The 5 Steps To Planning An ABM Campaign

Account-Based Marketing (ABM) and its benefits is something we all hear a lot about lately, but setting yourself up for success requires planning. Sales and marketingneed to be in lockstep with the goals and expectations of your strategy. By following the steps below, you will be well positioned to make the most of your ABM efforts.

Know what kind of ABM campaign you need

ABM development takes time and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Are you targeting individuals, personas, or companies in a specific vertical? It’s crucial to define that first, because while focusing on your highest-level prospects iskey, it’s just as important to get 100% agreement on who those prospects truly are.

Have the right data at your disposal

Data is only as good as its sell-by date. With all the movement of employees over the last 15 or so months, you need real-time data that’s accurate, because money spent on the wrong target audience is money wasted. You will want to target by a combination of device, ID, and IP.

Define success

Lead gen and lead nurturing aren’t a sprint. It’s not always a marathon, but it’s at least a 5K at best, especially in B2B marketing. Marketing and sales need to be in agreement on the parameters in terms of what success looks like. Campaigns should not only be multi-touch, but multi-layered, soyou can nurture hand raisers, retarget those who show some interest, or re-engage those who didn’t react to your first contact efforts.

Know what channels will and won’t work

Is your audience made up of B2B professionals in medical tech? If so, it may be smart to skip out on TikTok. Focus instead on email, LinkedIn, and other channels where your target prospects are most likely to be, and shelve the other channels that make less sense for your brand and the LOE will not justify the ROI. While email and PPC aren’t the sexiest marketing channels, they can be gold when trying to engage with business professionals.

Have your next steps prepped for better results

Just like you wouldn’t abandon someone who just bought from you, youshouldn’t turn off the marketing faucet just because someone showed a passing interest. Nurturing means just that – building a continued relationship to the point of purchase. If they’ve shown interest in one specific product, send them more content or retarget them with info on that product or analogous or complementary products. In short, when they tell you what solutions they need, let them know you know them, and are listening.