If you want to focus on attracting and retaining great customers, you need to launch an ABM strategy. Keep in mind that this method is particularly used by B2B companies, because it integrates both inbound marketing and content techniques.
Its purpose is to attract qualified, high-quality leads, as well as to position you as an expert in the field. Currently, all of these processes are done digitally or indirectly, which has forced sales and marketing teams to be increasingly aligned with a unified strategy.
That being said, many companies have decided to approach their marketing efforts through an ABM strategy because it gives them the ability to select a set of target accounts. And in this way, they can proceed to customize marketing campaigns to attract the attention of specific customers and close meetings with them.
Benefits of launching an ABM strategy
You need to follow some tips that will guide you when you start an ABM strategy. But first it is very important that you know what the positive aspects are, that is, those that will benefit your company:
- It gives you the ability to communicate with your contacts in a much faster and immediate way, this will help you generate a close relationship between the customer and the brand.
- It provides more opportunities to talk to the right profile, which allows you to spend less because you segment sooner. It means there is research and study of the profile before communication, so you can send a more assertive message.
- You get potential customers who are more willing to listen to your proposal, because the message is more personalized and of interest to the target audience.
- You can build a better relationship with potential customers because of the valuable content you share. Which in turn helps you gain not only authority as a company, but also trust.
- Launching an ABM strategy gives you the opportunity to maximize your company’s relevance among valuable accounts.
- You have the opportunity to measure return on investment (ROI) more quickly and efficiently. And this benefits you greatly because it allows you to confirm whether the accounts you have invested in are the right ones to grow your business.
Keys needed to launch an ABM strategy
As you can see, there are many benefits your business can gain if you implement it. This is why it is so important to know some recommended techniques to launch an ABM strategy properly and, most importantly, effectively:
1.- Plan a session to identify profiles of interest.
You need to start by organizing an initial session to help you identify the accounts you really want to make an impact on. This is where you should ask yourself what your goal is, what kind of profiles you want to contact, the industry of the company and its size. As well as determine the profiles you are interested in as administrators, managers, among others.
To do this, you need to select one or a maximum of two people from each company. You just need to make sure that they have a high position, interest and decision. This way you can focus your communication on the most relevant profiles for your company. And so you also avoid sending multiple messages to the same company.
2.- Define the channel for talking to contacts.
An important factor when launching an ABM strategy is the channel or tool you will use to make contact with profiles. It is best to choose one that is simple and gives you the ability to search and send messages easily.
LinkedIn Sales Navigator is one of the best alternatives; keep in mind that this is the ultimate professional social network. But if you need to make sure this is the right tool, knowing its benefits can help you gain clarity:
- It offers the ability to use very specific filters to select contacts.
- It helps you directly contact the accounts that pique your interest.
- It is one of the cheapest tools, compared to others.
- It has an option to trigger alerts when a profile changes location or when the company takes on a high-value profile.
You will be able to view analytics and rates of return.
Keep in mind that Sales Navigator was designed with B2B companies in mind. And without fail, collaborate with your marketing and sales team with the goal of reaching high-value accounts.
3.- Send friend requests to profiles of interest.
Before you establish the first communication with the potential client, we recommend that you send them a friend request. This is because those who accept it are more likely to respond to your message. In this way, you ensure a closer and more natural relationship with the potential client and you will not seem like a business contact.
Note that doing this procedure also saves you credits to invest in contacting profiles that are not friends but are critical to your ABM strategy. Of course, before sending the request, confirm that your LinkedIn profile has the “public” option turned on.
4.- Design attractive message templates.
A good alternative to simplify your work is to use message templates, but make sure they are very short and concise. Why is this? Because users today have very little time and expect to see shorter communications.
This will help you simplify the process and improve your ability to contact more profiles in less time. You need to consider that once you accept a friend request, you will already have content to send them. This way you will stay in their minds so that they will not forget who you are and why they accepted your request.
Avoid sending the same template to multiple people from the same company, we recommend sending a maximum of 3 paragraphs with an attractive offer. You can offer an audit, a free demo, a business diagnosis, a free course or registration. Also exclusive content, custom studies and much more.
5.- Use an authoritative profile
Do you want them to really take your message into account? Then it is essential that you work with an authoritative profile to contact the profiles you are interested in. This is because the message takes on a more powerful tone when sent by a senior person in the company.
It makes the user receiving the message feel important and recognized by your company. Most importantly, it grows your company as an expert entity and generates more trust.
6.- Work with valuable content
Another factor that influences the launch of an ABM strategy is valuable content. This aspect can help you attract potential customers faster. For example, you can work with an e-book or downloadable material. Ideally, you should send the material with the message you will use to make contact.
This is usually valuable content that will pique the interest of those you are contacting. You need to make sure it is exclusive material that you cannot find elsewhere. Keep in mind that this is what really gives you that added value that is so appealing.
Focus your attention and effort on unique content that has the ability to solve the user’s problems, i.e., their needs and concerns. A key attach content and not just links.
