TLDR:
Get a grip on ABM’s post-sales cycle by targeting effectively, aligning teams properly, and initiating an ABM content strategy during all phases of the sales cycle. As well, getting content out in a way that agrees with ABM, defining success metrics and measuring throughout the buyer’s journey are all key to ABM success.
It’s no secret that ABM has been the gold standard in B2B marketing for some time now. The rewards of pursuing and fully adopting an ABM strategy are numerous.
It would make sense then, as ABM is a focused approach to B2B marketing in which marketing and sales work together, to turn prospects to customers. But there’s a catch.
ABM is a very resource-intensive marketing philosophy. Marketers must either commit fully to ABM or any efforts to help it along are wasted. With a post-sale lifecycle strategy, marketers can achieve the promise of ABM.
For starters, marketers need to identify ideal accounts by measuring them for fit, intent, and behavior. The key here is to assess whether any of the accounts identified have the potential for a lifelong relationship. ABM is all about the long-term. It’s not a quick fix.
From there, marketers’ teams should be falling in line with responsibilities designated and clearly defined. Clarification of what’s required allows teams to function fluidly and exceed customer expectations, which is essential to unlocking the secret of the ABM post-sale.
Once accounts are identified and team responsibilities defined, marketers should engage their prospects with relevant ads. These ads will be mapped out and personalized according to the individual in the B2B buyer’s journey.
It always helps along with marketers’ efforts at this point to put techniques that agree with ABM to use. Account relationship health could be promoted by using a cross-channel content strategy with a focus on customer experience.
Collect testimonials and referrals from satisfied customers. Marketers want to turn these accounts and the people in them to brand ambassadors. To help guide efforts on this front, marketers can refer to a brief list: revenue, retention, reputation, and referrals. These benchmarks will keep marketers on track as brand advocacy grows.
After, it’s a good idea if marketers have an understanding of what success looks like before they move forward and begin measuring their ABM efforts. Again, it’s worth mentioning that marketing and sales must have an agreement on what the KPIs for an ABM program are before they start.
Then those KPIs must line up with business goals.
Original article from Business2Community on 14 March 2019.
