Account-Based Marketing (ABM): The ultimate guide for B2B success 2025

What is account-based marketing? 

Account-based marketing (ABM) is a modern marketing strategy that concentrates resources to engage and convert targeted prospects to clients. As many other marketing strategies ABM has its strengths and weaknesses. Also, it should be used when a certain criterion is in place. More to this criterion later.

More and more the term ABM is being used as way to engage to prospects and thus being interchanged with lead generation, but ABM is much more than that. It is a more holistic way to marketing that can also be used for existing customers to generate more revenue from your largest customers by upselling and cross-selling. Likewise 92% of companies with ABM programs report it generates more ROI than any other marketing campaign.

Key benefits of account-based marketing 

When done well and based on the specific criterion ABM can uphold many benefits. To both the clients and targeted account as they get better customer experience and a team of marketing and sales working together to offer personalized offering. Naturally the company also has benefits. Below there a short selection of four key benefits ABM can generate to the company running them.

Improved ROI with focused targeting 

Unlike broader B2B marketing tactics, account-based marketing (ABM) provides a clear and measurable ROI thanks to its highly targeted nature. This allows for precise tracking of KPIs like revenue growth, deal size, and customer retention. Data supports this claim: Demand Metric found that 19% of companies using ABM for a year reported a 30% increase in revenue.

Enhanced sales and marketing alignment 

When sales and marketing teams are aligned through account-based marketing (ABM), the entire sales process becomes more effective. By working together to identify target accounts, develop tailored campaigns, and manage the sales pipeline, these teams achieve better results. This collaborative approach minimizes wasted resources, reduces internal conflict, and clearly demonstrates the value of marketing in acquiring high-value customers.

Building stronger customer relationships 

Strong client relationships are fundamental to business success. When clients value the relationship, they are more likely to remain loyal partners, even in the face of minor challenges. Account-based marketing (ABM) recognizes this by treating each target account as its own distinct market. By engaging multiple stakeholders within the client organization, ABM cultivates deep, lasting relationships that yield significant benefits throughout the entire engagement.

Shorter sales cycles

Complex purchasing decisions often involve multiple stakeholders, which can lengthen the sales cycle as the process works its way up the organizational hierarchy to reach the final decision-maker. Account-based marketing (ABM) streamlines this process by simultaneously engaging all key stakeholders, leading to shorter sales cycles. Furthermore, Gartner research indicates that ABM can increase pipeline conversion rates by up to 14% for B2B marketers, with a 25% improvement in converting marketing-qualified leads (MQLs) to sales-accepted leads (SALs).

When to use account-based marketing

ABM can be used in any setting in practice, as one can put a nail to the wall with a screwdriver, but to reach the best outcome and results ABM strategy is better used in B2B use cases and when the following criteria is in place:

• You have mastered and documented your Ideal Customer Profile – ICP;
• Your sales cycles are long. Typically more than 6 months from lead to customer;
• Your deal value is in the scale of EUR 10 000’s to EUR 100 000’s; and finally
• The decision-making unit – DMU – has more than a couple of people and thus making a buying committee

The last point can be seen as a subproduct of the second and third, but not always is true. There are some companies that purchase expensive products without extensive decision processes.

When the criteria are achieved then it is possible to start creating campaigns based on ABM strategies. But even before you start creating ABM campaigns you need to choose which type of ABM strategy to use.

Types of account-based marketing 

Depending on the end goal pretended there are 3 types of account-based marketing. The 3 types are strategic ABM or 1 to 1, ABM lite or 1 to few, and programmatic ABM or 1 to many. They can be done separately or then they can be done in an iterative process.

A company can choose to start in either of them for specific industries or segments. In addition, a company can start at the programmatic ABM and then depending on the engagement of the accounts move to ABM lite and similarly if a company in the ABM lite engages more with the materials and activities of the ABM lite then they can shift that account to strategic ABM.

Strategic ABM 

Strategic ABM, also known as One-to-One ABM, represents the most traditional and highly personalized form of account-based marketing. It focuses on developing hyper-targeted campaigns tailored to the unique needs, challenges, and preferences of individual, high-value accounts. This approach is typically reserved for a company's most critical existing or potential clients, with the goal of strengthening relationships, driving upsells and cross-sells, and securing long-term partnerships.

Key characteristics of Strategic ABM include:

• Highly Customized Marketing Plans: Sales and marketing teams collaborate closely to develop bespoke marketing plans for each target account, leveraging sales insights and deep customer knowledge.
• Deep Stakeholder Engagement: A core focus is forging strong relationships with key stakeholders and gatekeepers within the target account, fostering trust and open communication.
• Targeted Interactions: Marketing interactions are meticulously crafted to address the specific business issues and priorities of each account, demonstrating a deep understanding of their unique context.
• Significant Investment and Long-Term ROI: Due to the high level of personalization and resource intensity, Strategic ABM requires a substantial investment per account and lead. However, it often delivers the highest return on investment over the long term, typically measured in years.
• Resource and Time Intensive: This approach requires significant time, resources (budget, tools, and personnel), and in-depth research, including persona development, to create relevant and highly targeted messaging. It is most effective when a company has the resources and commitment for a long-term engagement.

In essence, Strategic ABM is a high-touch, high-reward strategy best suited for companies with significant resources and a focus on cultivating deep, long-term relationships with a select group of key accounts. It's a powerful approach for upselling, cross-selling, and solidifying partnerships with key accounts.

ABM lite 

ABM Lite, also known as One-to-Few ABM, bridges the gap between highly personalized Strategic ABM and broader Large-Scale ABM. It involves targeting small groups of similar accounts simultaneously, offering greater personalization than Large-Scale ABM while requiring fewer resources than Strategic ABM. This approach is often used for "second-tier" accounts that are still valuable but may not warrant the intensive, one-to-one focus of Strategic ABM.

Key characteristics of ABM Lite include:

• Targeted Account Grouping: Sales and marketing teams collaborate to identify and group five to ten target accounts that share similar characteristics, challenges, goals, and needs. This segmentation allows for more efficient personalization.
• Tailored Messaging: While not as hyper-personalized as Strategic ABM, ABM Lite allows for the creation of tailored content and marketing initiatives designed to resonate with the specific needs of each account group.
• Balance of Personalization and Automation: ABM Lite leverages a blend of personalized messaging and automated or programmatic techniques to expand campaign reach and efficiency.
• Focus on Shared Pain Points: A key component of ABM Lite is identifying the common pain points experienced by the target account groups. This allows for the development of targeted messaging and solutions that address these shared challenges.
• Moderate Resource Requirements: ABM Lite requires a moderate level of resources, including budget, tools, and personnel. It is a good option for companies with flexible budgets who can invest in some level of marketing technology and dedicated team members.
• Emphasis on Ideal Customer Profiles: While not requiring the same level of individual customer research as Strategic ABM, a thorough understanding of ideal customer personas, profiles, and segments remains crucial for effective account grouping and messaging.

In summary, ABM Lite provides a scalable approach to account-based marketing, allowing companies to deliver targeted messaging to groups of similar accounts without the heavy resource investment of a fully personalized, one-to-one strategy. It's a valuable option for companies looking to move beyond broad marketing campaigns while maintaining a degree of personalization and efficiency.

Programmatic ABM

 Programmatic ABM, also known as One-to-Many ABM, represents the most scalable form of account-based marketing. It leverages digital channels and marketing automation technologies to target a large number of accounts (hundreds or even thousands) that align with the Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). While offering less personalization than Strategic (One-to-One) or ABM Lite (One-to-Few), Programmatic ABM provides an efficient way to reach a broad audience of qualified accounts.

Key characteristics of Programmatic ABM include:

• Large-Scale Account Targeting: This approach focuses on reaching a large number of accounts simultaneously, using data and technology to identify and segment target audiences.
• Leveraging Technology for Scalable Personalization: Programmatic ABM utilizes marketing automation platforms (e.g., HubSpot, Marketo, Pardot) and other technologies to personalize marketing campaigns at scale. This often involves grouping accounts based on shared characteristics like industry vertical, company size, or other broad descriptors.
• Data-Driven Approach: Heavy analysis of analytics and audience targeting data is essential for success with Programmatic ABM. This data-driven approach allows for continuous optimization and improvement of campaign performance.
• Sales and Marketing Alignment on Targeting: Sales and marketing teams collaborate to define target segments, including horizontal and vertical markets, as well as other groups of named accounts selected from the overall market.
• Emphasis on Efficiency and Reach: Programmatic ABM prioritizes efficiency and broad reach, making it a suitable option for companies with limited budgets or those seeking to expand their reach within a defined market.
• Use of Digital Channels and Tactics: Common tactics include digital advertising (e.g., LinkedIn Ads, programmatic CTV), email marketing, and other automated communication channels. Audience targeting can be achieved through various methods, including uploading contact lists, using company names and URLs, or leveraging platform-specific targeting options.
• Focus on the buying committee: Programmatic ABM aims to reach the entire buying committee within target accounts by using targeted channels like LinkedIn Ads to reach multiple stakeholders within each organization.

In essence, Programmatic ABM offers a cost-effective and efficient way to engage a large number of potential customers who fit the ICP. By leveraging technology and data, companies can achieve scalable personalization and reach a broader audience without the high resource investment required for more personalized ABM approaches. It's a particularly valuable strategy for smaller companies or those looking to generate awareness and leads within a specific market segment.

10 steps to build an account-based marketing strategy 

An idea is nothing more than that without the proper execution. Below you can find an example of an execution process that guarantees successful outcome.

Step 1: Align sales and marketing teams 

Internal alignment is crucial for sales and marketing to work effectively together with trust and accountability. A dedicated execution team, comprised of both marketing and sales representatives, is essential. At a minimum, the team should include one member from each department to act as project manager, responsible for planning, delegating tasks, and ensuring deliverables are met.

Step 2: Identify and prioritize target accounts 

After establishing alignment between sales and marketing, it's crucial to extend this alignment to business owners and other relevant stakeholders. Their input, through information sharing and consultation, is essential for prioritizing target accounts that best support overall business and company objectives.

Step 3: Research and understand target accounts 

Researching the selected target accounts is the next step. This involves a deep dive to identify similarities, understand their pain points and interests, and uncover common denominators. This research, combined with the account selection process, guides the decision on which ABM strategy to implement.

Step 4: Develop a personalized content plan 

This planning phase, technically termed "orchestration," encompasses the development and coordination of all strategic elements and tactical execution. This includes defining the value proposition, messaging, positioning, multi-touch strategy, and content formats. The process concludes with documenting the ABM campaign's high-level metrics and objectives.

Step 5: Choose the right ABM channels 

The next step is to detail each component of the orchestration plan, focusing specifically on channel selection. This involves determining where target account stakeholders are most likely to engage with content and identifying the channels that will deliver the best results for the ABM campaign.

Step 6: Leverage marketing automation tools 

Tools should be considered only at the end of the planning process. The abundance of similar tools makes it essential to first define your needs. This strategic approach prevents you from being distracted by flashy features and ensures you select tools that genuinely support your objectives and can be optimized for your benefit.

Step 7: Launch and execute ABM campaigns 

When all the planning has been done it’s time to deploy. Execute based on the previous steps.

Step 8: Monitor campaign performance metrics 

With the metrics and objectives established in step four, you should be able to monitor campaign progress. However, if you haven't defined milestone metrics and goals to guide and inform adjustments, you should create them. Without these milestones, you'll have to wait until the campaign's end to assess its success. Given that ABM campaigns can last for months, this could result in significant wasted resources before realizing you're off track.

Step 9: Optimize based on insights and feedback 

As the title suggests, this step focuses on campaign adjustments based on performance. By comparing results against established goals and metrics, you can identify areas for improvement and adjust various elements of the campaign, such as messaging, channels, value proposition, and buyer personas to name a few.

Step 10: Scale and refine your ABM approach 

Building on the previous step's adjustments, you can further refine the ABM approach and scale it to other industries, ICPs (Ideal Customer Profiles), or business units. You might also shift to a different ABM type based on target account engagement or allocate additional resources to the campaign.

ABM tactics that drive success 

ABM is a focused approach to B2B marketing that targets high-value accounts with personalized campaigns. To execute a successful ABM strategy, employing the right tactics is crucial. Here are some key tactics that drive ABM success:

Leveraging multi-channel marketing strategies 

Effective ABM requires a multi-channel approach to reach target accounts through their preferred communication channels. This integrated strategy ensures consistent messaging and maximizes engagement opportunities. Key channels to consider include:

• Direct Mail: Personalized direct mail, such as handwritten notes, custom packages, or high-quality brochures, can create a memorable and impactful experience, especially for high-value accounts.
• Digital Advertising: Targeted display ads, social media ads (especially on LinkedIn), and account-based advertising platforms allow you to reach specific decision-makers within target accounts with tailored messaging.
• Email Marketing: Personalized email sequences, tailored to specific roles and interests within the target account, can nurture leads and drive engagement. Avoid generic blasts; focus on relevant content and personalized outreach.
• Content Marketing: Creating valuable content, such as white papers, case studies, webinars, and blog posts, that addresses the specific challenges and needs of target accounts can establish thought leadership and drive engagement. Content can be distributed through various channels, including email, social media, and the company website.
• Social Selling: Empowering sales teams to engage with key stakeholders on social media platforms like LinkedIn can build relationships and foster trust.
• Events and Webinars: Hosting exclusive events or webinars tailored to specific target accounts can provide valuable insights and networking opportunities.

By strategically combining these channels, you can create a cohesive and impactful experience for your target accounts.

Personalizing campaigns for key accounts 

Personalization is at the heart of effective ABM. Generic marketing messages simply won't resonate with high-value accounts. To truly engage them, you need to deliver highly personalized experiences. This involves:

• Account-Specific Messaging: Crafting messaging that speaks directly to the unique challenges, goals, and needs of each target account. This requires in-depth research and a deep understanding of their business.
• Personalized Content: Creating content tailored to specific roles and interests within the target account. This could include personalized case studies, white papers, or even video messages.
• Customized Offers: Developing offers that are relevant to the specific needs of each target account. This could include custom pricing, tailored solutions, or exclusive access to resources.
• Personalized Website Experiences: Using account-based website personalization tools to tailor website content and messaging based on the visiting account.

By personalizing every touchpoint, you can demonstrate a deep understanding of your target accounts and build stronger relationships.

Using intent data to drive engagement 

Intent data provides valuable insights into the research activities of target accounts, indicating their potential interest in your products or services. By leveraging intent data, you can:

• Identify Active Buyers: Identify accounts that are actively researching solutions related to your offerings.
• Prioritize Outreach: Focus your efforts on accounts showing the highest level of intent.
• Personalize Outreach: Tailor your messaging and content based on the specific topics and keywords the target accounts are researching.
• Time Outreach Effectively: Reach out to target accounts at the most opportune moment, when they are actively engaged in the buying process.

Intent data can be sourced from various providers and platforms, including third-party data providers, website analytics, and marketing automation platforms.

Integrating CRM and marketing automation tools  

Integrating your CRM (Customer Relationship Management) and marketing automation tools is essential for effective ABM execution. This integration enables you to:

• Centralize Account Data: Create a unified view of each target account by consolidating data from various sources.
• Automate Personalized Outreach: Automate personalized email sequences, content delivery, and other marketing activities based on account behavior and engagement.
• Track Campaign Performance: Track key metrics and measure the effectiveness of your ABM campaigns.
• Improve Sales and Marketing Alignment: Facilitate seamless communication and collaboration between sales and marketing teams.

By integrating these tools, you can streamline your ABM efforts, improve efficiency, and maximize ROI.

By implementing these tactics, businesses can effectively target key accounts, build stronger relationships, and drive significant revenue growth through their ABM initiatives.

How to measure ABM success 

Data and data-driven decision-making is extremely important in corroborate your decision and reasoning. I explain shortly a couple of metrics to be followed, what they mean and corrective actions when needed.

Analyzing ROI from ABM campaigns 

Measuring the success of your ABM program is important to demonstrate its effectiveness and optimize future campaigns. Also, it will aid you pitching to your superiors or company owners why you should continue with this strategy. Here's how to analyze ROI:

• Track Key Metrics: Focus on metrics that align with your ABM goals. These may include account engagement (website visits, leads generated, event registrations), pipeline progression (deal velocity, average deal size), and ultimately, revenue generated from target accounts.
• Calculate Cost per Acquisition (CPA): Track the total cost of your ABM campaign (including marketing and sales resources) and divide it by the number of acquired accounts to understand the cost of acquiring each high-value customer.
• Measure Customer Lifetime Value (CLV): Analyze the total revenue a target account generates over its lifetime to assess the long-term value of your ABM efforts.

Adjusting strategies based on data 

Data-driven insights are essential for continuously improving your ABM strategy. By analyzing metrics, you can identify areas for improvement and adjust your approach accordingly. Here are examples:

• Low engagement? Reevaluate your messaging, content strategy, or chosen channels.
• Slow pipeline progression? Refine your sales outreach tactics or nurture sequences.
• High CPA? Optimize your targeting or explore more cost-effective channels.

Leveraging data can help you refine your strategy to maximize the impact of your ABM campaigns.

How consulting services can enhance ABM 

Implementing a successful ABM program requires expertise and strategic planning. Partnering with experienced ABM consultants can provide valuable support, including:

• Developing a comprehensive ABM strategy: Consultants can help you define clear objectives, identify target accounts, and develop a tailored ABM strategy aligned with your overall business goals. This includes defining the right ABM approach (One-to-One, One-to-Few, One-to-Many) and establishing key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Identifying and prioritizing target accounts: Consultants bring expertise in identifying and prioritizing high-value accounts that offer the greatest potential for revenue growth. They can help you define your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and use data-driven insights to select the most promising targets.
• Creating personalized content and messaging: Crafting compelling and relevant content that resonates with specific target accounts is crucial for ABM success. Consultants can help you develop personalized messaging, content formats (e.g., case studies, white papers, videos), and distribution strategies.
• Leveraging technology to streamline ABM execution: Effective ABM relies on integrating various marketing technologies, including CRM, marketing automation, and intent data platforms. Consultants can guide you in selecting and implementing the right tools to streamline your processes and maximize efficiency.
• Facilitating sales and marketing alignment: Strong collaboration between sales and marketing is essential for ABM success. Consultants can help bridge the gap between these two departments, fostering communication, establishing shared goals, and developing joint execution plans.
• Providing ongoing support and optimization: ABM is an iterative process. Consultants can provide ongoing support, monitor campaign performance, analyze data, and recommend adjustments to optimize results and ensure continuous improvement.

By leveraging the expertise of ABM consultants, businesses can accelerate their ABM success, maximize ROI, and achieve significant revenue growth.

Contact Paulo Lopes to discuss how consulting services can help you achieve your ABM goals and unlock significant business growth.