As the decision-making process becomes more complex for today’s buyers – much of it involving input from multiple team members – a growing number of marketing teams are leaning toward account-based marketing (ABM). ABM differs from traditional marketing tactics in that it allows marketers to focus on a smaller target group of prospects to reach key decision-makers and, ultimately, land bigger accounts.
Just recently, our partners at Demand Gen Report published an E-book with Marketo that takes a deeper dive into the benefits and payoffs of ABM, both of which are considerable, according to several sources of industry research.
One study conducted by Alterra Group states that 84% of marketers surveyed found that ABM provides significant benefits for retaining and expanding existing client relationships. Likewise, an ITSMA study, Account-Based Marketing and ROI: Building the Case for Investment, states that 80% of marketers who measure ROI reported that ABM outperformed their other marketing initiatives, and more than half of those characterized the ROI differences as “significant.”
Obviously, there are several important ways to target key accounts, but probably none more important than content. Now, you might think this is a slight exaggeration, but if you consider that more than half of all B2B buyers have engaged with three to five pieces of content before speaking with a salesperson*, you’ll probably rethink your position.
So, before you take aim at those key decision-makers, consider these helpful tips for engaging them with the right messaging:
- Talk the Talk. Content used to engage targeted accounts should speak to the specific pain points of their industry, as well as challenges specific to the company.
Consider This: 75% of executives will read unsolicited marketing materials that contain ideas that might be relevant to their business, such as success stories, research reports, and webinar invitations, according to this Marketo infographic.
- Review the History. Review data from your marketing automation platform to determine how people in similar industries and roles consume content.
Consider This: 60% of marketers say personalizing messages based on the content consumer’s behavior is their top challenge.**
- Consider An Audit. An audit of existing content would reveal gaps and identify content types that need to be created or refreshed to resonate with targeted accounts.
Consider This: SiriusDecisions research found that an overwhelming 60-70% of content created by B2B marketing teams is never used.
While the benefits of ABM are undisputed, the amount of time and effort that goes into landing larger accounts can’t be underestimated. However, with the right blend of budget, resources and patience, the time and effort spent crafting spot-on content to resonate with key decision-makers can also reap huge payoffs.
* Demand Gen Report’s 2015 Content Preferences Survey
** Marketo Infographic
This article was syndicated from Business 2 Community: Target Acquired: Aiming Content At Key Decision-Makers With ABM
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