As simple as account-based marketing sounds, it is not a one man show. To effectively use ABM in your marketing strategy will involve an entire team of people that must be on the same page to ensure account-based marketing yields the best results possible.
Even the very best ABM campaigns can end up turning into a tattered mess if team members are not working together and integrating their specific responsibilities to produce the whole. Teamwork and collaboration is a lot more than conducting brainstorming sessions once every week, although that certainly helps.
To run account-based marketing campaigns that bring measurable results, B2B marketers must work with their whole teams. This means all the members of demand generation must join hands with members of digital marketing who must also join hands with marketing executives.
But sometimes, it is just hard to get all those people on the same page. How do you get each team member to work as a cohesive whole and build an ABM friendly culture that clients love to be involved in and that employees love to participate in?
Here are 3 simply tips that B2B marketers can take to make this happen:
#1 — Understand the accounts being targeted.
Planning your ABM campaign begins with a solid understanding of the demographics and characteristics of the accounts you wish to target.
Everyone involved in directly handling these targeted accounts should not only know the name, address, phone, and website, but also the account’s goals and challenges. Additionally, as a team, you will want to review the geography of the account, the customers being targeted by that account, and the verticals the industry is in.
Depending on the industry and audience, Sales and Product Marketing will help you to fully understand the key components of each account, so you can determine the best ways to craft and deliver impactful messages.
#2 — Determine the client end goal and divide up tasks.
Account-based marketing is a big service, so it will require cross-functional creativity and execution. This is where you will want to ensure that all members of the team know what role their need to play and how to ensure their part of the campaign is done well.
For example, if the goal of a certain client is to target an account within the Human Resources industry, then marketing teams will need to work closely in alignment with sales teams, content development teams, and product market teams who understand that specific industry. Together, they can craft the right messages and build a successful campaign.
#3 — Define measuring tools and refine processes.
Two things are critical for every campaign: understanding the goal and determining how success will be measured.
Without the right tools for measuring your campaign, it will be difficult to assess which campaigns performed the best and which ones did not perform well at all. Successful campaign development is based on an understanding of measuring tools and the ability to refine processes quickly before the next campaign.
It is critical for all teams, from content marketing to demand generation to social media marketing and content development, to share common goals for the benefit of the target accounts. Understanding how goals will be measured can help each team member work efficiently for the common good of the campaign.
Whether your marketing team is small, mid-size, or large, getting account-based marketing strategies in place and up and running is a team effort. By ensuring everyone is on the same page with strategies, goals, and tools, you will ensure solid campaign implementation and client success.