trying to scale to huge lists:
The tool shines when targeting a few hundred to a couple thousand key contacts. If you dump in 20,000 names, you’ll burn budget and lose the signal in the noise. - Assuming clicks = interest:
A click is better than nothing, but B2B buyers are busy and click for all sorts of reasons. Use engagement as a nudge, not gospel.
Ignore the Hype: What Influ2 Doesn’t Do
- It won’t “automagically” generate pipeline. You still need human touch.
- It doesn’t replace good old research. If your target list is weak, your results will be too.
- It can’t fix a broken product or bad offer. No tool can.
Should You Use Influ2?
Use Influ2 if: - You sell high-ticket B2B products or services - Your team already does some ABM (and wants to get sharper) - You want to track and prove marketing influence at the contact level - You’ve got tight target lists and good data
Skip it if: - Your deals are low value, or you’re just looking for leads at scale - You don’t have clean contact data (or the time to fix it) - You expect a “magic ad machine” that does all the selling
Keep It Simple: Final Thoughts
Influ2 can be a sharp tool for B2B teams who want to get hyper-specific with their digital ads. Just remember: it’s not a silver bullet. Start with a small pilot, keep your lists clean, and measure real outcomes (not just clicks). Iterate, adapt, and don’t overcomplicate things. The goal isn’t to do “ABM at scale”—it’s to get your message in front of the people who matter, and actually know it worked.
If you’re curious, run a test campaign, watch the data, and trust your own eyes over vendor promises.