Top 20 ABM Ideas for Your Next Account Based Marketing Campaign

Are you ready to take your account based marketing (ABM) campaigns to the next level? We’ve rounded up 20 powerful ABM ideas to supercharge your next campaign, plus answer all of your questions about account-based marketing — including what it is, how to measure it, and what it means for your sales team. 

Whether you’re a seasoned ABM expert or new to the concept, this page will be your go-to for valuable insights to create a successful ABM campaign. From print-specific options to social media strategies and out-of-the-box ABM campaign examples, we’ve got you covered. Let’s start from the top:

What is Account Based Marketing?

Account-based marketing (ABM) is a strategic marketing approach that focuses on targeting and engaging specific high-value accounts or companies, rather than broad audience segments. 

With ABM strategies, marketing and sales teams collaborate closely to identify key accounts, develop personalized campaigns, and deliver highly tailored messaging and experiences to those target accounts.

The Goal of Account Based Marketing: Driving Success

The primary goal of account-based marketing is to create meaningful and long-lasting relationships with key accounts by treating them as individual markets of one. It involves a deep understanding of the target accounts’ pain points, needs, and goals, and then crafting personalized content, offers, and experiences that resonate with them.

Overall, it enhances customer relationships, drives revenue, and aligns marketing and sales efforts effectively.

Unlocking the Benefits of ABM: Why It Matters

There are numerous benefits associated with account-based marketing, including higher conversion rates, increased customer loyalty, improved customer satisfaction, shorter sales cycles, and stronger alignment between marketing and sales teams. 

By focusing resources and efforts on the most valuable accounts and creating personalized experiences, ABM helps maximize the return on investment and drives higher conversion rates and revenue growth for businesses.

20 ABM Tactics to Wow Your Target Accounts

Print ABM Strategies

1. Personalized Direct Mail Campaigns: Craft targeted direct mail pieces with personalized messaging, relevant artwork, and customized offers for each target account.
2. Thought Leadership Newsletter: Create a thought-provoking print newsletter featuring industry insights, expert interviews, and success stories to establish your brand as a trusted authority in your target accounts’ niche.
3. Customized Branded Merchandise: Develop unique branded merchandise, such as t-shirts, mugs, or notebooks, tailored specifically to your target accounts’ interests or company culture.
4. Personalized Case Studies in Print: Compile case studies showcasing how your solution has delivered tangible results for similar companies and present them in a visually appealing presentation format.
5. Interactive Print Materials: Design interactive print materials, such as foldable infographics or scratch-off cards, that engage your target accounts and encourage them to take action or reveal exclusive offers.

Social Media ABM Strategies

6. LinkedIn Account-Specific Content: Create LinkedIn posts or articles tailored to each target account, highlighting industry insights, success stories, or relevant news specifically curated for them.
7. Twitter Chats: Host Twitter chats focused on topics that matter to your target accounts, inviting industry experts and thought leaders to participate and engage in meaningful discussions.
8. Instagram Takeovers: Collaborate with influential individuals or employees from your target accounts to conduct Instagram takeovers, where they share behind-the-scenes glimpses, stories, and experiences related to your brand.
9. Facebook Live Q&A Sessions: Conduct live Q&A sessions on Facebook where your ABM team and target accounts’ representatives can interact in real-time, answering questions and addressing concerns.
10. YouTube Webinar Series: Create a series of educational webinars or tutorials related to your industry or specific pain points of your target accounts, publishing them on YouTube for wider reach and engagement.

Tried-and-True ABM Strategies

11. Account-Specific Landing Pages: Develop customized landing pages for each target account, tailored to their pain points, needs, and desired outcomes, maximizing personalization and relevance.
12. One-to-One Email Campaigns: Craft highly personalized and targeted email campaigns addressing the specific pain points and goals of each individual in your target accounts, fostering meaningful conversations.
13. Virtual Events and Workshops: Host virtual events or workshops exclusively for your target accounts, providing valuable insights, interactive sessions, and networking opportunities.
14. Account-Based Advertising: Utilize account-based advertising platforms to target ads specifically to your chosen accounts, ensuring your message reaches the right people at the right time.
15. Account-Specific Content Hubs: Create dedicated content hubs or resource libraries for each target account, offering valuable content, industry insights, and relevant resources tailored to their needs.

Off-the-Wall ABM Strategies

16. Customized Experiential Gifts: Surprise your target accounts with personalized experiential gifts, such as exclusive cooking classes, virtual concerts, or curated subscription boxes based on their interests.
17. Interactive Gamified Campaigns: Design interactive gamified campaigns, such as quizzes, challenges, or virtual treasure hunts, where target accounts can engage with your brand while having fun.
18. Account-Specific Podcast Episodes: Produce podcast episodes that feature individual target accounts, highlighting their unique challenges, success stories, and experiences in the industry.
19. Collaborative Co-Creation Projects: Initiate co-creation projects with select target accounts, where you work together to develop innovative solutions or products that cater to their specific needs.
20. Surprise VIP Access: Provide target accounts with exclusive access to industry conferences, VIP networking events, or behind-the-scenes tours of your company to foster a sense of exclusivity and strengthen relationships.

The Role of Sales in Account Based Marketing

The role of sales in account-based marketing is crucial and goes hand in hand with marketing efforts. In ABM, marketing and sales teams work closely together to identify, target, engage, and convert specific high-value accounts. They bring valuable insights, build relationships, provide personalized engagement, and play a vital role in the overall success of ABM initiatives. 

The alignment and synergy between marketing and sales are key to achieving the goals of ABM and driving revenue growth. Here are some key aspects of the sales role in ABM:

1. Account Selection: Sales teams play a vital role in identifying and selecting the target accounts for ABM initiatives. They bring their knowledge of the market, industry, and customer insights to help determine which accounts are most likely to generate significant revenue and align with the business objectives.

2. Account Research and Insights: Sales teams contribute valuable insights about the target accounts, including their pain points, challenges, decision-making processes, and key stakeholders. This information is crucial for crafting personalized messaging, content, and offers that resonate with the accounts.

3. Account-Specific Engagement: Sales professionals are responsible for building relationships with key stakeholders within the target accounts. They use their expertise to engage in personalized, one-on-one interactions and nurture meaningful conversations that address the specific needs and goals of each account.

4. Collaborative Campaign Development: Sales teams collaborate closely with marketing to develop account-specific campaigns and strategies. They provide input on messaging, content, and tactics that will resonate with the target accounts, based on their deep understanding of the accounts’ pain points and objectives.

5. Relationship Building: Sales professionals are instrumental in building and nurturing relationships with key decision-makers and influencers within the target accounts. They leverage their expertise, industry knowledge, and trust-building skills to establish rapport and credibility, positioning the company as a valuable partner for solving their challenges.

6. Sales Enablement: ABM requires close coordination between marketing and sales to ensure sales teams have the necessary resources and tools to engage effectively with target accounts. Sales enablement efforts may include providing personalized content, account-specific collateral, and training to help sales professionals tailor their approach for each account.

7. Measurement and Reporting: Sales teams play a role in tracking the success of ABM campaigns by monitoring account engagement, conversion rates, and revenue generated. They provide feedback on campaign effectiveness, share insights from customer interactions, and contribute to refining and optimizing future ABM efforts.

Demystifying Account Based Marketing vs. Demand Generation

ABM and demand generation are two distinct marketing strategies, each with its own focus and objectives. Understanding their differences and how they complement each other can help determine when to utilize each approach effectively. 

	ABM	Demand Gen
Focus	Targeting and engaging high-value accounts with personalized content and individualized experiences	Creating awareness, generating interest, and driving demand with a wide range of potential customers
Audience	Key stakeholders within specific accounts or companies	A broad audience that matches the target market characteristics
Personalization	Hyper personalization at the account level. Involves addressing unique pain points, needs, and goals of individual target accounts	More generalized messaging and content to appeal to a broader audience. Personalization may occur at a segment level
Channels	Personalized email campaigns, account-specific landing pages, direct mail, events, account-based advertising, and more	Various channels to reach a wider audience, like content marketing, social media, SEO, SEM, webinars, and broad email campaigns
Sales Alignment	Sales plays an active role in identifying target accounts, providing insights, and engaging with key stakeholders	Focuses primarily on generating and nurturing leads before passing them to sales teams for conversion

The decision to use ABM or demand generation (or both) depends on factors such as the business goals, target audience, available resources, and the level of personalization required. A well-rounded marketing strategy may include a mix of both approaches to effectively reach and engage a wide range of potential customers while prioritizing high-value accounts.

How to Structure an ABM Campaign for Success

By following these steps, you can structure an effective ABM campaign that drives results, fosters meaningful relationships with target accounts, and helps you achieve your ABM goals and objectives:

Step 1: Define Your Goals and Objectives

Clearly define the goals and objectives of your ABM campaign. Determine what you want to achieve, such as increasing revenue from target accounts, expanding account penetration, or improving customer retention.

Step 2: Identify and Select Target Accounts

Conduct thorough research to identify and select the target accounts that align with your ideal customer profile (ICP). Consider factors such as revenue potential, industry relevance, and strategic fit. Collaborate with sales teams to determine the priority and feasibility of each account.

Step 3: Develop Account Insights and Personas

Gain deep insights into each target account, including their pain points, challenges, goals, and key decision-makers. Create detailed personas for each account, identifying the roles, responsibilities, and preferences of the individuals involved in the buying process.

Step 4: Craft Personalized Messaging and Content

Develop personalized messaging and content that aligns with the specific needs and pain points of each target account. Tailor your value proposition to address their unique challenges and goals. Create account-specific landing pages, case studies, whitepapers, and other assets that resonate with each account’s persona.

Step 5: Select and Execute Multi-Channel Tactics

Leverage a combination of online and offline channels to engage with the target accounts. This may include personalized email campaigns, social media interactions, direct mail, account-based advertising, events, and one-on-one meetings. Ensure consistency in messaging across channels for a seamless and cohesive experience.

Step 6: Engage Key Decision-Makers

Engage with key decision-makers and influencers within the target accounts through personalized interactions. Use a consultative approach, providing insights, thought leadership, and solutions that address their specific challenges. Leverage account-based sales strategies to build relationships and trust.

Step 7: Measure and Track Campaign Performance

Implement effective measurement techniques to track the success of your ABM campaign. Define key performance indicators (KPIs) such as pipeline growth, revenue generated, account penetration, and customer retention. Utilize marketing automation and CRM systems to monitor and analyze campaign data.

Step 8: Optimize and Iterate

Continuously analyze campaign results and identify areas for improvement. Assess the effectiveness of different tactics, messaging, and channels. Incorporate learnings into future campaigns and refine your ABM strategies to optimize results.

Step 9: Foster Sales and Marketing Alignment

Maintain close collaboration and alignment between sales and marketing teams throughout the ABM campaign. Regularly share insights, feedback, and results to ensure continuous improvement and alignment of efforts.

How to: Measuring Account-Based Marketing Success

When measuring the success of your account-based marketing efforts, it’s essential to track the data that aligns with your campaign goals and objectives. Here are some key metrics commonly used to measure ABM success:

1. Account Engagement: Measure the level of engagement from target accounts, including website visits, content downloads, event attendance, and social media interactions. This metric helps assess the overall interest and involvement of the target accounts with your marketing activities.

2. Pipeline Velocity: Track the progression of target accounts through the sales pipeline. Measure metrics such as the time it takes for an account to move from one stage to another, the number of touchpoints required to convert an account, and the average deal velocity. This metric helps evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of your ABM efforts in driving account progression.

3. Revenue Influence: Measure the revenue generated or influenced by the target accounts engaged in your ABM campaign. Analyze the contribution of ABM activities to the overall revenue generated by the accounts. This metric provides insights into the direct impact of ABM on business revenue.

4. Customer Retention and Expansion: Assess the retention rate and expansion opportunities within the target accounts. Measure metrics such as the account renewal rate, cross-selling and upselling opportunities, and customer satisfaction scores. This metric indicates the effectiveness of your ABM efforts in building long-term customer relationships and driving account growth.

5. Account-Specific Metrics: Define account-specific metrics and benchmarks that align with the unique goals and objectives of each target account, like conversion rates. Customized metrics allow you to measure success based on the specific outcomes desired by individual accounts.

6. ROI and Cost-to-Acquire: Calculate the return on investment (ROI) for your ABM campaigns by comparing the revenue generated or influenced against the costs incurred. Measure metrics such as customer acquisition cost (CAC) and lifetime value (LTV) to assess the efficiency and profitability of your ABM initiatives.

7. Account Expansion and Advocacy: Measure the success of ABM by tracking the growth of accounts beyond the initial engagement. Monitor metrics such as account expansion revenue, referrals generated from target accounts, and the number of advocates or references acquired. These metrics demonstrate the long-term impact and value derived from your ABM efforts.

Remember, the specific metrics you choose to measure will depend on your campaign goals, target accounts, and the nature of your business. It’s crucial to define clear objectives and establish a baseline for comparison to gauge the success of your ABM initiatives accurately. Regularly analyze and interpret these metrics to optimize your ABM strategies and drive continuous improvement.