The document discusses Account-Based Marketing (ABM) best practices. It recommends segmenting accounts into stages based on engagement and intent using an Opportunity-Based Marketing (OBM) framework. This helps align marketing and sales objectives and metrics to each stage in the buying process. It also stresses the importance of understanding key personas at target accounts, crafting personalized narratives for each, and selecting appropriate tactics at each stage, from awareness campaigns to 1:1 sales outreach. Finally, it addresses how to evaluate technology solutions, select target accounts, develop relevant content, and establish goals to measure ABM success.
SEO for Revenue, Grow Your Business, Not Just Your Rankings - Dale Bertrand
A Pragmatic Guide to ABM Success
1.
2.
3.
4.
5. Agenda
▪ ABM Challenges
▪ The OBM Framework
▪ Keys to Success
▪ Goals & Objectives
▪ Crafting a Strategy
▪ TheTech Stack
▪ Selecting Accounts
▪ 1:1 vs. 1:Few
▪ Personas
▪ ABM Content
▪ ABMTactics
▪ Q&A
6. Common ABM Challenges
▪ Lack of sales & marketing alignment
▪ Metrics that aren’t aligned with buying stage
▪ Accounts based purely on sales wish list
▪ Failure to identify account-specific narratives
▪ Lack of relevant content OR attempting
to “make do”
7. The OBM* Framework
▪ Based on the SiriusDecisions Demand Waterfall®
▪ Groups accounts & buying centers into stages
based on engagement and intent
▪ Each stage has its own objectives and success metrics
▪ Helps inform appropriate channels & tactics
▪ Makes it easier to show ROI based on stage-
appropriate metrics
*Opportunity-Based Marketing
8. The OBM Framework
Target
Audience:
Matches ICP but no 1st or
3rd party engagement
Objective:
Awareness & Engagement
KPIs:
Reach & Engagement
Common Tactics:
Content Syndication,
Programmatic, Search,
Paid Social
Active
Audience:
3rd party intent but no
1st party engagement
Objective:
Generate initial 1st party
engagement
KPIs:
Account score;
1st party engagement
Common Tactics:
Direct Mail, Content
Syndication, Paid Social,
Programmatic, Search
Engaged
Audience:
Demonstrated 1st party
engagement; Not yet
marketing qualified
Objective:
Marketing qualification;
Early Sales Discovery
KPIs:
MQA
Common Tactics:
ABM Display, Email
Nurture, Direct Mail,
Social Selling
Prioritized
Audience:
Buying center and or
account is marketing
qualified
Objective:
Sales qualification of
MQA-designated buying
centers
KPIs:
SQA
Common Tactics:
1:1 Sales Outreach,
Email Nurture, Direct
Mail, ABM Display
Qualified
Audience:
Buying center is BANT
qualified
Objective:
# Qualified Meetings;
Pipeline Velocity
KPIs:
Pipeline Velocity
Common Tactics:
1:1 Sales Outreach,
Email Nurture, Direct
Mail, Private Events
EDUCATION SOLUTION SELECTION
Pipeline
Audience:
Opportunity close date
set; Final step of decision
process
Objective:
Decision/close
KPIs:
Pipeline Value;
# of Opportunities
Common Tactics:
1:1 Sales Outreach; BOFU
Content (likely delivered
1:1 by sales)
9. Example #1:Target Demand
• Accounts that match ICP (ideal customer profile) but haven’t
demonstrated intent or engagement
Metrics:
Engagement at target
accounts, Account
coverage/awareness,
Engagement minutes,
% conversion to
Engaged Demand
(next stage)
Objectives:
Generate awareness
and engagement
Tactics:
Programmatic Ads,
Paid Search, Paid
Social, Content
Syndication, Chat
10. Example #2: Qualified Demand
• Accounts that are Sales Accepted (confirmed need and
timing but not fully BANT qualified)
Metrics:
Sales Qualified
Accounts (SQAs), full
BANT qualification
Objectives:
Meetings, Pipeline
Velocity, Achieve full
BANT qualification
Tactics:
1:1 Sales Outreach,
Direct Mail, Private
Events, 1:1 Social
Selling
11. 5 Keys to ABM Success
Setting the right
goals
01
Aligning with
sales on success
metrics
02
Selecting high-
propensity
accounts
03
Knowing your
personas
04
Crafting
relevant,
account-specific
narratives
05
12. ABM Goals & Objectives
Goals
Objectives
Generate (X)
Opportunities
withinTier 1
accounts
Increase
Average Sale
Price by X%
within (Y)
months
Gain meetings
with (X) new
buying centers
at (Y) existing
accounts
Net New
Accounts
Accelerate
Pipeline
Upsell/
Cross-Sell
13. Micro-Level Objectives
▪ Detailed, stage-based objectives and KPIs
(based on the OBM framework)
▪ Ensures alignment between marketing and
sales on goals for each stage
▪ Provides an additional layer of accountability
Example
micro-level
objectives
Generate
measurable
engagement at
(X)% ofTarget
Demand
accounts
Convert(X)%
ofQualified
Demandaccounts
toSQAs
(Sales Qualified
Accounts)
14. Crafting ABM Strategy
▪ Identify pain points, motivators for
each key persona
▪ Develop value narratives for each
account or buying center by persona
▪ Identify appropriate channels,
tactics, plays (based on OBM stage)
▪ Evaluate content library vs. ABM
narrative (personas, accounts)
▪ Assess need for new or repurposed
content
15. Evaluating theTech Stack
▪ ABM is a tech-driven strategy
▪ The right technology enables
efficiency, scale, measurement
▪ Do you need a dedicated ABM
solution?
16. WhereTechnology Can Help
▪ Account scoring (e.g. engagement
minutes, awareness, MQAs)
▪ Lead-to-account matching
▪ Multiplayer sales & marketing plays
▪ Account-specific advertising
▪ Web personalization (including chat)
▪ Content experience personalization
(e.g. account-curated landing pages)
▪ Attribution/reporting
17. SelectingTarget Accounts
▪ Art + Science
▪ Art = list provided by sales or within a target industry
▪ Science = list based on system-based criteria
(e.g. intent data, lookalike accounts)
▪ Ideally, accounts should meet ICP criteria AND
show some level of engagement
▪ Intent data can be a useful tool, but only as a signal
or data point
▪ Account lists can also be Static or Dynamic, i.e.
a finite list that doesn’t change, or a list that
can change based on additional input
18. 1:1 vs. 1:Few vs. 1:Many
1:1
1:Few
▪ Segmented to a single
persona or industry
▪ Campaigns are less
personalized, but
require less $$ per
account, and can be a
lower risk due to the
larger pool of accounts
▪ Best for mid-OBM
stages
1:Many
▪ Traditional Demand
Gen orTarget Account
Marketing
▪ Option for accounts
that fit ICP but aren’t
onTarget Account List
▪ Segmented to specific
accounts or buying
centers
▪ Campaigns are more
personalized, but
require greater $$,
more work, and are a
higher risk
▪ Generally speaking, 1:1
campaigns have greater
ROI at later stages
19. Understanding Personas
▪ Key for success: identifying personas and
their pain points and motivations
▪ Likely that purchase decisions involve 2-3
personas in each buying center
▪ Identify key personas (of genuine influence)
within each account
▪ Identify key pain points and motivations
for each persona
▪ Develop value narratives that speak directly
to those findings
20. ABM Content
▪ Account-personalized content is the ideal, but in
practice, most ABM marketers personalize content
by persona, and ads by account (except for 1:1)
▪ What existing content do we have that speaks to
persona pain points?
▪ Are there key aspects of the selected narrative that
we don’t have content for?
21. ABM Content
▪ What new content do we need to create?
▪ Can we repurpose existing content for different
accounts or personas?
▪ Does the content reflect not only personas but
also buying stage?
▪ What content has proven to be effective for
these personas in the past?
22. ABMTactics
Education Solution Selection
Objectives Awareness & Engagement Marketing & Sales Qualification Meetings & Pipeline
Segmentation 1:Many 1:Few 1:1
ProgrammaticAdvertising
Paid Search
Paid Social (e.g. LinkedIn)
1:1 Social Selling (e.g. Navigator)
Content Syndication
Direct Mail
Email
1:1 Sales Outreach
Web Personalization & Chat
23. Summary
▪ Select accounts based on some level of
data intelligence (ex: engagement, intent)
▪ Group accounts or buying groups by OBM stage
▪ Define goals & objectives that align with buying stage
▪ Ensure buy-in on those objectives by key stakeholders
▪ Identify key personas, pain points, and motivators
▪ Craft narratives that align with personas and buying stage
▪ Assess existing content & develop/repurpose as needed
▪ Evaluate tech stack for viability, functionality, gaps
▪ Select plays, channels & tactics consistent with buying stage
▪ Design, build, execute, optimize
