Section 5:
Account activation through multichannel tactics
When the pressure is on to achieve revenue based objectives, MQLs are often the go-to for demonstrating marketing effectiveness. However, this mindset does not bring you closer to ABM. Many key decision makers, such as C-suite executives, are unlikely to engage in traditional content downloads or demo requests. Therefore to effectively activate demand within the full DMU of your target accounts, it’s crucial to employ multichannel tactics aimed at engaging different stakeholders.
Targeted Demand Generation campaigns typically use multiple channels such as display, email partners, social media, paid social, category-specific content hubs, and remarketing to target specific personas and expand reach.
These multichannel tactics can activate demand within the full DMU, increasing your chances of ABM success.
- Display: Reach the full DMU with job title targeting, scaling efforts with lookalike accounts for wider reach.
- Email Partners: Use partner email lists to reach specific personas.
- Social: Engage with individuals and decision-makers on social media.
- Paid Social: Target specific personas with social media ads.
- Category-specific Content Hubs: Drive knowledge around a specific topic to generate value and accelerate demand.
- Publisher platforms: Engage with users within their native environment on 3rd party content platforms and harvest intent signals.
- Remarketing: Reach out to individuals who engaged but haven't converted on your website or other platforms.
Measuring the success of Targeted Demand Generation campaigns for ABM
Targeted Demand Generation campaigns differ from traditional demand generation efforts in that they use metrics such as Account Surge, Target Account Penetration, Category Intent, and Buying Power to measure success. These metrics are aligned with account engagement and are more similar to the key performance indicators (KPIs) used in ABM.
- Account Surge: measures the increase in interest from targeted accounts using engagement and intent data from 3rd party sources.
- Target Account Penetration: expressed as the percentage of engaged individuals within a target account compared to the average number of decision makers in a B2B DMU community.
- Category Intent: measures the level of interest in a specific product or service category based on content engagement.
- Buying Power: measures the relative authority and influence of engaged individuals in a target account in purchase decisions, based on the status of other DMU members and comparable companies.
See these metrics in action in this short video.
Key ABM decisions that can be made from this intelligence
Through Targeted Demand Generation campaigns, you can gather a wealth of data on prospects, including their intent, behavior, actions, and firmographics. This information enables you to identify and prioritize the accounts that are most likely to convert into successful sales. By focusing your efforts on these high-priority accounts, you can develop strategic sales plans and effective outreach tactics tailored to their specific needs and pain points.
Examples of how Targeted Demand Generation can enhance ABM:
- Use Targeted Demand Generation campaigns to identify and engage with key decision-makers and stakeholders within high-potential target accounts.
- Analyze the metrics and intelligence gathered from these campaigns to determine which accounts are showing the most interest and engagement.
- Use this information to prioritize these accounts for strategic sales development plans and outreach efforts.
- Develop personalized outreach strategies for each account, leveraging the insights gained from the Targeted Demand Generation campaigns to tailor your messaging and approach to the specific needs and preferences of each account.
- Use ongoing measurement and analysis to continually refine your approach and optimize your sales efforts for maximum effectiveness.
By using Targeted Demand Generation in this way, you can create a more focused and strategic approach to sales development that is tailored to the needs and interests of your most promising target accounts.
Below is an illustration of how a tech vendor could augment their account-based marketing (ABM) strategy using Targeted Demand Generation programs:
