If you’re crafting content for an ABM strategy, itโs not just about producing great ideasโitโs about precision. You need content that speaks directly to your most valuable accounts, addressing their unique pain points at every stage of the buyerโs journey. But where do you start? A content creation framework is your blueprint.
By following structured approaches like PAS or AIDA, you can ensure every message is laser-focused, resonating with key decision-makers and driving engagement. In this post, weโll break down five essential ABM content strategies that will not only streamline your content development but also maximise your impact on target accounts. Letโs dive into how you can refine your ABM content for better engagement.
- Use structured frameworks like PAS and AIDA to create laser-focused ABM content that resonates with your target accounts.
- Personalise content for decision-makers by aligning messaging with the specific pain points and goals of each account.
- Utilise data-driven insights to tailor your ABM content strategy and create a deeper connection with key stakeholders.
- Incorporate storytelling and real-world examples to amplify the relevance of your content within each framework.
- Develop content that guides your audience through the buyerโs journey, offering value at every touchpoint, from awareness to decision-making.
- Collaborate with internal teams, like sales, to uncover specific content gaps and refine your ABM strategy accordingly.ย
Overview of ABM Content Creation Frameworks
A content creation framework offers a structured approach to developing content that fuels account-based marketing (ABM) efforts. It provides a blueprint that guides the entire process, from ideation through to promotion and beyond. Each framework is typically tailored to a companyโs unique needs, reflecting the creative mindset of the team that developed it. By following a consistent structure, your ABM content can remain organised, purposeful, and scalableโwhether youโre planning for the short term or developing a year-long strategy.
Why is a Content Creation Framework Essential?
Creating content isnโt just about generating ideas. It requires a disciplined focus on detail, an eye for strategy, and continuous refinementโthis can be time-consuming and complex. Thatโs where a content creation framework becomes invaluable. By establishing clear, repeatable guidelines, your team can streamline its workflows, maintain creativity without bottlenecks, and eliminate productivity lags. This is particularly crucial when crafting ABM content strategy, where each piece must be laser-focused on target accounts.
Frameworks help your team plan, execute, and refine content, whether itโs short-term campaigns or long-term initiatives. They ensure your content remains fresh, focused, and adaptable, which is essential in delivering personalised messaging across various touchpoints within an ABM strategy.
Here are some of the best ABM content frameworks for you to use:
Problem-Agitate-Solution (PAS) Framework
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- Problem (P): Start by identifying a common challenge your audience faces. For instance, B2B marketers often struggle with personalising messages for their target accounts.
- Agitate (A): Highlight the consequences of this problem, such as missed opportunities and decreased engagement when content doesnโt resonate.
- Solution (S): Position your product or service as the solution. For example, offering tips on using ABM personalised content to engage stakeholders effectively can drive meaningful results.
The PAS framework is particularly effective in ABM content because it directly speaks to the pain points of decision-makers, providing them with a clear pathway to a solution.
AIDA Framework
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- Attention: Capture your audienceโs focus immediately. In ABM campaigns, this could be an attention-grabbing headline or a data-driven insight that resonates with key stakeholders.
- Interest: Once you have their attention, build intrigue by providing valuable insights or case studies relevant to their business challenges.
- Desire: This phase is about creating a genuine need for your solution. Show how your product addresses their specific pain points and improves outcomesโusing examples that are specific to their sector.
- Action: Finally, guide the audience towards taking decisive stepsโwhether itโs booking a demo, downloading a whitepaper, or signing up for further communication.
The AIDA framework is integral to driving engagement in content for ABM campaigns. It ensures that your messaging moves the audience through a journey, ultimately leading them to take action.
PASTOR Framework
The PASTOR framework, developed by Ray Edwards, is a persuasive content creation model particularly suited for ABM content strategies. This framework follows a clear, structured approach that helps marketers craft messaging that resonates deeply with target accounts.
- Problem: Start by pinpointing the specific pain point your audience is grappling with. In an ABM context, this could be a persistent challenge, such as inefficient lead nurturing or low engagement among key accounts. Identifying this problem sets the foundation for abm personalised content that speaks directly to the concerns of decision-makers.
- Amplify: Once the problem is identified, amplify its impact by delving into the consequences. Explain how ignoring the issue could result in missed revenue opportunities, slower sales cycles, or weakened relationships with key stakeholders. The goal here is to make the audience realise the urgency of solving the problem.
- Story: To illustrate the journey from problem to solution, share a compelling story. This could be a case study or a real-world example where your solution drove meaningful results for a similar account. In ABM, storytelling is keyโit brings your abm content to life and shows potential clients the tangible impact your solution can have.
- Transformation: Describe the transformation your audience can expect. This is where the value of your offering becomes crystal clear. In ABM, this might include showing how your solution can streamline sales processes, improve personalisation, and boost overall engagement within target accounts.
- Offer: Present your solution as the logical step forward. Clearly outline how your product or service can address their specific pain points, reinforcing the benefits and value proposition. Your abm content strategy should frame this offer as the key to driving long-term success with their most valuable accounts.
- Response: Finally, include a strong call-to-action (CTA) that directs the audience toward the next stepโwhether thatโs scheduling a demo, signing up for a newsletter, or engaging with additional content. The CTA should feel like a natural extension of the narrative, prompting the reader to act decisively.
A.C.T. Framework
The A.C.T. framework is another highly effective tool for crafting engaging and actionable content for ABM campaigns. This simple, yet powerful, approach ensures that your messaging captures attention, builds a meaningful connection, and drives conversion.
- Attention: The first task is to grab the readerโs attention. This could be through a bold headline, a striking visual, or a thought-provoking question. In ABM, capturing attention early is crucial, as your audience consists of busy decision-makers. A compelling opening that speaks directly to their challenges can set the stage for deeper engagement.
- Connection: Once you have their attention, establish a connection by empathising with their specific needs or business pain points. Show that you understand the intricacies of their industry and the pressures they face. This connection is vital for abm personalised content, as it allows you to build trust and demonstrate relevance.
- Transaction: The final step is to guide the audience toward taking action. A clear and persuasive CTA is essential here, driving the reader to take the next step, whether itโs signing up for a webinar or downloading a whitepaper that delves deeper into their challenges.
P.A.S.A. Framework
The P.A.S.A. framework follows a logical structure to take the audience on a journey from problem identification to action. This framework is particularly effective for ABM content because it builds a strong case for your solution by emphasising the consequences of inaction and the value of your offering.
- Problem: Start by addressing a problem that is relevant to your audience. In ABM, this could be the difficulty in aligning marketing and sales teams or the challenges of reaching multiple stakeholders within an organisation. Highlighting a specific issue that your target account is likely facing will immediately capture their attention.
- Amplify: Once the problem is established, amplify it by discussing the potential impact of not solving it. Dive deep into how this issue affects their operations, whether itโs lost revenue, inefficiency, or missed opportunities. The aim here is to create a sense of urgency and make the audience eager to find a solution.
- Solution: Introduce your product or service as the solution to the problem. In abm content strategy, this could involve showing how your offering can streamline operations, improve engagement, or deliver better ROI. Emphasise how your solution directly addresses their pain points.
- Action: Close with a clear, compelling CTA that encourages immediate action. Whether itโs booking a consultation or downloading a case study, the action should feel like the logical next step, providing the audience with a tangible way to start solving their problem.
What Matters Most?
From our experience, successful ABM content strategies are deeply rooted in personalisation. Clients often discover that personalisation goes beyond just addressing a prospect by name; itโs about truly understanding the nuances of their industry challenges and business priorities. Typically, this level of insight allows content to resonate with key decision-makers, creating a stronger emotional and rational connection. Furthermore, weโve seen clients benefit from modular content strategiesโenabling them to repurpose and adapt high-value pieces across different stages of the buying journey. This flexibility keeps content fresh and highly relevant. Finally, itโs crucial to build a content journey that aligns with the evolving needs of the account, moving from awareness to advocacy. This strategic orchestration often results in deeper engagement, as each touchpoint feels intentional and aligned with the accountโs business goals.Get In Touch
What Are the 5 P’s of Content Marketing?
The five Pโs of content marketing provide a structured, comprehensive framework for building a robust ABM content strategy. By following these core principles, your business can ensure that its content remains focused, effective, and impactful across all campaigns.
1. Planning: The Foundation of ABM Content
The first P is Planning, and itโs the bedrock of every successful content for ABM campaigns. Before producing any content, you need a clear roadmap. This includes understanding the purpose of your content, identifying your target audience, and deciding on the formats and distribution channels that will be most effective for your accounts. A well-thought-out plan prevents overwhelm, keeps the content focused, and ensures that every asset is created with intention.
Key steps in planning:
- Define your contentโs purpose and goals.
- Identify your audienceโwho are your key accounts?
- Select appropriate channels for distribution (LinkedIn, email, etc.).
- Create an editorial calendar that outlines publishing schedules.
- Allocate time for content creation and revisions.
Without solid planning, even the most brilliant ideas can fall apart. In ABM personalised content, the stakes are higher, as each asset needs to speak directly to the unique challenges and goals of specific accounts.
2. Production: Where the Magic Happens
Next comes Productionโthis is where your content takes shape. Whether you’re crafting a blog post, designing a case study, or producing a video, the goal is to deliver value. Following your plan, you’ll create content that resonates with your audience and drives engagement.
It’s essential to maintain a strong focus on quality and relevance. The content must address the needs and pain points of your target accounts. Producing abm content that feels personalised and useful to the recipient is critical for building long-lasting relationships and improving conversion rates.
3. Publishing: Maximising Reach and Engagement
Once content is produced, the next step is Publishing. This stage is all about getting your content in front of the right people, at the right time, through the right channels. Whether itโs a blog post, a social media update, or an email campaign, publishing strategically is key to ensuring your content reaches its intended audience.
To streamline this process, consider tools like:
- Buffer or Hootsuite for scheduling posts across multiple platforms.
- Facebook Creator Studio for managing Facebook and Instagram content.
- Agorapulse or Business Suite for comprehensive social media management.
Consistency is the golden rule of publishing. You want your audience to expect and anticipate your content. A regular, well-paced publishing schedule helps to keep your ABM content top of mind for target accounts.
4. Promotion: Amplifying Your Contentโs Impact
Promotion is the next critical step. Great content is only impactful if people see it. Therefore, promoting your content is essential to driving traffic, engagement, and ultimately conversions. The more your content for ABM campaigns is shared and circulated, the higher the chances of it reaching key stakeholders.
Utilise social media, newsletters, and even paid ads to give your content the visibility it needs. Donโt simply publish and hope people find itโbe proactive in getting it in front of your target audience. For instance, you can repurpose content into different formats, like turning a blog post into an infographic or an audiogram for platforms like Instagram.
Additionally, old content can be refreshed and promoted again, extending its lifespan and value. A well-targeted social ads strategy can also increase your contentโs natural reach, ensuring it resonates with key decision-makers in your target accounts.
5. Proof: Building Credibility and Trust
The final P, Proof, focuses on demonstrating the efficacy of your content and your solutions. Testimonials, case studies, and data-backed insights all serve as proof points that build trust with your audience. In an ABM context, showing how your offering has driven results for similar accounts can be the tipping point that convinces prospects to take action.
Engage your audience by gathering and showcasing feedback, leveraging user-generated content, or even republishing content with clients’ permission. This interaction helps to build a community around your content, reinforcing your credibility and deepening relationships with your key accounts.
Where to Find Inspiration for ABM Content Creation
Crafting high-impact ABM content requires continuous inspiration and creativity. When creating content for ABM campaigns, it’s essential to draw from diverse sources that can help you tap into the specific needs, challenges, and interests of your target accounts. Below are five effective places to find inspiration for your next piece of ABM personalised content.
1. Reddit: A Goldmine of Niche Communities
Reddit, known for its wide range of niche communities or “subreddits,” is an excellent resource for discovering fresh ideas related to your industry. Whether you’re looking for insights on specific topics or searching for trends that your target accounts are engaging with, Reddit offers a wealth of information.
Explore industry-specific subreddits to see what discussions are taking place. Filter the comment sections by ‘Top’ or ‘Best’ to identify the most engaging or insightful contributions. You may uncover perspectives that resonate with the challenges your target accounts face, which can be invaluable when crafting ABM content strategy.
Top Tip: Monitor threads relevant to your industry, and take note of common pain points or frequently asked questions. These can serve as excellent foundations for personalised content that addresses the specific needs of your target audience.
2. Quora: Community-Driven Insights
Quora is another great platform for sourcing ideas. The question-and-answer format allows users to ask specific questions and receive detailed responses from the community. Itโs an ideal place to see whatโs trending and what challenges your target audience is seeking solutions for.
If you’re looking to create abm content that speaks to real-world problems, search for industry-specific questions or even pose your own. The answers can inspire content that aligns with your ABM personalised content goals by addressing the exact queries your audience has.
Top Tip: Ask your own question on Quora. This will give you a direct line into how people think about the topics relevant to your business or industry. Their responses could provide the inspiration needed for your next targeted piece of content.
3. AnswerThePublic: Discover What People Are Asking
AnswerThePublic is a powerful tool that provides insights into what people are searching for online. By entering a keyword related to your industry, you can access a visual map of the most common questions, prepositions, and comparisons people are using. This is particularly useful when you’re aiming to align your ABM content strategy with the exact language and concerns of your audience.
This tool is fantastic for uncovering content ideas that are directly tied to real-world search behaviour, allowing you to create content for ABM campaigns that addresses the precise questions your audience is asking.
Top Tip: Use the visual data to pinpoint key questions that align with your content goals. Every question can spark an idea for your next ABM blog post, infographic, or social media update.
4. Ubersuggest: Data-Driven Content Inspiration
Ubersuggest is an SEO tool designed to help marketers identify trending content ideas based on keyword data. By entering a relevant keyword, you’ll be provided with content ideas, search volume statistics, and competitive insights. This data-driven approach ensures that your abm content is aligned with what people are actively searching for.
The platform also allows you to view which websites and articles are performing well for specific keywords, making it easier to prioritise content topics that have a higher chance of resonating with your target audience.
Top Tip: Click on the โContent ideasโ tab to explore the most popular articles on the topic you’re interested in. By understanding whatโs already performing well, you can shape your content to match or exceed that standard while tailoring it specifically to your key accounts.
5. Internal Teams: A Hidden Resource for ABM Content Ideas
One often-overlooked source of inspiration for creating ABM content is your internal team. Marketers frequently focus outward, but some of the most valuable insights can come from within the company. Engaging with your sales team, customer service representatives, and any frontline staff who directly interact with clients can provide rich, actionable data for developing effective content for ABM campaigns.
Your internal teams possess a wealth of knowledge about your customersโwhat questions they ask, the challenges they face, and the feedback they consistently provide. By tapping into these insights, you can create abm personalised content that addresses specific pain points and reflects a deep understanding of your audience.
Key Questions to Ask Your Internal Teams:
- What feedback are you hearing most frequently from customers?
- Which emerging trends do you see on the horizon that we should address?
- What are the most compelling features and benefits of our offering, as seen from the customerโs perspective?
For example, a conversation with the sales team could reveal new customer needs or challenges that arenโt currently reflected in your content strategy. This allows you to refine your ABM content strategy and develop more targeted campaigns that speak directly to those insights.
6. YouTube: A Goldmine for Video-Based Inspiration
As the most popular video-based social platform, YouTube is a treasure trove of content ideas, especially for educational and thought-leadership material. Many successful YouTube channels have honed the art of breaking down complex topics into digestible, engaging formatsโan approach that can easily be adapted for your abm content.
Here are a few trusted, high-quality channels to draw inspiration from:
- TED-Ed: TEDโs educational branch is known for its โlessons worth sharingโ. The clear animations and voiceover can inspire new ways of delivering complex insights in your own content.
- Crash Course: Founded by John and Hank Green, Crash Course provides a deep dive into a wide array of subjects, from history to biology, and their accessible approach can help you refine how you deliver valuable abm content.
- Big Think: Big Think videos feature leading experts exploring ideas and skills that can help people succeed. The high level of thought leadership on display is a fantastic model for creating content that positions your brand as an industry leader.
- Kurzgesagt: Known for making the complex simple, Kurzgesagtโs storytelling approach to scientific and philosophical topics is a perfect example of how to take challenging concepts and present them in a way that resonates with your audience.
- Vsauce: Michael Stevensโ Vsauce channel dives into scientific and philosophical questions, often from unexpected angles. His method of exploration and curiosity-driven content can provide a unique lens for your own ABM content strategy.
7. Data-Led Sites: Inspiration for Visual Storytelling
If youโre searching for data-driven inspiration to create engaging visual content, certain websites specialise in showcasing the best in data visualisation. These can provide excellent examples of how to present complex information in a way that is both aesthetically appealing and easy to understandโessential for engaging key stakeholders in ABM personalised content.
Here are some top resources for data visualisation inspiration:
- Information is Beautiful: Led by David McCandless, this site explores how data can be transformed into visually compelling stories. For those looking to simplify data for key accounts, this is an invaluable source of inspiration.
- Flowing Data: Run by Nathan Yau, this platform features data visualisations, data art, and analysis, focusing on how data and technology impact everyday life.
- Cool Infographics: Randy Krumโs site is a collection of highly visual, accessible infographics. Itโs an ideal place to discover how complex information can be distilled into clear, engaging graphics.
- McKinsey Chart of the Day: McKinseyโs daily charts explain global trends and market shifts, offering a reliable source of current data for your content.
- FiveThirtyEight: Known for its political and data-driven analyses, FiveThirtyEight offers an excellent model for using data in reactive content.
- YouGov: If you need to gauge public sentiment on a global scale, YouGov offers surveys, trackers, and ratings that cover a wide variety of topics.
Proven ABM Content Strategies That Drive Long-Term Results
Content plays a pivotal role in ensuring the success of any Account-Based Marketing (ABM) strategy. A well-executed ABM content strategy serves as the driving force behind engaging, educating, and influencing target accounts. Below, we explore key strategies that deliver long-term results when developing ABM content.
A strong ABM content strategy is not merely about producing content but crafting highly personalised messages that resonate with individual accounts at each stage of the buyer’s journey. This strategic alignment ensures that content connects deeply with decision-makers, facilitating meaningful engagement and, ultimately, conversions.
Account-Specific Content
ABM revolves around highly targeted, account-specific messaging. The more tailored your content is, the more effectively it addresses the unique pain points, challenges, and goals of your key accounts. By producing abm personalised content that demonstrates a deep understanding of each accountโs needs, businesses are far more likely to capture attention and drive high-value engagement.
Personalised Messaging
At the heart of ABM lies personalisation. Your ABM content strategy must ensure that messaging is customised to the specific challenges faced by each account. By leveraging data such as account demographics, industry trends, and past interactions, you can create content that speaks directly to key stakeholders within each target account. This targeted approach creates a compelling narrative, enhancing the likelihood of conversion.
Thought Leadership and Expertise
Positioning your brand as a thought leader within your industry is a powerful way to build trust and credibility. By producing valuable, insightful contentโwhether through blog posts, white papers, e-books, or webinarsโyou can demonstrate expertise and guide decision-makers towards seeing your solution as indispensable. In content for ABM campaigns, thought leadership serves not only to engage but also to add value to the decision-making process.
Content for All Phases of the Buyerโs Journey
An effective ABM content strategy caters to the distinct stages of the buyerโs journeyโfrom awareness to consideration, and finally, decision-making. For instance, early-stage content might include informative blog posts or industry reports that build awareness. As accounts move further down the funnel, case studies, product demos, and testimonials can help solidify their decision. Ensuring that your abm content is relevant at each stage increases the likelihood of guiding your accounts smoothly through the process.
How to Effectively Use Content in an Account-Based Marketing Strategy
Understand the โWhoโ and โWhatโ of Each Account
ABM selling cycles can be complex, often involving multiple stakeholders who each bring their own priorities and concerns. The key is to identify and address these distinct needs through targeted content. Effective abm personalised content requires a precise understanding of what type of content will resonate with each stakeholder and when they need to receive it in their decision-making process.
In ABM, the collection of stakeholders within a target account is referred to as the “buying centre.” The buying centre might include marketing directors, finance managers, and IT leads, each requiring different content to address their specific concerns. Your content should be tailored not only to the buying centre as a whole but also to each individual within it.
Audit Your Content to Identify Gaps
To create effective content for ABM campaigns, it’s crucial to audit your existing content and assess whether it meets the needs of your target accounts. You might find that some existing content can be repurposed or slightly adjusted to better suit specific roles or stages in the buyerโs journey. Identifying gaps in your content allows you to create highly relevant assets that resonate more strongly with your audience.
Collaborate with Sales to Identify Key Issues
Sales and marketing alignment is essential for a seamless ABM experience. Collaborating with your sales teams can reveal specific content gaps or areas where assets are needed to support the sales process. Sales teams often have a deeper understanding of the specific concerns and objections prospects face, which can inform the creation of more targeted abm content. Working closely with sales enables you to develop content that addresses these concerns and facilitates smoother, more productive conversations with prospects.
By using input from both sales and marketing, you can ensure that your content is not only engaging but also practical, providing value at each stage of the sales cycle.
How Can Blogs Be Used Most Effectively to Market a Product or Service?
Blogging is an invaluable tool for marketing, especially when integrated into a well-structured ABM content strategy. It allows businesses to engage target accounts, build authority, and nurture leads. Below, we delve into five key benefits that blogging can deliver, particularly in the context of abm content.
1. Driving Traffic to Your Website
A well-crafted blog post can significantly drive traffic to your website. By sharing insightful, relevant content, you can capture the attention of like-minded individuals who are likely to share your blog with peers, expanding your reach organically. This creates a ripple effect that draws potential leads to your website, offering a pathway for deeper engagement with your brand.
Blogs also provide valuable assets for cross-promotion on other platforms, such as social media or email campaigns. Sharing a blog post that resonates with your audience can naturally guide readers to your website, where they can explore your offerings further.
2. Promoting Your Products and Services
While blogging should not be overtly sales-focused, it offers a subtle yet effective platform for promoting your products and services. By addressing the pain points and challenges that your audience faces, you can position your offerings as part of the solution. This strategic alignment can help you naturally introduce your products or services in a way that feels helpful and relevant, rather than pushy.
For instance, within the context of content for ABM campaigns, a blog post can highlight a specific problem a target account is facing and then introduce your service as the ideal solution, making the content highly relevant and personalised.
3. Enhancing SEO Performance
Blogging plays a crucial role in improving your websiteโs SEO. Each blog post you publish presents an opportunity to target specific keywords relevant to your industry, helping your website rank higher on search engines. Additionally, fresh content signals to search engines that your site is active and up-to-date, which is beneficial for your overall rankings.
By creating blog content that aligns with your primary business offerings, you can support your broader SEO goals. A carefully developed ABM content strategy ensures that your blog posts target keywords important to your accounts while maintaining consistency with your overall website content, amplifying your SEO efforts.
4. Positioning Your Business as an Industry Expert
Blogs are one of the most effective ways to establish thought leadership and position your business as an authority in your field. By regularly sharing your expertise on industry challenges and providing actionable insights, you build credibility with your audience.
This is particularly important in the context of abm personalised content, where demonstrating your deep understanding of an accountโs specific challenges can make your business stand out. Well-researched blog posts, case studies, and success stories can showcase your competence, helping to reinforce your expertise and build trust with key stakeholders.
5. Boosting Brand Reputation and Trust
Beyond expertise, blogs serve as an ongoing PR tool that builds trust and credibility. Regularly publishing informative content gives your audience a reason to return to your website, creating ongoing engagement. Additionally, blogs offer a platform to highlight success stories, client testimonials, and industry recognition, all of which add to your brandโs reputation.
Sharing your knowledge freely through blog content also helps nurture relationships with your audience, demonstrating that you are committed to helping them solve their problemsโnot just selling them a product or service. This positions your brand as both a valuable resource and a trustworthy partner.
Our Tactical Recommendations
From our experience, clients typically see immediate gains when they adopt dynamic content adjustments based on real-time account engagement. By shifting content formats or messaging as engagement metrics fluctuate, they ensure that the content remains timely and relevant. Another tactic weโve implemented is enabling sales teams with curated, personalised content for each account. This highly actionable approach strengthens alignment between sales and marketing, offering tailored assets at critical sales touchpoints. Clients often discover that targeted, short-form content, such as provocative insights or assessments, drives higher engagement in ABM campaigns. Executives, in particular, respond well to brief but impactful content that addresses their pain points without overwhelming them. This approach leads to faster, more meaningful interactions and a greater likelihood of advancing conversations.Get In Touch
Personalising Content Across Multiple Channels in ABM Campaigns
Delivering abm personalised content across various channels is crucial for driving meaningful engagement and results. Below are three advanced practices that will help you refine your ABM content strategy, ensuring it resonates with your audience at every stage of the buyerโs journey.
1. Build Content for Your Audience Using Data, Not Intuition
Research from Gartner demonstrates that personalisation can increase the likelihood of a high-quality purchase by 9%. To achieve this level of personalisation, itโs essential to rely on data-driven insights rather than assumptions about your audienceโs preferences. Understanding your target accountsโwhat drives their decisions, what they care about, and how they perceive your offeringโis key to crafting effective abm content.
Here are two trends to keep in mind:
- A younger, digital-first buying committee: Todayโs B2B buying committees are increasingly composed of Millennials and Gen Z. These buyers expect a seamless, B2C-like experience, where the brands they engage with already understand their expectations and pain points.
- An independent buying process: Gartner reports that only 17% of the buying committeeโs time is spent engaging with solution providers. The majority of their time is spent conducting independent research. As such, marketers need to ensure their content for ABM campaigns aligns with what buyers are looking for when they are ready to engage.
2. Map Content to the Buyerโs Journey Based on Needs and Preferences
A critical aspect of your abm content strategy is ensuring that the right content reaches the right person at the right stage of the buyerโs journey. Each buyer has unique needs at different stages, and marketers must be prepared to deliver content that aligns with these evolving requirements.
Forrester Research, in their 2021 Content Preferences Survey, found that 90% of tech decision-makers emphasise the importance of receiving relevant content at every stage of the purchase process. As buyers move through the funnel, their content preferences change:
- Early stage: Buyers require short, digestible content that provides an overview without overwhelming them. Think blog posts, infographics, and short-form videos.
- Mid-stage: As they begin to shortlist vendors, buyers prefer slightly longer contentโsuch as white papers or case studiesโthat provides deeper insights into how your solution addresses their challenges.
- Late stage: At this point, buyers need comprehensive, long-form content to evaluate the benefits of your solution compared to competitors. Webinars, detailed product demos, and in-depth case studies are particularly valuable here.
- Post-sale: Once the sale is made, interactive tools and resources can help buyers maximise the value of their investment, nurturing long-term relationships and loyalty.
3. Measure Contentโs Impact on the Sales Pipeline
In an ideal scenario, abm personalised content would immediately convert your top target accounts, but in reality, measurement is necessary to understand the full impact of your efforts. Measuring and reporting on content performance are essential components of any successful ABM content strategy, allowing you to continually optimise and refine your approach.
When assessing the impact of your content on the sales pipeline, focus on the three Vs:
- Volume: How many leads and opportunities are being generated by your ABM efforts? Is the content driving engagement at scale?
- Value: What is the return on investment (ROI) from the accounts targeted by your ABM campaigns? How much revenue are you generating from these accounts?
- Velocity: How quickly are accounts progressing through the sales funnel? Monitoring the speed at which leads convert into opportunities and, ultimately, customers can provide insight into where content might need adjustment.
By closely monitoring these metrics, you can ensure that your content for ABM campaigns delivers real value and keeps your target accounts moving steadily through the pipeline.
6 Ways to Use Content Personalisation for Your ABM Strategy
Content personalisation is at the heart of successful ABM content strategy. By tailoring content for specific accounts, roles, or job functions, you create deeper connections and improve engagement. Here are six actionable ways to personalise your ABM content and enhance its effectiveness across your campaigns.
1. Target Ads Based on Company or Role
To attract high-quality leads, precision in ad targeting is critical. Ensure your paid ads on platforms like LinkedIn or Facebook are finely tuned to target the exact personas youโre looking to engage. Consider using company names or specific job titles within your ads to create a direct, personalised appeal.
For example, if youโre targeting multiple roles within a company, such as a marketing director and a sales lead, create distinct ad sets. Each ad should address the unique pain points of the respective role, making the messaging more relevant and impactful.
2. Personalise Your Website Content
In an ABM strategy, the journey often leads back to your website. First impressions are everything, especially when a potential lead is visiting your site for the first time. Personalising your website content is a powerful way to establish a meaningful connection quickly.
Platforms like HubSpot offer smart content capabilities, allowing you to dynamically adjust on-page content based on the visitorโs profile. Personalised calls-to-action (CTAs), tailored landing pages, and content that addresses their specific industry or needs can significantly improve engagement.
3. Use Personalisation Tokens in Nurturing Emails
Email remains one of the most effective channels for abm personalised content. By using personalisation tokens within your emails, you can customise each message to include specific details, such as the recipientโs name, company, job role, or even location. This transforms a generic email into a highly personalised communication.
A personalised approach nurtures leads more effectively, creating a one-to-one relationship that feels authentic. This personalisation should continue through your email sequences, offering content that aligns with the recipientโs stage in the buyerโs journey.
4. Build One-to-One Sequence Emails
While automated workflows are essential, ABM campaigns benefit immensely from building personalised sequence emails. These allow you to go beyond automation, giving you the flexibility to personalise each touchpoint with greater depth.
For an even more personal touch, consider incorporating video messages into your sequence emails. A one-to-one videoโwhether introducing your company or walking through a solutionโcreates a powerful connection. This personalised interaction can differentiate your approach from the usual static emails.
When creating these sequences, remember that one size doesnโt fit all. You may need to craft individual sequences for different personas or job roles, each with personalised content tailored to their specific pain points and responsibilities.
5. Create Tailored Content for Different Buyer Personas
In ABM content strategy, recognising the varied needs of different personas is key to success. Ensure that your content resonates with each persona involved in the decision-making process, from the CMO to the head of procurement. Each piece of content should be crafted to address the specific concerns and goals of that persona, ensuring relevancy at every touchpoint.
6. Personalise Follow-Up Actions After Initial Engagement
Once a lead has engaged with your content, personalising the follow-up is crucial. Tailor the next steps based on their behaviourโwhether theyโve downloaded a white paper, attended a webinar, or opened a specific email. The follow-up should reflect their interests and further their journey down the funnel with content that aligns to their needs.