You may have already experienced the challenges of breaking into high-value accounts. Traditional lead generation methods can feel like casting a wide net, hoping the right prospects will come to you. This approach often fails to engage the specific, high-value accounts that can significantly impact your bottom line. That’s where an Account-Based Marketing strategy comes in.

By focusing your efforts on a defined set of key accounts and delivering highly personalized campaigns, ABM aligns your sales and marketing teams to attract, engage, and close deals with those high-value prospects.

In this blog, we’ll explore how to develop and implement an ABM strategy using HubSpot, along with a detailed 30-60-90 day action plan to ensure your success.

What is Account-Based Marketing (ABM)?

Account-Based Marketing (ABM) is a strategic approach where marketing and sales collaborate to target high-value accounts as individual markets. Instead of casting a wide net to generate leads, ABM focuses on a smaller number of key accounts, delivering personalized and highly relevant marketing and sales efforts to drive engagement and close deals.

Why ABM Works for High-Value Accounts:

  • It allows you to focus resources on high-revenue opportunities.
  • You can create customized messaging and content tailored to specific accounts and their pain points.
  • Sales and marketing work together to engage decision-makers at multiple levels within each target account.
  • The strategy drives higher conversion rates and faster sales cycles by aligning your efforts around the accounts most likely to deliver significant revenue.

7 Steps to Develop an Account-Based Marketing Strategy Using HubSpot

1. Define Your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and Target Accounts

The first step in ABM is identifying the right accounts to target. Start by analysing your existing high-value customers and developing an Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). This will include factors like industry, company size, revenue, and specific challenges. Once the ICP is clear, select 20-50 target accounts that align with this profile.

2. Align Sales and Marketing Teams

For ABM to be effective, your sales and marketing teams must be aligned. Set shared goals and KPIs, define each team’s roles, and establish a feedback loop. HubSpot’s ABM tools can help by providing centralized reporting and collaboration features, ensuring both teams are on the same page.

3. Create Highly Personalized Content

ABM requires personalization at every touchpoint. Develop content that speaks directly to each target account’s specific challenges and needs. This could include case studies, whitepapers, and personalized landing pages. HubSpot makes it easy to create and manage personalized content for different stakeholders within each account.

4. Execute Multi-Channel, Multi-Touch Campaigns

Use a multi-channel approach to engage target accounts across email, LinkedIn ads, webinars, and more. Ensure consistent messaging across all channels. HubSpot’s marketing automation tools allow you to orchestrate and track these efforts in one place, ensuring timely outreach to key decision-makers.

5. Lead Scoring and Account Prioritization

Not all target accounts will engage at the same level. Implement lead scoring in HubSpot to rank accounts based on engagement signals such as email opens, content downloads, and website visits. Prioritize your outreach based on the accounts showing the most interest.

6. Measure and Optimize Your ABM Strategy

Tracking the right metrics is critical. Focus on key performance indicators (KPIs) such as account engagement, pipeline growth, and revenue generation from ABM efforts. HubSpot’s analytics and reporting tools give you the insights needed to continuously optimize your strategy.

7. Nurture and Expand Relationships

ABM doesn’t stop after the sale. Once you’ve closed a deal, continue nurturing the relationship and look for opportunities to expand into new departments or business units. HubSpot’s CRM helps you track account interactions and identify expansion opportunities.

30-60-90 Day Action Plan for Implementing Your ABM Strategy

Now that you understand the key components of an Account-Based Marketing strategy, let’s break it down into a SMART-based, 30-60-90 day action plan to help you implement it successfully.

30-Day Plan: Strategy Foundation and Setup

  1. Define ICP and Select Target Accounts: In the first 10 days, work with your sales and marketing teams to define your ICP and identify 20-50 high-value target accounts. Ensure these accounts align with your growth goals.
  2. Align Sales and Marketing Teams: Hold alignment meetings between sales and marketing to set shared goals, roles, and responsibilities. Agree on metrics like account engagement and pipeline growth. Complete this step within 15 days.
  3. Develop Personalized Messaging and Content: Create customized messaging and content tailored to the target accounts’ specific challenges. Use HubSpot’s tools to develop at least 5-10 personalized assets within the first 25 days.
  4. Set Up HubSpot for ABM: Configure HubSpot’s ABM tools, including lead scoring, workflows, and account lists. Ensure everything is in place by day 30 so you’re ready to launch personalized campaigns.

60-Day Plan: Execute ABM Campaigns and Engage Accounts

  1. Launch Multi-Channel Campaigns: By day 40, launch multi-channel campaigns across email, ads, and social targeting your key accounts. Track engagement metrics like email open rates and ad clicks.
  2. Begin Sales Outreach to Engaged Accounts: Sales teams should start direct outreach to accounts that show high engagement (e.g., email opens, content downloads). Focus on scheduling meetings and nurturing relationships by day 45.
  3. Refine Content Based on Engagement: Review campaign performance and adjust messaging based on account feedback and engagement data. Update content and tactics by day 60 to improve effectiveness.
  4. Track and Report Key Metrics: Set up weekly reports in HubSpot to track engagement, account progression, and pipeline growth. Use these insights to refine your strategy and improve results.

90-Day Plan: Optimize, Scale, and Deepen Engagement

  1. Expand Outreach to New Accounts: After the first 60 days, add new target accounts to your ABM campaigns. Based on the insights gained, expand outreach to 10-20 additional accounts by day 70.
  2. Conduct a Mid-Point Performance Review: By day 75, conduct a detailed review of campaign performance. Identify what’s working and where improvements are needed to optimize your ABM strategy.
  3. Deepen Relationships with Engaged Accounts: For accounts that have shown strong engagement, deepen the relationship with personalized experiences like demos, exclusive content, and direct sales outreach. This should start by day 85.
  4. Set Long-Term ABM Goals: Review the full 90-day performance and set long-term goals for ABM, focusing on continued engagement, pipeline growth, and revenue generation from key accounts.

Conclusion

Download your copy of our guide, ‘90 Days to Transformation – The Ultimate Guide to Account-Based Marketing (ABM) Strategy‘ today.

Implementing a successful account-based marketing strategy can transform the way your technology company engages with high-value accounts. By following this 30-60-90 day action plan and leveraging HubSpot’s ABM tools, you’ll be well-positioned to target, engage, and close deals with the accounts that matter most.

An Account-Based Marketing strategy requires focus, alignment, and a willingness to iterate, but the payoff in terms of higher-value deals, shorter sales cycles, and stronger relationships with key accounts can be tremendous.

Ready to get started? Let’s talk about how you can follow these steps, and watch your sales pipeline grow with high-value opportunities!