Account-based marketing (ABM) is a strategic approach that focuses marketing and sales efforts on targeted accounts rather than casting a wide net to attract many potential leads. ABM aims to personalize messaging and engage key decision makers at target accounts to increase sales opportunities.
With ABM, companies see higher win rates, faster deals, and increased account growth. According to ITSMA research, organizations using ABM grow deals 19% faster on average. And another study found that 45% of firms saw at least a 2x ROI with ABM compared to traditional marketing.
As a data analyst with over 10 years of experience in web scraping and proxy services, I‘ve seen firsthand how leveraging data can transform ABM strategies. In this post, I‘ll share 9 of the most effective ABM tactics to incorporate in 2024 based on proven results from across the industry and my own expertise.
1. Build a Solid Target Account List
The foundation of any ABM program is the target account list. This list identifies the companies and contacts you want to actively pursue for sales opportunities.
To build an effective list:
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Include current customers – Upsell opportunities within existing accounts have a high success rate. Review customer usage data to identify expansion potential.
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Add net new targets – Identify companies that fit your ideal customer profile. Review firmographic data like industry, size, location, and technologies used. Look for companies experiencing growth and change.
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Leverage intent data – Incorporate accounts showing interest in your offerings based on their website activity, content downloads, event attendance, and more. Tools like the Bombora Company Surge API detect businesses exhibiting increased content consumption on relevant topics.
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Consult sales – Get input from your sales team on accounts they want to penetrate. Reps often have insider knowledge of promising targets.
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Continuously refine – Review win/loss data, product usage, customer lifetime value and other metrics to add or remove accounts. Regular list hygiene is crucial.
With a focused, relevant target account list, you can better personalize messaging and outreach. Most experts recommend starting with 100-250 accounts.
2. Create Personalized Marketing Content
ABM is all about relevant, customized messaging for each target account. Develop content that speaks to their specific needs and challenges. Useful formats include:
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Case studies highlighting how you solved problems for similar companies in their industry. For example, highlight a supply chain optimization case study for retail targets.
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Videos showing your product or service in action within the target‘s type of business. Demonstrate your HR software interfacing with common corporate systems.
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Articles addressing common issues faced by the target, like compliance challenges in financial services.
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Landing pages tailored with messages and offers for that account. Promote an ROI calculator for your ERP software aimed at manufacturing.
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Sales presentations crafted for their business goals. Tailor messaging around digital transformation and agility for tech companies.
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Blog posts on topics valuable to the target. Write about data security for healthcare companies.
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Interactive demos like quizzes or calculators. Let an electronics company dynamically customize a product configuration.
Repurpose and tailor these assets for different contacts and buying groups within each account. According to DemandWave, 91% of B2B marketers say customized content is effective in moving prospects down the funnel.
3. Content Syndication to Warm Up Leads
To increase reach and visibility, syndicate your content through multiple channels. This content marketing helps educate prospects and warm up accounts for future outreach.
Ways to share relevant content with targets include:
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Email campaigns and newsletters
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Social media posts
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Guest blog contributions
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Partner/affiliate digital publications
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Retargeting ads
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Direct mail
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Sales collateral
When syndicating online, track engagement metrics like opens, clicks and shares to gauge interest and identify hot leads for follow up. For example, 80% of companies say syndicated content generates more leads.
4. Send Personalized Cold Emails
Even with excellent content marketing, you still need direct outreach to engage accounts. Cold emails remain one of the most effective ways to start conversations.
To boost results:
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Research the prospect‘s role, pains and goals. Leverage LinkedIn for insider info.
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Mention their company challenges in the subject line. Refer to recent news or events.
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Highlight your relevant experience and expertise. Share customer success data.
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Include a case study, demo or content offer tailored to their needs.
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Suggest a quick call or virtual coffee chat to discuss their needs. Be direct but friendly.
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Keep copy concise and scannable with short paragraphs and bullets.
Personalized cold emails aligned to the prospect‘s interests can significantly increase open and response rates. Studies show 60% higher open rates and 2x higher click rates versus generic outreach. Follow up promptly to connected replies.
5. Leverage Intent Data
Intent data reveals which accounts are researching solutions like yours, indicating sales opportunities. Sources include:
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Website activity – Visits to pricing, product, case study pages
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Content downloads – Ebooks, whitepapers, case studies
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Event participation – Webinars, conferences, tradeshows
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Social media – Mentions of your brand and keywords
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Tech stack changes – New software implementations
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Job postings – Roles related to your offering
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Increased ad spending – More search, social, display ads
Intent data helps you identify and prioritize hot accounts to focus sales efforts. You can also use it to refine target lists and personalize outreach.
According to DemandGen, B2B firms using intent data see 9% more pipeline and 12% faster deals. Bombora found that companies engaging intent data see 40% higher conversion rates.
6. Develop Intent-Based Ad Campaigns
Incorporating intent data into your digital advertising allows you to reach high-value accounts with relevant messaging when they are actively exploring solutions.
Tactics include:
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Bidding on branded and non-branded keywords related to their searches
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Remarketing past site visitors from target companies
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Targeting business demographics like industry, employee size
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Placing ads on industry websites and publications
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Serving LinkedIn banner ads based on interests and profile data
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Sponsoring webinars on topics the account is researching
Adjust copy and offers to align with the prospect‘s demonstrated intent and their stage in the buyer‘s journey. For example, target early stage leads with educational content and trials. Offer implementation plans and ROI studies to late stage accounts.
7. Tap into LinkedIn for Account-Based Targeting
With over 600 million members, LinkedIn offers unparalleled access to professional contacts and insights.
LinkedIn ABM tactics include:
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Targeting Sponsored Content and Message Ads by company, job role, interests
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Engaging with relevant LinkedIn Groups to increase visibility
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Connecting directly with key prospects through personalized invitations
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Appearing as an "Employee" on target company pages
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Promoting your content in the LinkedIn feed and Groups
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Sponsoring relevant posts to appear in the target‘s newsfeed
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Utilizing Matched Audiences to expand your reach
The depth of LinkedIn’s profiling data makes it easier to identify, segment, and connect with your ideal contacts at scale. For example, 72% of B2B marketers say LinkedIn generates the most leads versus other social platforms.
8. Earn Media Coverage with PR
Positive publicity can greatly enhance your brand credibility with target accounts. PR tactics to earn media wins include:
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Pitching reporters on new product launches, milestones, funding news, partnerships – anything timely and newsworthy.
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Contributing quotes and expertise to relevant media stories as an industry thought leader.
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Securing speaking sessions at high-profile conferences and events.
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Entering your solution and company into competitive awards programs.
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Releasing annual industry reports, State of the Market analyses, and survey results.
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Hosting press conferences or media roundtables to announce something novel.
Publicize releases and news coverage through your website, social media, email marketing, and ads. For example, 92% of B2Bs say press mentions help establish thought leadership.
9. Create Content with Complementary Brands
Partner with companies that serve similar target accounts, but have non-competitive solutions. Some examples:
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Co-author blog posts and articles
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Promote each other‘s content
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Sponsor joint webinars
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Exhibit together at industry events
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Conduct integrated ad campaigns
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Provide referrals to each other
This expands your reach to new contacts and borrows credibility from trusted brands. Identify potential partners through your network, events, media, and product integrations.
For example, the AI leader UiPath partners with the publishing platform Medium to cross-promote content. This gives UiPath expanded visibility with Medium‘s professional readership.
Key Takeaways
Here are the most impactful account-based marketing approaches to incorporate into your 2023 plan:
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Refine your target account list with intent data and sales input
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Develop customized content that speaks to key challenges
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Syndicate content through diverse channels to maximize reach
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Send targeted, personalized emails to spark conversations
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Incorporate intent data signals to identify sales opportunities
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Run intent-based ad campaigns matched to demonstrated interests
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Leverage LinkedIn’s depth for accurate B2B targeting
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Generate credible PR wins to establish thought leadership
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Partner with complementary brands to expand reach
Adopting an orchestrated combination of these ABM tactics will help you increase pipeline, accelerate deals, and boost account growth in the year ahead.
To learn more, explore my in-depth guides on:
With over 10 years of hands-on experience in data extraction and analysis, I can help advise your marketing teams on leveraging data to supercharge ABM strategy and execution.
Please contact me to discuss your specific account-based marketing goals and challenges. I look forward to helping you implement these proven tactics to achieve success.