How to effectively personalize your ABM strategy
The traditional approach of marketing to the masses is yielding to a more targeted, personalized account-based marketing strategy that caters to high-value clients and boosts ROI.
To stay ahead of the competition, businesses need to develop and execute a more targeted approach to marketing. Traditional mass marketing tactics that cast a wide net over consumers without regard to demographics are taking a back seat to a more targeted, personalized strategy known as account-based marketing. ABM takes advantage of the abundant customer data collected by businesses as well as the tools to analyze, customize and monetize that information
By focusing on high-value accounts and tailoring marketing efforts to their specific needs, ABM has emerged as a powerful weapon in driving business growth, nurturing long-term customer relationships and maximizing ROI. ABM offers many benefits that can't be overlooked. It can personalize customer experiences, bolster alignments among marketing and sales teams, and exploit the benefits of advanced technologies.
Why is personalization important to an ABM strategy?
Personalization is key to effective ABM campaigns that promote specific messaging to identified target accounts, resulting in stronger relationships and increased pipeline growth:
- Targeting high-value customers. Personalization revolves around pinpointing a select group of accounts. By personalizing marketing efforts, brands can tailor their messages and content to address the specific needs, pain points and goals of each account. This level of customization enhances the relevance and impact of marketing programs, increasing the likelihood of capturing the attention of target accounts and monetizing engagements with them.
- Building stronger customer relationships. ABM aims to nurture long-term partnerships, and personalization plays a vital role in establishing rapport and trust with key accounts. By showing a deep understanding of an account's unique characteristics, such as the client's industry, challenges and preferences, and catering to those specific needs, businesses demonstrate a strong commitment to their customer's success.
- Improving conversion rates. Delivering tailored messages and personalizing content that directly addresses a customer's pain points and provides remedies increases the likelihood of capturing the client's attention and influencing the buyer's journey. Personalization helps marketing and sales teams deliver the right information at the right time on the right channel, ensuring target accounts receive relevant and valuable content that resonates with their specific concerns. This personalized approach enhances the perceived value of product offerings and significantly improves the chances of converting leads and increasing brand loyalty.
10 steps to deliver ABM personalization
The following steps can help maximize the benefits of building personalization into ABM campaigns.
1. Research and segment accounts
Conduct thorough research on target accounts to gather insights about their industry, pain points, goals and key decision-makers. Use this information to segment the accounts into relevant groups based on common characteristics. This segmentation lets marketing teams tailor their messaging and content to each group or individual account's specific needs.
2. Customize messaging and content
Develop personalized messaging and content that directly addresses the challenges and goals of each account segment or unique account. Craft compelling narratives that resonate with customer pain points and provide tailored answers. Create content assets, such as whitepapers, case studies and webinars, that are specific to the account's industry or challenges and provide valuable insights and guidance.
3. Personalize outreach programs
Customize outreach efforts for each account by using the data, research and insights gathered. Craft personalized email campaigns, including subject lines and body content relevant to the recipient's industry or specific pain points. Use dynamic content insertion to include account-specific details within the email that make the message more personal. Handwritten notes and corporate gift giving also work well in generating engagement.
4. Target advertising campaigns
Use digital advertising platforms to display personalized ads tailored to specific accounts or industries. Align ad messaging and creative elements with the account's needs and preferences, increasing the likelihood of engagement and conversion. ABM software often uses existing ad networks and account-based information to target specific companies and identify buyer intent.
5. Personalize website and landing page experiences
Use website personalization tools or dynamic content blocks on landing pages to customize the website experience for target accounts. Display account-specific content, offers and messages based on the visitor's IP address or account identification to deliver a more personalized and relevant experience, enhance engagement and improve conversion rates. Advertising efforts can be more targeted while reducing overhead costs because unique pages are not needed for each campaign.
6. Connect with accounts through social media
Use social media platforms to engage with target accounts on a personal level. Follow social media profiles, share relevant content and interact using comments or direct messages. This approach shows a company's interest in the success of the target accounts and fosters a sense of connection and collaboration. Marketing and sales teams can implement this strategy in support of other ABM communications to extend reach and strengthen relationships.
7. Tailor events and webinars
Host exclusive events and webinars tailored to the needs of the target accounts. Invite key decision-makers and deliver content that addresses their specific challenges or industry trends. By providing personalized networking and learning opportunities, marketing and sales teams can establish deeper connections and showcase their expertise.
8. Align sales and marketing teams
Foster close collaboration and communication among sales and marketing teams inside the organization. Share account-specific insights, feedback and success stories to ensure that all teams are aligned in their personalized approach. This alignment enables a seamless customer experience, increases the effectiveness of personalized ABM campaigns on multiple channels and strengthens team relationships.
9. Continuously track, analyze and optimize campaign results
Monitor engagement metrics, conversion rates and account-specific interactions to gain insights into the issues that resonate most with each account segment. Use these insights to optimize and refine personalization strategies for future campaigns.
10. Implement advanced tools and technologies
Marketing automation, website personalization and ABM-specific software are some of the tools to monetize collected data, research target audiences, provide valuable insights into customer engagement preferences and buying patterns, and tailor marketing interactions to unique account segments at each stage of the journey.
Editor’s note: TechTarget offers ABM and project intelligence data, tools and services.
