By Francesca Patrizi, Senior Account Manager
The power of ABM to bring sales and marketing into alignment in the targeting of specific accounts is now well known.
Rather than casting a broad net, ABM allows for more targeted marketing spend and the ability to engage higher-value accounts. It represents an evolution from traditional one-size-fits-all marketing campaigns and has been driving great results for B2B brands since it took root as a defined practice in the 1990s.
But now ABM itself must evolve; in a noisy digital age, it’s harder to stand out, even when you’re targeting specific accounts and stakeholders already. The answer to this lies in greater personalisation.
ABM has always relied on personalisation; it is crucial for building meaningful relationships, which in turn drive conversions and achieve the ultimate goal of revenue growth. By demonstrating a deep understanding of the target account’s challenges, goals, and preferences, personalised ABM campaigns can significantly increase engagement rates and foster stronger connections.
And in helping to create stronger connections, personalisation also boosts trust, which in the high-stakes world of B2B is a vital component of any working relationship. When prospects receive personalised communications that address their specific pain points (informed by data-led research) and provide them with relevant solutions, they are more likely to consider the sender as a trusted advisor rather than just another vendor. This trust is the foundation of long-term relationships and relationships are the foundation of sales.
Personalisation has been proven to be highly effective in increasing revenue, with studies showing that personalised campaigns outperform generic ones in terms of conversion rates and revenue generation, offering a greater return on marketing investment. In fact, according to McKinsey, personalisation is demonstrated to lift revenues by 5 to 15% and increase marketing ROI by 10 to 30%.
Beyond new business acquisition, personalisation also plays a crucial role in existing customer retention and advocacy. By continuing to deliver personalised experiences and value-add content to existing customers, organisations can strengthen their relationships with these accounts and increase loyalty over time. Moreover, satisfied customers who feel understood and valued are more likely to become advocates for the brand, helping to drive referrals and expand the customer base further.
So, it’s clear that more personalised ABM strategies are beneficial – but how can you actually implement them?
- The first step in implementing personalised ABM is to define your account selection criteria. For net new acquisition look at your ideal customer profile based on factors such as industry, company size, revenue, and specific pain points. For existing customers, look at where there is a clear opportunity for growth. This will inform account prioritisation and enable you to tailor your messaging and strategy accordingly.
- Next, invest in data to get insights about target accounts and use data as the drive to produce personalised content.
- Segment target accounts into distinct groups based on common characteristics, needs, and preferences. You can also use data analysis to go further, identifying key stakeholders and their individual priorities.
- Create personalised content (such as emails, whitepapers, case studies, webinars) tailored to the unique needs and interests of each target account & key stakeholder, and that addresses specific pain points and bring value to the recipient.
- Produce personalised ads to target stakeholders across various channels using parameters such as job title, industry, and company size to ensure ads reach the right audience.
- Facilitate alignment and collaboration between sales and marketing teams: encourage regular communication, and joint planning sessions to align goals and strategies across departments.
- Monitor the performance of ABM campaigns – preferably on real-time reporting dashboards – and measure key metrics. You can then use this data to identify areas for improvement and apply them to your personalisation strategies.
Taking these steps will ensure that your ABM campaign will achieve maximum resonance with your target audience, both at an account and an individual stakeholder level. Technology is now available that puts this level of personalisation within reach for any B2B company; crucially, though, you need the expertise to deploy it with success. Then, you need cut-through creative and content creation to ensure your target audiences sees the true value of what you’re offering.
With this in mind, to get the maximum ROI from your campaign, it is wise to partner with a consultative, integrated agency, one that is able to move through each of these stems seamlessly and guide you towards your marketing goals.
Want to ignite the possibilities of your business with ABM? Send me a message today.