Account-Based Marketing: Tips on How to Increase Conversion Rates

When it comes to account-based marketing, lead quality is critical. A marketer can put in a lot of effort and work hard to generate leads but still not get the desired result after all the attempts.

This outcome is depressing because a low conversion after the time and effort spent can often make you doubt yourself and your skills.

As mentioned, the quality of leads is crucial. And to get those good leads, you need to create a strategy that shows results. But where to look for such a strategy? The best option is account-based marketing (ABM).

Properly applied, this strategy results in higher ROI and often leads to shorter sales cycles, which is the dream of many marketers.

ABM has been an effective tool for over 30 years and is relevant today, which can be seen in the demand for a professional account-based marketing agency.

However, ABM only points the way, and how we go through it and whether we reach our destination is up to us. You can implement an ABM strategy and still fail.

That is why, to increase your chances of a successful deal and avoid mistakes, we have collected five effective practices for marketers that may help you get the best results from account-based marketing.

Pick the Best Channels 

One of the common issues companies face is that sales cycles are getting longer. The reasons for this may vary, but often it is because the number of decision-makers is growing.

One way to minimize these risks is to use a combination of channels to reach your target accounts. And as is often the case, following industry standard practices makes account-based marketing more productive.

Messaging across all platforms builds trust and strengthens the value proposition.

When planning your strategy, focus on the following channels:

• Targeted ads. This is a time-tested tool. Therefore, create targeted ads for several named roles at once in a company that interests you. Such an approach allows you to expand your opportunities and build trust.
• Social media. Social media campaigns are another effective method. Focus on specific accounts whose pain points you are familiar with. Tweets or posts on LinkedIn should include explanations and solutions to your target audience’s problems.
• Email campaigns. This approach is similar to targeted advertising. However, all activities take place within a personalized email campaign aimed at multiple decision-makers in the target company.
• Live. Live events are some of the most difficult and stressful. But these may significantly increase the chance of conversion since live interaction is the most effective communication model to make valuable contacts.
• SEO. Optimized content mapped to your target accounts’ needs and search queries is effective to reach decision-makers. This is a more “passive” tactic since you do not contact your accounts directly with this approach but wait until they start searching for information and contact you.

Determine Highest-Value Accounts

Take the time to identify and select those accounts that provide the most value because high-value ones work best with an account-based strategy.

This approach often involves entering a new market or a major player in the industry. To increase your chances of success, build your ideal customer profile (ICP) and use trusted conversion optimization services.

By understanding which profile is best for you and knowing the pain points and challenges the company is facing, you can focus on building your offering to fulfill those needs.

The two main factors to consider when dealing with high-value accounts include:

• Measured pace. Take your time and choose your accounts carefully. Avoid hasty decisions.
• Collaborate with the sales department. Do not make a final decision without the approval of the sales department.

Do Your Research

This is something many marketers may often ignore. And this is the detail without which even the most promising ABM tactic has a high chance of failure.

All actions, plans, and strategies should always be based on data analysis, facts, and relevant research that reflects your accounts’ actual needs, challenges, and desires.

Regular analysis and adjustment help identify risks to select the most effective strategy tools.

Without research, all marketing efforts can often be of zero effectiveness.

Cooperate with Marketing and Sales Teams

Another common mistake that usually leads to the failure of an account-based marketing strategy is the lack of cooperation between marketing and sales. Therefore, it is critical to have frequent meetings between these departments.

Planning a strategy, sharing ideas, analyzing target accounts, as well as considering opportunities and risks — all only work when there is good communication between departments. 

The main success factor, in this case, is ensuring that marketing turns qualified leads into sales at the right time. With this approach, the strategy leads to a closed deal and completing the set goals.

Therefore, identify and resolve communication issues between departments to eliminate the risk of failure and waste of valuable time and resources.

Targeted Content and Messages

Personalized messaging is one of the keys to a successful account-based marketing strategy.

Here the main task is to understand clearly what part of the content is useful and contributes to the audience’s involvement. This approach helps save time on creating useless content and identify the critical gaps that need to be filled.

Another factor to consider is personalization. In account-based marketing, we should deeply understand our profiles, their struggles, desires, pain points, lifestyle, and needs. In other words, the marketer should know their leads better than they do.

By understanding our buyers, we can match the content with their profile to achieve the desired effect and increase the chance of conversion. Then, to intensify the strategy’s effectiveness, we can leverage marketing automation.

When it comes to message-targeted content, it’s essential to feel the moment — deploying the right content at the right time.