Ask any successful marketer, and he or she will say to you that personalized content is the most effective mean of acquiring and retaining customers. Some even treat it as a separate digital channel. And today, data-driven Account-Based Marketing (ABM) tools revolutionize the rules of B2B marketing as we know.
Through data-driven analytics, robust software capable of easy personalization and full-scale automation the cost of running ABM has significantly dropped, compared to the past decade. Where previously it was a very challenging and expensive endeavor, now, even small businesses can seamlessly segment marketing tracks, surface personalized content, and react to individual prospect’s behavior.
With advanced technology fueling Account-based Marketing strategies, over 90% of marketers worldwide report qualified ABM accounts have a higher percentage of closed deals.
But like with all things technology, the landscape is always shifting and changing, and it demands companies to adapt very quickly or be crushed by the competition. That is why in today’s business environment it is more important than ever to follow the major trends and align your Account-based Marketing tactics with new opportunities.
In this article, we’ll discuss some of the account based marketing best practices as well as trends to watch for.
Trend #1 Alignment Between Sales and Marketing Departments
This is clearly something that we are very passionate about since we keep bringing it up in almost every article. The reason for this is quite simple – the collaboration between sales and marketing is the bane of a business’s existence.
The problem of disconnect is so widespread, even in big companies, that this topic is covered in every university-level marketing curriculum. The sheer inability to communicate seems to be an almost unsolvable problem. In fact, only less than 10% of all B2B companies have actually managed to bring marketing and sales together.
But those who did see almost a 40% higher customer retention rates. If you read any credible Account-based Marketing case study, you’ll probably see that in ABM marketers are forced to take a more defining role in identifying prospects and qualifying them. The overall approach closely resembles that of sales. So naturally, the path of least resistance for such marketing teams would be to work closely with a sales department to achieve a mutual goal.
Trend #2 Advanced Predictive Analytics Capabilities
One of the greatest challenges of ABM is to identify which account is most likely to convert into a loyal customer that is worth the effort. With powerful software, you can use predictive analytics to target the best prospects and run lead nurturing more effectively.
Through predictive analytics at your side, you can not only predict, which potential customer is a good prospect for ABM campaign but also estimate the results. With proper setup, you can actually use algorithms to make quite accurate forecasts of ABM results and run a completely data-driven campaign.
Generally speaking, companies that use Account-based Marketing software in tandem with predictive analytics see a better ROI and conversion rates. So while it is definitely more difficult to implement such solution, it is worth the effort.
Trend #3 Push Towards Personalization & 1-to-1 Communication
Personalization is pretty much in the definition of Account-based Marketing, as it focuses both sales and marketing resources to target very specific accounts. So, how is it an emerging trend? Well, a couple of things has changed in the last couple of years.
Winds of change
First, technology can now provide you with some personalization features, that were previously either unachievable or simply couldn’t justify the cost of their operation.
The second thing that happened is integration between various platforms that previously were incompatible. This allowed companies to establish unified data centers, collaboration portals and so on. The switch from aggregated platforms that couldn’t communicate to a unified infrastructure gave a major boost to companies utilizing BI and CRM solutions, accelerating the internal workflows. Up to the point, where some businesses catch vertigo and need to slow down, as they are unable to function at a new pace.
The effect of API based personalization software
There are companies who always go one step further when it comes to one-to-one communication. Everyone now can do personalized emails or promotion, but if we are talking about a real shift from the old school mass communications approach then we need to mention our partners – Rocket Notes. The company has developed API-based software that delivers effective method of personalized engagement through gifts.
Rocket Notes allows your sales reps and account managers to create gifting campaigns for employee onboarding, marketing campaigning, sales outreach, customer loyalty and incentive programs. With just a few clicks you can send out a personal gift card, named mug or one of 1,000s other gifts available in the application.
This is one of the best ABM software, currently available on the market. The Account-based Marketing software can be fully integrated with Salesforce Sales, Marketing, and Service Cloud platforms. Mobile users can also benefit from the same functionality right out in the field.
Moreover, Rocket Notes provides in-depth reports both on lead and contact levels, allowing you to track the effectiveness of your ABM campaigns and adjust on the fly. You can read more about Rocket Notes capabilities in one of our previous blog articles or in-depth case-study.
Account-based Marketing Tools Implementation by OMI
With some of the best ABM tools, such as Rocket Notes integrated to a CRM as well as with proper alignment sales and marketing teams, your company can push its Account-based Marketing strategy to a whole new level and establish long lasting business relationships with customers.
And if your business requires some assistance with implementing CRM platform and integrating it to ABM software, you can always rely on our team here at Outsource Management Inc. (OMI). OMI is the go-to resource for emerging mid-size companies that embrace CRM, Marketing Automation and Sales enablement platforms to grow and dominate their niche.