Why Your ABM Strategy Needs a Balanced Approach

So you’ve been tasked with implementing Account-Based Marketing (ABM) into your demand generation strategy this year. How’s it going? Meh…am I right? While ABM does take some time and effort to get off the ground, it’s a proven tactic when applied appropriately within your overall demand gen mix. Unfortunately, a lot of B2B marketers take a narrow minded approach when it comes to executing ABM. Just like every other marketing strategy out there, ABM isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach and it doesn’t only have one runner in the race. Let me explain…

ABM is Not One-Size Fits All

I can’t tell you how many times a day we tell our clients to ‘take a balanced approach’. I feel like my financial planner yelling, diversify, diversify! Essentially, what we mean by diversification is variety—a healthy mix of tactics in your ABM strategy.

There’s this common misconception about ABM out there, that if you rely solely on one tactic, like display advertising or retargeting, you’ll be successful. The truth is, if you put all your budget and effort behind one tactic, chances are, you’re probably not going to see good results. A better approach is to run ABM with a mix of inbound and outbound campaigns. This requires you to choose from a variety of tactics, like webinars, in-person events, email marketing and field marketing initiatives.

Content Powered Account-Based Marketing

Another important tactic you should consider is content marketing. With an ABM approach, you can guarantee your content is exposed to professionals working at your target accounts, while they actively research business-related topics. Here’s an example of what that could look like:

One of your target accounts is on a tech publisher website and in the process of downloading a white paper on “IT Security”. Wouldn’t it be great to say, “Hey, while you’re at it, I think you’d also find my report on “Security Solutions” really interesting, here’s a copy.” Doesn’t that sound perfect?

If you only rely on traditional ABM tactics, you’ll miss out on opportunities like these. We’re not saying that you have to stop using digital advertising and retargeting, but instead, that you should balance your approach. By including a variety of channels in your ABM program, you can reach your target accounts with a multi-channel approach and provide relevant experiences like the one detailed above.

What’s Next?

If you’re looking to learn more about how a diversified ABM strategy can drive results for your organization, I recommend checking out this helpful post on the NetLine B2B Marketing Blog.

Source: B2C