As we begin the final Q4 revenue push tomorrow morning, most marketing leaders like myself already have their sights on 2021. For me, 2021 represents an opportunity to drive a greater impact across every facet of marketing and revenue programs (while putting all of the COVID-19 chaos in the rearview mirror). As part of this process, marketing teams always need to rethink and reinvent their approaches to ABM, demand and digital programs, events, sales enablement, and channel programs. Nothing should be a sacred cow.
In that spirit, I recently caught up with Olivier L’Abbé, President of Metadata.io. I met Olivier a few years ago when he led the marketing team at G2 Crowd. Back then, he introduced me to this novel concept called “intent data” and how I could leverage these digital signals to better understand in-market prospects. Since then, I’ve been obsessed with the potential of combining these unique datasets with ABM, content marketing, and digital programs to ultimately boost pipeline growth.
I was excited when Olivier accepted my invitation to participate in Folloze’s weekly ABM Masterclass Office Hours session and provide a primer on intent data and audience-targeting strategies, and how marketers are leveraging this unique dataset to bolster pipeline contribution of their demand generation and ABM programs.
Here are my top six takeaways from my conversation with Olivier. Click here to enroll in the Folloze ABX Masterclass and access this and other valuable sessions. It’s free to join.
#1: Follow the Digital Breadcrumbs
Successful ABM campaigns start with understanding buyer intent. The key is to follow the digital breadcrumbs buyers leave behind when they consume your online content. By doing so, you pick up on the important clues that reveal their business needs, and you can then create content that speaks directly to those issues. ABM gets you laser focused on messaging and content so your sales teams can be that much more informed as they try to close the deal.
#2: Tailor Content for Each Phase of the Funnel
Marketers must learn to create and deliver content that is specifically targeted to the top, middle and bottom of the funnel. You can’t just throw out a demo request the first moment you engage; your goal should be to first educate at the top of the funnel and provide more value to enhance the decision-making process as they progress down the lifecycle. Get your content strategy ironed out up front to help each account through the entire journey.
#3: Experiment with Content
Timing is everything with ABM programs. Once you’ve gauged user intent, you’re able to deliver the right messages at the right time — and via the right channels. Don’t be afraid to experiment with content to see what works and what doesn’t. Honing in on the best messages for each user will help optimize your pipeline and give you exponential growth potential. And remember that one strategy won’t work for every account. Develop a mindset of experimentation and variety, and you’ll build a more well-rounded strategy.
#4: More Intelligence Means Better Organizational Alignment
Let’s face it: marketing and sales teams usually follow their own paths. That said, understanding intent data will accelerate alignment between your marketing and sales teams and ensure they are marching to the same beat. Once you see the signals that intent data provides, you can share it with sales, show them which accounts are most active and why. This process will give your sellers the confidence in your strategy and remove unnecessary friction.
#5: Different Strategies for Different Channels
Another goal is to optimize your strategy based on each unique channel. How you approach B2B social platforms like LinkedIn, for example, will be distinctly different than B2C channels like Facebook. The key is to develop tight partnerships, test content different ad platforms, and determine how to best engage the right prospects. The more work and experimentation you do up front, the better results from your AMB campaign.
#6: Go Deeper with your ABM
Account based marketing is driving a change in marketing culture. Understanding intent data and user behavior is the lynchpin to building more personalized customer experiences and stronger, more predictable pipelines.
