What is Account-Based Marketing (ABM)?

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Clearer ROI

One of the biggest advantages of ABM is its ability to deliver precise, measurable results. Because it is highly targeted, ABM consistently produces some of the strongest ROI among B2B marketing strategies.

Success can be tracked using KPIs such as revenue growth, average deal size, and customer retention rates. According to the IAB ABM adoption report, after just one year of implementation, 19% of respondents reported a 30% increase in revenue growth. This demonstrates how ABM translates directly into measurable business impact.

Fewer Wasted Resources

ABM ensures that time, budget, and effort are directed only toward the accounts most likely to convert. Rather than spreading resources thin across a broad audience, teams can focus narrowly on a curated set of high-value targets.

As ABM programs mature, companies can layer in advanced tools such as intent data to gauge existing interest levels and refine their target account lists. This makes it even easier to prioritise the right opportunities, improve retargeting accuracy, and eliminate wasted spend.

Account-Based Marketing Strategies for B2B Marketing

Every ABM program starts with building an ideal customer profile (ICP). From there, businesses create meaningful account segments and design campaigns that can be personalised across the most effective channels, such as events, websites, or email outreach. The exact mix of tactics varies by company, depending on factors like industry, product category, and target vertical.

According to research from Engagio, the top five ABM tactics most widely used in 2019 were:

• Sales Development Representative (SDR) outreach

• Digital advertising

• Direct mail campaigns

• Targeted marketing emails

• Events and field marketing

The right tactic for any given account depends on its unique attributes, segment, and buyer journey. By aligning tactics with the specific needs of each target account, organisations can focus their ABM efforts where they will deliver the highest value and strongest ROI.

Let’s dive into how some of these strategies are used on the ground:

Events

In-person events remain one of the strongest opportunities for sales teams to connect with decision-makers. An ABM-driven event strategy goes beyond generic invitations. It can include personalised outreach to priority accounts, exclusive VIP dinners, customised gifts or branded materials, and tailored follow-up designed for the target audience.

Webinars

Like physical events, webinars provide an opportunity to deliver timely and relevant content to a carefully selected set of accounts. Buyers actively prefer this format, according to BrightTalk’s 2023 LeadGen report; 97% of respondents cited webinars as their preferred method for learning about a vendor. ABM programs can customise webinar content, tailor invitations for key accounts, and design follow-up activities that address the specific needs of individual companies.

Direct Mail

With inboxes overflowing, direct mail has regained value as a channel for ABM. Because campaigns are highly targeted, companies can justify sending premium gifts, tailored packages, or personalised materials to select accounts.

Email Campaigns

Email remains a crucial component of ABM. Unlike traditional campaigns that rely on templates and automation, ABM email outreach is personalised to each account and decision-maker, built around their specific business priorities.

Paid Advertising

Paid channels, such as PPC and paid social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, and others), provide powerful ways to reach specific companies and buyer personas. With IP targeting and retargeting, campaigns can focus on a narrow set of high-value accounts. Often, these campaigns support events, webinars, or follow-up engagement after an RFP has been submitted.

Web Personalization

ABM does not stop once a prospect lands on your website. Using website personalisation technology, businesses can deliver a customised experience for high-priority accounts with tailored landing pages, dynamic messaging, and content recommendations.

How to Implement an ABM Strategy

Below is a step-by-step approach to building a strong foundation for Account-Based Marketing.

Identify Your High-Value Target Accounts

The first step in ABM is identifying the key accounts with the highest potential to drive revenue growth. These accounts should closely align with your ideal customer profile (ICP) companies, which not only benefit from your solution but also bring long-term business value. In short, they are the clients you can serve effectively while also generating meaningful returns for your organisation.

For those new to the process, Konsyg offers a practical guide to selecting target accounts, which can serve as a helpful starting point.

Research Those Accounts

Once you know who to target, the next step is building a deeper understanding of their business needs, challenges, and buying journey. Firmographic data from your ICP gives you a snapshot of who they are, but not how to reach them.

Effective research should uncover insights such as:

• Pain points holding them back
• Current solutions they are using
• Gaps or frustrations with those existing solutions

When paired with a data-driven approach, this research helps shape personalised messaging and campaigns that resonate with decision-makers and move accounts further along the sales pipeline.

Segment Your Target Account List

Once you have identified your target accounts, segmenting them allows your sales team to prioritise outreach and sharpen messaging. Clear segmentation also makes it easier to interpret performance data later on.

Some of the most common ways to segment accounts include:

• • Company size (revenue or employee count)

• Industry or vertical

• Geographic region

• Trigger events such as expansions, funding rounds, IPOs, leadership changes, or mergers

Segmentation is not about placing customers into boxes for its own sake. Instead, it ensures your ABM programs align with your go-to-market and sales strategies, enabling your team to focus on accounts most likely to convert at the right time.

Develop Customised Marketing Campaigns

With segmentation and research in place, the next step is to build personalised campaigns that directly address the needs of each account. The foundation of these campaigns is tailored content.

Personalisation goes well beyond simply using a company name or referencing a prior transaction. It requires combining account data, known pain points, and segmentation insights to design creative assets, messaging, and offers that feel relevant and timely.

Measure Campaign Performance

Measuring ABM success differs from traditional demand generation. While you can still track digital metrics such as impressions, open rates, and conversions, the real strength of ABM lies in connecting marketing results to sales outcomes.

Some of the most important ABM metrics to monitor include:

• • Sales velocity (average sales cycle length)
  • Influenced pipeline (revenue linked to ABM engagement)
  • Target account coverage (how deeply you’ve penetrated key accounts)
  • Account expansion (upselling and cross-selling within current accounts)

• Customer acquisition cost (CAC)

• Customer lifetime value (CLV)

By measuring both engagement and revenue impact, you gain a more comprehensive understanding of how effectively ABM campaigns are performing.

Frequently Asked Questions About Account-Based Marketing (ABM)

1. What is Account-Based Marketing (ABM) in simple terms?

ABM is a B2B marketing strategy that focuses on a select group of high-value accounts, rather than targeting a broad audience. Each account receives personalised campaigns designed to align with its specific business needs, goals, and decision-makers.

2. Why is ABM effective for B2B companies?

ABM works because it prioritises quality over quantity. By concentrating resources on accounts most likely to convert, companies can achieve higher ROI, shorter sales cycles, and stronger customer relationships compared to broad demand generation tactics.

3. What are some common ABM tactics?

Popular ABM tactics include SDR outreach, digital advertising, webinars, events, direct mail, targeted email campaigns, and website personalisation. Each tactic is chosen based on the attributes and preferences of the target account.

4. How do you measure ABM success?

Success in ABM is tracked through both marketing and sales metrics. Key KPIs include sales velocity, pipeline influenced, account coverage, expansion opportunities, customer acquisition cost (CAC), and customer lifetime value (CLV).

5. What tools do companies need for ABM?

An effective ABM tech stack usually includes:

• CRM and marketing automation platforms (to manage outreach and campaigns)
• Intent data tools (to track buyer research and interest signals)
• Personalisation and testing tools (to tailor website experiences and content)
• Analytics platforms (to measure ROI and account engagement)

6. Is ABM only for large enterprises?

No. While ABM is often used by companies targeting large, complex accounts, it can also be scaled down for mid-sized businesses or niche markets. The core principle is focusing resources on the accounts that matter most.

7. How does ABM support sales teams?

ABM aligns marketing and sales teams around shared target accounts. By providing personalised messaging and insights, it helps sales reps engage decision-makers more effectively, reduce wasted effort, and close deals faster.

Personalisation is the Heart of Account-Based Marketing

At the centre of any ABM strategy is website personalisation, the ability to deliver tailored messaging and creative assets for each target account. When prospects from high-value accounts land on your site, they should see content that speaks directly to their industry, priorities, and challenges.

However, this is also where most marketers struggle. HubSpot notes that personalisation remains the top challenge in executing ABM strategies effectively. The gap often comes down to having the right data strategy and technology stack in place. At a minimum, successful personalisation requires:

• A reliable intent data tool to understand what accounts are actively researching
• A personalisation platform that enables scaling with account-specific variations

Practical ways to personalise ABM content include:

• Hero images and headlines segmented by industry
• Personalised greetings using company names or first names
• Dynamic variations in content, such as testimonials, case studies, statistics, or industry-specific examples
• Customised calls-to-action (CTAs) designed to match the account’s stage in the buying journey

Not every variation will perform equally across segments, which is why experimentation and A/B testing tools are an essential part of the ABM tech stack. By continuously testing and optimising, marketers can refine personalisation efforts and maximise engagement from key accounts.

Are you ready to learn more? Check out Konsyg’s blog Types of Account-Based Marketing for deeper insights on ABM strategies that drive real revenue impact.