The mistakes that can ruin your ABM strategy
Account Based Marketing (ABM) is all about precision, as it allows you to reach the exact type of customer and account you want to target. A priority customer, a profile that is worth all the effort with highly personalized campaigns.
By focusing on a more specific focus, you can offer more attractive and optimized content, adapted to the purchase cycle . But it is a type of bet that presents challenges . Every marketer must keep in mind that such a strategy has to be balanced , since all the pieces must work in harmony and with precision.
In ABM , it is necessary to start by choosing the accounts well, creating the appropriate segments and developing a complete communication and content strategy. The choice of that ideal client, on whom efforts will be focused, is fundamental.
A mistake in this initial phase can lead to failure . There is also a need for proper alignment between the marketing and sales teams and other departments, as well as effective content that humanizes interactions throughout the process.
This balance requires good coordination between well-informed and motivated sales teams. The strategy must be shared, otherwise it is difficult to achieve success. Full collaboration between the different departments is essential, which must act as a single revenue team.
They need to use the same data and create a profile of the ideal customer together. The profile should be based on all the knowledge that can be obtained from the priority accounts. Collaboration requires enhanced coordination to ensure that potential customers have a consistent experience throughout the entire purchase cycle that is in line with the objectives set.
Customer touchpoints and channels must be aligned, operating based on data or interactions. These insights are leveraged at every stage of the process to achieve goals.
The customer must have the impression that they are known, that their decisions and needs are taken into account . When marketing and sales teams work in unison, synergies can be exploited, steps and contact points can be personalized, and the strategy can be complemented or advanced at the right time. It is a shared vision where one department can take over from another or complement it.
ABM is therefore a type of marketing that is based on continuity, exploiting the interaction that multi-channel automation functions allow. It is about achieving continuous experiences that include everything from content to purchase execution.
Its essence is to build customer loyalty and reach out to customers (because messages and interactions have been tailored to their expectations and processes). It focuses on personalization, relevance and opportunity . If the triad of collaboration, coordination and continuity fails, the ABM strategy is very likely to founder.
For this reason, marketing plans must be integrated into the heart of the company and shared by the relevant departments. They must be aware of each of the needs and movements that are taking place with the target accounts.
Aligned teams are the cornerstone of a successful ABM strategy . To do so, they need to understand the advantages offered by this type of marketing. Only then will the phases of ABM – planning, execution and measurement – be aligned with the primary goal: integrating objectives and incentives to achieve a higher ROI than traditional marketing.