News and Insights
4 Winning ABM Personalisation Tips
November 28, 2024
Contributor: Dorothy Teo
Think of your brand as a character in a video game. Each decision you make – from selecting your battle strategies to choosing your equipment – can mean the difference between epic wins and sudden game overs.
For ABM, the game translates into tailoring your marketing efforts to fit with high-value target accounts, and the stats are impressive: companies report a staggering 77% increase in revenue when they personalise their ABM effectively.
ABM is categorised into three main types: 1 to Many, 1 to Few, and 1 to 1. These categories determine the level of targeting and influence the approach to engaging target accounts. The crux to effective ABM is adapting personalisation tactics based on your campaign approach and desired outcomes.
These different types of personalisation tactics are like your equipment in the game – you select and/or combine which is the most suitable and give you the highest likelihood of winning – in this case, successfully acquiring those high-value accounts.
1. Industry-related
Each industry has unique challenges. Tailor your messaging to resonate with specific sectors by considering:
- Industry: Which industries require your products or services? (e.g., food and beverage, healthcare, technology)
- Job Function: What job functions within these industries benefit most from your offerings? (e.g., finance, procurement, supply chain)
- Seniority: Who are the key decision-makers and influencers in these roles? (e.g., finance managers, procurement officers, information technology directors)
2. Account
To effectively target a specific account, it’s important to reach the key decision-makers involved. These decision-makers are part of a buying committee, a group within the company that has the authority to make purchase decisions.
The number of people in the buying committee varies by company and industry, but it typically involves 6 to 10 decision makers. Each member has unique interests, needs, and challenges that require personalised content tailored specifically to their role.
For example, in an IT company, the buying committee might include:
3. Persona
Personas are developed to represent the key distinct audience segments within the organisation who would be in the buying committee for your product or service. Here are some aspects to consider when building these personas:
- Think – Feel – Do: What does your ideal customer think about your industry and product? What emotions do they experience when considering your product, and what actions do they take as a result?
For example, a procurement manager might think about optimising supply chain efficiency, feel concerned about budget constraints, and actively seek solutions that offer cost-effective improvements.
- Interests – Motivations – Needs: What are their interests, what motivates them to take action, and what are their specific needs that your product or service can address?
For instance, a procurement manager might be interested in streamlining supply chain processes, motivated by cost savings, and need a solution that integrates seamlessly with existing systems.
These insights help in creating a detailed ideal customer profile, allowing for more targeted and effective marketing efforts. By understanding these key characteristics, you can tailor your strategies to personalise and address the unique challenges and interests of each persona, ensuring your approach resonates deeply with your target audience.
4. Buying Journey
Personalisation based on buying journey involves creating content and interactions tailored to each stage of the customer’s decision-making process. From awareness to decision, each stage offers unique opportunities for engagement:
- Awareness Stage: Address your audience’s need for information and discovery using assets like infographics to capture attention and present information in a concise and clear manner.
- Consideration Stage: Satisfy your audience’s need for evaluation and comparison with assets like eBooks that provide detailed insights, addresses specific concerns, and highlights the USP of the product or solution.
- Decision Stage: Meet your audience’s need for assurance with case studies to provide credibility, giving the audience an extra push to make a purchase.
Technology is important too
No gamer goes in without the best tech. Technology plays a critical role in ABM execution and scalability. Implementing ABM strategies becomes more manageable and less time-consuming with user-friendly platforms like Intellimize, Dynamic Yield, and CleverTap. These platforms enable businesses to achieve personalisation at scale, from creating dedicated landing pages for unique visitors to sending personalised emails based on individual user identities.
Just like in a game, you must choose your equipment wisely to win. Utilise these personalisation tactics in combination depending on your campaign approach and the outcomes you want— and don’t forget to use technology to scale your personalised marketing efforts, ensuring each interaction is relevant and impactful.