Building B2B Account-Based Marketing (ABM) Campaigns That Work

Building B2B ABM Campaigns That Work

Account-based marketing (ABM) is a powerful b2b marketing strategy to engage high-value prospects. Rather than casting a wide net, ABM focuses on individual accounts, tailoring your messaging and approach to meet their specific needs. The goal isn’t to lead with your product or service but to build a relationship by solving their unique challenges.

While it takes time and coordination across departments, when executed effectively, ABM delivers measurable results and deepens client relationships.

Before we dive into the steps, here are some critical considerations:

Assemble Your Cross-Functional ABM Team:

An effective ABM campaign requires input from multiple teams:

Marketing – Orchestrates the overall strategy, messaging, and campaign execution.

Sales – Provides input on account selection and spearheads outreach and relationship-building.

Product/Services – Ensures that the offer being presented aligns with the needs of the account and the capabilities of your product or service.

This cross-functional collaboration ensures that all facets of the company are aligned in messaging and approach. ABM isn't just Marketing or Sales—it's a full-funnel strategy.‍

Choose Your B2B Marketing Channels:

Successful ABM campaigns use a mix of marketing and sales touchpoints to reach target accounts across various channels:

Paid LinkedIn & Google PPC – Target ads specifically at decision-makers and influencers within your target accounts.

Content – Case studies, whitepapers, guides, and thought leadership pieces that are hyper-relevant to their challenges.

Website – Dedicated campaign-specific landing pages tailored to each account’s needs.

Events – Invite-only events, whether in-person or virtual, can establish exclusivity and provide deeper engagement.

Email & LinkedIn Inmail – Personalized, 1:1 sales emails that introduce and inform decision makers about your solution. 

Phone – Sales outreach to establish personal connections and facilitate deeper conversations.

Your goal is to create a multi-channel experience that keeps your company top-of-mind while addressing specific account pain points at each stage of the buyer journey.

Compile Your Tools:

Leveraging the right tools is critical to executing an ABM strategy efficiently and measuring success effectively. Here are a few tools that can help:

Email Sequencing – Tools like HubSpot Sequences, Pardot, or Outreach automate personalized, multi-step email campaigns.

Intent Data – Platforms like ZoomInfo, 6Sense, or LinkedIn Sales Navigator help you understand account behaviors and prioritize who to include in your outreach.

Analytics – Tools like Google Analytics, SEMrush, Ahrefs, or your CRM provide valuable insights into which content resonates, what keywords are being searched, and where opportunities lie.

Each tool helps streamline your processes, gather valuable insights, and ensure you’re targeting the right accounts with the right messaging.

Now, let’s dive into the steps of building an ABM campaign:

1. Define Your Goal

Your campaign’s success hinges on having a clear, measurable goal that aligns with your company’s broader objectives. Whether it’s increasing revenue from a specific sector, breaking into a new market, or increasing deal velocity with certain accounts, your goals should follow the SMART criteria:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Time-bound

For example, you may want to generate $500,000 in new pipeline opportunities from your top 15 healthcare accounts within six months.

2. Get Specific with Your Target Audience

Effective ABM requires detailed knowledge of your target accounts. Align Marketing, Sales, and Product/Services teams to pinpoint the right audience. Be specific:

Industry – Example: Mid-sized hospitals in Central Ontario

Challenges – Example: Increased patient capacity but outdated patient management systems.

Desired Outcomes – Example: Streamlined processes to reduce administrative burden.

It’s essential to also list the consequences if they don’t address these challenges. This information will guide your content creation and sales messaging.

Pro Tip: If you've had success in similar sectors or regions, highlight these case studies to reinforce credibility.

3. Build a Focused Account List

Your ABM campaign shouldn’t aim to cover hundreds of accounts at once. Start with a small, manageable list of high-value accounts, typically 20-30. Each account should have a primary champion (decision-maker) along with two or three supporting contacts or influencers.

For existing clients, keep them separate from new prospects so that you can craft messaging that respects the existing relationship while encouraging deeper engagement.

4. Research and Gather Insights on Accounts

Gather and document relevant insights for each account. Here’s what to look for:

• Recent hires, layoffs, mergers, or acquisitions.
• Product launches or funding rounds.
• New initiatives that align with your solution.

This research allows you to craft highly personalized messaging that shows you’ve done your homework and understand their current business environment.

5. Create Engaging, Relevant Content

ABM content needs to do more than educate—it should speak directly to the specific pain points of your accounts and offer clear solutions. Content should fall into three categories:

Inform – Guides, or blog posts to educate.

Delight – Nurture with content like eBooks, webinars, or podcasts.

Convince – Case studies and unique offers that demonstrate value and that are too hard to say no to.

Collaboration across your Marketing, Sales, and Product/Service teams ensures that your content remains relevant, timely, and valuable. It’s also a good idea to perform a competitive analysis to understand what your competitors are offering and how you can differentiate your content.

6. Build & Launch the ABM Campaign

Now that you’ve gathered your team, built your account list, and created relevant content, it’s time to schedule and launch your ABM campaign. ABM requires a strategic approach to ensure that both Marketing and Sales efforts are tightly aligned, with each playing a distinct role in the campaign's success. Let’s break down the specific steps for both Marketing and Sales teams.

Marketing Steps: Prime > Retarget > Nurture > Invite

Marketing’s role at the beginning of an ABM campaign is to “warm up” the target accounts before sales gets involved. Your aim is to create familiarity, establish thought leadership, and nurture the relationship over time. Here’s how to execute each phase effectively:

Prime – Start by building awareness through targeted ads and educational content.

• LinkedIn & Google PPC Ads: Use hyper-targeted ads aimed at decision-makers and influencers within the account. Ensure the messaging is personalized to their challenges and demonstrates that you understand their industry. This content could be thought leadership articles, case studies, or solution guides that help them see you as a potential partner.
  

Retarget – Drive deeper engagement through highly personalized follow-up content.

• Once accounts engage with your initial content (e.g., they download a whitepaper or visit a campaign landing page), it’s time to retarget them with more focused content.
• Retargeting Ads: Use LinkedIn and Google Display retargeting ads to drive these visitors back to your campaign-specific landing page. The content should be highly relevant to their specific needs. For example, if they viewed a case study, follow up with a product demo or a solution guide.
• Dynamic Ads: Tools like LinkedIn can offer dynamic, personalized ads that change based on the user’s profile or previous interactions with your website, increasing relevance.
  

Nurture – Continue to provide value to accounts over time.

• Nurture Emails: Set up an automated email sequence based on actions taken by your target accounts. For example, if an account downloaded a whitepaper, the next email could offer them a guide or invite them to an upcoming webinar.
  

Invite – Transition from nurturing to engagement by inviting accounts to events or deeper interactions.

• Event Invitations: Invite them to high-value events like invite-only webinars, roundtables, or workshops tailored to their industry. These events should offer exclusive insights or a deep dive into a solution they are likely grappling with.
• Podcast Guest: Invite your target audience to offer their insights in a podcast. Who doesn’t like sharing their insights? This is a great way to build a new relationship.
• Exclusive Offers: Create a sense of urgency by offering something exclusive to attendees, such as early access to a new feature or a tailored consultation. This adds a layer of personalization and value, making them more likely to engage.

Marketing Must-Haves:

Dedicated Campaign Landing Page: Ensure you have a custom landing page for the campaign that speaks directly to the challenges of the account. This page should capture key details about the account (industry, challenges, etc.) and provide an easy way for them to 

Sales Steps: Connect > Share > Present > Offer > Close

Once marketing has primed the target accounts, it’s time for Sales to step in. Sales should execute a well-planned outreach sequence to drive engagement and turn that interest into pipeline opportunities. Here’s how Sales can approach the process:

Connect – Start with a personalized approach to initiate contact.

• Email & LinkedIn Outreach: Sales should initiate contact through a series of personalized emails and LinkedIn InMails.
• Value Proposition: Right from the start, highlight the specific value you can offer to that account. Keep it focused on solving their challenges, not pitching your product.
• Multiple Channels: Don’t rely solely on email. Use LinkedIn messages, phone calls, and even video messages (tools like Vidyard or Loom) to make the outreach more personal and engaging.

Share – Provide tailored content that adds more value.

• Custom Content: As you engage with prospects, share tailored content relevant to their role or industry. This could be case studies, industry reports, or product demos that speak directly to their challenges.
• Cadenced Follow-up: Plan for a sequence of follow-ups. Start with educational content in your outreach and progress to more specific solutions and offers.
• Cold vs. Warm Accounts: Segment your outreach based on the type of account (cold prospect vs. warm lead). For cold accounts, spend more time building the relationship before transitioning into solution-focused conversations.

Present – Once engagement is established, pitch your solution.

• Book a Meeting: After a response is received, aim to quickly book a discovery call or demo where you can present your solution in more detail.
• Tailored Presentation: Use everything you’ve learned from your marketing efforts and research to build a personalized presentation. Address their specific pain points, using real examples and data.

Offer – Present a compelling, exclusive offer.

• Tailored Offers: Provide offers that make sense for their business, such as a discount for early adoption, a personalized consultation, or access to a limited-time feature.
• Time-Sensitive Deals: Create a sense of urgency with a limited-time offer to encourage quicker decision-making. For example, “Sign up by the end of the quarter and receive a free implementation package.”

Close – Focus on moving the deal forward to close.

• Follow-up Cadence: Don’t let the relationship go cold. Follow up with timely reminders about the offer and upcoming calls to action (e.g., “I just wanted to check in before the deadline on the free implementation offer.”).
• Objection Handling: Be prepared to handle objections with data-backed answers and examples of how your solution has helped others in similar situations.

Sales Must-Haves:

5-10 Step Email & Call Sequence: Set up a detailed outreach cadence with multiple touchpoints that include email, LinkedIn, and phone calls. Each step should build on the previous one, progressively moving the prospect closer to a decision.

Tailored Value-Added Information: Every interaction should bring additional value to the table—whether it’s sharing a relevant case study or offering to answer questions in a discovery call.

Fast Follow-Up: Once a lead shows interest, be ready to respond quickly with a booking for a demo or consultation.

7.  Monitor and Iterate

Your ABM campaign doesn’t end after launch. It’s important to establish regular check-ins with your team to evaluate the campaign’s performance and adjust as needed. Track engagement metrics, conversions, and deal velocity, and don’t be afraid to tweak your approach based on real-time data.

Conclusion

Building B2B ABM campaigns that work requires a well-coordinated effort across your Marketing, Sales, and Product/Services teams. By focusing on the needs of each account, creating targeted content, and executing through the right channels, you can deliver exceptional value to your high-priority accounts and achieve meaningful business outcomes.

Remember, ABM is not a one-size-fits-all approach—it’s a tailored strategy that, when done right, builds stronger relationships, closes larger deals, and accelerates growth.