Definitive Guide to B2B Account Based Marketing

Summary

Synopsis:

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    The fundamentals of ABM, its benefits, and how to launch an ABM strategy in 6 steps

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    How ABM compares to ABX, as well as its benefits and common challenges

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    ABM examples and learning resources to fuel your campaigns

What is Account Based Marketing?

Account based marketing (ABM) is a strategic approach to marketing that focuses on targeting and engaging specific higher-value businesses (accounts), rather than focusing on individuals within a broad audience. It involves personalizing marketing efforts and messaging to address the specific needs and challenges of individual target accounts, with the aim of building relationships, building equity, and driving revenue.

What is account based marketing (ABM)?

Account based marketing types and tactics

When it comes to account based marketing tactics, the most important is the scope of your campaign.

In ABM, there are three scopes:

What is account based experience (ABX)?

Account based marketing (ABM)

Account based experience (ABX)

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    Marketing and sales alignment

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    Focus on target account conversions

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    Personalization relies on data

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    Assets are vetted internally before sharing with leads

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    Full organization alignment

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    Focus on target account relationships

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    Personalization relies on data and feedback

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    Real time pivots from direct feedback are necessary

Account Based Marketing (ABM)

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    Marketing and sales alignment

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    Focus on target account conversions

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    Personalization relies on data

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    Assets are vetted internally before sharing with leads

Account Based Experience (ABX)

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    Full organization alignment

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    Focus on target account relationships

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    Personalization relies on data and feedback

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    Real time pivots from direct feedback are necessary

What Is B2B account based marketing?

ABM exists across various sectors including B2B, B2C, G2B, and even G2C:

ABM has become a popular choice mostly in the B2B landscape due to its potential to boost revenue by securing high-profile accounts and supporting greater client loyalty through personalization.

ABM benefits

Account based marketing sales cycle

Utilizing current data on your ICP and target market, identify target accounts that have the means and resources to utilize your solution and therefore represent potential opportunities.

Thoroughly research each account and buying committee to ensure a good understanding of the account and committee members' pain points, challenges, and opportunities.

Develop valuable content and useful tools specifically tailored to tackle the challenges and pain points faced by accounts and individual committee members. These resources should aim to assist them in saving time with research or fulfilling their daily responsibilities. Ensure that this content is posted on platforms that committee members actively engage with.

Nurture the buying committee with relevant content, events, webinars, and more, taking into consideration their stage in the buyer’s journey and any changes occurring within the account as a whole.

When the account is prepared to genuinely consider a solution, the sales team proactively should contact them with the appropriate messaging, initiating a direct conversation.

Cultivate strong relationships with accounts by prioritizing quality post-sales service. Consistently providing exceptional post-purchase support and remaining engaged with the account fosters trust, loyalty, and mutual success.

Account based marketing KPIs

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    Forms filled

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    Content downloads

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    Content shares

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    Time spent on page

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    Advertising engagement rates

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    Email marketing metrics:

    Open rates

    Click-through rates

    Response rates

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    Social media engagement including:

    Likes

    Reposts

    Direct messages

4 Common ABM challenges and how to avoid them

How to launch an account based marketing strategy in 6 steps

Account based marketing examples

To give you some account based marketing examples, we will look at how INFUSE utilizes a variety of platforms and channels to launch a campaign.

LinkedIn

Applying the one-to-many tactic with programmatic ABM, INFUSE targets accounts most aligned with our ICP.

These posts and ads target key accounts on our ABM list, are measured for engagement, and optimized to resonate better with their pain points.

The creatives are designed to promote content and demonstrate social proof, including reviews and testimonials of our services.

Besides ads, another key pillar of INFUSE’s ABM strategy is engagement. We task our SDRs to connect with decision-makers at target accounts, interact with posts, and maintain a consistent presence.

With the LinkedIn Sales Navigator, INFUSE can identify ICP accounts, track their activity across the platform, and check for news, such as new hires or product launches to then mention in outreach.

Email

INFUSE has kickstarted a one-to-many ABM campaign called #OwnYourFunnel, with weekly emails featuring insights from our experts on practical issues like demand generation and lead nurturing.

The emails are sent to accounts on our ICP list and contain scannable copy together with two-minute videos or recommended articles relevant to their pain points.

In another email campaign, INFUSE targets subscribers to ITCurated, our network of 30+ digital publications in verticals such as technology, healthcare, and finance.

Subscribers receive weekly updates on the most popular stories of their industry vertical.

Events

INFUSE also launches virtual and in-person events to nurture relationships with our target accounts.

Virtual events work best for international accounts or in locations where logistics for a conference are more challenging, while in-person events are held in the US, APAC, and Europe with account holders invited along as guests.

The events are designed with the preferences of the account holders in mind, which means we create an event for them, not us.

Account based marketing software and tools

Account based marketing services

With ABM software, companies can launch campaigns and track engagement. However, software still requires marketing teams to execute the campaigns, create assets and make necessary adjustments.

This can take up a substantial portion of a team’s schedule or require guidance. And if marketers are struggling, deciding to bring the ABM campaign in-house might not be the best idea.

Whatever the reason, an ABM services provider can help generate an ICP list, target those accounts, as well as create the content needed to engage contacts via in-house marketing and sales teams.

Key takeaways

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    Account based marketing is a personalized marketing strategy that facilitates the identification and acquisition of the most valuable accounts for your business, compared to more traditional campaigns.

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    The main challenge of ABM is that more time and effort are required to micro-target content to individual accounts or groups.

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    There is no single successful approach for ABM. Each vertical has its own set of issues and pain points that need to be reflected in personalized campaigns.

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    Buying committees, often the final frontier in ABM campaigns, can also alter drastically from one another depending not only on the industry but company size and budget.

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    Successful ABM strategies provide increased ROI, personalization, conversions, brand equity, and client retention while streamlining the sales process and encouraging collaboration between sales and marketing teams.

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    Understanding the buying committee members and account is important for effective lead nurturing and content creation.

CONTACT OUR TEAM AT [email protected] TO CREATE
IMMERSIVE ABM AND DEMAND INITIATIVES THAT SURPASS YOUR
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