ABM is one of the most successful ways of aligning your sales and marketing to grow your business. Rather than using a shotgun approach, ABM allows businesses to concentrate on the accounts that are most important to the business. But how can you put ABM to work in your organization — and get results?

In this blog post, we’ll guide you through 9 key steps of successful Account-Based Marketing – from selecting accounts to measuring results. Whatever your role is, as a marketer, salesperson, or business owner, following these steps makes learning and doing ABM very easy.

What is Account-Based Marketing (ABM)?

At its heart, Account-Based Marketing is a marketing and sales strategy that gets them both working together to target key accounts with hyper-personalized campaigns. Unlike old-school broad-reach marketing, ABM does not blast out broad content for the world to see—even if you promise to make it relevant—instead, ABM hones in on best-fit accounts, which will give you the highest ROI.

ABM is the laser-focused way to think about it. By focusing on key accounts with the right content and campaigns, they can provide a superior customer experience, create lasting relationships, and close deals faster.

Some key benefits of ABM include:

• Prioritizing high-value leads
• Aligning sales and marketing teams
• Reducing wasted resources
• Driving higher ROI and shorter sales cycles

Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s explore the step-by-step process of implementing ABM.

1. Identifying High-Value Accounts

ABM starts with selecting the accounts you want to target. But not all accounts are created equal. Start by defining what a high-value account looks like, based on factors like:

• Company size and revenue
• Industry or niche
• Buying potential and behavior
• Alignment with your product or service

Work with your sales team to analyze your current customer base and identify accounts with the greatest lifetime value. Use CRM platforms, customer data, and insights to build a list of ideal accounts.

Pro Tip: Focus on “dream accounts” with the highest growth potential. Fewer high-value accounts often yield better returns than targeting a broad pool with limited engagement.

2. Researching and Understanding Target Accounts 

Once you’ve identified your high-value targets, the next step is to gain a deep understanding of their business needs, challenges, and goals. Successful ABM is built on detailed insights.

Research areas to focus on:

• Decision-makers: Identify key stakeholders and their roles within the organization.
• Pain points: Understand the challenges they face and how your product can solve them.
• Industry trends: Study external factors influencing their strategic decisions.
• Current platforms: Research if they’re using competing tools or solutions.

Use tools like LinkedIn, industry reports, or platforms like ZoomInfo to gather information about your accounts. The more data-backed your insights, the more tailored your approach will be.

Pro Tip: Set up alerts for your accounts on platforms like Google Alerts or LinkedIn to stay updated on any new events, leadership changes, or business decisions.

3. Creating Personalized Content and Campaigns

Now that you’ve done your homework, it’s time to create content that speaks directly to your target accounts. Personalization is at the heart of ABM, so generic content won’t cut it.

Develop these content types for ABM:

• Personalized emails: Draft messages tailored to each stakeholder’s pain points and goals.
• Custom proposals: Showcase how your solution directly aligns with their challenges.
• Exclusive assets: Develop case studies or whitepapers designed specifically for their industry.

Your content should show your understanding of the account while highlighting the value you offer. Pair this with tailored campaign strategies such as account-specific landing pages, direct mail, or retargeting ads.

Pro Tip: Use dynamic content tools to personalize experiences for multiple stakeholders within the same account.

4. Engaging Key Stakeholders 

Building a connection with stakeholders is one of the most critical steps in ABM. These individuals are not just decision-makers; they are the bridge between your proposal and the final sale.

Effective ways to reach stakeholders:

• Social media engagement: Comment on their posts or share relevant articles from their industry.
• 1-on-1 meetings: Arrange personalized product demos or discussions.
• Account-focused advertisements: Use cookie-based retargeting to get on their radar.

Keep in mind that decision-making often involves multiple individuals within an account. Map out all influencers and engage them based on their personal preferences and pain points.

Pro Tip: Invest in relationship-building rather than just sales. Connect with stakeholders on platforms like LinkedIn and participate in discussions valuable to their business.

5. Measuring and Analyzing Results

ABM success is all about tracking the right metrics. While traditional marketing metrics like impressions and clicks are important, ABM metrics focus on engagement and movement within target accounts.

Metrics to measure:

• Account engagement: Time spent on your content, email responses, etc.
• Pipeline growth: Number of deals moving through the pipeline due to ABM efforts.
• Account conversion rate: Percentage of targeted accounts converting to customers.
• Revenue growth: The ROI generated from your high-value accounts.

Regularly compare results against your goals and adjust your strategies as necessary. For example, if a particular piece of personalized content garners low engagement, update the messaging to better align with the account’s needs.

Pro Tip: Use analytics platforms that integrate sales and marketing data, like HubSpot or Salesforce. These enable you to pull valuable reports on ABM campaign performance.

6. Tools and Technologies for ABM 

A successful ABM strategy requires the right tools in place to manage accounts, track engagement, and measure ROI. Here are some essential tools to consider:

• CRM Tools: Automate and track your pipeline with tools like Salesforce or HubSpot.
• Marketing Automation: Use Marketo or Pardot to design and execute targeted ABM campaigns.
• Data Enrichment Platforms: Platforms like ZoomInfo help find key decision-makers and target accounts faster.
• Personalization Tools: Looks like Uberflip and Demandbase enable you to generate account-specific landing pages.
• Analytics: Get actionable insights with attribution tools like Google Analytics or Databox.

Pro Tip: Integrate these tools to create a streamlined ABM workflow. A unified system ensures that everyone on the sales and marketing teams is aligned.

ABM is the Future of B2B Marketing 

The one-size-fits-all era of marketing is over. “ABM is challenging old assumptions and proving that when you home in on the right accounts, your whole approach to attracting, engaging, and closing deals changes,” implements.

For marketers, sales teams, and business owners, ABM offers the potential for increased ROI, better client relationships, and a more cohesive marketing and sales process.

But all that ABM fine-tuning can’t happen without the alignment and commitment of your sales and marketing terms. Begin with a blossoming garden of a few high-value accounts, hone your personalization strategies and leverage ABM-specific tools for optimal results.

Looking to architect your own ABM strategy? Kick off your journey today by downloading our free ABM Campaign Template. Your high-value accounts could be your highest performing ones if you approach it right.