High-value products and services can be challenging to sell. The secret is creating a high-ticket agency funnel to target the right clients and using strategic selling tactics.

As a marketing company that has helped dozens of brands drive high ticket sales, Single Grain understands this. That’s why we use the latest SEO and marketing tactics to generate a 300% ROI for our clients.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Optimize for the High-Ticket Agency Funnel

Optimizing your strategy for the high-ticket funnel is the key to success. Here’s why this tactic is effective and how you can use it for your organization.

The Four Pillars of an Effective High-Ticket Agency Funnel

Building a successful marketing funnel involves focusing on four key elements:

1. Product: Ensure your offering is clear, valuable, and solves a specific problem.
2. Audience: Understand the thoughts, feelings, needs, and aspirations of your high-ticket customers. Tailor your messaging to their stage of business growth.
3. Offer: Create an irresistible gateway offer that builds trust and showcases your value.
4. Funnel: Use simple, logical steps to guide prospects from interest to conversion.

Traditional marketing follows this approach: a lead enters through the top funnel and becomes interested in the product or service. As they dive deeper into the topic, they become customers.

How does the high-ticket agency funnel differ? Client acquisition is more advanced. Many companies using this strategy are SaaS companies, and they rely on retaining subscribers. The key is to continue driving demand by ensuring your product or service solves problems, understanding your audience’s needs, and consistently creating great offers.

Simplifying Funnel Architecture

Source: SAPBW Consulting

While advanced strategies are valuable, simplicity often yields the best results. Simplifying the sales funnel is the best way to optimize your strategy for sales growth.

A straightforward funnel might include:

• A landing page with a clear call to action.
• A cart page for easy checkout.
• Logical upsells and order bumps to maximize revenue.
• Follow-up email sequences to nurture leads and encourage repeat business.

For instance, a $27 ebook can lead to an upsell for a $97 program, followed by a $497 course. This step-by-step approach ensures that each interaction builds on the last, increasing the lifetime value of each client.

How can you simplify your sales funnel? This may vary by business. Some may find a standard sales funnel the most straightforward solution, while other brands may have a different pipeline. The key is to use data to find the best solution for you, which we will cover next.

The Role of Data in Funnel Optimization

Optimizing your sales funnel starts by interpreting and analyzing data from past campaigns. Examples include metrics from past sales funnel strategies, market trends, and customer preferences and behaviors.

With this data, you can:

• Identify bottlenecks in your funnel.
• Adjust targeting and messaging for better results.
• Ensure a positive return on ad spend (ROAS).

How can you use data to measure sales funnel performance? Integrate automation tools like Zapier with your CRM to pull valuable data from lead forms and provide your sales team with actionable insights.

The High-Ticket Sales Funnel in Action: Introducing the Ascension Path Model

The Ascension Path Model is a marketing framework that is an alternative to pushy sales strategies. This model focuses on monetizing knowledge instead of relying on product sales, ensuring every sales funnel stage is profitable.

The Ascension Path Model segments potential clients based on their awareness and readiness to purchase. The process begins with a Gateway Offer—a low-barrier entry point that introduces prospects to your brand and builds trust. These offers can be:

• Free or paid events: Workshops or webinars that provide immediate value.
• Challenges: Short-term programs designed to solve a specific problem.
• Webinars: Educational sessions that demonstrate expertise.
• E-books or guides: Downloadable content that addresses a pain point.
• Lead magnets: Free resources that appeal to your target audience, such as templates or checklists.

What Are Gateway Offers?

A gateway offer serves as the first point of contact for potential customers—a low-cost, high-value product designed to introduce them to your brand while fostering trust. The idea is to provide customers with a sample of your expertise, encouraging them to invest further in your products or services.

In practice, gateway offers can take many forms:

• E-books priced under $100
• Short challenges or workshops
• Low-cost training courses
• Free or low-ticket webinars

These offerings allow businesses to bring in leads while creating a positive first impression, nurturing them into higher-ticket purchases over time.

Segmenting Offers for Different Audiences

One size doesn’t fit all when it comes to gateway offers. Different customers respond to varying approaches, which is why it’s wise to segment various lead subgroups. This helps deliver tailored messaging to the best leads.

What are some examples of offers you can deliver to segmented audiences? Examples include:

• Webinars: Attract time-sensitive leads with webinars, typically converting to mid-tier offers.
• Content: If your leads have more time but limited budgets, offer do-it-yourself courses or affordable gated content.
• Free or low-cost products: Build a foundation of trust with lower-priced offers, creating a pathway to higher-priced services.

Creating the Ultimate Funnel: Combining Gateway Offers

You can tailor your existing sales funnel to implement various gateway offers. Here’s an example of what that would look like:

• Top of the funnel: Free lead magnets like guides or community access.
• Mid-tier: Paid products like e-books or training courses.
• Bottom of the funnel: Agency services or premium coaching programs.

For example, an agency offered a $44.90 paid challenge with a $49 VIP upsell, which allowed them to break even on the front end while achieving a 16X return on the back end. This funnel targeted freelancers, coaches, and consultants, offering a clear Ascension path toward premium products.

Building Your Ascension Path

Here’s how to implement the Ascension Path Model in your agency:

Identify Your Gateway Offers

Start by defining low-cost or free offers that align with the needs of your ideal clients. These could be guides, templates, webinars, or even audits. The goal is to attract prospects into your ecosystem with minimal friction.

Creating Irresistible Offers

The “Know, Like, and Trust” (KLT) bridge is a key to high-performing funnels. This approach involves nurturing prospects with valuable content before presenting your core offer. Gateway offers, such as webinars, low-cost products, or free challenges, allow prospects to experience your expertise firsthand.

This content also shows them the benefits of working with your agency, and your final offer will be more irresistible. When they reach the decision-making stage, they trust your brand and are more likely to convert.

Build a Conversion Funnel

Source: Slide Team

Once prospects engage with your gateway offer, draft a customer journey plan that guides them through several steps. As your leads go down the funnel, they gradually increase their investment in your services.

For example:

• Start with customer-focused content, such as a free e-book.
• Qualify leads with a sign-up form.
• Offer a paid webinar or workshop.
• Upsell to a low-cost audit or consultation.
• Present your full-service solution.

Monitor your performance by tracking essential metrics, such as conversion rates. This way, you can find potential leaks in your sales funnel.

Tactics for the High-Ticket Agency Funnel

There are other strategies that can engage B2B clients and drive awareness to high-ticket products and services. From lead magnets to Facebook ads, here are other core tactics that you can add to your sales funnel or Ascension Path Model.

Facebook Ads

Facebook ads can help a high-ticket agency get more visibility when organic posts aren’t cutting it, and there are many ways to add a social media advertising strategy to a high-ticket sales funnel. Brands can either boost existing Facebook posts to attract more website traffic or create ad copy to increase impressions and CTRs.

The key to using Facebook ads to boost the high-ticket agency funnel is to master the nuances of the algorithm. The algorithm rewards advertisers who deliver a great user experience and align with users’ needs.

To generate leads from Facebook ads, focus on creating quality creatives, target relevant leads, and optimize your funnel for social media advertising.

Transforming Sales Conversations

Source: Claap

The ultimate goal of any gateway offer is to build trust and rapport with potential customers before a sales call. But how can brands achieve this? The key is to personalize all content and sales interactions.

Research your ideal buyer rather than casting a wide net on general leads. Understand their business needs and niche trends and find a solution to their problems.

Reel these leads in with free or low-cost content. After consuming your content, your leads will be familiar with your expertise and products/services.

This changes the dynamic of sales calls. Instead of pitching your services, you’re discussing how you can help them achieve their goals. As a result, your leads are more likely to convert, as they’ve already bought into your methodology.

This approach eliminates the need for cold outreach, creating a steady pipeline of warm leads eager to work with your business.

Leveraging Programmatic Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)

Programmatic conversion rate optimization (CRO) can generate more sales or other desired actions from your website or app, making your high-ticket sales funnel more accurate and effective. Brands can use technology to:

• Optimize website conversions dynamically.
• Tailor messaging for visitors using AI-driven tools.
• Automatically update SEO elements to maintain relevance and drive organic traffic.

These tools improve user experiences and ensure your marketing efforts are data-driven and scalable.

The Power of Video Funnels

87% of businesses say that video marketing improved their lead generation. Brands can take their high-ticket agency strategy further by implementing video funnels.

Video content offers these benefits to your sales funnel:

• Attracting more leads
• Engaging and nurturing leads at all stages
• Fostering customer loyalty after converting

Video funnels can be a game-changer, but the key is to use tailored messaging by audience segments. With this strategy, you can:

• Retarget viewers who engage with your content.
• Move potential clients from awareness to action without relying on traditional tracking methods.
• Use lead forms directly on platforms like Facebook to capture data seamlessly.

The key to targeting your audience with video funnels is to find an alternative to pixel. 9 out of 10 Americans think that online privacy is an important issue, so tracking online activity during the initial funnel stages may dissuade leads more than engage them.

The key is to generate pixel-less leads and target them with video content. You can do this by crafting themed video content targeting specific pain points—like “freelancer struggles” or “agency growth challenges.” Retarget those viewers with relevant offers, such as booking a free call or exploring premium services. This further streamlines the funnel while adhering to privacy laws and preferences.

Paid vs. Free Lead Magnets

There’s a difference between leads who accept freebies and others willing to pay a small amount for gated content, demos, or a webinar. Most B2B agencies will attract better leads when offering a paid service, but free lead magnets also have their place in marketing. Here’s a comparison between the two:

• Free lead magnets: Effective for building brand awareness and visibility, such as a free demo or crafting a large email list for your newsletter.
• Paid lead magnets: Help filter out unqualified prospects by requiring a small financial commitment, such as purchasing an affordable e-book or offering a premium service. Even a $1 offer can act as a qualifying filter.

Let’s Start Selling

High-Ticket Strategy Best Practices

Achieving your high-ticket sales goals is knowing some secrets of this strategy. These include understanding your audience, avoiding common pitfalls, and tracking the right metrics.

Why Targeting the Right Clients Matters

Understanding your target market is essential to any strategy, but it is a make-it-or-break-it for high-ticket funnels.

Marketers must understand their preferences, needs, and behaviors to target the right clients. Marketers can optimize this data for sales funnel marketing, delivering the right message at every pipeline stage. When clients feel understood, they’re more likely to trust your expertise.

Understanding high-value clients can help businesses:

• Justify premium pricing for comprehensive services such as ads management, funnel creation, email marketing, and tech integrations.
• Deliver exceptional results by allocating resources effectively.
• Build mutually beneficial relationships where both parties see tangible returns.

When you work with clients who value your services and are willing to invest in them, you create a win-win situation that enhances client satisfaction and allows your agency to thrive.

Adapting to Client Life Stages

Source: Smartsheet

The traditional sales funnel highlights the key stages a prospective customer goes through to become a customer, from brand awareness to making that first purchase. However, this sales funnel looks different when targeting B2B clients. Plus, your clients’ needs evolve as they progress in their business journey.

Understanding the various business life stages helps you create targeted offers. For example:

• Startup: Free resources and low-cost products.
• Growth: Group coaching and scalable solutions.
• Scaling: High-touch, done-for-you services for premium clients.

Remember that this sales funnel may differ based on your products/services, niche, and more. That means your sales funnel may be shorter and simpler or longer and more complex than this.

Start by segmenting your audience based on their business stage so you can deliver personalized solutions that resonate deeply with their current challenges and goals. We will discuss segmenting your audience in a later section.

Avoiding Common Pitfalls

Every business faces setbacks, even when implementing the high-ticket sales funnel. Some common ways that agencies initially struggle are:

• Undervaluing services to win clients.
• Attracting prospects that aren’t a good fit.
• Lacking a clear direction.

In addition to learning from past mistakes, excellent communication with clients and staff members, clear objectives, flexibility, and a risk management strategy can address these challenges. After implementing the high-ticket sales funnel and the Ascension Path Model, agencies can:

• Attract clients who value your agency and expertise.
• Charge fees that reflect the value you’re delivering.
• Scale your agency while maintaining high profitability.

The Importance of Tracking and Analysis

Tracking core metrics is integral across all sales funnel stages. However, monitoring KPIs can also be challenging for the high-ticket sales funnel. If you have various funnels or numerous customer segments, you may fail to identify efficiencies and other areas of improvement.

The key is to scale your best-performing campaigns. This can include your content, events, and advertising strategies.

If you properly track and optimize your efforts early in your campaign, you can allocate resources effectively and achieve great results.

Key Metrics to Monitor

All organizations may track different metrics, depending on your objectives and sales funnel. Here are some examples of metrics to track:

• Cost per Acquisition (CPA): Measure the cost of acquiring a customer through paid ads.
• Average Order Value (AOV): Calculate the average revenue per transaction, including upsells and cross-sells.
• Backend Revenue: Track the revenue generated from high-ticket sales after the initial purchase.
• Return on Ad Spend (ROAS): Evaluate the effectiveness of your advertising campaigns.

Monitoring these metrics also helps agencies scale their efforts confidently and make data-driven decisions.

We Can Help You Build Your High-Ticket Agency Funnel

The key to selling high-value products and services is using a campaign targeting the best leads. Businesses can do this by optimizing their campaign for the high-ticket agency funnel and applying the Ascension Path Model.

While these two strategies differ, they have one leading quality: businesses must create content proving their products or services are valuable and solve their prospect’s problems. If you’re struggling to tailor this message to your audience, it’s time to call the experts for help.

Single Grain Marketing can build a customized marketing funnel optimized for conversions. We can craft a sales funnel for high-ticket agencies that nurture leads until they’re ready to purchase. Click here to learn more about our marketing funnel services.

If you’re ready to level up your high-ticket sales strategy, Single Grain’s marketing experts can help!👇

Let’s Start Selling

Related Video

For more insights and lessons about marketing, check out our Marketing School podcast on YouTube.

The post The Ultimate Guide to Building a High-Ticket Agency Funnel in 2025 appeared first on Single Grain.

This is big for us at Single Grain as we’ve been able to use HeyGen to help our clients expand their brand presence beyond their core demographics.

For that reason, we’ve assembled this guide to help you understand a bit more about HeyGen for global marketing, what it is, and how it can help your brand scale its content to a global audience.

Let’s get started.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

What Is HeyGen?

HeyGen is an AI-driven video creation and generation platform that produces AI-generated voices and avatars. HeyGen aims to simplify and enhance video content production; companies don’t need to shoot and edit their videos, saving time and money.

Translations are one of the many features that HeyGen offers. From personalized videos to multi-language capabilities, HeyGen empowers marketers to:

• Create engaging video content
• Reach international audiences
• Streamline workflows

90% of customers say video marketing helps them make purchase decisions. However, expanding to video can be expensive and time-consuming for businesses. HeyGen found a way to use AI to cut production and editing costs while offering additional features, such as AI script writing and multi-language translation.

Get Help With HeyGen

Key Features of HeyGen for Global Marketing

How can HeyGen improve the video production process? This tool uses AI to produce high-quality videos. Here are some of the key features.

Virtual Video Production

Source: Fahim AI

HeyGen produces videos using advanced computing power, such as AI and graphics processing, so your marketing team can create and collaborate on a virtual platform. This tool uses the most advanced virtual production software.

HeyGen operates on a cloud-based platform, and its dashboard is accessible for remote teams. HeyGen’s cloud-based platform is not only flexible but ensures seamless collaboration by allowing multiple users to:

• Access projects from anywhere.
• Share feedback in real-time.
• Store and manage content in a centralized hub.

This is especially beneficial if you have a multi-location team that works in different time zones, countries, or continents.

AI Avatars

Even with the free plan, brands can access HeyGen’s library of over 100 pre-generated AI avatars. These avatars are lifelike and can deliver messages in a human-like manner. HeyGen’s avatars are multilingual and inclusive, and you can find avatars of various ethnicities, genders, and ages.

HeyGen offers three types of avatars:

• Photo avatar
• Instant avatar
• Studio avatar

While their pre-built avatars are realistic, you can create a custom avatar by editing a pre-generated avatar or uploading a recording of yourself to create a “digital twin.”

Automated Editing

Editing a video requires specialized skills and can take hours to complete. HeyGen offers automated editing, which reduces the time and effort needed to edit video content. Innovative editing features ensure professional-quality output, allowing content creators to save time and focus on the more creative aspects of video production.

Multi-Language Support

Learning and speaking multiple languages is hard, but finding and hiring a translator can also be a budget and time constraint. HeyGen reduces the stress of creating localized content, allowing businesses to reach a global audience.

HeyGen is one of the best video translation tools, and you can use this platform to create content in numerous languages. HeyGen supports over 175 languages, allowing marketers to translate their videos in just a few clicks.

The video translation features can also:

• Create subtitles in multiple languages.
• Generate voiceovers with native accents.

This feature is particularly valuable for businesses looking to expand into new markets without the cost of hiring local production teams.

AI Script Writing

Scripts are an essential part of video content creation. But if you don’t have specialized script writers, your videos may not capture your audience’s attention. HeyGen automates the scriptwriting process and produces high-quality video scripts within its dashboard. This tool integrates with ChatGPT and has the same natural language processing (NLP) capabilities.

To create an AI script, enter the topic name and select which language you want to use. You can also provide additional information, such as the tone of your video.

Personalized Video

Personalized videos can increase conversion rates by 20%, making them an essential part of any content strategy. With HeyGen, you can create customized videos for your marketing campaign, email newsletter, landing pages, and more. Personalizing your video only takes seconds and can boost sales and engage customers. HeyGen’s personalization features also enable marketers to create videos for:

• Customer onboarding
• Product recommendations
• Sales outreach

HeyGen integrates with CRMs such as HubSpot, so you can input customer data and generate unique videos tailored to individual preferences, increasing engagement and conversion rates.

Why HeyGen Stands Out in 2025

You should add HeyGen to your video content strategy for many reasons. Here are the advantages of using HeyGen.

User-Friendly Interface

Source: HeyGen

HeyGen’s intuitive design ensures that even non-technical users can easily navigate the platform. Users follow simple steps to create an AI-driven video and generate an avatar. Businesses of all sizes and skill levels can leverage its capabilities.

Constant Innovation

HeyGen is committed to staying at the forefront of technology and always uses AI to its maximum capabilities. It’s regularly introducing new features and tools based on user feedback and market trends.

Some ways that HeyGen is advancing the video creation process include:

• Enhanced AI for more realistic avatars.
• Advanced analytics to measure video performance.
• Integration with emerging platforms like the metaverse.

Customer Support

HeyGen offers robust customer support, including tutorials, live chat, and an active user community. Subscribers can also contact HeyGen via live chat. If you subscribe to the Enterprise plan, you’ll have a dedicated account manager and 24/7 call support. This ensures that marketers can maximize the tool’s potential without disruptions.

Cost-Effectiveness

Many brands struggle to implement video content due to budget constraints. HeyGen believes budget shouldn’t limit creativity. This tool provides a free or affordable solution to video production by eliminating the need for:

• Expensive video production crews
• Studio rentals
• Specialized software and hardware
• Props and costumes

All businesses need to do is subscribe to a plan (or use HeyGen’s free service), and they can create high-quality videos. Even small businesses can produce content that rivals larger competitors.

Tips for Maximizing HeyGen in Your Marketing Strategy

HeyGen is a robust video marketing solution for businesses in every niche. But HeyGen is packed with features, and this platform can be intimidating for new users. Here are some tips to maximize the benefits of HeyGen.

• Plan your content: Define clear objectives for each video to ensure they align with your marketing goals.
• Leverage analytics: Use HeyGen’s analytics to track performance and optimize future campaigns.
• Experiment with features: Don’t hesitate to test new templates, avatars, and languages to discover what resonates best with your audience.
• Integrate with other tools: Combine HeyGen with your existing marketing stack for seamless workflows, such as integrating it with email marketing platforms to send personalized video campaigns.
• Cross-channel distribution: You can post your HeyGen videos to your emails, social media channels, and more.
• Engage your team: Involve cross-functional teams in the creation process to generate diverse ideas and perspectives.

Get My HeyGen Marketing Strategy

HeyGen Pricing

HeyGen offers four pricing plans:

• Free: Users receive three credits per month. One credit equals one minute, so users are restricted to three minutes of video content monthly. The free plan still offers one custom avatar and access to their pre-generated avatars. It’s a good option if you’re new to AI video creation or want to test HeyGen before committing to a paid plan.
• Creator: Users can create unlimited videos up to five minutes long. This plan also offers advanced features such as three instant avatars, fast video processing, avatar add-ons, watermark removal, and auto-captions. The monthly plan costs $29/month, and the yearly plan costs $24/month.
• Team: HeyGen touts this as their most popular plan. Users can make unlimited videos that are 30 minutes long, and this plan supports multiple users. The monthly plan is $89/month/seat, and the yearly plan is $69/month/seat.
• Enterprise: The Enterprise plan offers the most usage if you consistently use HeyGen to produce high-quality videos. HeyGen offers customized features and pricing based on your needs, so you must contact the sales department. This plan includes unlimited videos with no max duration, exporting in 4K, 3+ interactive and video avatars, and translation proofreading.

Why Global Video Marketing Matters in 2025

89% of businesses use video marketing. And there’s a reason why — video content is engaging and can improve your reach. Keeping up with this momentum will make you more competitive.

Source: Kantar

But what about your international audience? If you only center your video storytelling, product demos, and testimonials around your native region, you’re ignoring a large chunk of your consumer base. Plus, more consumers demand inclusion and diversity from brands, and targeting a worldwide audience is an effective way to improve brand awareness while engaging your current audience.

Global video marketing can solve these problems and improve these areas in your business:

• Increased competition: With businesses vying for the attention of digitally savvy consumers, the need for compelling, high-quality content has never been more significant.
• Global reach requirements: Companies targeting international audiences require localized content that respects cultural nuances while maintaining brand consistency.
• Budget constraints: Many companies need cost-effective solutions without compromising quality or scalability.
• Technological advancements: AI, machine learning, and automation are becoming essential tools for marketers to stay competitive.

HeyGen is a changing the way we think about global video marketing. It uses AI to revolutionize video production and expand a brand’s presence worldwide. They offer many features to customize video creation, avatars, and more. HeyGen’s subscription plans are budget-friendly and flexible.

And on the note about avatars, Heygen is getting more sophisticated each day with ways to adapt a person’s likeness as an AI avatar. Outside of even global applications, these videos are great for time-pressed business owners looking for a solution to add value through video without the commitment to personalized videos every single time. While the technology is still getting polished, it’s a signal as to where the world is heading.

Use HeyGen for Global Marketing

One of the best ways to stay competitive is by expanding your reach across country lines. However, language barriers can prevent a business from creating a global marketing strategy. HeyGen offers an innovative opportunity for brands to engage a worldwide audience and deliver video content in another language.

This platform uses AI to create impactful videos, offering pre-generated avatars, AI scriptwriting, and seamless translations.

Its AI-driven capabilities, multi-language support, and focus on personalization make it a must-have for companies of all sizes. Your team can collaborate on a remote dashboard to produce sales-boosting marketing and outreach videos. HeyGen offers four plans, including a free one, so you can find a solution that fits your budget and needs.

While HeyGen is an excellent video marketing solution, creating AI videos takes time and skills. If you would rather let professionals handle video creation, Single Grain Marketing uses the latest technology to make videos and other content types for our clients in 2025.

If you’re ready to level up your video marketing strategy, Single Grain’s video marketing experts can help!👇

Optimize Video Marketing

Related Video

For more insights and lessons about marketing, check out our Marketing School podcast on YouTube.

The post HeyGen for Global Marketing: Boost Your Brand with AI Video appeared first on Single Grain.

The sales process would be easier if you immediately connect with the leads with the highest value. Fortunately, this is possible with an account-based marketing strategy (ABM).

ABM is by no means a new approach to high ticket sales, but it’s made partly new again when enhanced by AI. When wielded well, it can be one of the most effective strategies for targeting qualified leads.

Even though this process usually leads toward higher marketing efficiency and revenue growth, not all marketers know how to do account-based marketing (the right way).

But that’s why we’re here. — to walk you through the steps to implement a successful account-based marketing framework.

Key Highlights on How To Do Account-Based Marketing

• The first step in account-based marketing is identifying the accounts likeliest to convert and creating an ideal customer profile (ICP) based on data you’ve collected on your target audience.
• Create an ABM team of marketing and sales professionals, plus other key stakeholders and reps, to ensure they’re on the same page.
• Conduct in-depth research on your accounts and understand the factors that make them want to convert.
• Create a robust marketing campaign that uses personalization and relevant content to target your accounts and keep them engaged in the sales funnel.
• Use the same channels that your accounts are using to enhance visibility.
• Monitor your ABM campaign using goals, metrics, and KPIs.
• After your accounts convert, continue to nurture your relationship with them for better retainment rates.
• For best results, start small with ABM, use tools and technology, focus on quality accounts, know when to make changes, and celebrate your wins.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Step 1: Identify Target Accounts

While ABM boasts a 208% increase in business revenue, you won’t see those results if you don’t know your target companies.

Start by creating a target account list. Discover who is visiting your website, following you on LinkedIn and other social media platforms, subscribing to your email newsletter, and is already buying your products and services. You can also view the data you collected on your CRM.

Once you have this data, create an ideal customer profile (ICP). Include business firmographics and the personal information of the role you’re targeting. Your ICP should be a snapshot of the executive or manager you will contact and the business they work for (such as company type, industry, annual revenue, and location). You’ll use this ICP for all account targeting tactics.

Step 2: Build a Cross-Functional ABM Team

ABM requires close collaboration between various teams, specifically marketing and sales reps. Create a cross-functional team where these teams can collaborate on a single strategy. ABM strives for consistent customer experiences, so everyone should work toward the same marketing and sales efforts.

Here’s a snapshot of what an ABM team will look like:

• Marketing: Responsible for creating targeted campaigns, crafting personalized content, and analyzing performance.
• Sales: Focuses on account engagement, nurturing relationships, and closing deals.
• ABM manager: The point of contact for your campaign. Oversees the strategy, coordinates between teams, and aligns sales and marketing tactics.
• Other key players: Internal stakeholders and customer service representatives may be included.

In addition to planning the strategy, your ABM team should identify tools and resources, set a budget, and establish goals. Always ensure these team members have excellent communication.

Step 3: Develop Deep Account Insights

Understanding your target accounts and what makes them convert is critical for effective ABM. Conduct in-depth research to uncover key details about each account. This may include:

• Industry trends.
• Pain points, challenges, and goals.
• Preferred communication channels.

Step 4: Create Marketing and Content Campaigns

Source: Linked Helper

Targeting high-value accounts is the first step in the ABM sales funnel. That’s why you need to start strong with a powerful marketing campaign.

Personalization is at the heart of ABM. Instead of using general marketing and advertising tactics, personalization will prove that you understand the needs of specific companies, and it will be easier to sell your products and services as their solution.

Develop tailored content and campaigns that resonate with each account. Examples include:

• Case studies: Showcase how your solution addresses similar challenges.
• Personalized emails: Craft messages that speak directly to the account’s pain points.
• Account-based advertising: Use account-specific ads to reinforce your messaging.
  • Hint: One of best tools to build account-based marketing ads at scale is by using Karrot.ai. It’s great for transforming the effort involved with creating a single ad and applying it to every target account on your brand’s radar.
    
• Interactive content: Create webinars, whitepapers, or videos that address the account’s unique needs.
• Blogs: Write about topics in the account’s niche and mention pain points and other challenges.

Step 5: Choose the Right ABM Channels

ABM campaigns are most effective when delivered through the channels that your accounts are using. Find the channels your accounts use to discover the latest industry trends and find solutions to their problems. Here are popular examples:

• Email marketing
• Social Media (specifically LinkedIn)
• Events
• Direct Mail
• Advertising

Step 6: Monitor Your Campaign

While no ABM campaign comes with one-size-fits-all goals, the metrics you measure will likely differ from traditional lead generation or marketing strategies. That’s because you’ll want your accounts to go down the ABM pipeline and ensure you generate revenue from these leads.

Some key metrics you’ll want to track include:

• Account value.
• Engagement rates (email opens, clicks, and ad impressions).
• Website activity from target accounts.
• Opportunities created.
• Closed-won deals.
• Pipeline contribution and revenue impact.
• Customer lifetime value.

Adjust your campaigns based on real-time data to optimize results.

Step 7: Nurture Relationships

ABM is not a one-time effort. Forging strong relationships with valuable customers is key after they convert. Continuously nurture relationships with decision-makers and influencers within your target accounts over an extended period with personalized customer experiences. Strategies include:

• Regular check-ins, meetings, and personalized follow-ups.
• Sharing valuable content and industry reports.
• Offering a free subscription to your email newsletter.
• Inviting them to exclusive events or webinars.
• Create and share case studies about how your product or service benefitted the account.

Understand that these relationships aren’t short-lived. You’ll want to hold these account relationships for months or years after they first convert. This is especially true if you have a SaaS-based business or any company with a subscription-based model. If there’s a problem they’re facing, you want your business to be their first line of contact.

Best Practices for ABM Success

Source: Newoldstamp

Following these steps may not be enough to generate sales from ABM. Here are a few tactics and best practices to ensure you’re building revenue.

Start Small

Don’t jump into ABM. Start small by defining clear goals and creating ICPs. Begin with a pilot program targeting a few key accounts and scale up when you’re ready. Always offer a feedback loop to your team to work out internal problems. It’s best to jump through hoops early in your campaign and learn from these mistakes.

Use Account-Based Marketing Tools

ABM tools will streamline your account-based marketing strategy and make it easier for your accounts to move through the sales cycle.

Some examples of tools to use include:

• ABM platforms (such as Demandbase and 6sense).
• Data collection, forms, surveys, and forms (such as Jotform).
• Lead capture tools (such as Flowlu).
• CRMs (such as HubSpot and Salesforce).
• Company intelligence software (such as Zoominfo).
• Sales strategy tools (such as LinkedIn Sales Navigator).
• Sales pipeline software (such as Terminus).
• Marketing automation platform (such as ActiveCampaign and Marketo)

Focus on Quality Accounts

You won’t get results from your ABM campaign if you don’t prioritize account selection and accurate customer profiling. Only target the highest quality accounts that are likelier to convert. After these accounts buy into your products or services, prioritize meaningful interactions with these customers over sheer sales volume.

Stay Agile

Industry trends and other unpredictable events can disrupt your ABM campaign. Be prepared to adapt your strategy based on account feedback and market changes. Even if the market is stable, review your objectives and update your strategy when needed.

How to Do Account-Based Marketing: Do You Still Need Help?

An account-based marketing strategy is effective because you connect with high-quality accounts during the initial marketing and sales stages, driving more growth than traditional marketing strategies. If you don’t know how to do account-based marketing, identify these high-value target accounts and craft a marketing campaign and personalized campaigns to engage them down the sales funnel.

Don’t forget to align your sales and marketing teams to craft your account-based marketing campaigns, invest in the right tools, agree on a budget, and set goals. This way, you can close deals, build strong relationships with your accounts, and improve your ROI.

Have you tried ABM and couldn’t convert accounts or achieve measurable results? You shouldn’t give up on ABM. An ABM marketing firm can target your ideal accounts and drive them down the sales funnel.

If you’re ready to level up your account-based marketing strategy, Single Grain’s ABM experts can help!👇

Let’s Do ABM Right

Related Video

For more insights and lessons about marketing, check out our Marketing School podcast on YouTube.

The post How to Do Account-Based Marketing in 7 Steps appeared first on Single Grain.

Many businesses notice that generic marketing strategies often fail to achieve KPIs. This is especially true in B2B marketing, which targets key decision-makers.

ABM (also called signal-based selling) targets specific accounts and fosters personal relationships, resulting in long-term growth and sales potential.

But what is account-based marketing? Why should your business invest in this strategy?

Let’s take a look.

Key Takeaways

• Account-based marketing is a strategy that targets high-value accounts with personalized outreach and tailored messaging.
• ABM offers many benefits, such as a higher ROI, personalized engagement, aligned marketing and sales teams, better customer retention, and a shorter sales cycle.
• An account-based marketing strategy requires an ideal customer profile (ICP), a sales funnel tailored to ABM, personalized content, multichannel engagement, sales and marketing alignment, and KPIs.
• To implement ABM, identify your target accounts and craft personalized messaging for each segment. Leverage technology like CRMs and marketing automation platforms. Use various channels to engage your accounts. Monitor your results and refine your plan when needed.
• Account-based marketing tactics and technologies are expected to improve, specifically with account identification and marketing personalization.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

What Is Account-Based Marketing?

Account-based marketing (ABM) is a strategy that engages individual accounts (or companies). Marketers achieve this by using tactics such as personalization and tailored messaging.

Traditional marketing tactics, such as advertising, aim to attract a broad audience. Instead, ABM zeroes in on a specific set of high-value businesses more likely to convert. This is why companies that use ABM see a 208% increase in revenue.

Sales and marketing alignment is the secret to ABM’s success. These teams work together on lead generation efforts, identifying target accounts, understanding their pain points, and creating personalized campaigns that resonate deeply with decision-makers. This is why 76% of marketers say they get a higher ROI with ABM than other marketing strategies.

Three Types of ABM

Source: Decklinks

Signal-based selling has three primary types: strategic ABM, ABM lite, and programmatic ABM. Here’s how they differ:

1. Strategic ABM (one-to-one): These campaigns target a small number of high-value accounts. This approach involves deep research and collaboration between marketing and sales teams to create tailored strategies for individual accounts. The result is a deeper relationship with each account.
2. ABM lite (one-to-few): Focuses on small clusters of accounts with similar characteristics, such as industry or business challenges. This approach balances personalization with scalability.
3. Programmatic ABM (one-to-many): Tailored to a broader set of accounts. It emphasizes automation and data analytics for efficient targeting at scale.

Benefits of Account-Based Marketing

Account-based marketing is not just another buzzword; it is a game-changer for businesses seeking meaningful growth and building strong relationships with high-value clients. Here are some reasons why ABM is worth the investment.

Higher ROI

We’ve already said that ABM results in a better ROI compared to other marketing tactics, but why is that?

You’re focusing marketing resources on accounts with the highest revenue potential. This is more effective compared to traditional, broad-based marketing strategies. Plus, marketers also save more money by only investing in the resources they need.

Personalized Engagement

ABM’s emphasis on personalized content and messaging ensures your outreach resonates with target accounts’ specific needs and challenges. Personalized messaging enhances engagement, creates a more valuable experience, and builds trust. This makes it more likely for prospects to consider your solutions over a competitor.

Collaboration Between Marketing and Sales Teams

When sales and marketing teams align, companies can experience 36% higher retention rates. Cross-team collaboration results in better communication and shared goals, ensuring that both teams are on the same page. Plus, this alignment results in other benefits, such as a more streamlined approach and a better chance of sticking to a budget.

On the contrary, misalignment between sales and marketing teams can lead to inefficiencies and missed opportunities.

Improved Customer Retention

Companies that use ABM report an 80% improvement in customer relationships. That’s because ABM is not just about acquiring new clients but also about deepening relationships with existing ones. ABM strategies achieve this by delivering value and demonstrating a deep understanding of your client’s needs. As a result, ABM strengthens loyalty and encourages long-term partnerships.

Shorter Sales Cycles

Source: pipeline.zoominfo.com

ABM marketers target high-quality accounts and drive interest immediately during the customer journey. This saves time and resources and results in a shorter sales cycle.

In B2B sales, lengthy decision-making processes can delay conversions. ABM helps shorten sales cycles by addressing concerns, offering personalized outreach, and presenting tailored solutions. This makes the sales cycle more efficient, and your leads will convert more quickly.

The Key Components of ABM

The ABM sales funnel differs from traditional pipelines because the first step is to target accounts rather than focus on awareness. Because of this, your ABM strategy must have specific components to ensure your campaign is effective.

Ideal Customer Profiles

The foundation of ABM lies in identifying the best accounts to target. But what is a high-value account? Identifying the best accounts will take research and knowing the qualities that make an account more likely to convert. These qualities usually include firmographics, such as company revenue and the industry they’re in.

Once you have this data, the sales and marketing teams can create an ideal customer profile (ICP). These teams can prioritize their marketing efforts on these accounts and nurture them to become devoted customers.

ABM Sales Funnel

Source: Digital Marketing Consulting

Compared to other marketing strategies, ABM has a different customer journey that accounts go through. The ABM sales funnel visualizes this journey, and each stage represents the unique decision-making journey and more specific actions compared to traditional pipelines.

After creating ICPs, marketers target those specific accounts with personalized outreach and marketing to generate interest from the lead. This differs from traditional pipelines, which start with brand awareness, and the lead doesn’t develop interest in the brand until the second stage.

As the account generates interest, sales teams must nurture relationships with these accounts and promote your brand as a solution to their problems. After the account becomes a customer, the process doesn’t end. The final stage is retainment, which aims to foster long-term relationships with accounts.

Personalized Content

How can you empathize with a company’s pain points and offer your product as a solution? Content is and has always been king for a reason. Valuable content educates customers and helps them solve their most significant issues. That’s why once you identify your target accounts, the next step is crafting customized content and messaging tailored to each account’s specific needs, challenges, and goals.

Content marketing differs from ABM since personalization is integral to your strategy. 76% of customers say they’re more likely to purchase from brands that use personalization. Personalized content resonates better with accounts and better targets key decision-makers.

Marketers can personalize different forms of content, such as:

• Social media marketing
• Emails
• Blogs
• Whitepapers
• Videos
• Webinars
• Programmatic advertising

Multichannel Engagement

Engaging your accounts doesn’t end with content. ABM leverages multiple channels—email, social media, events, and direct mail—to reach decision-makers where they are most active. All ABM marketers must adopt a multichannel approach combining sales and marketing channels.

This is where sales and marketing alignment comes in. Sales professionals can set up meetings, cold calls, and book demos to build relationships with accounts.

Marketers can create different types of personalized content and repurpose them for other channels. Inbound marketing tactics are also effective for ABM; while inbound marketing focuses on a broad reach, both strategies use similar outlets, such as email newsletters and LinkedIn posts, to target leads. Other channels ABM marketers can use include industry publications, blogs, and paid ads.

Side Note: There’s a really handy tool for building ABM ads for LinkedIn at scale, based on your ideal target account specifications. It’s called Karrot.ai and you can join the waitlist here.

Alignment of Sales and Marketing

Aligning sales and marketing teams has come up quite a bit in this post. But what does it mean, and why is it integral for ABM?

Sales and marketing alignment ensures that accounts have a comprehensive buying experience. In other words, the account is engaged through every sales funnel stage. To achieve this, sales and marketing teams must be on the same page and execute these strategies together. Both must share data and insights to ensure a cohesive and impactful approach.

Analytics and KPIs

Tracking the success of ABM campaigns is essential. If you’re not measuring your ABM results, you’ll never know what’s working in your campaign. Plus, you risk wasting marketing dollars on ineffective tactics.

First, identify the KPIs to track based on your goals. Metrics such as engagement rates, pipeline growth, ROI, and account-specific revenue help determine your strategy’s success and ensure you profit from ABM.

Brands that are new to ABM may want to track specific metrics, such as brand awareness, customer lifecycle, and lead quality, to test their customer profiles and measure their profitability.

How to Implement ABM in Your Business

Now that you know about ABM, it’s time to create your strategy. Adopting ABM requires careful planning and execution. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you get started.

Identify Your Target Accounts

Identifying your target accounts will take some research. Use data analytics and insights to identify high-value accounts that align with your business objectives.

Consider industry, company size, location, revenue potential, and alignment with your offerings. You can also find the qualities of leads you converted in the past, business objectives you’re targeting, spending patterns, growth trajectory, and the tools they may be using (or aren’t using if you’re a SaaS business).

Once you have this information, create an ICP or customer persona based on your target role. For example, if you’re selling a digital marketing tool, you will likely create an ICP for the Digital Marketing Director or Digital Marketing Manager. If you’re unsure which role to target, go to LinkedIn, find the accounts you commonly connect with, and see if they have similar roles.

Develop a Custom Strategy for Each Account

ABM marketers must deliver a personalized message to each prospect to drive interest. Tailored marketing and sales strategies address each account’s unique needs and preferences. But this can be challenging if you’re targeting various accounts.

Start by segmenting your accounts based on target markets. This can be based on similarities between the accounts, such as targeting the same roles or segmenting based on their sales funnel stage.

Leverage Technology

Account-based marketing requires a lot of collaboration and data collection. ABM tools and platforms can streamline these efforts.

Technologies like CRM systems, marketing automation, and analytics platforms can help you effectively manage and measure your campaigns. Don’t forget niche tools like marketing personalization software. Popular examples of ABM software include Demandbase and 6sense.

Execute Multichannel Campaigns

Source: TechTarget

Reach out to your target accounts through multiple channels to maximize engagement. Craft your messaging to be tailored to each account and consistent across all platforms.

Numerous channels are effective for ABM, such as events, email, ads, and direct mail. While ABM requires a multichannel strategy, knowing which channels to prioritize can be challenging. Use the platforms that make sense for your accounts and where you can foster a deep relationship with them.

Monitor and Optimize

While all marketers must regularly measure the performance of ABM campaigns, the best KPIs differ from those used in other types of marketing. Since ABM requires marketing and sales efforts, marketers should focus more on revenue growth and pipeline success. Measure metrics like engagement rates, lead quality, and revenue growth to evaluate success and make necessary adjustments.

ABM also requires tracking other successes. This includes opportunities created, account value, and closed-won deals.

The Future of ABM

ABM trends show this strategy will evolve in two ways: better account identification and more marketing personalization opportunities.

This is where AI and automation come into play. Innovations in technology like predictive analytics and personalization tools (like Karrot) are expected to enhance the effectiveness of ABM strategies.

Deep learning AI and machine learning can launch and execute an ABM strategy faster and more effectively.

Specific tools, such as CRMs, are constantly improving to analyze data better, identify new accounts, and offer better insights to keep accounts engaged. Since ABM is becoming a more popular strategy, new tools are continually emerging that offer innovative functions like lead scoring and insights on account attributes.

There are some hindrances to ABM. Marketers and ABM technology must adhere to various privacy laws. Fortunately, most CRMs and other data collection tools offer encryption, secure servers, and access controls to stay compliant. It’s still a good practice to only collect data necessary for your campaign and refrain from collecting sensitive data.

Another Account-Based Marketing Option

If traditional marketing tactics aren’t generating results, you may benefit from account-based marketing. But what is account-based marketing? This strategy aims to target and engage individual accounts and convert them into long-term customers.

Account-based marketing stands out because it prioritizes quality over quantity. It focuses on high-value accounts to deliver personalized experiences, which will help businesses achieve sustainable growth and build lasting client partnerships. Whether you are a small business or a large enterprise, ABM can improve ROI, increase revenue, and make you more competitive.

While ABM offers a lot of promise, this strategy requires a lot of effort. Brands must align sales and marketing to personalize outreach and engage accounts on multiple channels. If your organization doesn’t have these resources, an ABM agency is another option.

If you’re ready to level up your account-based marketing strategy, Single Grain’s ABM experts can help!👇

sg_cta_button type=”free_consultation_popup” override=”true”]Let’s Do ABM Right[/sg_cta_button]

Related Video

For more insights and lessons about marketing, check out our Marketing School podcast on YouTube.

The post What Is Account-Based Marketing? A Comprehensive Overview appeared first on Single Grain.

We’ve been honing in on ABM strategies here at Single Grain, and we have a few power plays you ought to try out.

We’ve assembled ten core areas you’ll want to consider to ensure your ABM campaign is successful right out of the gate. Here are the account-based marketing best practices and strategies to attract specific customers in your prospect pool.

Key Highlights on Account-Based Marketing Best Practices

• To profit from your ABM marketing efforts, all marketers must implement different best practices.
• Identify target accounts likelier to convert and create personas (ICPs) to visualize your ideal customer.
• Since ABM hyper focuses on specific accounts, the ABM sales pipeline looks more like a pyramid, starting small by targeting specific accounts and growing toward the bottom.
• There are three types of ABM: strategic, ABM lite, and programmatic. Before beginning your campaign, plan which strategy to use.
• Your marketing and sales teams should collaborate on your campaign and work toward the same goals.
• Offer personalized content to prove you understand your account’s needs and goals.
• Use the right marketing and sales channels your accounts already use to boost visibility.
• Invest in ABM tools to streamline this process.
• ABM may require trial and error to achieve results, so measure several KPIs across all sales pipeline stages.
• ABM is only successful if you have long-lasting relationships with your accounts, so continue keeping them engaged to maximize revenue.
• Scale your ABM campaign by tiering account segments and using content and sales templates.

And with those covered, let’s cover each in more depth.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

1. Identify and Prioritize Target Accounts

The secret to an effective ABM campaign is targeting the highest-quality accounts. But before doing so, you must identify the right accounts to move down the sales funnel and become customers.

How do you identify the best accounts to target? Start by leveraging data and collecting insights on accounts that have already converted. Use tools like your CRM or those who follow you on LinkedIn to collect this information.

Once you have this data, create an ideal customer profile (ICP). Your ICP should include firmographics such as company, industry, size, revenue, location, and anything you can gauge about buying behavior. It should also include the team members you’ll contact and their roles in the organization.

In the next section, we’ll define the three types of ABM, which vary by the number of accounts you’re targeting. If you plan on targeting a large group of accounts, segmenting them into various categories will help you stay organized while offering personalized content. You can categorize these groups based on firmographics or their likelihood of conversion.

2. Use the ABM Sales Pyramid

Source: MindFire Communications

The ABM sales process differs from traditional marketing tactics, and the sales funnel proves it. Conventional marketing strategies involve casting a wide net to attract several leads. ABM targets a small number of high-value accounts, so the account-based marketing sales pipeline is flipped and is more similar to a pyramid than a funnel.

The funnel starts small at the top since the first stage is identifying prospects. After marketers create ICPs, they immediately begin engaging and nurturing these accounts. That’s why conversion is stage three rather than the final stage. ABM’s goal is to create long-lasting customer relationships, so the final stage is building those connections and retaining accounts.

If you’re looking for help from an agency in scaling your ABM strategy, connect with our team at Single Grain. We’ve helped brands turn simple LinkedIn posts into some of the biggest needle movers for generating specific enterprise-level leads.

Boost Your ABM

3. Know the Type of ABM You’ll Be Using

Source: LinkedIn

There are three types of ABM:

• Strategic ABM (one-to-one): Strengthening relationships with a select group of accounts to retain them. It can include strategies such as cross-selling and upselling.
• ABM lite (one-to-few): Targeting a few accounts with various similarities, such as their needs, goals, and challenges. A flexible strategy that’s not as focused as strategic ABM but still requires targeted messaging.
• Programmatic ABM (one-to-many): Attracting a larger net of accounts with commonalities, such as firmographics and demographics. It can include hundreds or thousands of target accounts, so grouping them is integral to delivering targeted messaging.

When planning your ABM campaign, know which type you’ll use and invest in the best tools and platforms before working on your strategy.

4. Align Sales and Marketing Teams

ABM combines marketing and sales initiatives to attract and convert accounts. That’s why your sales and marketing teams must collaborate on your campaign and work toward the same goals.

These teams must work together to:

• Agree on target account lists and personas.
• Segment prospects.
• Share data and insights.
• Create ABM tactics.
• Personalized messaging and content.
• Regularly communicate progress and adapt strategies.

Your organization can ease the collaboration process in many ways. For example, invest in tools so all teams can share information, work on the same documents, craft messaging, and stay engaged on the same channels.

5. Develop Personalized and Relevant Content for Each Account

ABM thrives on delivering tailored experiences to capture attention. Create personalized content that your accounts care about and addresses their needs, pain points, and goals. Content examples include:

• Custom whitepapers: Industry-specific reports featuring tailored recommendations.
• Video messages: Personalized video introductions from account managers.
• Interactive content: Account-specific tools such as calculators.
• Case studies: Success stories that resonate with the target account’s challenges.
• Blogs: Educating accounts with best practices, training, and research in their niche.
• Webinars: Training events and videos from industry experts.
• E-books: Long-form content that offers a deep dive into various industry topics.

Marketers shouldn’t only care about the type of content they offer but also the topics that your accounts will want to consume. Start by understanding their needs and pain points. Avoid generalized and evergreen topics; get into the specifics of their industry, answer their questions, and cover the trends that are occurring.

Quality over quantity is also integral when creating ABM content. While marketers should aim to post a specific amount of content with a traditional strategy, ABM requires personalized messaging when needed.

6. Identify and Use the Right Channels

The only way you can introduce your brand to these accounts is if you have a presence where they hang out. Engaging your target accounts through multiple channels increases your visibility, but it’s always important to post on the platforms they’re already using. Your prospects are busy, so don’t make them look far and wide to find the solutions they need.

What are some examples of these channels? The most popular ones in the B2B space include:

• Email: Personalized email newsletters with value-driven messaging.
• Social media: LinkedIn and Twitter are particularly effective for B2B. (hint: there’s this nifty tool called Karrot, which can help speed up ABM ad creation like nothing you’ve ever seen before).

• Display ads: Use retargeting and programmatic ads.
• Direct mail and gifts: High-value accounts may appreciate thoughtful, tangible items.
• Events: Invite key accounts to webinars, workshops, or networking events.

Consistency across these touchpoints ensures a cohesive brand message.

7. Invest in Account-Based Marketing Tools

ABM can be tedious, so investing in the best resources can streamline this process.

Consider investing in tools like:

• Account identification: ZoomInfo or Demandbase
• Data enrichment: Cognism
• CRM: Salesforce
• Sales tools: LinkedIn Sales Navigator
• Marketing automation: ActiveCampaign
• Personalization: HubSpot or Marketo
• Analytics and attribution: Google Analytics or Tableau

8. Measure and Report Results

Source: Postal

If this is your first time working on an ABM strategy, achieving your ROI may take time. That’s why it’s important to measure specific KPIs and improve your strategy when necessary.

Key metrics to track include:

• Engagement: Time spent on content, email click-through rates, and ad impressions.
• Pipeline contribution: Number of new opportunities created and their deal value.
• Revenue: Total closed-won deals influenced by the campaign.
• Customer retention: Churn rate and upsell opportunities.

Measuring results at every sales funnel stage is also a good idea. While you can track general pipeline metrics, such as sales cycle length, tracking metrics in each stage will show how your accounts are moving through the funnel. Here are some examples:

• First stage – Identify: Target account awareness
• Second stage – Engage: Pipeline velocity
• Third stage – Convert: Conversion rate
• Fourth stage – Long-term relationships: Customer lifetime value

Use these insights to create comprehensive reports that showcase the value of your ABM efforts. If you’re changing anything in your strategy, such as trying new tactics, include this in your report.

9. Focus on Relationship Building

Source: Boomerang

ABM is not just about conversions—it’s about building long-term relationships with your high-value customers. Marketing and sales can still collaborate on account management by:

• Offering exceptional post-sale support.
• Sending regular updates on industry trends and insights.
• Inviting clients to exclusive events or advisory boards.
• Creating nurturing content such as onboarding guides and follow-up emails.

Happy customers become brand advocates, amplifying your efforts and contributing to sustained revenue growth.

10. Stay Scalable

As you refine your ABM strategy, consider how to scale your efforts without compromising personalization. This can be achieved through:

• Tiered approaches: Prioritize top-tier accounts for high-touch tactics while automating outreach for lower tiers.
• Content libraries: Build reusable templates and resources for common pain points.
• AI and automation: Use machine learning to identify patterns and predict behavior.

Scaling effectively allows you to expand your impact while maintaining efficiency.

Improve Your ROI With These Account-Based Marketing Best Practices

Instead of attracting many leads to build visibility, account-based marketing targets a small number of high-value accounts to drive revenue and maximize ROI. To have an effective ABM campaign, you need to implement account-based marketing best practices.

These best practices include aligning teams, personalizing content, leveraging technology, and focusing on relationships. As a result, you’ll create a campaign that drives meaningful results and builds long-lasting relationships.

If you’re ready to level up your account-based marketing strategy, Single Grain’s ABM experts can help!👇

Let’s Do ABM Right

Related Video

For more insights and lessons about marketing, check out our Marketing School podcast on YouTube.

The post 10 Account-Based Marketing Best Practices for Maximizing ROI appeared first on Single Grain.

These agencies offer tailored ABM services that align sales and marketing efforts and apply them to business objectives and the specific accounts they’re targeting. They specialize in ABM services like marketing personalization, targeted content, and sales pipeline optimization.

The right ABM agency can do more than achieve your marketing goals. These tailored solutions result in more qualified leads, greater revenue, and a better ROI. Here’s a comprehensive guide to finding the best ABM firms for your business.

Key Takeaways

• You should always consider the experience of an account-based marketing agency before working with them. Do this by reviewing case studies and viewing their portfolio.
• Ask about an account-based marketing agency’s tactics and how they apply them to a strategic, ABM lite, or programmatic campaign.
• Always consider the ABM tools that an agency uses to execute its strategy.
• Ensure the ABM company personalizes marketing and advertising efforts for each account or group. Choose an agency that personalizes an account’s readiness to buy based on its sales funnel stage for best results.
• Your ABM agency should always be transparent about its tactics and offer insights and KPIs into your campaign performance.
• If you need to attract more accounts or expand to another region, it’s a good idea to choose an ABM firm with scalable services.
• An ABM strategy can result in serious revenue growth but shouldn’t cut your profits. Know how an ABM agency prices its services and sets a monthly budget.
• All ABM firms should try new tools and implement new techniques in their campaigns.
• Requesting a proposal or a sample campaign is always a good idea.
• Don’t forget to trust your instinct and ensure the agency’s values and commitments align with yours.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Assess Experience

Gauging a marketing company’s experience should always be the first step. Looking at an agency’s portfolio and reading case studies ensures that the ABM company can deliver results and has experience with various signal-based selling strategies.

Organizations should also gauge the company’s experience with their niche or the accounts they’re targeting. ABM campaigns are not one-size-fits-all; organizations will get better results when the ABM agency understands market dynamics and the specific needs of each niche. Agencies with experience in your sector will have a better understanding of:

• Your target audience’s pain points and priorities.
• Industry trends and challenges.
• Regulatory requirements or specific nuances.

For example, if your business operates in or with healthcare organizations, the agency should have a track record of navigating compliance requirements while creating impactful campaigns.

Evaluate Their Strategies

An ABM strategy must be well thought out and encompasses account selection, personalization, and KPIs. That’s why all organizations must ask about methodology when evaluating agencies.

During the consultation, ask if your organization would be better equipped for a strategic ABM, ABM lite, or programmatic ABM campaign. These campaigns will affect how the firm targets accounts: individually, in a group, or a combination of both. They will also impact the firm’s advertising and marketing efforts to engage accounts.

From here, have the ABM company break down a sample campaign. This can include how they craft a sales pitch, their marketing and advertising tactics, and how they approach individual meetings. It’s also a good idea to ask about any tools they use or the marketing and advertising channels they recommend.

Other key questions to ask include:

• How do you identify and prioritize target accounts?
• What process do you use for crafting personalized campaigns?
• How do you align sales and marketing teams?
• What metrics do you track to measure campaign success?

A good agency should have a clear, proven framework and the flexibility to tailor it to your business growth.

Analyze Their Tech Stack

As stated, all ABM agencies will use platforms and tools to deliver a scalable strategy that drives conversions. Numerous ABM automation tools exist, so ask about the tools they use, like:

• Customer relationship management (CRM) platforms.
• Marketing automation tools.
• ABM-specific platforms.
• Analytics and reporting tools.

Some industry-proven ABM, marketing, and sales tools include:

• Demandbase
• Terminus
• 6sense
• Salesforce
• HubSpot
• Marketo

The agency should also have experience integrating these tools into your existing systems. This ensures a seamless workflow and accurate data sharing across teams.

Evaluate Their Personalization Tactics

Source: Medium

Personalization is at the heart of an ABM strategy. The account-based marketing agency should be adept at creating content and campaigns tailored to specific accounts and their stage in the sales funnel. Examples of personalization tactics include landing pages, ads, content, emails, and even websites tailored to individual prospects.

Before working with an ABM company, assess their ability to:

• Develop detailed account profiles.
• Content marketing like whitepapers, videos, and email sequences.
• Leverage data for personalized campaigns.

B2B personalization can result in a 1.4x revenue growth, which is why it’s a necessary part of account-based marketing. Strong personalization improves engagement and enhances your brand’s credibility with target accounts.

Understand Their Collaboration Model

Successful ABM strategies are a collaborative effort between your internal teams and the agency. Inquire about their process and how your organization fits into it. Transparency and reporting are key to measuring success, and the ABM agency should update you on your campaign performance and any insights they gathered.

You’re not with a high-quality ABM agency if you must ask for updates or constantly check them manually.

Other key aspects to consider include:

• How do they align your sales and marketing teams?
• How often will they provide updates or reports?
• Are they flexible in adapting to your feedback?
• What is their approach to training and onboarding your team?

Check for Scalability

As your business grows, you must scale to achieve a successful ABM campaign. Choose an agency that can accommodate this growth. During the consultation, discuss their ability to:

• Handle account profiling.
• Target an increasing number of accounts.
• Expand into new verticals or geographic regions.
• Adjust campaigns based on evolving business goals.

A scalable partnership ensures you won’t outgrow the agency as your needs evolve.

Evaluate Their Pricing Structure

While ABM efforts can boost your ROI, it is a serious marketing investment. You don’t want your agency to cut profits, so understanding pricing is key when choosing an ABM agency. Agencies may charge based on retainer fees, project-based pricing, key services offered, or performance-based models.

Set a monthly budget before investing in ABM services. Other pricing best practices to consider include:

• Understand what’s included in their pricing.
• Look out for any hidden costs.
• Assess whether their pricing aligns with your budget and expected ROI.

That said, the cheapest option isn’t always the best. Businesses that use ABM increase their profits 27% more quickly over three years, so it’s worth it to invest in professional account-based marketing tactics. Focus on the value an ABM agency can deliver.

Assess Their Commitment to Innovation

As technology evolves, the top ABM companies must be willing to embrace this tech to stay competitive. Choose top ABM agencies that stay ahead of trends and embrace new technologies. Ask about:

• How do they stay updated on ABM?
• Their track record of experimenting with new strategies.
• Their ability to adapt quickly to market changes.

Request a Proposal or Trial Campaign

Before deciding, ask shortlisted agencies for a detailed proposal or a small trial campaign. This allows you to:

• See their strategic thinking in action.
• Evaluate their creative capabilities.
• Test their communication and collaboration style.

When reviewing the proposal, ensure they have all business details correct, offer a glimpse of your target companies, and mention your experience with ABM. The proposal should also highlight the goals and KPIs you want to accomplish. The proposal should also provide a full-scale snapshot of your ABM campaign and potential next steps.

A trial campaign also provides valuable insights into what it’s like to work with the agency and helps you make a more informed choice.

Trust Your Instincts

With all this said, choosing an ABM agency can be daunting. But there’s an easy way to gauge the trustworthiness of a marketing firm: your gut instinct. If you have a good feeling about the brand, pursue them further.

What if you’re the type of CEO or marketing exec who doesn’t like using your intuition to make business decisions? Rely on other information, such as the company’s values and commitments, ensuring they align with yours.

Other tips to consider include:

• Are they genuinely interested in your success?
• Do they align with your company’s culture?
• Are they transparent and honest in their communication?

Source: Intercom

While 45% of businesses achieved more than double their ROI with ABM, working with a low-quality ABM firm won’t get these results. Don’t forget: a strong partnership is built on mutual trust and shared goals.

Bottom Line: Look For an ABM Marketing Company That Delivers Innovation

If you aim to convert highly qualified leads, ABM is the strategy to pursue. While brands can do this DIY, partnering with the top ABM agencies will boost revenue and improve ROI.

There are many ABM agencies, but you should always choose the one that puts innovation and ROI at the forefront.

Single Grain Marketing offers world-class marketing services. We comprise industry experts and thought leaders who use the best technology and approaches to account profiling and nurture these leads with personalized content and advertising. We track KPIs that align with your goals and stay transparent during every step of your campaign.

If you’re ready to level up your account-based marketing strategy, Single Grain’s ABM experts can help!👇

Let’s Do ABM Right

Related Video

For more insights and lessons about marketing, check out our Marketing School podcast on YouTube.

The post How to Choose the Best Account Based Marketing Agency appeared first on Single Grain.

Two of the biggest contenders on the market are Demandbase and 6sense. These platforms aim to target B2B buyers better and nurture them down the sales funnel.

However, both platforms have differences. Demandbase and 6sense have varying features and target leads in their own ways, and both platforms may be better for some campaigns than others.

This Demandbase vs 6sense guide examines the strengths and weaknesses of these platforms, helping you decide which best suits your business goals and budget.

Key Takeaways on Demandbase vs 6sense

• Demandbase and 6sense are two of the most advanced account-based marketing platforms.
• Both platforms offer impressive features like intent data collection, account targeting, and personalization.
• Before choosing a platform, organizations must gauge each tool’s user-friendliness, pricing, and integrations.
• Demandbase is better for organizations that need flexible ABM solutions with a focus on account intelligence, while 6sense is best for AI-powered tools like predictive analytics.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Understanding Demandbase vs 6sense

Before comparing the two platforms, let’s briefly introduce them and better understand what both technologies offer.

Demandbase

Demandbase’s goal is to emphasize “account intelligence.” Account intelligence combines your CRM data and sales and marketing efforts and reflects it to the technographics, firmographics, business contacts, and purchase intent listed in your ideal customer profile (ICP). Demandbase will use this data to accelerate your ABM automation.

Known for its robust ABM capabilities, Demandbase offers an end-to-end solution that includes intent data, account targeting, and personalization tools.

Your sales and marketing teams can collaborate on tasks in one place, and Demandbase offers data-driven insights for both tactics. Demandbase always updates its intelligence model to ensure you have the most robust ABM strategy. This platform integrates with many popular technologies like TechTarget, Adobe, Drift, Google Analytics, HubSpot, and Salesforce.

6sense

6sense was one of the first AI-powered ABM technologies. It was formed in 2013 and today is worth $5.2 billion. Some of its biggest clients include Salesforce, Microsoft, and Adobe.

This is an all-in-one ABM platform that hones in on the sales pipeline. Organizations can use 6sense to identify accounts based on firmographics, use that data to segment accounts, better target accounts individually or in groups, and personalize advertising and marketing efforts.

Marketers can integrate 6sense into various third-party platforms, like Uberflip, TrustRadius, and Outreach, to analyze customer data and track how they interact with your website and marketing materials.

From there, 6sense can generate actionable insights to reach accounts better. This helps organizations get a more precise snapshot of the customer journey to deliver personalized content and communications. All this allows leads to enter the buyer pipeline and brings them one step closer to converting.

Aimed at empowering revenue teams, 6sense leverages artificial intelligence (AI) and predictive analytics to uncover hidden buying signals, prioritize accounts, and optimize the buyer journey.

Key Features Comparison

Both platforms have robust features to target your accounts better. But which tool has the most extensive uses?

Intent Data

Intent data helps you understand which accounts are actively researching topics related to your products and services. How do these tools use intent data?

Demandbase

Source: Demandbase

Demandbase integrates its proprietary intent data with third-party data sources to provide a comprehensive view of account interest. Its AI-powered “DemandGraph” enables marketers to identify accounts showing strong buying signals, assisting with crafting better-targeted advertising and marketing campaigns.

6sense

Source: Alyce

6sense excels in intent data by using AI to analyze millions of behavioral signals from web activity, content engagement, sales efforts, and email responses. It segments individual accounts and uses real-time data to pinpoint where they are in their buying journey.

6sense also uses predictive analytics and deep insights for lead scoring, highlighting leads by specific colors whether or not they’re ready to buy. This ensures sales teams can identify high-priority leads and focus their efforts on them. 6sense also uses intent data to highlight which decision-makers marketers should target and how to tailor their campaigns to fit their needs.

Winner

Both platforms are strong, but 6sense’s predictive analytics provide an edge for businesses prioritizing the buyer journey.

Account Targeting

Accurate data targeting ensures marketing efforts are directed toward the most promising accounts. Both platforms can collect extensive data types for more precise targeting. But which one does account targeting better?

Demandbase

Source: Demandbase

Demandbase offers advanced account targeting using predictive models. It enables dynamic prioritization based on account size, industry, and engagement levels.

Once you find your accounts, Demandbase uses lead scoring to gauge where your accounts are in the sales pipeline. From here, Demandbase uses predictive models to uncover future buying behaviors and recommend future actions. Organizations can use customizable segmentation to better organize programmatic and strategic ABM campaigns and target accounts in clusters.

6sense

Source: Capterra Australia

Since 6sense has more enterprise solutions, its system is tailored more to programmatic ABM and offers customizable segments.

However, 6sense takes targeting a step further by using AI and predictive capabilities to deliver insights and recommendations. It predicts account behavior and analyzes past buying behaviors to suggest the best outreach action. The AI-driven prioritization ensures your team focuses on accounts that are ready to make a purchase.

Winner

6sense stands out with its predictive capabilities, making it ideal for organizations that want to engage potential customers.

Personalization

ABM thrives on personalized messaging tailored to each account’s needs. Both tools offer deep insights into their accounts and how to personalize various marketing and advertising strategies for them. But which tool provides the most accurate insights and personalization capabilities?

Demandbase

Source: Demandbase

Personalization is one of Demandbase’s key features. Demandbase analyzes large datasets and signals to understand and predict buying behaviors.

Their campaign builder allows marketers to create custom web and advertising experiences for target accounts, adapting content based on industry, company size, annual revenue, or previous interactions. Demandbase integrates with apps like LinkedIn and Gmail so that you can scale all marketing strategies.

This platform is also the best option for brands targeting global accounts. This platform recognizes keywords and data signals in 133 languages to support multi-lingual marketing and advertising personalization.

6sense

Source: Uniform

Since 6sense is more of an AI-powered ABM platform, marketers should use third-party integrations like Uniform to personalize content and messaging to segmented accounts. Fortunately, most programs can offer personalization tools based on firmographics like country, industry, and audience type.

Though 6sense focuses heavily on predictive analytics, it also supports personalization by guiding teams on messaging strategies. This helps marketers produce relevant content that assists your accounts in the buyer’s journey.

That said, these strategies are better for marketers using programmatic ABM. Since 6sense is known for its segmentation features, marketers can group these accounts based on shared information and interests to market to them as a cluster.

Winner

Demandbase is the clear winner for companies prioritizing sophisticated and scalable personalization.

Integrations

Integrations facilitate many tactics, such as advertising and targeting. Which platform offers the most impressive integrations?

Demandbase

Demandbase offers integrations with popular CRMs like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Microsoft Dynamics 365. This makes it easier to import customer data and better target new accounts. Demandbase also integrates with marketing automation platforms, like Marketo, Adobe Marketing Cloud, and Oracle Eloqua.

If you want to align your ABM strategy to your sales funnel, Demandbase supports integrations with Outreach and SalesLoft.

Finally, Demandbase supports integrations with analytics tools like Google Analytics and Adobe Analytics to better track your leads and how they interact on your website.

You can view all of Demandbase’s integrations on its website. On the left-hand side, sort through the different categories.

6sense

Like Demandbase, 6sense integrates with major CRM and marketing platforms like HubSpot and Marketo and connects to sales engagement tools like Outreach and SalesLoft.

However, 6sense focuses most of its integrations on comprehensive insights. For example, 6sense also integrates with TrustRadius and TechTarget. You can view 6sense’s integrations on its website, search for specific tools, and filter by category on the top right.

Winner

6sense edges out Demandbase with broader data and analytics integrations, making it a better fit for teams wanting more accurate insights into their accounts.

User Experience

While the features may be impressive, user experience and an intuitive platform often win for many people. So, which ABM platform is the most user-friendly and easy to learn?

Demandbase

Source: Demandbase

Demandbase’s interface is intuitive, with a straightforward dashboard that’s easy to navigate. Users often praise its simplicity and well-designed workflows. Demandbase also stands out because its backend allows many customizations and advanced account targeting features.

That said, if you’re new to ABM, it does come with a learning curve. If you run into any issues, Demandbase has an Academy that is free to all subscribers. Users can also take advantage of their customer service and the Community board.

6sense

Source: Software Advice

6sense is excellent at offering a snapshot of your accounts and where they are in the buying process. Their sales funnel visualizations are extremely user-friendly; organizations can see how many accounts are in each part of the buyer’s journey, the industries they’re attracting, and where their accounts are located.

6sense also shows which web pages are most popular and have a better chance of converting accounts.

However, 6sense is designed for enterprises and has a steeper learning curve. The depth of its AI and analytics tools may overwhelm new users, but its capabilities are highly valuable once mastered. It may be too complex if you only run a strategic or ABM lite campaign. That said, you can still get help by using their 6sense for 6sense resource and contacting their customer service.

Winner

Demandbase wins for ease of use. While it still comes with a learning curve, customers new to ABM platforms can conduct training on their Academy, join their Community board, or contact customer service.

Pricing

While account-based marketing drives a higher ROI than other strategies, using ABM tools requires a steep investment. So, which platform is the most budget-friendly?

Demandbase

Demandbase offers individual pricing based on feature needs, which can appeal to organizations that don’t want to pay more than they need. However, Demandbase has higher rates than the competition, and your plan’s price can rise quickly if you add more team members or advanced features.

6sense

Like Demandbase, 6sense offers an individual price based on the features you need and the number of team members you’ll support.

6sense is known for its premium pricing. While it delivers robust capabilities, it’s often more suited for mid-sized to enterprise-level businesses with larger budgets. That said, 6sense’s higher-tiered plans are roughly the same price as Demandbase’s.

Winner

Demandbase is the better option for organizations that want more flexibility in their plans and pricing, while 6sense is ideal for organizations willing to invest in cutting-edge AI tools.

Who Should Choose Demandbase?

Demandbase is an excellent fit for companies looking for powerful targeting and personalization capabilities for individual accounts.

This platform has many powerful marketing and advertising features and supports integrations to numerous tools that enhance ABM campaigns. Demandbase also has impressive features, such as Real-Time Intent. According to a case study, Adobe increased visitor-to-lead conversion rates by 3x using Demandbase.

If you’re unsure about choosing Demandbase, here are some other signs that this platform is right for you.

• Need flexible ABM features and solutions.
• Require advanced personalization capabilities.
• Focus on strategic ABM or ABM lite.

Industries like technology, professional services, and mid-sized businesses often find Demandbase aligns well with their needs.

Who Should Choose 6sense?

6sense is one of the most powerful ABM tools on the market. It’s driven by many AI technologies, like predictive analytics and big data, to identify accounts and improve marketing for increased revenue.

6sense also offers competitive solutions, such as real-time visibility into account engagement. This platform also supports multiple integrations with various tools to enhance your ABM campaign. In a case study, 6sense increased Ceros’ meeting-to-SQL conversions to over 72%.

You should also use this platform if any of the following applies to you:

• Need advanced AI-driven analytics and predictive insights.
• Want deeper sales and marketing alignment through integrated tools.
• Are mid-sized or enterprise-level businesses with the resources to maximize the platform’s potential.

Companies in sectors like enterprise software, manufacturing, and finance often benefit from 6sense’s forward-looking capabilities.

Demandbase vs 6sense: Which Is the Better Option?

Demandbase and 6sense are powerful ABM platforms that cater to different needs. Demandbase is the go-to option for those seeking simplicity, affordability, and personalization. On the other hand, 6sense shines for companies looking to leverage cutting-edge AI and predictive analytics for more intelligent account identification and targeting.

That said, one platform isn’t better than the other. To ensure you choose the best tool, evaluate your organization’s objectives, resources, and training to select the platform that will drive the highest ROI. With either choice, your ABM strategy will gain the tools to deliver measurable results.

Businesses also have another option: partner with an ABM marketing firm. Professionals can gauge your industry and products/services to help you identify the best accounts to target. The best ABM firms use these tools for more accurate insights and strategies.

If you’re ready to level up your account-based marketing strategy, Single Grain’s ABM experts can help!👇

Let’s Do ABM Right

Related Video

For more insights and lessons about marketing, check out our Marketing School podcast on YouTube.

The post Demandbase vs 6sense: Choosing the Right ABM Tool appeared first on Single Grain.

Marketers can still use innovative tactics to execute an ABM strategy, such as leveraging LinkedIn. LinkedIn stands out as a particularly effective channel for implementing ABM strategies. With its professional audience, robust targeting capabilities, and powerful engagement tools, LinkedIn provides the ideal ecosystem to connect with decision-makers and influencers.

In this article, we’ll explore how to use LinkedIn account-based marketing effectively, covering everything from audience selection to content creation, campaign execution, and performance tracking.

Key Takeaways

• LinkedIn is ideal for ABM because millions of key decision-makers leverage that platform.
• To create a LinkedIn ABM strategy, identify target accounts, create personalized content, invest in paid ads, join groups, host events, align sales and marketing teams, and measure your results.
• Some best practices for LinkedIn ABM include focusing on quality accounts over quantity, using visual content, and maintaining a consistent message throughout all content, ads, and messages.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Why LinkedIn Is Perfect for ABM

LinkedIn has over 830 million global users; out of that figure, 65 million are key decision-makers in an organization. LinkedIn is a convenient way to connect with these industry thought leaders and its platform includes advanced targeting features.

Here are some additional reasons why LinkedIn should be your platform of choice for account-based marketing:

• Professional audience: LinkedIn’s user base comprises professionals across industries so that B2B marketers can connect with decision-makers and influencers.
• Targeting tools: B2B marketers can search for accounts by job titles, company, industry, seniority, skills, and more.
• Content-driven engagement: With tools like Sponsored Content, InMail, and Company Pages, B2B marketers can share personalized content that resonates with key accounts.
• High engagement rates: A LinkedIn post has an average engagement rate of 3.85%. Users engage with content relevant to their pain points, making them more likely to interact with well-crafted ABM campaigns.

How to Create a LinkedIn Account-Based Marketing Campaign

LinkedIn is an effective way to target high-quality accounts, but marketing teams must have a firm strategy. Here’s an example of a robust sales-driven LinkedIn account-based marketing campaign.

Step 1: Identify and Prioritize Target Accounts

The first step in implementing ABM on LinkedIn is identifying the accounts you want to target. This process involves collaboration between your sales and marketing teams to define the ideal customer profile (ICP).

Key firmographics to consider include:

• Company size
• Industry
• Geographic location
• Revenue potential
• Job titles

Don’t forget to consider other factors, such as pain points, challenges, solutions, and lifestyle value. Another good way to filter high-quality accounts is by looking at the characteristics of existing accounts and understanding why they work with you and how you converted them.

Once you create an ICP, use LinkedIn’s Sales Navigator to build a list of companies and key contacts within those organizations. Sales Navigator allows you to search for prospects using detailed filters, ensuring you focus on accounts that align with your business goals.

Step 2: Develop Personalized Messaging and Content

ABM relies on delivering highly relevant and personalized messages to your target audience. To achieve this, create content tailored to your target accounts’ specific needs and challenges. Fortunately, LinkedIn offers powerful features that allow you to create different content types and personalize them based on accounts and their characteristics.

Consider the following:

• Thought leadership articles: Publish articles that address industry trends and challenges your target accounts face.
• Case studies: Share success stories showcasing how your solution has helped similar companies achieve their goals.
• Personalized videos: LinkedIn videos increase brand awareness by 50%. Use video messages to address specific pain points and explain how your product or service can provide value.
• Whitepapers and e-books: Offer in-depth resources that demonstrate your expertise and help solve complex problems.

Ensure that your messaging is aligned with the buyer’s journey, addressing different stages such as awareness, consideration, and decision-making.

Step 3: Use LinkedIn’s Advertising Tools

Source: Social Media Examiner

LinkedIn provides a suite of targeted advertising options ideal for ABM campaigns. Since LinkedIn’s ad platform generates 3x more leads than other platforms, this is one of the most effective areas for increasing visibility. Here’s how to leverage LinkedIn ads effectively:

• Sponsored content: Promote blog posts, case studies, or thought leadership content directly in your target audience’s feed. Use LinkedIn’s targeting features to reach specific accounts, job titles, or industries.
• Sponsored InMail: Send personalized messages directly to decision-makers within your target accounts. Include a clear call-to-action (CTA) that encourages recipients to take the next step.
• Dynamic ads: Use these ads to deliver personalized messages based on user profile data, pain points, and your target firmographics. Highlight specific offers and invite prospects to download gated content.
• Retargeting campaigns: Use LinkedIn’s Insight Tag to track website visitors and create custom audiences. Re-engage users who have interacted with your website or LinkedIn content.

The other way to build personalized ABM ads for LinkedIn at scale is by using a tool like Karrot ABM, which takes the core messaging of any enterprise-level marketing campaign and adapts it to hundreds or even thousands of brands in your target list.

Step 4: Use LinkedIn Groups

LinkedIn Groups are private spaces where industry professionals can share their experiences, offer insights, build connections, share marketing materials, and ask for advice. These groups are invaluable for ABM marketers; B2B professionals can share content, network with others, and find potential accounts. Plus, it’s free and simple to join many of these groups.

To search for a group, go to LinkedIn and search for a query, such as “marketing groups.” Group suggestions will automatically appear, but you can use the filters on the top toolbar so that only marketing groups appear in the query.

Step 5: Host LinkedIn Events

Since 85% of consumers are likelier to purchase a product after attending a live event, ABM marketers should host a LinkedIn event. LinkedIn events offer opportunities to engage your target accounts in meaningful ways. Here’s how B2B marketers can target and engage accounts with events.

• Host virtual events: Organize webinars or virtual roundtables tailored to your target accounts’ interests. Promote these events through Sponsored Content and direct outreach.
• LinkedIn Live: B2B marketers can go live and connect with other active accounts. After creating your event, set up the live stream on your chosen device and start interacting with your audience.
• Engage attendees after the event: Use LinkedIn to follow up with attendees and share additional resources.

Step 6: Collaborate With Sales Teams

Source: LinkedIn

B2B marketers and sales professionals should collaborate on every step of an ABM campaign. Here’s how to foster that collaboration:

1. Share goals: Define common objectives, such as account engagement, pipeline creation, or revenue growth.
2. Regular communication: Schedule weekly or biweekly meetings to review campaign performance and adjust strategies.
3. CRM integration: Integrate your CR with LinkedIn Sales Navigator to track account-level engagement and outcomes.

Step 7: Measure and Optimize Performance

Tracking the performance of your ABM campaigns is critical for continuous improvement. A marketing department must track specific metrics that measure LinkedIn and ABM results. Use LinkedIn’s analytics tools to monitor key metrics, such as:

• Engagement rates: Measure how your target audience interacts with your content and ads.
• Account reach: Track how many accounts from your target list engage with your campaigns.
• Pipeline impact: Assess the number of leads and opportunities generated from your campaigns.
• Revenue attribution: Determine how much revenue can be attributed to your ABM efforts on LinkedIn.

What if you find your accounts aren’t moving through the purchase process? Refine your tactics, depending on where your accounts are stuck in the sales funnel. Examples include creating new opportunities and improving your closing strategy.

Best Practices for LinkedIn ABM Success

Source: LinkedHelper

You could have the right data and execution, but that doesn’t guarantee you’ll see conversions from LinkedIn ABM. The good news is B2B marketers don’t need to implement expensive technology or complex tactics to see ABM results, but it will take these best practices to improve your outreach.

• Focus on quality over quantity: Target fewer high-value accounts rather than casting a wide net.
• Invest in creative assets: 95.2% of marketers say visual content is essential in marketing. High-quality visuals and videos can significantly improve engagement rates for organic content and LinkedIn ads.
• Test and iterate: Continuously test different ad formats, messages, and content types to identify what works best. LinkedIn Ads allows marketers to conduct A/B testing by rotating two ad types and optimizing for performance.
• Maintain consistency: Ensure your messaging and branding are consistent across all content, ads, and messaging.
• Personalize at scale: Use LinkedIn’s dynamic personalization features to deliver targeted experiences to your audience without compromising efficiency.

Is LinkedIn Account-Based Marketing Not Enough?

LinkedIn has always been a hub for networking and attracting B2B leads. Therefore, it’s no surprise that LinkedIn account-based marketing is one of the most effective tactics.

To execute a LinkedIn ABM strategy, identify your accounts, create personalized content, invest in LinkedIn ads, join groups, host events, collaborate with sales, and measure your results.

Have you tried this strategy and didn’t target high-value accounts? Single Grain Marketing has an innovative approach to ABM that combines social media, SEO, content marketing, advertising, and CRO. Contact us to learn more about our process.

If you’re ready to level up your account-based marketing strategy on LinkedIn, Single Grain’s ABM experts can help!👇

Let’s Do ABM Right

Related Video

For more insights and lessons about marketing, check out our Marketing School podcast on YouTube.

The post Using LinkedIn Account-Based Marketing for Maximum Reach appeared first on Single Grain.

The core ABM metrics you’ll want to care about will typically measure revenue, ROI, conversions, lead generation, and customer retention. However, measuring the wrong data can result in missed opportunities and wasted resources. Fortunately, ABM-specific metrics can measure your results against your goals, and tracking this data is very simple with the right tools.

This post will explore the ABM metrics that truly matter and how to measure them effectively.

Key Takeaways

• Account-based marketing metrics differ from traditional marketing key performance indicators (KPIs) because ABM strives to build deep relationships with key accounts.
• B2B marketers working on an ABM campaign should track key metrics such as account engagement, pipeline progression, account penetration rate, revenue from marketing and sales tactics, and the effectiveness of the ABM strategy.
• Measure these ABM metrics by setting benchmarks, investing in tools, aligning sales and marketing teams, and focusing on attribution models.
• As B2B marketers measure these metrics, marketing and sales teams should always leverage insights to improve marketing efforts and monitor niche trends.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Why ABM Metrics Are Different

Source: RevBoss

While ABM metrics are similar to those used in traditional marketing campaigns, marketers should approach the two differently.

ABM focuses on building deep, personalized relationships with targeted accounts. Traditional marketing metrics often emphasize broad reach and lead volume. ABM requires a tailored approach to measurement, focusing on metrics that track target accounts and align with campaign goals rather than generic performance indicators.

Here are some best practices to keep in mind:

• Alignment with business objectives: Metrics should be directly related to your organization’s goals, such as revenue growth or the number of contacts gained.
• Focus on quality over quantity: ABM prioritizes engagement with specific accounts, not overall traffic or leads.
• Collaboration across teams: Alignment of marketing and sales teams is crucial, as both share responsibility for ABM’s progress.

The Metrics That Matter

Not every B2B marketer will track the same metrics. The metrics you measure should align with your goals, industry, and the complexity of your campaign. However, all marketers should know the core categories of metrics tailored to ABM.

Account Engagement

This metric category tracks how target accounts interact with your brand. This includes behaviors related to sales and marketing initiatives, like content consumption, website visits, email opens, and whitepaper downloads.

Here are key metrics for account engagement:

• Content engagement: Time spent reading and watching your content, downloading documents, or attending webinars.
• Email metrics: Open rates, click-through rates, and response rates from target accounts.
• Social interactions: Likes, shares, and comments from key accounts.

Pipeline Progression

This metric category represents the percentage of leads moving down the sales pipeline. Marketers can compare this progression to metrics such as account engagement to better understand what makes leads move down the sales funnel.

Here are the key pipeline progression metrics:

• Opportunities created: The number of new opportunities from target accounts.
• Deal velocity: The speed at which deals progress through the pipeline.
• Win rate: The percentage of closed-won deals from targeted accounts.

Account Penetration Rate

Account penetration measures the number of target accounts who responded to your outreach efforts after engaging with your content. Compared to pipeline progression, this metric represents relationship-building initiatives. Examples of actions that marketers can measure include demo requests, responding to sales calls, or signing up for a webinar.

Here are the key account penetration metrics:

• Contacts engaged: Number of decision-makers and influencers engaged within each target account.
• Departmental reach: Engagement across different departments.

Revenue Impact

While ABM influences an organization’s overall revenue, marketers should focus more on how account-based initiatives influence profits. For example, marketers can compare overall revenue to marketing effectiveness and how quickly an account converts.

Here are specific KPIs that measure this.

• Average contract value (ACV): Revenue generated from target accounts compared to other accounts.
• Customer lifetime value (CLV): Long-term revenue potential of target accounts.
• Account retention and expansion: Renewal rates and upsell/cross-sell revenue from target accounts.
• Customer acquisition cost: The amount of money an organization spends to acquire a new customer, including fees for marketing and sales.

Program Effectiveness

Source: RevBoss

Evaluating your ABM program’s results informs marketers of what’s working and where they need to improve.

Here are key program metrics to track for account-based marketing campaigns:

• Return on investment (ROI): Revenue generated compared to the cost of your ABM initiatives.
• Cost per account: Total spend divided by the number of target accounts.
• Campaign performance: Conversion rates and other indicators for specific ABM campaigns.

How to Measure These Metrics

Measuring ABM success requires the right tools and processes. Here’s how to measure these metrics.

Set Clear Benchmarks

Even if you track all these metrics, your ABM campaign won’t improve with the right goals and objectives. Establish realistic benchmarks based on historical data, past campaign performance, and industry standards. This helps you measure progress and identify areas for improvement.

Use the Right Technology

The last thing you’ll want to do is use spreadsheets and other outdated processes to measure these metrics. Most ABM platforms offer data collection and reporting, complete with a user-friendly dashboard to view your results and gain insights into your campaign.

Popular ABM platforms include:

• CRM systems: Track account-level activity and pipeline progression.
• Marketing automation: Manage and measure campaigns targeting specific accounts.
• Analytics tools: Monitor engagement metrics and assess program effectiveness.

Encourage Collaboration

Your marketing and sales teams should collaborate on your ABM campaign and work toward the same goals. Conduct regular meetings where you will review these metrics and other performance reports. Sharing these insights with your sales and marketing teams will strengthen your ABM efforts.

Focus on Attribution

It can be challenging to know which marketing activities result in closed deals or are driving revenue growth. That’s why B2B marketers must focus on attribution models. Use multi-touch attribution models to understand how different ABM tactics contribute to account progression and revenue.

Let’s Start Measuring

Best Practices for Continuous Improvement

Source: Smartsheet

Measuring ABM metrics isn’t a one-and-done activity. To achieve long-term success, you must continually refine your approach.

• Experiment and optimize: Test different strategies to identify what resonates most with target accounts.
• Leverage insights: Use data to personalize outreach and improve account engagement.
• Monitor trends: Keep an eye on industry benchmarks and emerging metrics to stay ahead.

See the Impact of Your Campaign with the Right ABM Metrics

Tracking the right ABM metrics is the difference between gaining actionable insights that can improve your campaign versus wasting your marketing resources on tactics that aren’t resulting in conversions.

ABM and traditional marketing metrics measure similar outcomes, such as engagement, pipeline progression, revenue impact, and marketing effectiveness.

With ABM metrics, you can gain a comprehensive understanding of your target accounts and how you engage them. With the right tools, alignment, and commitment to continuous improvement, you’ll be well-equipped to measure and maximize the impact of your ABM efforts.

If you’re ready to optimize the metrics you use for your account-based marketing strategy, Single Grain’s ABM experts can help!👇

Measure ABM Right

Related Video

For more insights and lessons about marketing, check out our Marketing School podcast on YouTube.

The post Top ABM Metrics You Should Be Tracking Right Now appeared first on Single Grain.

This is where account-based marketing (ABM) comes in. ABM aims to build relationships with target accounts likelier to engage with your brand.

How can organizations succeed at converting these accounts? ABM marketers must create a personalized marketing campaign based on their target account list and unique firmographics, interests, and needs.

Here’s why account-based marketing personalization is key for the success of your campaign and how to target your accounts with content and messages that resonate with them.

Key Takeaways

• ABM personalization relies on tailored content, sales messages, and customized experiences for each account or segment.
• Personalized ABM is a data-driven approach that results in more relevant content, stronger relationships with accounts, and better engagement rates, ensuring that organizations stand out from competitors.
• To start an ABM personalization strategy, create an ideal customer profile based on your target account list, use that data to personalize content, engage in multi-channel outreach, align sales and marketing teams, and measure your results.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

The Fundamentals of ABM and Personalization

Before diving into why personalization is essential, it’s important to understand what ABM personalization is and how it works.

Traditional marketing efforts use generic messaging to cast a wide net of leads to increase brand awareness. ABM differs because it focuses on target accounts’ preferences, needs, and pain points. To address these accounts, marketers create relatable content, craft direct sales messaging, and create customized experiences for each account.

Personalized marketing encompasses email campaigns, website content, tailored ads, and sales outreach. Marketers rely on data and insights for each account to communicate their goals, pain points, challenges, and more. Sales and marketing messaging will offer a unique solution to these accounts. As a result, you’ll create a deeper connection with accounts, and they will have more trust in you.

Why Personalization in ABM Matters

Personalized marketing and sales campaigns are among the most vital aspects of ABM. Tailored content captures more attention compared to generic marketing efforts. And since seven out of ten businesses invest in personalization, targeted marketing campaigns will make you more competitive. Here are other reasons ABM personalization is the best strategy to attract and convert target accounts.

Maximizes Relevance

In the B2B buying process, decision-makers are inundated with generic marketing messages rarely addressing their specific challenges. Personalization allows businesses to:

• Speak directly to the pain points of their target accounts.
• Provide solutions relevant to their industry, company size, and market position.

There’s a reason why marketing personalization works. In a study on brands attending webinars, 84% of respondents wanted relevant content, explicitly messaging that addresses current trends or challenges.

This is why personalized messaging addressing a specific pain point—such as improving supply chain efficiency—is far more likely to grab attention than a generic email about your company’s product features.

Stronger Relationships With Key Accounts

Personalized messaging helps you build trust and credibility with target accounts by demonstrating that you understand their unique roles and challenges. This approach humanizes your brand and fosters deeper connections, which is essential for closing deals.

Since organizations have multiple decision-makers, creating strong connections with these professionals can be challenging. Marketers can work through this hurdle by creating personalized content and messaging for each sales funnel stage to guide these decision-makers through the customer journey, ensuring they become loyal customers.

Higher Engagement Rates

Source: Gartner Digital Markets

Personalized campaigns consistently outperform generic ones. In a Gartner study, 28% of respondents experienced overall account engagement after using ABM. And according to RollWorks, 75% of B2B marketers explain that ABM helped them find and engage accounts earlier in the buying process.

Personalized marketing tactics are more impactful, making it likelier that your target accounts will engage with your brand. Higher engagement rates directly translate to higher ROI in ABM, where the focus is on quality over quantity.

Stand Out From the Competition

Personalization sets you apart in a crowded market. When competitors rely on standard tactics, a personalized approach demonstrates a more profound commitment to understanding and serving the client. That’s why customized outreach can be the deciding factor between your brand and a competitor.

Data-Driven Decision Making

Personalization strategies rely on deep insights about your target accounts. As a result, B2B marketers must invest and practice data collection and analysis to better understand their most profitable accounts. This data-driven approach improves your marketing efforts and equips your sales team with valuable information to close deals more effectively.

Personalize ABM

How to Implement Personalization in an ABM Strategy

Source: Trendemon

Marketing personalization strategies are integral to ABM, but knowing how to begin a campaign can be tiresome. Follow these steps to create a robust personalized marketing strategy.

Step 1: Identify and Prioritize Target Accounts

The first step in ABM is selecting the accounts with the highest potential value. Start with firmographics such as revenue potential and the target companies you’re attracting. From here, gauge the accounts that align with your product offering. Once you identify these accounts, use personalized efforts to target them.

Collecting and analyzing this data DIY can be time-consuming and expensive. Fortunately, numerous ABM tools can analyze data efficiently and recommend high-value accounts, ensuring you waste no time and marketing dollars on leads that won’t convert.

Step 2: Create Account Profiles

Gather as much information as possible about your target accounts, including:

• Industry and market trends.
• Company size, structure, and revenue.
• Key decision-makers and their roles.
• Pain points and challenges.
• Goals and objectives.

Once you gathered and analyzed this data, you’ll want to create an ideal customer profile (ICP) to identify target accounts. If you have a robust ABM campaign and are segmenting your target companies, create an ICP for each segment.

Tools like LinkedIn Sales Navigator and ZoomInfo can help you build comprehensive profiles.

Step 3: Create Personalized Content

Now that you have the right insights and ICPs, it’s time to create content. Develop content that speaks directly to the needs and interests of your target accounts. Examples include:

• Custom case studies that showcase how you’ve solved similar challenges for other clients in the same industry.
• Tailored email campaigns that address specific pain points.
• Dynamic website content that adapts based on the visitor’s company or industry.
• Account-specific ads with messaging and imagery designed for the targeted account (we at Single Grain do this using Karrot ABM).

In addition to tailoring the messaging to their needs and pain points, always use the right tone that resonates with your accounts and their niche.

Step 4: Leverage Multi-Channel Outreach

Brands must be where their target accounts are to generate results from personalized campaigns. In other words, B2B marketers must use a multi-channel approach and create experiences that intrigue their key accounts.

Use a mix of email, social media, direct mail, and targeted ads to reach accounts where they are most active. Numerous ABM automation and AI tools integrate with various apps to scale marketing in one place. Ensure that your messaging is consistent yet tailored across these channels.

Step 5: Engage Sales Teams

ABM won’t be successful without a robust sales strategy. That’s because accounts move through the sales funnel, and marketing personalization customizes the buyer’s journey for each lead. As a result, sales teams play a critical role in ABM personalization, and marketing teams must align with sales professionals to convert leads.

Equip your sales and marketing teams with powerful tools like CRMs so they can collaborate on one platform. These tools must offer detailed account insights and personalized messaging templates to ensure they can effectively engage with decision-makers.

Step 6: Measure and Optimize

Source: Content Marketing Institute

Track engagement, conversion, and deal velocity metrics to ensure your ABM campaign delivers results. Use these insights to refine your approach and continuously improve the effectiveness of your campaigns.

Account-Based Marketing Personalization Is the Key to a Successful Campaign

ABM is a potent strategy to close more deals and accomplish sales goals. But marketers won’t achieve these results without account-based marketing personalization. Personalizing content, sales messaging, and outreach can make your campaign more relevant and have a better chance of engaging accounts.

To create a personalized ABM strategy, start by collecting data on your target accounts and using these insights to understand their needs and challenges. Craft a solution based on their pain points and use that in your sales and marketing messaging. Once more leads go down the sales funnel, measure metrics like engagements and conversion rates to ensure you’re making your ROI.

Have you invested in ABM personalization but are still not outperforming your competitors? It may be time to partner with a professional ABM marketing company.

If you’re ready to level up your account-based marketing personalization, Single Grain’s ABM experts can help!👇

Let’s Do ABM Right

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