In B2B marketing for SaaS, we trade the “widest net possible” marketing approach for a laser-like focus on those key accounts that matter most to our success through Account-based Marketing, or ABM. The ABM strategy for B2B SaaS focuses on specific high-value potential accounts employing personalized campaigns with an individualized approach.
The Definition of Account-Based Marketing Strategy
ABM is a strategic approach that features precise content and communication to targeted accounts, based on their specific needs to develop engagement trust and increase your relationships’ lifetime value. Content is tailored to each buyer in unique and individualized ways.
Types of Personalized ABM Campaigns
The objective is to create personalized campaigns for your most strategically significant accounts. These can be high revenue prospects, market influencers, more profitable customers, or those most likely to repeat purchase. Typically, these campaigns are:
- one-to-one, where senior management, sales, and marketing identify one whale who can have a profound impact on your business; you devote significant time and resources to this one high-value prospect;
- one-to-few, still a very targeted campaign that focuses your efforts on accounts with similarities in pain points and business objectives; and,
- one-to-many, a broader approach that focuses on multiple accounts in your target market, using a scaled approach, that still resembles personalized messaging.
Benefits of a Personalized ABM Approach
Successful B2B marketers agree that the personalized ABM approach produces superior campaign performance. Today’s business buyers expect solution providers to anticipate their needs. ABM helps identify and understand buyers, so your marketing speaks to them in a way that anticipates and meets these needs individually.
The best ABM strategies identify target accounts, engage their buyers in the appropriate channels with content that furthers engagement, and develops a relationship. Appropriately executed, ABM delivers the highest ROI of any B2B marketing strategy.
Tactics to Implementing an Account Based Marketing for B2B SaaS
ABM fosters collaboration in the organization. Sales, marketing, and service become account-centric, aligned around a single view of the customer, with targeted content and communication at each touchpoint. Notice the interaction between sales and marketing in a successful implementation:
- Identify and prioritize target customers. Any successful ABM campaign starts with identifying and prioritizing target accounts. Marketing and sales should identify target accounts and understand their business needs and preferences for content and channels.
- Identify key account personnel. Sales and marketing collaborate to identify buyers, influencers, and decision-makers at each target account.
- Account personalization. Create personalized content and messaging that addresses the needs and challenges of the target account.
- Channel strategy. Determine the best touchpoints for reaching your target, be it personal email, tailored web content, direct mail, social media, or retargeting through display advertising.
- Campaign execution. Orchestrate execution across sales, service, and marketing teams.
- Track and measure metrics. To optimize your program, measure awareness, engagement, lead quality, and close rate metrics.
The successful ABM marketer becomes the sales department’s best friend and closest ally in the sales process.
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