The Top 9 Most Effective Account-Based Marketing Tactics for 2024
Account-based marketing (ABM) is all about hyper-targeting your most valuable accounts with personalized messaging and tailored campaigns. This strategic approach has proven extremely effective for B2B organizations – research shows 45% of ABM practitioners have seen at least a 100% ROI improvement compared to broad-based marketing efforts.
But what specific strategies should you prioritize to maximize success with your ABM program in 2024? Here are the 9 tactics I recommend based on experience running account-based campaigns for Fortune 500 clients:
- Build a Solid Target Account List
- Create Personalized Content and Messaging
- Syndicate Content to Warm Up Leads
- Send Personalized, Targeted Email Outreach
- Leverage Intent Data to Discover Promising Accounts
- Run Account-Based Paid Ad Campaigns
- Capitalize on LinkedIn‘s Targeting Capabilities
- Earn Media Coverage and Build Thought Leadership
- Partner with Complementary Brands on Content
Let‘s explore each of these tactics in more depth:
1. Build a Solid Target Account List
The first step is identifying and prioritizing the accounts you want to target. A sound ABM strategy focuses on quality over quantity – a tightly targeted list of real high-value prospects rather than a broad list of irrelevant accounts.
I recommend starting with existing customers that have potential for growth or renewal opportunities. Look at accounts with expiring contracts or that haven‘t been recently engaged.
Next, work with sales to identify top prospect targets based on clear criteria like company size, industry, tech stack, etc. Align prioritized accounts with your ideal customer profile.
You can also leverage intent data tools to reveal companies demonstrating research behavior and interest signals that indicate they may be in-market for solutions you offer. Focus on accounts withmultiple employees showing relevant activity over a recent time period.
Overall best practice is keeping your target list to 100-500 accounts maximum. This allows dedicating sufficient marketing resources to fully engage each account. According to ITSMA research, 78% of ABM leaders see better results with 150 or fewer target accounts.
Target Account List Best Practices |
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Focus on high-value accounts with real potential |
Align targets with your ideal customer profile |
Include existing customers with expansion opportunities |
Leverage intent data to identify promising prospects |
Keep list to max 500 accounts for optimal focus |
With a refined, data-backed target account list in place, you can then orchestrate coordinated outreach campaigns tailored to each of these priority accounts.
2. Create Personalized Content and Messaging
ABM is fundamentally about tailored, one-to-one messaging that aligns to individual account needs and interests. generic content simply doesn‘t perform – you need to develop custom assets like case studies, ads and landing pages that speak directly to key challenges and priorities for each target account.
Start by researching what topics, pain points and goals are most relevant for each account based on factors like their industry, business model, tech stack and stage of growth. Use this intel to build targeted content assets that provide value and demonstrate your expertise around their specific needs.
For example, if you know Account X is in the process of expanding to Europe, create content addressing regulatory and localization issues in those new markets.
You can also repurpose existing content by adding custom intros and headers aligned to different account interests. For instance, tweak a compliance whitepaper by leading with how it helps highly regulated financial services businesses.
According to DemandMetric research, personalized content delivers over double the conversion rate of generic outreach. Build one-to-one relevance into all your ABM content for maximum impact.
3. Syndicate Content to Warm Up Leads
Once you‘ve developed targeted content assets, actively distribute or "syndicate" them through different channels on an ongoing basis to "warm up" prospects. This exposes key accounts to relevant messages over time to nurture interest.
- Promote content through social media ads targeted by company name or attributes like job title, industry, etc.
- Add accounts to targeted email nurture tracks that consistently deliver related content.
- Publish relevant content like articles and whitepapers on channels your targets frequent.
- Run paid search/display ads with your content only for target accounts to see.
- Look for opportunities to get placements in trade publications or sites your accounts read.
- Send new content to individual prospects directly via email or LinkedIn.
This " surround sound" approach helps saturate target accounts with relevant messaging and content which primes them for sales outreach. According to Demandbase research, accounts nurtured with targeted content convert to sales opportunities 7x more frequently.
4. Send Personalized, Targeted Email Outreach
Email outreach to key accounts should align to their specific needs and challenges just like your content. Avoid spammy email blasts – instead, personalize messaging to each prospect‘s role, interests and company.
Tools like Mailshake and Woodpecker make it easy to automate personalized outreach while still maintaining a human touch. Use data like LinkedIn profiles to customize emails with relevant points on why your solution uniquely meets an account‘s needs.
Structure emails as a conversation focused on providing real value vs. an obvious sales pitch. For example:
- Summarize key challenges for their industry and how you can help.
- Provide tips or insights tailored to their business model.
- Send newly released content you know aligns to their interests.
- Follow up on previous interactions or meetings at trade events.
- Give previews of upcoming products or features that could benefit them.
Personalized account-focused emails generate double the response rate compared to generic outreach. Take the time to tailor messaging for real one-to-one relevance.
5. Leverage Intent Data to Discover Promising Accounts
Intent data reveals companies that may be entering a research or buying cycle for solutions like yours by tracking online activity like product searches, content downloads, site page visits and more. This powers "inbound" ABM by alerting you to previously unknown accounts now demonstrating intent signals.
There are many intent data tools and vendors to explore like Demandbase, TechTarget, Bombora and others. Look for platforms providing intent signals from a breadth of sources – search, websites, social media, etc.
Focus on identifying accounts with multiple employees visiting relevant pages or content across a recent time period. Purchase signals from senior roles like CIOs or VPs should be especially prized.
For high-quality inbound accounts, make sure to follow up quickly when they demonstrate fresh intent by downloading a key asset or visiting certain site pages. Strike while their interest is hot!
According to Demandbase research, accounts exhibiting purchase intent convert to opportunities 21x more often than those without intent signals. Intent data is hugely valuable for revealing promising new targets.
6. Run Account-Based Paid Ad Campaigns
Paid advertising channels like Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Ads and more enable highly targeted promotion directly to key accounts. The precision of modern paid ads allows you to time messages exactly when target personas at specific companies will see them.
For example, LinkedIn now allows uploading target account lists to only deliver ads to selected companies. You can further refine visibility by job role, company size and other attributes.
Create customized landing pages, ad copy and calls-to-action tailored to each account‘s needs and challenges. Ad relevance dramatically improves results – 75% of B2B marketers say greater personalization boosts conversion rates from their ads.
Programmatic display ads can also be set to only appear for defined target company IP ranges based on their website traffic. This lets you serve dynamic ads as prospects browse online.
As you engage accounts, track bounce rates, time on site and conversions by account to optimize your ad strategy and messages. Paid ads offer a level of message personalization difficult to achieve through other channels.
7. Capitalize on LinkedIn‘s Targeting Capabilities
With over 660 million members globally, tapping into LinkedIn advertising provides unmatched reach and visibility for B2B brands. The platform‘s depth of professional data enables extensive targeting options ideal for ABM.
You can define target audiences by:
- Company name, industry, size
- Job title, function, seniority
- Groups, interests, skills
- Location, age, gender
- And more…
This powers exceptional precision in promoting content and offers directly to key decision makers across accounts.
Sponsored InMail allows sending personalized messages to individual prospects, while Company Pages showcase your brand directly on target account profiles.
According to LinkedIn, targeted Sponsored Content on the platform delivers 40x higher CTR vs. untargeted ads. LinkedIn should be a pillar of any sophisticated ABM stack.
8. Earn Media Coverage and Build Thought Leadership
PR efforts like securing earned media placements in tier-1 publications build credibility and authority with your target accounts. This enhances perception of your brand as an expert in your space.
Some PR tactics that work well for ABM include:
- Publishing contributed articles in key trade outlets read by your accounts.
- Promoting new products, features or case studies via press releases.
- Conducting surveys and research on topics relevant to your accounts‘ industries.
- Having executives give quotes to reporters writing on related topics.
- Winning prominent industry awards your accounts recognize.
- Sponsoring or presenting at important conferences your targets attend.
According to a study by PR tech company Cision, earned media exposure increases brand trust by 54%. PR should be an integral element of your broader ABM program.
9. Partner with Complementary Brands on Content
Look for opportunities to collaborate on content campaigns, co-sponsored events and cross-promotions with other companies that serve your target accounts.
These partnerships expand your reach by accessing partner audiences that align with your ABM targets. Co-marketing also adds credibility through implicit endorsements and expanded thought leadership.
For example, a cybersecurity vendor could partner with managed service providers in their space to co-produce guides, webinars and live events providing security tips for those MSPs‘ clients.
When exploring partnerships, evaluate:
- How closely partner‘s customer and prospect list overlaps with your targets
- Ability to collaborate on content truly additive and useful for the audience
- Credibility lift from association with respected established brands in your accounts‘ ecosystems
According to a Zinnov report, 75% of companies say co-marketing helps expand market reach and generate new opportunities. Identify strategic partnerships that align to your target accounts.
While the above strategies represent what I consider the top 9 most critical ABM tactics, there are a number of additional best practices I recommend based on successful client programs I‘ve implemented:
Conduct One-to-One Briefings with Key Contacts
Leverage research and intent data to identify key decision makers and influencers at each account. Then work to secure one-on-one meetings, briefings or calls with these individuals to pitch them directly on relevant solutions for their needs. Customized personal outreach is far more effective than broad form emails and webcasts.
Monitor Accounts for Triggers
Set up monitoring for "trigger events" like leadership changes, new funding rounds, office expansions, or other news related to your accounts. These triggers present opportunities to engage with relevant, timely outreach.
Equip the Sales Team
Provide account intelligence, targeted assets and talking points to client-facing sales reps to integrate ABM messaging into account interactions. Sales team alignment is critical.
Offer Personalized Demos and Trials
Encourage targeted accounts to experience your platform and value proposition through customized free demos, pilots and controlled trial access. Let them interact directly with your product.
Go Beyond Email
While email is foundational, make sure to incorporate other digital channels like chatbots on your site, targeted ads across platforms and direct mail nurture tracks for an omnichannel approach.
Dig Into Analytics
Rigorously track engagement, conversion and pipeline impact for each account. Continuously refine messaging and offers based on data to optimize results.
The most successful ABM programs use a targeted account list and personalized, relevant messaging across channels over time to influence and convert known high-value accounts. With today‘s digital targeting and automation capabilities, B2B brands have an unprecedented ability to focus marketing programs on priority prospect accounts.
I recommend picking 2-3 of the tactics outlined above that best align to your resources, budgets and objectives as a starting point. Over time you can assess impact through metrics for each account, then expand efforts and channels.
The key is to maintain an intense focus on quality accounts over quantity outreach for superior ROI. If you‘re eager to unlock new opportunities within your best-fit accounts in 2024 and beyond, ABM‘s highly strategic approach offers immense advantages.
To discuss options for ramping up targeted account-based strategies tailored to your business, feel free to reach out and let‘s connect – I‘d be happy to offer specific recommendations on tactics and technology to drive results. Wishing you success!