By Bob Decker
The other day a colleague asked me whether account-based marketing (ABM) was primarily a "top of funnel" type of tactic for reaching out to customers — in other words, a way of getting on their radars and growing some name recognition — rather than a way to generate an immediate sale.
The answer is that ABM works very well in both situations and it's a technique that lets you work opposite ends of the funnel simultaneously with separate and distinct messaging streams tailored to specific roles within the target organization.
Imagine, for example, that your target is a multinational digital communications technology conglomerate corporation and you're selling a commodity type of component that's essential to one of their key products. Probably upper management isn't going to be interested in hearing about this particular device no matter how superior your product is compared to the competition. But they might very well be interested to read a thought leadership piece from one of your executives that demonstrates that you understand the challenges they face and what kind of company they'd like to partner with as a supplier and why you're that kind of company more than your competitors. And, in fact, even if you can just get them to read the headline, and associate it with your company, that can be enough to make a positive impression.
The great thing about ABM is that you can be having this high-level conversation with the C-suite while you're also having a nuts and bolts conversation with the purchasing team that's needing to figure out how to manage costs and/or ensure an uninterrupted supply of a key component. In this case a very specific, product-level conversation is called for — and ABM is very good at making that happen as well.
At Redpines, we help technology companies translate complex products and markets into marketing strategies that generate measurable growth. One approach we’ve found especially effective—when done with focus and technical fluency—is account-based marketing (ABM).
If your team is ready to go beyond broad awareness campaigns and start targeting the customers who truly matter, we can help. From strategy to execution, we’ll work with you to build an ABM program that aligns with your market realities, supports your sales team, and delivers real traction.
Curious about how ABM could work for your business? Give me a call at 415-409-0233 and let’s discuss the possibilities.