7 Great Resources on Account Based Marketing
At the B2B Marketing Academy, we’re on a kick to provide powerfully practical marketing advice. Friends, readers, and colleagues have told us that they appreciate the way we identify high quality resources, tools, and ideas for B2B marketers.
Today, our spotlight turns to account based marketing (ABM). If you’ve practiced B2B marketing for long, you’ve no doubt talked about or tried this. It’s a powerful concept with many roads to success.
We’ve kept tabs on the best advice and influencers on this topic, and found the following sites, guides, and articles that stand above the rest. Enjoy!
ABM Strategy & Advice
1. Account Based Marketing: The Next Evolution of B2B Marketing and The Clear Guide and Complete Guide on ABM Analytics from Engagio
According to Engagio, “ABM focuses on the unique perspectives and positions of each relevant decision maker within an organization to drive marketing and communication efforts that speak directly to each member of a purchasing team.”
Their microsite offers a wealth of information on this long time best practice of the most successful B2B companies. They’ve just released the second guide. It’s a comprehensive and exceptionally practical guide to measuring the impact of ABM.
2. Unconventional insights on ABM from the Heinz Marketing blog.
Heinz Marketing consistently offers fresh, unique, and pragmatic perspectives on what’s really working in marketing. If you don’t follow Matt Heinz and Brian Hansford on social media, you should. Here are 3 good pieces about ABM. No doubt, there’s more there for you to explore.
- Lead-Based Marketing vs. Account Based Marketing in a guest post by Jon Miller of Engagio
- Why You’re [Still] Further Behind on Account Based Marketing than You Think #ABM by Robert Pease of Heinz Marketing
- ABM – It’s All About the People by Joshua Baez of Heinz Marketing
3. Expert ABM: Building An Account-based Marketing Framework by DemandBase
DemandBase has an ABM 101 site with nicely accessible content. They offer two simple step-through guides on basic and advanced ABM. The advanced guide has actionable information on how to think about websites and digital advertising in an ABM context.
4. What Is Account-Based Marketing? by Marketo
Good content as usual from the team at Marketo. This one is a guide to what basic aspects of ABM to look for in a marketing platform. Obviously, they have a vested interest in the topic but it’s a good foundational piece. The other resources on this list can help you gain an expanded view from the perspective of multiple martech leaders and vendors.
5. The Ultimate Guide to Account-Based Marketing: 6 Key Steps from HubSpot
Good perspective in this piece on where ABM + Inbound Marketing meet. This piece provides a view into 6 steps to pursuing an ABM strategy. The advice is good for small and medium businesses, or for enterprising sales reps who are bootstrapping growth in their territory.
“These days, customers really don’t enjoy feeling like they’re being sold to. That’s why it’s crucial that your marketing — even when account-based — provides value, and doesn’t push products. Emails, websites, and calls-to-action all have to be personalized for each target, especially when you’re trying to aid their discovery of your brand.”
6. Account-Based Marketing Explained In Terms You’ll Actually Understand by Erik Devany on Drift
What I like most about this piece is that it clearly explains the usual buzzwords that surround ABM. The author also takes a stand on comparing inbound marketing and ABM. It’s an interesting perspective and good article that’s well worth your time.
7. The Art of Marketing & Sales in the Digital Age – How to Get Personal by Christian Hjorth, Chief Revenue Officer of Folloze on the MarTech Advisor blog.
What’s interesting about this short piece is that it comes from a CRO. While the author works for a vendor, I agree with the perspective that a new “win” is just the beginning of a customer relationship. ABM is not just about generating leads; it’s about earning the trust and business of customers time and again. It’s also refreshing to see a revenue owner talk about the value of good content marketing and martech in accelerating sales.
Keeping the Pulse of B2B Marketing and Martech
For the record, we’re independent at the B2B Marketing Academy. We review B2B content, martech, and services because of our mission to aid other B2B marketers with clear and unbiased advice. We’ve walked a mile in your shoes.
We’ve also done ABM in one form or another for years. The martech in this space just keeps getting better. So, we’re also planning a list of ABM vendors to watch.
If you think we’ve missed a great ABM resource, let us know by commenting on our blog. We’re always happy to find and share good information for B2B Marketers.
