Lauren Alt-Kishpaugh
VP of Marketing
Account-based marketing (ABM) has revolutionized the way companies approach B2B marketing. By focusing on target accounts rather than individual leads, ABM enables marketing teams to cultivate richer, more personalized customer relationships, ultimately driving better results across the sales cycle.
However, the success of any ABM strategy hinges on effective account-based engagement (ABE), which requires a nuanced approach to outreach, content, and metrics. This is where offline engagement, particularly through all-in-one platforms like Postal, becomes invaluable.
The Current State of Account Based Engagement
The core of ABE lies in its targeted, strategic approach that syncs marketing and sales efforts around engaging specifically identified account lists. This method stands in contrast to broader marketing strategies by focusing sharply on key accounts selected through a combination of intent data, buying signals, and an ideal customer profile (ICP). Such a focused approach ensures that marketing efforts are concentrated where they have the highest potential for significant deal sizes and conversion rates.
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The adoption and effectiveness of ABM strategies have seen considerable growth, with personalization through customized content emerging as a critical success factor. In recent years, ABM has expanded beyond mere lead generation, adopting a holistic 'land and expand' approach that focuses not just on acquiring new accounts but also on nurturing and growing existing ones. In 2022, 65% of marketers employing ABM strategies reported growth in existing accounts, highlighting the importance of personalized engagement in fostering customer relationships and retention.
The Drive for Personalization
Personalization is at the heart of a successful ABM strategy, with 56% of marketers acknowledging its pivotal role. The essence of ABM lies in its ability to engage with accounts on a personal level, demonstrating an understanding of their unique challenges and needs. This trend towards hyper-personalization is expected to continue, with a significant number of marketers tailoring their content to specific industries and roles to ensure relevance and impact.
Leveraging the Right Data
The success of ABM hinges on the access to and utilization of the right data. With the phasing out of third-party cookies, the emphasis on first-party data and intent signals has never been more critical. A notable percentage of marketers have cited challenges in tracking the right data, underscoring the necessity of leveraging intent data platforms and CRM insights to drive targeted and informed engagement strategies.
Cross-Team Collaboration
ABM's success requires a unified effort across sales, marketing, and customer success teams. Despite the challenges in achieving alignment, the collaborative approach is non-negotiable for ABM success. High-performing ABM programs report close cross-functional collaboration as a key driver, indicating the necessity of cohesive efforts for impactful ABM strategies.
Offline Engagement: Your Secret Weapon for More Effective ABE
In an era dominated by digital marketing tactics, the power of offline engagement through direct mail, branded merchandise, and personalized gifts can't be overstated. Offline tactics add a tangible dimension to your ABM campaigns, creating memorable experiences that cut through the noise of online content.
Postal's platform leverages this by integrating with your CRM and marketing automation tools, allowing for seamless coordination of offline and online engagement strategies.
Leveraging the Postal Platform for Successful ABE
- Targeting the Right Accounts: Begin by identifying and segmenting your target account list based on intent data and your ideal customer profile. This ensures that your marketing and sales teams are focused on the stakeholders and decision-makers within the organizations that are most likely to engage.
- Personalized Messaging and Touchpoints: Utilize Postal's gifting marketplace and swag store to create personalized content and gifts that resonate with the specific interests and needs of each account. This can range from custom webinars and relevant content for different stages of the buyer’s journey to personalized swag sent ahead of virtual meetings.
- Integration with Sales and Marketing Tools: Postal integrates seamlessly with leading CRMs, LinkedIn, and other marketing automation providers, enabling your teams to automate and track engagement across all touchpoints. This integration is crucial for synchronizing sales and marketing efforts, ensuring that messaging is consistent and relevant across all channels, including email, social media, and direct mail.
- Metrics and KPIs for ABM Success: Measure the impact of your ABE initiatives through Postal's reporting and ROI tools. Key metrics include engagement data, conversion rates, deal size, and return on investment. These insights help refine your ABM program, allowing for targeted improvements in content, outreach strategies, and the overall customer experience.
- Building and Nurturing Customer Relationships: Beyond lead generation, ABE is about fostering long-term customer relationships. Postal's platform enables you to celebrate milestones, recognize achievements, and stay top of mind with key accounts, enhancing customer loyalty and retention.
Crafting a Cohesive ABM Campaign with Postal
A holistic ABM campaign requires a meticulous blend of strategic planning, execution, and continuous optimization to ensure that each interaction adds value and propels the relationship forward.
Expanding on Strategic Account Selection
An effective ABM campaign starts with a precise selection of accounts. Using Postal, delve deeper into the data to uncover not just the obvious choices but also the hidden gems within your market. This involves analyzing account behaviors, engagement patterns, and potential for growth. It’s about identifying those accounts that not only look good on paper but also align with your company’s strategic goals and have the potential to become long-term partners.
Enhancing Personalization with Data Insights
With Postal's integration capabilities, your ABM campaign can leverage data from various sources to hyper-personalize every engagement. Use Postal to analyze engagement data from your CRM, marketing automation platforms, and social media interactions to create a 360-degree view of your target accounts. This enables you to craft messages and offers that are not just personalized but timely and contextually relevant.
Creating Multi-Touch Engagement Plans
A cohesive ABM campaign recognizes the importance of multi-touch engagement strategies. Utilize Postal to orchestrate a series of interactions that guide your accounts through the buying journey. This might include an initial outreach with personalized direct mail, followed by digital touchpoints such as targeted emails, social media engagement, and PPC ads, all leading up to a personalized webinar or virtual event. Each touchpoint should be designed to build on the previous one, gradually increasing the account’s engagement and interest in your solution.
By integrating Postal’s offline engagement strategies with targeted online efforts, you can create a truly cohesive and effective ABM campaign that not only wins accounts but turns them into long-term partners and advocates.
Try a free Postal demo today and discover how seamless integration of offline and online tactics can elevate your ABM campaigns, deepen customer relationships, and drive unparalleled marketing success.
