Account Based Marketing 101: Benefits, Strategy Types, and Setting Up a Campaign

Account-based marketing (ABM) is like a secret sauce that brings marketing and sales together to make high-value customers feel extra special. To make it work, you got to find the big fish (high-value accounts), figure out who’s important in those companies, and then charm them with a personalized marketing approach across different channels. ABM is a big deal for B2B SaaS providers, offering significant ABM Benefits for SaaS, so it needs lots of research and teamwork between marketing and sales.

Why ABM Rocks?

Here’s how ABM can help you make more sales and grow your business:

• Bigger ROI: ABM helps you focus on the big fish, so you can tailor your message and offers to reel them in. This means more cash and a better ROI than regular marketing methods.
• Sales + Marketing = BFFs: With ABM, sales and marketing have to work closely to find and engage the right accounts. This can lead to better teamwork, understanding, and a more powerful strategy overall.
• No Wasted Effort: ABM means you’re not wasting time and money on duds. Instead, you’re investing in high-quality leads that are more likely to become customers.
• Customers for Life: ABM lets you personalize the experience for your customers, which can make them stick around longer, buy more, and refer others.
• Happy Customers: By understanding your target accounts and tailoring your approach, you show them you care, which can help build long-lasting relationships.

Types of ABM Strategies

There are three main ABM strategies for SaaS businesses:

One-to-One | Strategic ABM 

This one’s for your super special, high-value accounts. It’s mostly about making existing customers even happier (70%) and finding new ones (30%). It takes a lot of resources, but it’s worth it for the strong relationships and opportunities to upsell and cross-sell. You’ll need to focus on just a handful of accounts with unique needs and create targeted strategies for each.

One-to-Few | ABM Lite

This is for your second-tier accounts, with a 56/44 split between existing and new customers. It’s less intense than Strategic ABM, as you group 5-10 accounts with similar needs and target them with the same tactics. It’s great for companies with flexible budgets and room to grow.

One-to-Many | Programmatic ABM

This one’s all about grouping accounts by industry or other factors and then targeting hundreds or even thousands of them. It’s expensive, but small companies can still make it work without fancy CRM software by using direct mail, social media content, and other channels.

Set-by-Step Guide to Setting Up an ABM Campaign

Here’s a simple step-by-step guide to get your ABM campaign up and running:

• Find and Define Your Accounts: Figure out which organizations are most likely to want your SaaS product. Use different methods to find the ones with the most money to spend, then put all their info in a database or list.
• Know Your Key Stakeholders: Identify the important people in your target market and analyze their needs and wants. Segment your accounts based on these customer personas so you can target them with personalized campaigns.
• Make Custom Content: Now’s the time to create content that speaks directly to your prospects and shows them how your SaaS will solve their problems.
• Build the Campaign: Decide which marketing channels will work best for your target customers, then use an omnichannel approach (combining social media, Google Ads, blogs, etc.) to reach them. Assign individual campaigns to each account in your segmented database.
• Launch and Monitor: Send out your custom campaigns and nurture your high-value accounts through the sales cycle. Take it slow and steady, allowing them to get to know and trust your SaaS. Remember, quality over quantity is key to ABM’s success.

While your campaign is running, don’t forget to monitor its effectiveness. Keep an eye on key performance indicators and other metrics to see what’s working and what needs improvement. Regular evaluation will help you fine-tune your strategy for better results.