How to create effective content strategies for account based marketing

Aligning your content strategy and ABM programs is an important, but often overlooked, step in optimising your professional services marketing efforts.

Traditionally B2B marketing content strategies were built around the concept of a linear sales funnel. Broad marketing campaigns were used to appeal to a large audience. Marketing teams then used follow up content to entice prospects further down the funnel. Content was created using buyer personas and was primarily (if not entirely) focused on generating new business. 

However, these old content strategy tactics simply don’t make any sense with modern account based marketing (ABM). In fact, they will only hamper performance.

Put simply, with ABM you are not solely crafting content that will rank well on search engines and appeal to nameless strangers. You are creating content that speaks to people at specific companies.

In addition, your customer journey has changed. Your customers now expect a digital-first, self-led journey that is more like a labyrinth than a funnel. And instead of focusing solely on lead generation, you work to land and expand opportunities with prospects and existing clients alike.

The Evolution of ABM Strategy

Before diving into content types and channels, it is important to touch on the fact that there is not just one type of account based marketing. Rather, three major styles have emerged as ABM has been adapted to meet changing customer expectations and technological developments.

One-to-Many ABM: Tailored Content Marketing Campaigns at Scale

One-to-Many, or ‘Programmatic ABM’, was born from the digital transformation of B2B and is the newest approach to account based marketing strategy. In this approach, marketers work with sales to define priority-account lists. They then leverage big data, machine learning, and marketing/sales automation technology to execute highly targeted, personalised programs across said account lists.

Programmatic ABM is much less resource-intensive and can provide coverage far beyond the other two models of ABM. Just one marketer can manage operations across hundreds of accounts. This approach is often used to target larger groups of prospects/clients in specific segments (e.g., horizontal or vertical markets).

One-to-Few ABM: Lightly-customised Programs for Account Groups

Commonly referred to as ‘ABM Lite’, this is a one-to-few model that is typically applied to second-tier accounts. With One-to-Few ABM, B2B marketers work with specific sales teams to design programs for small clusters of accounts. These accounts share similar business attributes and challenges. While not as highly customised as One-to-One ABM, it is also less resource-intensive.

One-to-One ABM: Highly-customised Content Marketing Strategy for Specific Accounts

Also known as ‘Strategic ABM’, this is the original conception of account based marketing. It is usually reserved for high value accounts whose business could potentially change the direction of your company.

With One-to-One ABM, a dedicated, senior-level marketer works directly with the individual sales teams to target a select group of high value accounts. Their job is to craft a fully customised marketing and sales program for each account, executed on a one-to-one basis.

The goal is to build strong, long term relationships with prospects and clients by demonstrating an in-depth understanding of their specific needs. It is a highly participatory form of professional services marketing that seeks to drive value for both the client and the provider. It a strategy that is done with prospects and clients, not to them.

As the ABM discipline continues to mature, a growing number of companies are implementing strategies that combine elements from all three approaches. According to a 2020 study by ITSMA, 39% of organisations now run a blended ABM strategy. These hybrid versions allow teams to experiment with different methods of account selection, content creation/delivery, and collaboration. 

Matching Content Marketing and Relationship Tactics to your ABM Approach

The type of content and channels you’ll use to connect with your audience will change depending on which ABM method(s) you use.

One-to-Many Content

Marketers will often use Programmatic ABM to increase brand awareness and engagement with specific market segments. It is also a popular way to ease into ABM from standard inbound marketing. Or in situations where there are only one or two key stakeholders in the target account (such as with small businesses).

We suggest pairing One-to-Many ABM with the following content and relationship building techniques:

• Email marketing/e-newsletters

• Content syndication

• Webinar and virtual events

• Targeted digital ads/retargeting

• Paid ads on social media platforms

• Paid search advertising

• Playbooks, white papers, etc.

• Video marketing

• Trade shows

With One-to-Many ABM, you are more easily able to make use of your existing digital marketing resources. Instead of creating everything from scratch, tools like dynamic updating and behavioural workflows let you repurpose content in ways that deliver a relevant, personalised experience. 

One-to-Few Content

ABM Lite is a good strategy if you have a small market of target accounts. It is also useful when you only need to get buy-in from three to four stakeholders at each account. It is best suited for cultivating strategic clients that would benefit from personal attention but aren’t as high a priority as your One-to-One accounts.

In addition to the content andchannels used for One-to-Many ABM, One-to-Few ABM also makes use of higher investment content types and relationship marketing tactics, such as:

• Industry/sub-sector specific blog posts and thought leadership

• Executive-to-executive relationship programs

• Custom landing pages (with information or solution offers that address a specific vertical)

• Campaign mailers

• Dinners/regional events

Because you are addressing groups of similar accounts, you can repurpose One-to-Few ABM content to a certain extent. For example, say there is a large organisation or franchise on your list. There will be information, such as performance data of the parent company, which will apply to each of the individual prospect accounts. You can therefore use this content as a base and further customise it as needed.

One-to-One Content

One-to-One ABM campaigns are best suited for situations where each account has numerous key stakeholders that you can research in detail. Because of the time and resource investment, it is also a strategy you want to employ only when your opportunity to close rate is high.

If you don’t have access to much information about your client, you are better off using a One-to-Few or One-to-Many approach first. You can use these strategies to gather customer intelligence and nurture a relationship, things that can only serve to stand you in good stead.

In addition to the channels and tactics previously mentioned, One-to-One campaigns make use of bespoke content and direct communication modes. For instance:

• Personalised content for specific decision makers

• Custom demos modelled on actual company data

• Collaborative digital brainstorming sessions to develop custom solutions

• Individual training sessions

• Personalised phone calls

With One-to-One ABM, you don’t create content around a target persona or sub-sector, rather you create it for a specific person. You understand their interests, what they are reading and sharing online, challenges they are facing at their job. And you do this for every stakeholder and influencer for that account. Additionally, you coordinate all of this information to provide a consistent message when viewed collectively by the account members.

Effective ABM Content Strategy

There is a time and place for offline relationship building tactics like in-person meetings, phone calls, and handwritten notes. However, these days B2B buyers increasingly prefer digital self-serve and remote engagement. They want to be able to research your product or solution on their own terms instead of having to wait for a salesperson.

This is why it is critical to map your content to your customer journey and sales cycles. You also need to have the right data analytics and automated delivery systems in place. You want to ensure you provide the right content, on the right channel, at every point along their journey.

1827 Marketing is here to help if you need assistance with getting your content marketing efforts and ABM campaigns aligned. We will work closely with your sales and marketing teams to create and coordinate distinctive and relevant content for your ABM programs.