Recent data on the benefits of account-based marketing shows that implementing ABM campaigns can increase the average annual contract value and marketing-sourced revenue by 171% and 200%, respectively.
What goes into a successful ABM campaign? Good question. Below are the essentials.
Identifying Target Accounts
The first crucial step involves understanding which prospective customers match your organization’s ideal customer profile (ICP) and are in-market (i.e., actively researching products or solutions like yours).
Tools like 6sense utilize AI-driven predictive analytics and intent data to accurately match anonymous and known buyer behaviors to accounts.
For example, imagine your company sells enterprise-level CRM software. 6sense can help you identify businesses that have recently expanded their sales teams, suggesting they might need a robust CRM solution to manage their growing customer base.
Personalization
Creating personalized content and messaging tailored to each account is a cornerstone of ABM. This involves understanding the unique challenges and needs of each account and crafting messages that address these specific concerns.
Consider again the example of a company selling enterprise-level CRM software. The ABM campaign might include:
- Case studies that demonstrate how similar companies successfully integrated CRM software to streamline their sales processes.
- Personalized video messages from a sales rep highlighting specific features relevant to the account’s needs.
- Tailored ROI calculators showing the potential financial benefits of adopting the CRM solution.
Multi-Channel Approach
ABM marketers engage with target accounts across multiple channels, including email, social media, targeted advertising, and offline channels, such as events and direct mail.
This multi-channel approach ensures consistent and persistent messaging, increasing the likelihood of reaching and resonating with key decision-makers. It also aligns with the diverse ways that modern buyers consume information and make purchasing decisions.
Modern ABM tools enable businesses to create audiences for segmentation and activation across channels. They also simplify the creation of targeted advertising campaigns that reach buyers with display, video, retargeting, and social ad campaigns.
For example, the hypothetical company selling enterprise CRM software might use an integrated campaign including:
- Targeted ads on LinkedIn highlight the CRM’s features to sales managers.
- Personalized emails provide detailed use cases to IT directors.
- Direct mail packages containing informative brochures and ROI reports sent to C-level executives.
Collaboration Between Sales and Marketing
What’s a common challenge for teams that want to implement account-based marketing? Sales and marketing teams must be aligned on the target accounts, the engagement strategy, and the messaging.
For example, suppose the marketing team creates content highlighting the CRM software’s unique integration capabilities. The sales team should use the same messaging during outreach and follow-up conversations.
ABM tools like 6sense facilitate this collaboration. They provide account intelligence and prioritization dashboards that help marketing and sales teams identify which accounts to engage and how to best communicate the offer.
