ABM is no longer the new kid on the block. SiriusDecisions held 19 sessions focused on ABM at Summit this year, and dozens of vendors on the show floor latched onto ABM-related messaging.
It’s been two years since the introduction of the demand-unit waterfall, an upgrade from the traditional leads-based funnel. Today, most modern B2B marketers know that chasing after lead volume is not enough. Marketers need to get aligned with sales and focus on contributing to larger company goals like pipeline and revenue growth.
While the novelty of ABM is wearing off, SD Summit kept ABM weird and fresh in Austin this year by bringing in intent. Leveraging intent data is one of the key tenets in executing successful ABM programs. The more you know about your target accounts and personas, the better content you can deliver at each stage of the purchase journey. Used alongside ABM campaigns, purchase intent can be extremely powerful for both marketing and sales teams.
SiriusDecisions used two full sessions to flesh out best practices for operationalizing ABM and intent: “Taming ABM’s Three-Headed Monster: How to Use Intent, Advertising, and Personalization,” led by Matt Senatore and Jonathan Tam and “Feeding ABM’s Three-Headed Monster: Customizing the Content diet for Discerning Palates,” led by Nicky Briggs and Phyllis Davidson.
Big picture?
Aim for a seamless customer lifecycle. Understand your target accounts and personas to create engaging purchase journeys tailored to their needs, leveraging intent data alongside tools like display advertising and web personalization. From the first point of contact through purchase decisions and the customer experience, guide your target audience through each stage with consistent messaging.
A few additional takeaways:
- How well do you know your target accounts? Dive into your target personas at each buying stage to gain a deeper understanding of their wants and needs. The more important the account, the more resources and technology you should use to find out more about them.
- How do you personalize for thousands of accounts? Segment your target accounts. That way, higher priority accounts can get the one-on-one attention they need, while lower priority accounts can be grouped with like accounts to receive tailored campaigns by the hundreds or even thousands.
- How do you get started with ABM and intent? See how others run intent-based ABM campaigns. SiriusDecisions used the Veristor case study in their presentation to demonstrate what a successful campaign looks like. You can learn more about the Veristor case study here.
With intent, what we’re seeing is that the practical applications of account-based marketing are really just starting to gain steam. Today, intent data can deliver ever more insights to marketers and sales reps. There’s always more to find out about your target accounts and personas, and the more you know, the more effectively you can personalize each touch and speak to their needs.