What are the differences and benefits of Account Based Marketing (ABM) vs. Traditional Marketing?

Account-Based Marketing (ABM) is a marketing strategy that focuses on targeting specific high-value accounts or businesses, rather than a broad audience. ABM is a B2B marketing approach that has gained popularity over the years, continues to rapidly grow, and has proven to be more effective than traditional marketing methods.

We take a strategic framework approach in implementing an ABM program with clients. First by getting running: 

• Top of Funnel
• Middle of Funnel
• Bottom of Funnel and;
• Retention & Expansion experience design workshops.

This is markedly different to traditional marketing as it is a step by step consideration of decision points to influence a Target Account at each and every stage of their journey in the funnel.

Secondly, we get in the weeds with how marketing and sales teams align and work, or don’t work together and ratify that connection for maximum communication. The outcome being a laser focused bottom of the funnel campaign that all drive forward with. We work with you to define outcomes and execution points while meeting with teams weekly to ensure timely execution. 

Traditional marketing which seeks to attract as many prospects as possible, ABM focuses on identifying, targeting and pinpointing specific accounts that are likely to generate the most revenue for a business. This approach allows businesses to tailor their marketing efforts to the unique needs and challenges of each account, resulting in more personalized and effective marketing campaigns for maximum gain. 

ABM involves a collaborative effort between sales and marketing teams to identify and target key accounts. The sales team provides insights into the needs and challenges of each account, while the marketing team develops customized content and messaging that resonates with each account. ABM also uses a variety of tactics to engage with target accounts, including email campaigns, social media ads, digital advertising, targeted advertising, personalized content, and account-specific events. By focusing on a smaller number of accounts, businesses can invest more resources in each account, resulting in a higher ROI.

Over the years, we have found that targeting specific accounts and executing an ABM Program is one of the hardest Programs to implement and execute, but typically shows the most success over time. See what one of our client’s had to say about their success with our ABM program. 

One of the biggest differences between ABM and traditional marketing is the level of personalization. ABM is all about tailoring marketing efforts to the specific needs and challenges of each account. This means that every piece of content, every email, and every ad is designed to speak directly to the account and addresses their unique concerns.

In contrast, traditional marketing is typically more broad-based, focusing on attracting as many leads as possible. Traditional marketing tactics may include things like social media ads, email newsletters, and blog posts, but they are often not customized to the needs of individual accounts.

We have also found that a very prescriptive journey needs to be mapped out through the three funnels - top of funnel, middle of funnel , and bottom of funnel, through retention and expansion - all at the account level.  Step by step, piece by piece, an ABM program is built and tailored for each funnel.

Another key difference between ABM and traditional marketing is the metrics used to measure success. In traditional marketing, success is often measured in terms of the number of leads generated, while ABM focuses on account engagement and revenue generated from target accounts.

ABM is particularly effective for businesses that have a long sales cycle or a high average deal size. By focusing on high-value accounts, businesses can maximize their resources and increase their chances of closing a deal.

In summary, ABM is a highly effective marketing strategy for B2B businesses looking to target specific accounts and increase their ROI. ABM differs from traditional marketing in its focus on personalization, collaboration between sales and marketing teams, and metrics used to measure success. If you're looking to take your B2B marketing to the next level, ABM is definitely worth considering. 

Learn more about our ABM program here.