What is account-based marketing?
Account-based marketing is a B2B strategy where you focus your marketing and sales resources on a specific set of high-value target accounts instead of trying to reach everyone. This means you pick the companies that are the best fit for your product, then build campaigns designed specifically for those accounts.
Traditional marketing casts a wide net and hopes some leads convert. ABM flips this approach. You identify your ideal accounts first, then create personalized campaigns to reach the decision-makers at those specific companies.
ABM only works when sales and marketing work together. Both teams need to agree on which accounts to target, share data on what's happening with each account, and coordinate their outreach. Without this alignment, you end up with duplicate messages or conflicting approaches that confuse prospects.
Why ABM tactics matter for B2B pipeline
Most demand generation spreads your budget across thousands of accounts that will never buy. You waste time on leads that don't fit while your best prospects get the same generic message as everyone else.
ABM concentrates your effort on accounts that match your ideal customer profile and show actual buying signals. You spend money where it counts instead of chasing volume.
This focus changes your results:
Higher conversion rates: When you personalize outreach to specific challenges, decision-makers pay attention because you clearly understand their situation
Larger deal sizes: You engage multiple people in the buying committee instead of relying on one contact, which expands the scope and value of opportunities
Shorter sales cycles: Coordinated touchpoints from sales and marketing reach stakeholders simultaneously, which speeds up decisions
Smarter spending: Your budget goes to accounts likely to close instead of spray-and-pray campaigns that generate noise
12 account-based marketing tactics that work
The tactics below cover data-driven targeting, personalized content, and multi-channel engagement. Strong ABM programs combine several of these based on how valuable each account is and where they are in the buying process.
1. Intent data targeting
Intent data shows you which accounts are actively researching topics related to your solution right now. This means you can prioritize outreach to companies showing buying signals instead of guessing who might be interested.
When a company starts consuming content about problems your product solves, that's a signal they're evaluating solutions. Platforms like ZoomInfo track these patterns across the web and surface accounts that are in-market before they ever fill out a form on your site.
You can use intent data to:
Spot topic surges: See when accounts research relevant keywords at higher rates than normal
Score and prioritize: Rank accounts by how strong their intent signals are so you focus on the hottest prospects first
Trigger campaigns: Automatically add high-intent accounts to outreach sequences the moment signals appear
The fix here is simple. Stop cold calling accounts that aren't looking. Start with the ones already researching.
2. Account segmentation and tiering
Not every target account deserves the same investment. Account segmentation based on fit, intent, and potential deal size lets you allocate resources where they'll have the biggest impact.
Most ABM programs use three tiers. Tier 1 accounts get custom campaigns, executive involvement, and high-touch tactics. Tier 2 accounts receive industry-specific messaging with moderate personalization. Tier 3 accounts enter automated programs with minimal manual work.
Tier | What qualifies | How you engage |
|---|---|---|
Tier 1 | Highest revenue potential, strong intent signals | Custom campaigns, executive outreach, personalized content |
Tier 2 | Good fit, moderate intent | Industry messaging, some personalization |
Tier 3 | Fits your ICP but lower priority | Automated nurture, programmatic ABM |
This structure prevents you from spending Tier 1 effort on Tier 3 accounts. Save the expensive tactics for accounts that can actually move your revenue number.
3. Personalized LinkedIn advertising
LinkedIn lets you serve ads directly to people at specific companies or with specific job titles. This makes it the best paid channel for ABM because you can reach decision-makers at your target accounts without wasting impressions on random audiences.
Matched Audiences is the key feature. You upload your target account list and LinkedIn only shows your ads to employees at those companies. Layer in job title filters to reach the exact decision-makers you need.
The mistake most teams make is running generic ads with precise targeting. That wastes the opportunity. Your ad creative needs to reference the account's industry challenges or known initiatives. Make it feel relevant instead of interruptive.
Combine sponsored content for awareness with Sponsored Messaging for direct outreach. The content builds familiarity while Sponsored Messaging gets you into their inbox with a personalized message.
4. Personalized landing pages and microsites
Sending target accounts to your generic homepage wastes the effort you put into getting them there. Account-specific landing pages address the company by name, reference their industry challenges, and show case studies from similar companies.
Dynamic website personalization tools let you automatically adjust page elements based on who's visiting. Show industry-specific proof points to a manufacturing company and different examples to a financial services firm.
Your calls-to-action should match where the account is in their buying process. Early-stage accounts might want a guide or benchmark report. Late-stage accounts are ready for a demo or pricing conversation.
The goal is to make every visitor feel like you built the page specifically for them. Because you did.
5. Direct mail campaigns
Physical mail cuts through digital noise. Executives who ignore hundreds of emails will open a package that shows up on their desk.
ABM direct mail works when it's personalized, tied to a specific challenge you know the account faces, and followed up within days. Send something thoughtful that shows you did research into the recipient's situation or interests.
Examples that work:
Executive gifts relevant to their industry or known interests
Dimensional mailers that force physical engagement
Handwritten notes that signal real effort
Reserve direct mail for your Tier 1 accounts. A $50 gift makes sense for a potential $500,000 deal. It doesn't make sense for every account in your database.
The follow-up matters as much as the gift. Call or email within 48 hours while the package is still on their desk.
6. Personalized video outreach
Custom video messages break through inbox clutter because they feel personal and require effort to create. A short video where you address the prospect by name and reference their specific challenges gets higher response rates than text-only emails.
Sales reps can record quick videos as personalized intros for target contacts. Marketing can create account-specific explainers that address challenges you know the company faces. Embed a thumbnail image in your email that links to the video.
Keep videos under 90 seconds. Lead with why you're reaching out to this specific person at this specific company. End with a clear next step, not a vague "let me know if you want to chat."
Video humanizes outreach in a way text can't. This level of sales personalization makes prospects feel like you made something just for them.
7. Multi-threading the buying committee
Enterprise deals involve multiple stakeholders across different departments. ABM requires you to map the buying committee and engage several contacts at once instead of relying on a single champion.
Start by identifying who plays what role. You need to reach economic buyers who control budget, technical evaluators who assess your product, end users who will actually use it, and potential blockers who might kill the deal.
Each person cares about different things. A CFO wants to see ROI. IT wants to know about security and how your product integrates with their stack. End users want to know if it's actually easier than what they use now.
Coordinate your outreach so sales and marketing reach different stakeholders with messages tailored to their priorities. When multiple people at the account know your solution and see value, you're not starting over if your champion leaves or loses influence.
8. Account-specific content and case studies
Generic content doesn't convince target accounts. They need to see proof your solution works for companies like theirs.
Create or curate content that speaks to the account's industry, company size, tech stack, or known challenges. Industry reports with benchmarks relevant to their vertical show you understand their market. Case studies from similar companies provide social proof that matters.
If the account currently uses a competitor, create content that addresses migration. Cover common objections to switching and show how other companies made the transition successfully.
You don't need to create everything from scratch. Curate existing assets and add account-specific context in the email or landing page that introduces the content.
9. Executive-to-executive outreach
For your most strategic accounts, executive engagement through peer-level outreach opens doors that sales reps can't. This works when your leadership has relevant experience or insights to share that position them as advisors instead of vendors.
Your CEO or CRO can send a brief, value-led message to their counterpart. Share relevant thought leadership or invite them to an exclusive event. The goal is to build a relationship at the top of the organization, not pitch your product.
Use this tactic sparingly. Reserve it for your highest-value accounts where the relationship could drive significant revenue or create a strategic partnership.
Executive outreach signals that the account matters to your company. That attention gets returned.
10. Exclusive events and webinars
Small, invite-only events create engagement opportunities that generic webinars can't match. Virtual roundtables, executive dinners, or curated sessions with 10-15 attendees feel exclusive because they are.
Personalize your invitations. Reference why you selected this account and what they'll gain from attending. Keep the group small with non-competing companies facing similar challenges so people feel comfortable sharing.
Follow up immediately after the event while the conversation is fresh. Reference specific points from the discussion in your outreach.
Exclusive events work because they provide value beyond your product. Attendees network with peers and gain insights they can't get elsewhere. That builds goodwill and positions your company as a resource, not just a vendor.
11. Retargeting and programmatic display
Once target accounts visit your site or engage with your content, retargeting keeps your brand visible as they continue researching. Programmatic ABM platforms let you serve display ads only to people at your target accounts across the web.
Site visitor retargeting shows ads to contacts who visited key pages like pricing or product features. Account-based display targets specific companies even if they haven't visited your site yet, building awareness before they reach you.
Sequential messaging changes your ad creative based on where the account is in their journey. Early ads focus on awareness and education. Later ads push toward evaluation and decision.
Retargeting works because B2B buying cycles are long. Staying visible during the research phase keeps you in consideration when the account is ready to talk to vendors.
12. Orchestrated multi-channel campaigns
The best ABM coordinates touchpoints across email, phone, social, ads, and direct mail into one unified campaign. Orchestration platforms automate the sequencing and keep messaging consistent so prospects get a cohesive experience instead of random, disconnected touches.
Design your cadence to map touches across channels over time. Use triggers to automatically adjust based on engagement signals like email opens, content downloads, or website visits. Make sure sales reps know what marketing touches have happened so they can reference them in conversations.
Orchestration requires clean data and integrated systems. Without coordination, you risk duplicate outreach or conflicting messages that confuse prospects and waste effort.
The fix is shared visibility. Both teams need to see what's happening with each account in real time.
How to measure ABM campaign performance
ABM metrics are different from traditional demand generation. Stop tracking lead volume. Start tracking account engagement, pipeline influence, and deal velocity within your target accounts.
The metrics that matter:
Account engagement score: Total interactions across all contacts and channels at each account
Pipeline generated: Opportunities created within target accounts, not total lead count
Deal velocity: Time from first touch to closed deal for ABM accounts versus non-ABM accounts
Average deal size: Annual contract value for ABM-sourced deals compared to other sources
Account penetration: Number of contacts engaged at each target account
Leading indicators like engagement and meetings show up within weeks. Pipeline and revenue impact take months because enterprise sales cycles are long. Track the early signals to know if your tactics are working before you see closed deals.
ABM best practices for sales and marketing alignment
ABM fails when sales and marketing work independently. Sales and marketing alignment means shared account lists, joint planning, clear engagement rules, and regular communication.
Start with a shared target account list that both teams agree on. Run joint planning sessions to map stakeholders and coordinate outreach. Set clear handoff points and response time expectations so leads don't fall through the cracks.
Hold pipeline reviews weekly or bi-weekly to sync on account progress and adjust tactics. When both teams see the same data and work toward the same goals, ABM actually works.
ZoomInfo helps sales and marketing teams coordinate ABM with shared data, intent signals, and workflow tools that keep everyone aligned on target accounts.
ABM tactics FAQ
How is account-based marketing different from demand generation?
Demand generation casts a wide net to generate leads across a broad audience. ABM focuses resources on a predefined list of high-value accounts, treating each one as its own market.
How many target accounts should an ABM program include?
The number depends on your resources and tier structure. Tier 1 programs typically target 10-50 accounts with highly personalized tactics. Programmatic ABM can scale to hundreds or thousands with automated personalization.
What technology do you need to run account-based marketing?
The right ABM platform provides data for account identification, advertising for targeted campaigns, and orchestration to coordinate multi-channel outreach. Intent data providers and CRM integrations help you track engagement and prioritize accounts.
How long before ABM campaigns show pipeline results?
Engagement improvements show up within weeks. Pipeline and revenue impact takes longer because enterprise deals don't close fast. Track leading indicators like account engagement and meeting volume early while measuring revenue outcomes over time.
