More and more B2B brands use account-based marketing (ABM) in their revenue models and with good reason. A study found that 76% of respondents reported higher ROI with ABM than other types of marketing.

With this practice now solidly rooted in the B2B marketer’s toolkit, be sure you understand these ABM truths.

#1 No need to over-personalize — Just be uber-relevant.

Offering relevant experiences is a crucial component of ABM programs, but it doesn’t mean over-personalizing content for the sake of personalizing. Using the prospect’s name in an enthusiastic greeting is meaningless, if the rest of the communication has no value to them. Shoot for useful personalization that reflects understanding of account-level challenges. Brands find intent intelligence is a good source of clues for targeting and relevance. It’s not necessarily about connecting directly to a particular individual overall, but more about focusing on pain points that matter to your full buying group audience at that account.

#2 Marketing and sales must align to achieve shared goals.

The best account-based marketing depends on alignment, but it takes more than lip service. In reality, most marketing and sales teams work in silos rather than as a squad. Alignment has almost become accepted as more myth than model. While each team has an equally important role, sharing resources and insights gives a more holistic view of target accounts and improves overall operations efficiency. A survey found 80% of B2B marketers with an ABM program were “somewhat” to “tightly aligned” with the sales teams. Sounds like room to grow in many organizations, and that’s a positive thing.

#3 It’s not about share of budget, but share of buying group.

ABM isn’t just about getting a bigger share of budget, but also building strong, trustworthy relationships with specific accounts over time. When you gain that trust step by step, you reach new stakeholders in the account until you engage the full buying group. An account-centric focus using intent monitoring gives important signals about the status and intent of buying group members.

#4 No two ABM strategies are the same.

With ABM practices becoming commonplace, it’s tempting to build strategies using the same proven formula. While following a general operational framework makes sense, vary tactics based on your budget, data, resources and business size.

Account-based marketing can be implemented on any scale based on your business requirements and what’s available to you. A particular version of ABM – one-to-one, one-to-few, one-to-many – isn’t necessarily more effective than another, but most effective programs use more than one type of engagement, and “29% of the highest yielding programs use all three. In 2021, 48% plan to adopt a blended approach with at least two styles,” according to research.

Take a deeper dive into ABM best practices with these articles:

• 6 Tips: Lead ABM Engagement with Attention-Getting Content
• AI and ABM: The New Black in B2B Marketing
• 4 ABM Tactics: How to Find Qualified Leads Sales Will Love