What is Account Based Marketing? ABM Strategies + Examples

This is a service known as “Einstein account based marketing”, developed by Salesforce to help their users identify the right accounts, improve customer engagement, and measure campaign performance. Many sales and marketing teams use this platform to manage their strategy, automate their efforts, and utilize the analytics software and services. Using an ABM approach to lead scoring also creates a unified approach between marketing and sales teams, as both focus on the same high-potential accounts. In ABM, where marketing efforts are laser-focused on key accounts, knowing which accounts to prioritize (and when to strike) is crucial. This approach aligns particularly well with the ABM strategy, which focuses on targeting high-value accounts rather than individual leads (which means more contacts to keep track of). Instead, it assesses and ranks entire accounts (including multiple contacts or leads within a single company) based on their potential value and likelihood of converting into customers.

You should always test your ABM campaigns, track their performance, and monitor your account based B2B marketing metrics for any changes. If your targeting is accurate, account based selling is going to provide an increased conversion rate and shorter sales cycle than traditional sales. You also want to deploy your salespeople to start building relationships with your target clients. Use your chosen tech to start distributing the content you have created to the people you’ve chosen. So be sure to focus on that when trying to deliver consistent customer experiences. Account based marketing is a strategy that requires major alignment among sales and SaaS marketing teams.

This helps determine whether an account based marketing strategy makes sense for your business today. One of the biggest benefits of account based marketing is higher ROI. For example, companies in the same industry or size segment can be engaged with shared webinars or campaigns. Accounts are grouped based on shared traits. This model sits between inbound marketing and full ABM. And this increases the probability of closing deals.

Six steps to ABM success

This article will explain what is account based marketing, its benefits, how to implement it, and measure its success. Unlike wider marketing efforts that target a broad audience, ABM tailors campaigns to meet the unique needs of each account. As long as you maintain an upward trajectory, you’re on the right track. Calling upon a shared source of data about target accounts goes hand in hand with identifying the right target accounts. In a pilot of LinkedIn Matched Audience campaigns, marketers saw an average 32% increase in post-click conversion rates and 4.7% drop in post-click cost-per-conversion. Many B2B organizations also find it effective to amplify their content reach using online ads.

Building Your ABM Engine: 8 Practical Steps

Since your inbound success depends on your content being found online, Overview of account based marketing you need to develop your content with search engine optimization (SEO) in mind. Some marketers wonder whether they should dedicate their resources to ABM or inbound marketing. This may vary by role or even industry, so don’t assume you can apply a one-size-fits-all approach here.

The process of ABM, step-by-step

For starters, it requires a perfect alignment between various teams in your organization, including marketing, sales, and even customer service. Account-based marketing tactics allow businesses to strengthen their lead generation efforts and engage high-value prospects. Instead, you will be tracking activities and engagement from single digit accounts. As a marketer, you’re no longer tracking volume of impressions or the number of website visits and leads. Highly targeted sales and marketing campaigns have always performed better than generic, non-targeted campaigns.

How ABM Flips the Traditional Marketing Funnel?

You won’t be catching nearly as many unqualified prospects since you’re only engaging with customers that are likely to buy. Since ABM is so targeted with its marketing efforts, resource waste is limited. With ABM, sales and marketing are both working towards converting the same list of target accounts. Meanwhile, sales have been focused on engaging with only those customer accounts that are likely to buy. For years, B2B marketers have been trained to write and create campaigns for people in particular markets and industries. ABM differs from other types of marketing in that it acknowledges all the different people — and different viewpoints — that comprise each account.

Some companies treat ABM like a marketing-led, more personalized form of demand generation that doesn't involve sales and marketing working closely, Pun said. Getting marketing and sales to work well together is perhaps the biggest challenge of ABM. Gartner also recommends implementing a technology stack that includes a dedicated account-based platform, data management tools, reporting and analytics software, marketing automation and workflow automation.

Build a library of content assets including case studies, webinars, and reports that speak to different stakeholder perspectives. Use ZoomInfo's data enrichment capabilities to find verified contact information, pulling from 500M+ contacts with multi-source verification. Identify the key stakeholders who form the buying committee or buying network, including potential champions, budget holders, end-users, and technical influencers. Multi-threading spreads risk and keeps deals moving even when contacts change. When working with enterprise accounts, it is common to encounter buying committees of six to 10 people, each with distinct concerns that require tailored messaging.

Salesforce named a Leader in 2024 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for B2B Marketing Automation Platforms.

While measurement can be complex, success is ultimately gauged by increased sales and customer retention. Firms employing ABM often create and maintain comprehensive databases to track interactions and gather valuable insights about their target accounts. Unlike traditional marketing, which often takes a broad approach, ABM allows companies to create personalized campaigns tailored to individual accounts, enhancing the effectiveness of their marketing efforts.

Ideally, you should develop a unique value proposition and relevant content for each stakeholder that influences a buying decision. Once you’ve chosen your target accounts and individuals, you need to develop personalized campaigns designed to resonate with them. The list of individuals might include the CMO, digital marketing managers, CIO, and CFO. Your first step is identifying those who can wield influence on the final buying decision.

Inbound marketing + ABM = the best of both worlds

“Account-based marketing encourages sales and marketing teams to weave customer-centricity into the fabric of their work” That’s because, when deployed thoughtfully, ABM enables marketing and sales teams to close their biggest deals in a targeted and coordinated way. By aligning sales and marketing efforts, businesses can create tailored experiences that resonate with key decision-makers. Collaboration between marketing and sales teams is crucial for successful account-based marketing (ABM). ABM fosters better collaboration between sales and marketing teams, as both departments work together to target and engage specific accounts.

• By implementing these strategies and fostering strong alignment between marketing and sales teams, organizations can significantly enhance the effectiveness of their ABM campaigns.
• Similar marketing materials are used for all B2B prospects in the same cluster.
• Demand Metric’s ABM adoption report found that after a year, 19% of survey respondents reported a 30% increase in revenue growth.
• These agencies often utilize extensive databases to build targeted lists of prospects, ensuring that marketing efforts reach the most relevant audiences.
• Account-based marketing directs sales and marketing resources to the engagement and nurturing of a specific set of target accounts, and the key decision makers within those accounts.
• This is a service known as “Einstein account based marketing”, developed by Salesforce to help their users identify the right accounts, improve customer engagement, and measure campaign performance.

Demand Metric’s ABM adoption report found that after a year, 19% of survey respondents reported a 30% increase in revenue growth. They also reduced their ‘opportunity to close’ time by a month and generated a correlated 8-10% increase in revenue. In account-based marketing, the length of the cycle is shortened as all prospects are nurtured simultaneously. Your customers don’t like feeling like they’ve been caught up in a wide net.