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Why You Need An Account-Based Marketing Strategy For B2B

If you’re looking to maximize your pipeline with high-quality accounts and see a concrete return on investment, account-based marketing (ABM) should be at the top of your list. So what exactly is ABM?

Imagine a world where you could begin selling directly to the most useful and highest-value accounts that perfectly match your business.

No more aimless marketing to leads incompatible with your company’s purpose, allowing you to engage and satisfy these targeted customers.

With ABM, you can quickly identify and target valuable companies, maintain cohesion between sales and marketing teams, and initiate the process of captivating your accounts more efficiently.

What is an account-based marketing strategy in B2B?

Account-based marketing (ABM) is a powerful B2B marketing approach that enables sales and marketing teams to collaborate to pinpoint, contact, and close deals with the most suitable accounts.

In ABM, quality over quantity is the key. By engaging a few valuable accounts instead of many low-value prospects, you’ll save time and resources while seeing a higher ROI on your investment.

When high-value customers are interested in your product early on in the buying journey, account-based technology provides a solution that enables both marketing and sales teams to swiftly access these signals.

What Is The Long-Term Objective Of ABM?

With ABM, teams can strategically and effectively generate revenue throughout the entire funnel—from awareness to building the pipeline, accelerating momentum, retention, and expansion. The more success a team experiences with ABM initiatives, the greater its acceptance among other divisions in the organization.

Many companies have gone the extra mile and appointed an ABM manager to ensure their strategies are properly implemented for maximum success.

What Makes ABM Different From Lead Generation?

Unlike lead generation, ABM targets specific accounts and builds personalized relationships with them.

On the other hand, lead generation focuses on creating a list of leads who have expressed interest in your product or service. These leads are typically further nurtured by sales teams to drive conversions. While lead generation can still be a valuable part of any B2B marketing strategy, it doesn’t quite compare to the targeted nature of account-based approaches.

Account-based marketing allows you to reach out directly to accounts representing the most lucrative business opportunities, thus making sure you’re investing resources in the right places and achieving the best return possible.

For instance, if you’re a SaaS B2B business targeting financial institutions, there may be better approaches than traditional inbound marketing. You might create content for finance companies and hope they come to you when it’s time to make decisions, but how do you know if your messages are resonating?

You can target your content to the employees of the top ten banks in America or anywhere around the globe, and you still have no idea if they are the decision-makers when it comes to purchasing. Without tracking who makes those calls, your efforts could easily go unnoticed.

That’s where ABM comes in.

By concentrating on the quality of prospective accounts rather than their quantity, ABM strategies allow teams to devote their attention and resources to offering content that is relevant and personalized messages for higher-value customers.

Why is account-based marketing important?

Why is account-based marketing important

ABM allows your business to treat high-value customers as individual markets. By customizing the buyer’s journey and creating personalized content, communications, and campaigns specifically for those accounts, you can maintain a stronger customer relationship with higher ROI results.

We’ve compiled a list of the greatest benefits other businesses have reported, so you can decide if ABM is right for you.

1. A strong, cohesive relationship between marketing and sales

Marketers and sales teams have traditionally operated in two separate worlds. Marketers were busy crafting campaigns for specific markets and industries, while salespeople only engaged buyers likely to convert.

But thanks to the power of ABM, these departments now work together toward converting target accounts—no more debates on lead quantity or quality! By unifying their efforts, both sides can benefit from a streamlined approach aimed at bringing maximum results.

2. Optimized, Efficient Marketing and Sales Funnels

ABM allows you to optimize your sales funnel, ensuring the right accounts are targeted and nurtured. No more wasting time on leads that aren’t a good fit. ABM provides a way to target specific accounts with personalized messages and content, so they can move through the sales cycle faster and reach their end goal—conversion.

3. More Qualified Leads And A Better ROI

Account-based marketing is a superior strategy to traditional B2B approaches, allowing you to prioritize quality over quantity and reach highly qualified leads who are far more likely to convert. Your team will spend fewer resources targeting potential customers while reaping desirable outcomes.

It’s an efficient way of generating value. It’s the perfect solution for B2B companies looking to maximize their ROI while delivering high-value leads and creating strong customer relationships.

According to the 2020 ABM benchmark study by ITSMA, 76% of marketers experienced a higher return on investment when using an ABM strategy than other campaigns.

While it may take more than one survey to convince decision-makers of the expansive value of ABM, you can still demonstrate its efficacy by initiating a pilot program and presenting tangible results.

4. Enhanced customer experiences

Instead of offering content to a wide range of people and industries, ABM takes a more focused approach. You can provide personalized touchpoints aligned with each buyer’s journey through careful research and campaign design specifically for one account.

5. Accelerated Sales Cycle

With ABM, sales and marketing teams can precisely hone in on target accounts, leading to a rapid acceleration of their sales cycles. ABM’s strategy is deliberately designed to draw prospective customers quicker while building trust quickly—far faster than regular marketing programs.

6. Outpaces Your Competitors And Maximizes Relevance

ABM provides you with the capacity to offer bespoke solutions, leaving each customer and prospect feeling as though targeted answers have adequately addressed their concerns. By targeting ideal customers through ABM, you’ll be able to make a powerful impression that resonates with them and encourages purchase. 

This provides an advantage over your competitors, as ABM enables you to reach the high-value accounts they may not even have access to.

How to Build an Account-Based Marketing Strategy

How to Build an Account-Based Marketing Strategy

Now that we have a better understanding of ABM and its benefits, let’s dig into the fundamental building blocks of an ABM strategy.

Below are important factors to consider when developing an ABM strategy:

1. Identify target accounts

Crafting a successful ABM campaign always begins with accurately identifying potential target accounts. A good benchmark for this process is to develop your personalization and outreach strategy based on how close you are to revenue.

To ensure maximum benefit from all the hard work, marketers must be sure that sales teams are on board when selecting accounts that reflect your company’s ICPs.

2. Understand your ideal customer profiles

For any successful ABM strategy, having an “ideal customer profile” (ICP) is a necessity. An ICP provides insight into which product or service would best serve individuals in your target market. Ultimately, you want to ensure that customers who purchase from you will benefit from their decision.

Knowing your ideal customers is essential for creating an effective marketing plan. A well-defined customer profile will give you a clear understanding of the audience that you’re engaging with, allowing you to craft content personalized to their needs and interests.

With this knowledge, your team can easily identify how to reach and engage potential leads more effectively. Those who build strong ICPs have been proven to enjoy 68% higher account conversion rates.

3. Develop relevant content and messaging for each account

Once you’ve identified the target accounts and created a clear ICP, developing and updating existing content and messaging that speaks directly to your prospects is key. This involves crafting content with relevancy in mind, understanding the customer’s needs, and providing personalized messages to each account.

The goal is to create captivating and insightful content that intrigues prospects. Add calls-to-action (CTAs), which will motivate customers to take the next step—whether it’s downloading a whitepaper, scheduling an appointment, or subscribing for updates.

4. To ensure proper collaboration with the marketing and sales teams

For ABM campaigns to be effective, the marketing and sales departments must collaborate from beginning to end. While the marketing team oversees setting up and executing campaigns, sales can focus on engaging with target accounts for conversion.

Here are three ways team members from both departments work together:

  1. Establish a comprehensive communication plan: Communication is the foundation of any successful collaboration. Arrange for weekly, monthly, and quarterly check-ins to strategize about ABM tactics, evaluate outcomes, and map out future campaigns.
  2. Maintain clarity and transparency between the marketing and sales teams: Create transparency between marketing and sales by ensuring they both promote the same value proposition. Agree on messaging and rules of engagement beforehand to avoid any unwanted confusion, like targeting different accounts or overlapping outreach efforts.
  3. Establish definitive service-level agreements (SLAs): To ensure no conflict arises between the sales and marketing teams, it is critical to define key performance indicators (KPIs), deliverables, and timetables to maintain accountability.

5. Utilize Multiple Channels for Outreach

No two ABM strategies are identical; each one is tailored to meet the unique needs of its respective business. Your selection of channels will thus depend on your approach to ABM and how much you are prepared to commit to each account.

Marketers have numerous channels to choose from when crafting a successful campaign, including email campaigns, direct mailings, and ads; attending events or organizing webinars; leveraging social media networks; and creating digital content such as blog posts and videos.

For example, email campaigns are important for nurturing leads and keeping prospects engaged over time. With emails specifically targeted to an account’s ICP, you can nurture relationships and increase the chances of success.

6. Measure and Optimize the Results of Your Campaigns

The last step in any ABM campaign is to track its success by measuring KPIs. These include cost per lead, conversion rates, click-through rates on emails and social posts, lead-to-customer conversation rates, etc.

By keeping an eye on these metrics and making changes accordingly, you can optimize your ABM campaigns for better results. For example, if you want to increase the ROI of your ABM campaigns, consider reducing the cost per lead or improving click-through rates.

Final Words

Account-based marketing is the perfect way to maximize pipeline ROI by targeting high-value accounts that are more likely to convert into customers. ABM may be overwhelming for beginners, but you can run highly successful campaigns with a few simple steps. Start with a clearly defined ICP, relevant content for each targeted account segment, multi-channel outreach methods, and continuous monitoring of key metrics; you’ll be able to generate higher-quality leads and improve your bottom line.

Categories
Buying Intent Data Champions Cold Calling Customer Churn Customer Success Demand Generation Lead Generation Relationship Signals Sales Leadership Sales Pipeline Sales Process Sales Technology Signal Intelligence Total Addressable Market

ZoomInfo: A Must-Have Tool for Sales & Demand Gen Teams

ZoomInfo is the perfect solution for sales and marketing teams, offering extensive contact and company data with accuracy, automation tools for improved efficiency, and an AI-powered platform to increase lead conversions.

 

If you’re serious about growing your business, ZoomInfo is a must-have tool in your arsenal. With access to over 150 million business contacts and insights into decision-makers, executives, and influencers, ZoomInfo helps you identify new prospects and sales leads.

 

Create targeted campaigns for increased conversions and develop better relationships with your customers.

 

What is ZoomInfo?

 

ZoomInfo (formerly Discover Org) is a sales intelligence platform that helps businesses generate more revenue by quickly identifying sales leads and decision-makers. It helps to identify potential target accounts, access detailed contact information, build an understanding of companies and contacts, create targeted marketing campaigns, and more.

 

ZoomInfo stands out due to its exclusive database of 129 million verified email addresses and 50 million phone numbers. Not only this, but you can also sort through potential leads based on over 300 criteria, including former job positions and company size.

 

Furthermore, ZoomInfo’s AI-powered engine can help you quickly identify leads and prioritize them based on their engagement with your content and the likelihood of conversion. It also provides real-time data insights into the performance.

 

With detailed insights into customers’ behaviors and preferences, the platform enables you to deliver relevant content at the right time.

 

An overwhelming majority of companies consider ZoomInfo their go-to source when searching for business leads due to its immense capabilities, such as accessing employee emails and contact numbers, including both work and personal phone lines. 

 

It is crucial for Sales Development Representatives (SDRs) responsible for sales prospecting to have access to mobile numbers to contact workers who may be located remotely.

 

Who Is ZoomInfo For?

 

ZoomInfo is the perfect choice for sales and marketing teams that conduct outbound sales. Boasting high-quality contact data, ZoomInfo will ensure your team can close deals more efficiently and effectively. 

 

However, your deal size must be substantial to ensure it’s worth the cost of a subscription. In addition to having a steady stream of prospects, you can confidently turn them into paying customers. 

 

As such, small startups should first have an understanding of their target customer base and confidence in closing cold calls before exploring this option.

 

How Does ZoomInfo Get My Information?

 

How Does ZoomInfo Get My Information

 

ZoomInfo creates comprehensive “Public Profiles” of businesses and individuals by consolidating business data from various sources. These Public Profiles are then made public to users, customers, and other concerned parties through a directory.

 

There are several ways ZoomInfo collects the data for its Public Profiles, such as:

 

Extensive Network of Contributors

 

ZoomInfo draws on an extensive network of contributors to authenticate existing and recent data and add contacts. The community members utilize proprietary machine learning technology to trace the signature lines of emails sent and received from their inboxes. 

 

According to ZoomInfo, its contributors verify 20 million emails monthly and collect data on four million people and one million companies daily.

 

Human Research and Verification

 

In addition to machine learning, ZoomInfo relies on a dedicated team of human professionals to optimize its database. ZoomInfo’s data training lab is staffed with 300 human researchers, consistently gathering an impressive 100 million contact records daily and keeping tabs on 45 million web domains. 

 

This group continuously verifies the results from the company’s algorithms, collects contact information, and discovers internal information about businesses like funding events – which can be valuable for sales teams when prospecting.

 

Third-Party Partners

 

ZoomInfo collects data from trusted, third-party sources to enrich the profiles of individuals and businesses. These sources may include public companies, government data sources, social media feeds, and more.

 

ZoomInfo Product Categories

 

ZoomInfo’s solutions are broken down into four distinct categories:

 

Sales OS – The primary focus of this product lies in aiding sales teams with a convenient contact search that can be used for cold emails and calls. 

 

Marketing OS – This product is ideal for marketing teams due to its Company and Contact Search feature. This provides marketing teams with valuable lists that equip SDRs to execute their Account Based Marketing strategies effectively. 

 

Operations OS – Next, we have Operations OS, targeted at sales operations teams. Data enrichment is essential for an efficient CRM system containing accurate contact and company information. 

 

Talent OS – Without fresh talent, companies cannot meet targets, grow and remain competitive. ZoomInfo’s Talent OS helps HR and recruiting teams with hiring by providing valuable insights into potential candidates.

 

Is ZoomInfo better than LinkedIn Sales Navigator?

 

Is ZoomInfo better than LinkedIn Sales Navigator

 

ZoomInfo has much to offer compared to LinkedIn Sales Navigator; however, it is essential to understand your team’s needs before investing in either solution.

 

At its most basic level, LinkedIn Sales Navigator is an ideal tool for targeting clients you want or specific clients. At the same time, ZoomInfo excels at discovering key decision-makers who may not be in your sights already.

 

Sales Navigator is the go-to platform for acquiring precise contact information, including names, cities, and job titles. Meanwhile, ZoomInfo offers you more current data in larger categories such as company size, industry type, etc.

 

In addition, ZoomInfo also makes exporting contact lists for use with CRM and marketing automation platforms incredibly simple. ZoomInfo is also a great tool for sales professionals as it offers Contact and company data and Buyer intent data, which are key factors in the success of any sales team.

 

Furthermore, it has specialized features like sales automation (Engage), revenue intelligence (Chorus), and conversational sales (Chat) that are not available on Sales Navigator.

 

Final Words

 

ZoomInfo stands out among its competitors with its extensive contact and company data, the quality and accuracy of that data, the integration of various sales tools into a single platform, and its commitment to innovation in the field of sales intelligence. The data and automation capabilities provided by this tool will result in your team generating more leads, boosting conversion rates, and driving better results for the company.

Categories
Buying Intent Data Champions Cold Calling Customer Churn Customer Success Demand Generation Lead Generation Relationship Signals Sales Leadership Sales Pipeline Sales Process Sales Technology Signal Intelligence Total Addressable Market

Why Demand Generation Matters In Marketing

One of the major challenges for companies today is demand generation or interest for their products and services. The market is saturated with brands offering all kinds of products, so it’s essential to have an effective way to stand out and get noticed.

 

But don’t get confused by demand generation with lead generation. And, yes, demand generation isn’t also about false advertising or tricking people into buying what you are selling.

 

Demand generation is the process of creating interest in your products and services. It’s a comprehensive set of marketing activities designed to drive awareness and interest, capture prospects’ attention, sustain their engagement, qualify them for sales conversations and nurture them through the buyer’s journey.

 

It provides marketers with data that helps identify customer needs and wants, allowing you to deliver better experiences for leads and customers. Demand generation strategies target existing customers looking for new services or updates and potential buyers who may be unfamiliar with your brand.

 

By taking a holistic approach to demand generation, organizations can attain their desired goals faster and more efficiently than ever before by focusing on the right audience at the right time with relevant messaging. With demand generation, companies can establish a steady stream of customers eager to buy and keep returning for more.  

 

Why Demand Generation Isn’t The Same As Lead Generation

 

Why Demand Generation Isn't The Same As Lead Generation

 

Despite their common usage, the terms “demand generation” and “lead generation” are not synonymous. Therefore, it’s imperative for B2B and B2C marketing pros to understand the difference between the two.

 

Lead generation is focused on capturing leads through email campaigns, social media posts, webinars, and more. Lead generation is gathering contact info from potential customers to add them to your list of prospective buyers.

 

On the other hand, demand generation goes beyond lead capture by focusing on creating interest in your product or service.  It requires engaging potential buyers with educational content, compelling visuals, and relevant offers to motivate them to consider your offering.

 

Demand generation aims to create a steady flow of qualified leads for your sales team by targeting the audiences most likely to become customers. This helps you convert prospects into actual customers ready and willing to purchase from you.

 

Demand generation strategies may include content marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), email campaigns, direct mail campaigns, lead nurturing initiatives, social media advertising, telemarketing activities, conferences/events, and webinars.

 

It also provides insights into customer behavior, preferences, and interests so that you can continuously improve and refine your offerings. In short, demand generation offers an effective way for companies to drive customer engagement long-term by creating meaningful connections with their target audiences.

 

The takeaway?

 

Demand generation is a much more comprehensive approach than lead generation. It’s not just about collecting a lead’s contact information—it’s about creating the desire to buy your product or use your service and guiding prospects on their journey from interest to purchase.

 

The Difference Between Demand Generation and Inbound Marketing

 

The Difference Between Demand Generation and Inbound Marketing

 

It’s fine if you can’t decipher the difference between demand generation and inbound marketing. Inbound marketing is similar to demand generation but takes a more customer-centric approach.

 

Inbound marketing is focused on creating custom experiences and engagement opportunities that help turn prospects into customers. This requires providing value throughout the buyer’s journey by offering content, resources, and other materials at each stage.

 

Inbound marketing can be a part of an overall demand generation strategy to provide valuable content such as blog posts, white papers, eBooks, webinars, and more. It can also be used with other tactics like email campaigns or social media advertising for maximum impact. Over time, a considerable percentage of this incoming traffic will convert into paying customers.

 

For example, if a company produces content that educates customers about their product or service, prospects will be more likely to purchase from them than competitors. This is because they have already developed a level of trust with the customer due to providing helpful and informative content.

 

The takeaway?

 

Inbound marketing and demand generation are similar because both strategies focus on creating interest and engaging potential leads throughout the customer journey. However, inbound marketing emphasizes delivering high-quality content to provide value at each stage of the buyer’s process.

 

By leveraging both demand generation and inbound marketing together, organizations can effectively drive customer engagement long-term while also increasing conversions along the way.

 

The Major Obstacle Between B2C And B2B Demand Generation

 

B2C companies require just the consent of an individual consumer to start the conversation. They focus on personalization and customer experience while taking advantage of digital channels like social media, video content, email campaigns, and more.

 

In contrast, creating a sustainable sales funnel for B2B companies is often arduous. B2B marketers must consider the many stakeholders involved in a purchase decision. This means they must tailor their demand generation efforts and messaging based on roles, job titles, and other criteria to ensure that specific individuals see their messages within target companies.

 

That’s why B2B businesses need to employ comprehensive tactics focusing on brand awareness and continued lead nurturing.

 

Why Content Marketing Is Essential For Demand Generation

 

Content marketing is a key part of any demand generation strategy. By creating content that educates and entertains your audience, you can build trust in your brand and establish yourself as an authority in the industry.

 

At its core, content marketing helps companies create relationships with customers without asking for anything in return. It provides valuable and relevant information to help customers make informed decisions about their purchase process. Additionally, it’s an effective way to stay top-of-mind with prospects even when they’re not actively looking to buy something from you.

 

Content marketing doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming; simple tactics like blogging regularly and writing informative emails can go a long way. It’s up to the company to decide what types of content will be most effective for them and their target audience, but in general, the more helpful and relevant information you can provide, the better.

 

We already mentioned the goal of demand generation isn’t about selling, but what if content marketing could also help you increase sales? The answer is yes—when done correctly, demand generation and content marketing work together to drive more conversions. By providing helpful and relevant information, customers are more likely to trust your brand, stay engaged with it, and eventually make a purchase.

 

What is B2B Demand Generation Content And Why Does it Matter?

 

Demand generation content is designed to engage and educate your audience. It should be customized to each customer or prospect’s unique needs and delivered at the right time along the buyer’s journey.

 

It can include everything from blog posts and white papers to video tutorials and webinars. The goal is to establish an ongoing dialogue with your customers that goes beyond just selling them a product or service. By providing valuable insight into their specific problems, you can help customers make more informed decisions about how best to solve their challenges.

 

Furthermore, demand generation content helps build trust in your brand by positioning it as an industry leader that knows how to solve customer problems through the products and services they offer. This helps create long-term relationships with your customers and helps build loyalty.

 

By investing in demand generation content, companies can reach new audiences, grow their customer base and generate more sales. It’s an essential component of any successful marketing strategy.

 

Why You Should Prioritize Creating Audiences For Demand Generation

 

No matter how stellar your product or service is, you won’t acquire the level of leads you desire if it’s not marketed to the proper people. Achieving successful marketing collateral begins with discerning who your target audience is and what motivates them to act.

 

Identifying and understanding your customers’ pain points is a vital initial step in defining who your target audience should be. Doing so lets you articulate how your business effectively solves their problems and delivers the best solutions.

 

To identify your target audience and those who don’t fit – create buyer personas or profiles.

 

A buyer persona is a semi-fictional representation of your ideal customer and fulfills the need for a more concrete definition of who you’re creating content for. It should include demographic information such as age, occupation, location, etc., along with psychographic data that explores what motivates them to act (or not).

 

This is an effective way to learn the challenges and needs of real people you’re attempting to reach. With this knowledge, it will be easier for you to curate content that appeals precisely to their requirements.

 

Creating High-Quality Content Will Generate Demand

 

High-quality content creation is the cornerstone of demand generation. Quality content that resonates with your target audience will help you establish trust and nurture relationships, leading to more conversions.

 

Your content should be tailored to specific customer needs and preferences. By understanding who your customers are, what their problems are, and how they prefer to consume information (blogs, videos, podcasts, etc.), you can create relevant content that meets their needs.

 

Ensure all your content is helpful and provides value — avoid anything too promotional or salesy. You want readers to feel like they’re getting something out of it; otherwise, why would they keep reading?

 

Publishing original content helps to distinguish your business from competitors and improve your SEO performance. To ensure that your search engine optimization efforts are effective and successful, stay clear of overly-saturated keyword use or replicating existing content.

 

Instead, uncover the unique angles about your company — think niche interests or brand values— then share them via compelling stories that accurately represent you in an unmistakably authentic voice.

 

Final Words

 

Demand generation is essential for building quality leads, generating sales, and creating lasting relationships with customers. By creating content that speaks to your target audience’s needs, you can build trust in your brand as an industry leader and help drive conversions.

 

Remember that understanding your customer’s wants and needs is paramount for crafting meaningful content. Additionally, providing value through helpful resources will help you stand out from the competition and provide a more successful demand generation strategy.