How to Build an ABM Strategy

If you've been hearing the buzz around account-based marketing (ABM) from your peers in growth marketing, you might be wondering if it's all just hype or if it's worth integrating into your own marketing strategies .

According to recent data, an ABM strategy can increase revenue by 208% . This proves that ABM is something you simply can't afford to overlook.

However, getting started with ABM can be especially daunting if you're unsure where to start. In this article, I'll guide you through some effective ABM tactics for lead generation. Let's get started.

What Is Account-Based Marketing (ABM)?

ABM, or Account-Based Marketing, is like precision targeting in marketing .

Instead of trying to reach everyone, ABM helps you focus on a specific group of important accounts in your market. It's like customizing your marketing efforts for each account rather than just hoping something sticks with a broad approach.

The goal of ABM is to:

• Deepen relationships with important accounts
• Increase engagement
• Drive revenue by focusing resources where they're most likely to have an impact

It's a strategic approach that requires collaboration between marketing, sales, and other departments to ensure alignment and maximize effectiveness.

How to Develop Your ABM Strategy

While it may be easy to find an ABM strategy template online, success isn't solely determined by employing the best ABM tactics. It's more about establishing the right foundation and structures.

To help kick things off, here are some steps you should take when starting account-based marketing.

Identify the Accounts You Wish to Target

Just like you would with buyer personas, it's important to create detailed profiles of the companies you're targeting. These profiles should be based on the characteristics of your best clients, such as industry, where they're headquartered, how big the company is, and how much money they make in a year.

Doing this will help you concentrate on the accounts that are most likely to give you good outcomes. When identifying accounts, look at the following:

• Gather data on the industry, headquarters location, and number of employees of your target companies to understand their specific needs and challenges
• Dig into their motivations, values, and how they make purchasing decisions (which gives you deeper insights into their behavior)
• Exploring the technologies and resources they use allows you to customize your messages and offerings to fit seamlessly with what they already have in place
• Assessing the stage of development and maturity of target accounts helps you decide how to best engage with and support them

Prioritize Your Prospects

Now that you've got your list of potential customers together, it's time to figure out who to prioritize. You want to identify which prospects show the most interest and engagement with your brand. Here are four things you can do to:

Review Engagement Metrics

Start by looking at engagement metrics to see which prospects have shown the most interest in your offerings.

Look for signals like:

• Repeated visits to your website
• Engagement with your content
• Participation in industry-related forums or communities

Look for Intent Signals

Pay attention to signs that indicate they're ready to buy or want to learn more about your business. This can be as simple as them asking questions in forums or social media groups that suggest they are actively seeking a solution similar to what you offer.

You also want to pay special attention to those who've asked about specific features, benefits, or pricing related to what you offer. This suggests they're actively considering making a purchase or exploring further engagement with your brand.

See How Easy They Are to Reach

Within each company, check to see how easy it is to get in touch with people. Look for signs like top bosses sharing your stuff on social media or joining conversations about your industry. These are the folks most likely to reply when you reach out to them.

Organize Your Lead List

Once you've identified leads who've expressed high interest, have somewhat of an online presence, and are easy to reach, consider them your top leads. These folks are clearly keen on what you offer and are probably more open to hearing from you.

When you organize your leads by how engaged they are, how interested they seem, and how easy they are to get in touch with, you can make sure you focus your energy where it counts most. This way, you can make the most out of your strategy and get better outcomes for the business.

Feel free to use an ABM campaign template to organize all your hot leads so you and the team have something to reference when needed.

Ensure Coordination Across Sales and Marketing Teams

Now that you've set the foundation for your ABM campaign strategy, it's important to get your sales and marketing teams on the same page. Unlike regular lead generation , ABM requires both teams to work closely together rather than just passing leads from marketing to sales.

Ongoing collaboration and integration between the two teams is very important if you want this strategy to work. Here are some steps to help both teams coordinate smoothly:

• Explore ABM strategy examples and discuss which ones make the most sense to use based on collective insight
• Make sure both teams are present across all channels
• Use and assess different communication channels effectively
• Develop a detailed plan for engaging with stakeholders

Distribute Personalized Content

Now that you know who you're aiming for and which leads are most important, it's time to win them over. One of the best ways to do this is by giving them content that's made just for them. It should address their specific problems and goals.

This is where account-based marketing (ABM) really comes into its own -- by crafting content that directly addresses the challenges and dreams of each person you're targeting.

Use Diverse Content Formats

Using various content formats allows you to reach your target accounts through multiple channels. Different stakeholders within those accounts may prefer consuming content in various forms, such as blog posts, emails, ads, or white papers.

By diversifying your content, you increase the likelihood of engaging with key decision-makers and influencers within the target accounts. Each format provides a unique opportunity to tailor your message to resonate with specific audience segments.

Ultimately, this will drive better results and cultivate stronger relationships with prospects.

Address Specific Pain Points

To make ABM content effective, focus on solving the specific problems each company faces or what's holding them back from success. Dive deep into these challenges instead of just scratching the surface. Offer your audience genuinely useful insights that directly address their needs. Make sure your content speaks directly to their needs by offering solutions and insights that hit home.

Personalize Your Messaging

Forget about using the same approach for everyone. With ABM, it's all about personalization. Personalization helps you build stronger relationships with target accounts. By showing you understand their experiences, you demonstrate empathy and credibility. This helps foster trust and loyalty over time.

Refer to the data you collected earlier to create messaging and content that aligns with what they're going through. You can even go as far as mentioning specific things they've talked about or showing them success stories that relate directly to their situation.

Focus on Value and Relevance

Above all, make sure your content is helpful and meaningful to the people you want to reach. Whether you're sharing useful advice, industry knowledge, or your thoughts on important topics. It's important that it directly speaks to what your target audience cares about.

Show them that you understand their problems and offer solutions that can genuinely help them. This will earn their trust and show that you know your stuff.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using ABM Marketing Tactics

While ABM can really help in focusing on important accounts, it's important to steer clear of some common mistakes to make sure it works well. These slip-ups can hold back your ABM efforts and stop you from getting the most out of targeting those high-value accounts.

Ignoring the Full Buying Committee

B2B purchasing decisions often involve multiple stakeholders. Focusing solely on one contact within a target account can lead to missed opportunities. Identify and engage with all relevant stakeholders involved in the decision-making process.

Relying Too Much on AI

While technology can streamline processes and improve efficiency, it's not a substitute for human creativity and strategic thinking. Don't overlook the importance of human insights and relationships in ABM.

Lack of Patience and Persistence

ABM is a long-term strategy that requires patience and persistence. Don't expect immediate results, and be prepared to invest the time and effort required to build relationships and drive conversions within target accounts.

Get Started With ABM Tactics

As a growth marketer, I find the potential upside of account-based marketing hard to pass up. It genuinely helps you forge stronger relationships with prospects and increase the value of each account.

If you need help getting started, follow or message me . With over a decade of experience in global growth marketing, I’m happy to share templates to help you get started or direct you to a helpful resource.