This is part three of a three part blog post. Here are the links to the other entries:
Account Based Marketing Series
Part I: The Best B2B Marketing Approach in the World
Part III: How To Get Started & Scale
Ready to get started with ABM? The good news is you can start small and scale. Here’s a lit of the ABM attributes you should see as priorities.
Priorities
- Aligning sales and marketing initiatives
- Acquiring data, sourcing contacts, insights and enriching account data
- Scoring and targeting ideal accounts
- Determining which accounts to target
- Mapping account plans and insights
- Tracking and measuring ABM results; Measure ROI of ABM; Proving the success and value of ABM internally
- Justifying the investment
- Measuring the Program
- Attributing efforts to revenue
- Getting an adequate budget to support programs and resources
- Creating effective content by account segment
- Developing campaign assets that are mass customizable to allow scale
- Personalizing and tailoring their marketing to the key contacts at each account
- Developing internal skill sets
- Sourcing the right expertise
- Educating sales on the process and value of ABM
- Scaling up programs
- Sustaining momentum
ABM Best Practices
Here are some goals you can shoot for.
Ultimate ABM
- Fully Integrated Corporate Initiative
- Central To The Company Growth Strategy
- Influences How The Company Goes To Market
- A foundation built on account intelligence will help you overcome challenges and achieve goals
- Moving to an Account-Based model enables the sales team to stop looking at leads, and start looking at engagement
- Account- Based strategies will go beyond just sales and marketing…the entire customer journey will become account centric
It’s not that hard to start using an Account Based Marketing go-to-market strategy.
Here are some simple steps…
First off, think of your first foray as a Pilot. You can start small, measure your results, and roll out bigger as you experience success.
The Team
Three components here. One find the right, open-minded, progressive people on your staff in the Marketing and Sales departments. Second, make sure there are marketing skills available, ideally folks capable of thinking strategically. Last, your sales and marketing people need to operate collaboratively.
The Accounts
Make a list of Target Accounts. Take a look at your current customer list and let that assembled team identify the ideal customer. Customers you wish you had more of. Make note of who the buyers are at those customers so you can reach out to folks with similar buying power at desirable prospects. Analyze key profiles of the gate keeper, influencer and decision maker to understand their impact on the decision making process. Systematic account planning creates resonant customer engagement.
Content Creation
Audit your current inventory of literature, content and spec sheets. Existing content is curated and studied to build a targeted content strategy. Content consultation enables you to use existing or build new content as per campaign requirement. Augment this content inventory with case studies to help inform your target prospects. Design personalized and relevant campaigns for the challenges of each target profile. Content is mapped to the target account personas (account mapping facilitate personalized content channelization). Content pieces are analyzed and calibrated to capture best digital results.
Campaign execution
A campaign calendar is created to schedule conversations with target buyers. Multiple touch points are identified to penetrate into each account throughout the customer journey. Adopting a multi-channel approach ensures that the key decision makers get the right message across any channel or device. Personalization technology blends with the marketing platform to target individuals with unique and specific messages.
Measure
Real-time, actionable and intelligent insights enable accurate revenue attribution. Different set of indicators are tracked at multiple stages through time to optimize the campaign. Sales & Marketing teams receive a clear view of campaign success, ensuring they get the most out of ABM efforts.
You’re Invited!
Join me at our upcoming workshop…
“The Best B2B Marketing Approach in the World.”
Date And Time
Tue, March 24, 2020
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM CDT
Location
2112
4245 North Knox Avenue
Chicago, IL 60641
Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-best-b2b-marketing-approach-in-the-world-tickets-94848633817
Sales & Marketing Leader
Ron Shulkin has a storied history leading the successful marketing and sales efforts of emerging digital marketing technologies. Ron architected the roll out of DoubleClick’s CRM platform to multiple vertical markets. He partnered with IBM & Cisco to introduce the first enterprise, self-service on-line video system (MediaPlatform). Ron quarterbacked the global launch of CogniStreamer’s Innovation Portal (for new product development), EngageSciences’ Content Management System, Spredfasts’ Social Media Marketing platform and 3radical’s interactive, real-time Gamification system.
Today Ron collaborates with companies to identify their ideal markets and translate product features into solutions to business problem. Ron provides sales pipeline coaching, designs Go-To-Market Strategies, and architects major tactical content pillar assets. He takes great pride delivering actionable guidance with clear returns on investment while helping companies bring their offerings to market.