Account based marketing may not be a new strategy in the field of marketing, but it can have been creating ripples in the B2B world. However since the variables in B2B marketing are always shifting, it is tough to align ABM to perfectly match the necessities of a B2B brand. And this is why most brands fail at ABM and don’t produce sufficient leads. So here are a few tips to help connect ABM strategies to B2B necessities.
Understanding buyer groups
Buyer groups are one of the latest additions to the B2B world and they are perfect for fitting into an ABM strategy. Rather than the previous strategies where ABM would be applied to singular vendors and thereby those leads nurtured, what brands can do now is target similar buyer groups using account-based strategies. More than one lead from a brand can also be acquired since at the end of the day it will mean more sales.
Replace the individual with account
In case you choose to target buyer groups and generate multiple leads from the same brand, you need to ensure that these leads are treated as individual accounts and not as a brand or an individual entity. Send each one of them separate content and business collaterals as per their needs within their brand. But at the same time remember to generate a common message so that your clients understand the connecting sinews of your branding.
Securing the ABM funnel
You need to work with your sales funnel a little differently if you are aiming to use ABM strategies. Primarily, you will need to focus above the funnel where your buyer groups are residing. So basically if you can get any one of them through the funnel, the process of getting the rest becomes much easier. And therefore instead of concentrating on getting all your group leads through the funnel, ensure that your ABM strategy targets individuals from the groups and passes on the information within them.
Advocating
There’s nothing better than an ABM strategy where your target accounts also serve as your brand’s advocators. Of course to make this happen you will need to provide advocator benefits on behalf of your company otherwise expecting people to be your advocator simply based on brand value won’t work, you are neither Apple nor Samsung.
ABM is not an easy strategy to work with and requires a lot of internal changes. Use these tips to set your B2B brand vision in a way which matches your marketing techniques.
