Account Based Marketing has been a hot topic in the B2B marketing world for years now. And for good reason – it’s proven to work exceptionally well. While it’s often positioned as a cutting-edge strategy, in my opinion, it’s simply smart B2B marketing. What used to be known as “marketing and sales” has now evolved into “ABM.”

What is Account Based Marketing?

According to 6Sense, “Account-based marketing (ABM) is a strategic approach to marketing that focuses on targeting and engaging specific high-value accounts or companies, rather than casting a wide net to a broader audience.”

Doesn't that sound like good sales and marketing with a sharper focus? You identify your best-fit customers and tailor your efforts specifically to them. Over time, you build awareness, create interest, and ideally, drive sales.

Why Focus Matters

The key component of ABM is targeting what you deem as high-value accounts. Instead of a broad approach, you zero in on specific accounts more likely to purchase. This involves extensive research to understand your target buyers at the company level, ensuring your message resonates deeply.

Once identified, you engage these accounts with highly tailored and personalized messages using various tactics like email, advertising, direct mail, and individual outreach. The tactics themselves are less important than the focus on specific companies and repeated engagement.

The Pitfalls of Broad Marketing

Many businesses lacking a strong marketing function often try to broadcast their message to the masses, believing that more exposure equals more sales. The reality is that they end up marketing to people who can never buy their product. This scattered approach is wasteful, expensive, and doesn’t allow for personalized messaging – a recipe for failure if your market is niche.

Why ABM Works So Well

If your business is already established, you likely know which types of companies are most likely to buy your products. So, why spend time and resources marketing to everyone else? ABM allows you to build authority and deliver a personalized message over time to accounts you already know are likely to buy from you. Here’s why it works to well:

1. Qualified Engagement: With extensive research, you ensure these accounts are a good fit from the beginning. Instead of casting a wide net and qualifying leads later, your marketing efforts attract already-qualified individuals. This reduces the workload for your sales team, shorter sales cycles, higher win rates, and more high-quality customers.

2. Personalized Messaging: Naming specific accounts allows for much more personalization. Instead of speaking to a broad audience, you can address these accounts directly, even tailoring messages to a single company. Knowing their business, pains, and specifics allows you to cater your message directly, increasing its resonance.

3. Controlled Frequency: With a finite target list, you can control the frequency of your message. You ensure your message reaches these accounts on multiple channels repeatedly. Unlike broader marketing tactics where reach and frequency are uncertain, ABM lets you direct your efforts way more precisely.

4. Sales and Marketing Synergy: With named accounts, your sales team knows exactly who’s seeing your marketing and can engage them simultaneously. This coordination is a massive strength of ABM. For instance, running ads targeted at specific companies allows your sales team to follow up with a tailored cadence. This omni-channel approach ensures that these companies are already familiar with your business, making it easier to start conversations.

Conclusion

Account Based Marketing isn’t really anything wildly new: it’s executing on the fundamentals of effective B2B marketing. By zeroing in on high-value accounts, you can craft personalized and resonant messages that cut through the noise and build meaningful engagement. ABM shifts the focus from broad, unfocused outreach to precise, targeted campaigns, ensuring your efforts are concentrated on prospects most likely to convert.

The true power of ABM lies in its strategic approach—leveraging deep research, personalized messaging, and coordinated efforts between marketing and sales. This combination not only enhances your outreach but also simplifies the sales process. And for those reasons, ABM should be a core component of most B2B businesses who are looking to grow.