What is Account Based Marketing? And how does ABM work with Leadoo?

What is Account Based Marketing (ABM)?

Account-Based Marketing (ABM) is a focused business strategy where marketing and sales teams work together to target a specific set of high-value accounts. 

This could be because they are geographically important accounts, leaders within their space, or because a company has had success with similar customers in the past. The defining factor of ABM though is specificity – targeting individual businesses based on specific criteria.

This is unlike traditional marketing, which casts a wide net. To continue that analogy, think of a marketer as a fisherman. Often they are simply casting out the biggest possible net to try and catch as many fish (accounts) as possible. ABM though is a fisherman knowing what waters have bigger fish, and using bait (messaging) specifically designed to reel them in.

Accordingly, ABM requires a more targeted approach, with personalised touchpoints.

What are the Key Benefits of ABM?

1. Desirable Customers: Whether it’s because of their size, geography, prestige or use case for your solution – you have ideal customers. In a world where personlisation is increasingly expected, ABM is the most efficient way to ensure you have a chance of bringing them on board. And more like them in future.
2. Increased ROI: By focusing resources on high-value accounts, companies can often achieve better returns than traditional marketing. For example, in a PPC context, it is undoubtedly cheaper and more effective to run re-marketing adverts to visitors who viewed a webpage about Software Recruitment, than it is to run adverts to an audience interested in either Software & Recruitment.
3. Alignment of Sales and Marketing: ABM fosters better communication and collaboration between sales and marketing teams. Because they are working towards a common and well-defined goal (list of accounts). It also requires distinct sales and marketing touchpoints to work well.
4. Streamlined Sales Cycle: ABM allows for highly tailored marketing strategies that resonate more effectively with target audiences. Not only does this reflect well on your brand, and start you on good footing with buyers, but ABM has been proven to shorten sales cycles.

How Does ABM Work?

ABM begins by identifying key accounts. Generally this would be done by commercial teams through a CRM system. Then, sales and marketing teams ideally work together to create personalised messaging and content that address the specific needs and pain points of each account.

The ABM Process

1. Identify Target Accounts: Leverage data to not just identify high-value accounts that align with your business objectives, but understand their pain points and buying journeys. 
2. Create Custom Touchpoints: Develop tailored content and messaging that speaks directly to those pain points and buying journeys. For instance, what a prospect is interested in the first time they visit your website, is very unlikely to be what they want to look at on their fourth visit.
3. Engage Across Multiple Channels: Use a mix of digital and offline channels to reach and engage decision-makers at these accounts. Your own website is especially important here. If you’ve done your job, they will be checking out your digital storefront repeatedly. It needs to speak to them and reflect your ABM strategy!
4. Measure and Optimize: Continuously monitor the performance of your ABM campaigns and adjust strategies as needed to maximise results. Behind your target accounts are human buyers, so they will all act and progress differently! 

Leadoo’s Approach to ABM

Leadoo is uniquely well positioned for ABM strategies, whether it is for New Business teams or Account Growth teams. That’s because the key principles of identifying visitors, activating them with bespoke messaging, and measuring their journeys, can all be done through our platform. 

Leadoo ABM for Sales Teams

You have a CRM full of prospects, plus lists of target accounts. Here’s how you can utilise Leadoo to close those must-win logos:

• Mark must-wins in the CRM, and get Sales Alerts whenever someone from those target companies comes to the website or views specific content
• 360 customer view to see where they came from; how their customer journey progressed; any chats they had onsite; and any CTAs completed
• Create conversational landing pages to gate content and lightly qualify
• Embedded AI tools so prospects can have their questions answered 24/7 in any language
• Use Leadoo Personaliser to dynamically change conversation content based on user attributes – e.g. industry, whether they are a repeat visitor, etc
• In-built forms and calendars to capture essential account info and let them book meetings directly into your team’s calendars

Leadoo ABM for Account Growth Teams:

You need to know how customers are engaging with your brand, and if they show intent about new features or services. With Leadoo you can:

• Scan your CRM to tag your accounts and customers via our 2-way integrations
• Receive alerts whenever they come to the website or view specific content, such as guide, support or product pages
• Map a 360 degree view of customer lifecycles
• Create conversational pathways for existing customers looking for support, upgrades etc
• Measure customer sentiment via digestable surveys and interactive feedback points
• See which of your marketing efforts result in website visits and completed CTAs
• Create conversational pathways for specific customers, e.g. those coming from certain emails
• Options for conversational bots within platforms and client portals – tailored to their needs