Too often, B2B decision-makers view marketing as casting a wide net to capture audiences’ attention and generate leads. Then, with enough nurturing, hopefully a good number will convert from audience into paying customers.
While that traditional marketing mentality of quantity over quality used to be one of the only options, today’s modern business landscape opens the door to a more effective, focused marketing approach known as account-based marketing.
What Is Account-Based Marketing?
Account-based marketing is a newer concept that values the quality of your audience over the quantity of your audience. Rather than trying to reach as many people as possible in hopes of attracting the right leads, account-based marketing targets a select number of accounts that are most likely to convert from lead to customer. It’s a more precise type of B2B marketing that drives revenue further and at a faster rate.
Boiled down, account-based marketing adds more strategic sales tactics to your marketing to create a more convincing and more personalized experience for your audience.
The sales and marketing combination works to:
- Identify key accounts that fit your ideal customer profile (ICP)
- Build deep insight into those companies and their challenges
- Deliver personalized campaigns designed specifically for them
- Measure success at the account level, not the lead level
Account-based marketing is about fostering the relationship between your company and each potential customer at the beginning rather than at the end of the marketing funnel.
Benefits of Account-Based Marketing
Builds Trust
Account-based marketing speaks directly to your customer’s needs. There is no fluff and filler that usually comes with softer or broader marketing approaches. Instead of marketing that says, “Here are our solutions, who wants them?”, ABM cuts through noise and targets high-potential audiences to say, “We understand your needs and we have the exact solutions that address them.”
As a result, audiences are more likely to trust your brand and what you bring to the table.
Strengthen the Connection Between Sales and Marketing
Your sales and marketing teams should work together to achieve business goals. But too often, the connection between them is weak at best and completely nonexistent at worst.
Successful account-based marketing requires close collaboration between sales and marketing teams to set challenging but realistic goals, track performance, and achieve results.
Plus, a synced marketing and sales team further strengthens your audience’s trust in your brand.
Pushes for Higher ROI
In account-based marketing, your marketing resources go exactly where they need to go to capture and convert high-value audiences. As a result, you see less ad waste or unnecessary ad spend than you would on broad-based marketing efforts that don’t effectively move the needle.
At the same time, ABM leads to more conversions, increasing your client base and your annual revenue.
Speeds Up Often-Slow Sales Cycles
The buyer’s journey can be a slow-moving process, especially if your marketing efforts offer broader, un-honed messages to wide, un-targeted audiences.
Because account-based marketing is so specific, it delivers focused, personalized messages to specific audiences that align with your ideal customer profile from the start. As a result, the journey from brand exposure to paying customer is shortened, allowing you to convert leads much faster.
Industries That Thrive With Account-Based Marketing
Nearly any B2B company can succeed with well-thought-out and well-executed account-based marketing strategies. The following are a few examples of how M&R has helped clients in certain industries or verticals increase their customer base through a strong ABM approach.
Finance: Using ABM to Increase Commercial Clients for Banks, Wealth Management Groups, or Accounting Firms
By strategically targeting decision-makers in the communities they serve, M&R has helped local, regional, and community financial institutions increase their base of commercial banking clients. Through personalized campaigns, targeted content, and direct outreach, ABM helps finance companies connect with business owners and executives who value trusted financial partnerships.
Manufacturing: Using ABM to Appeal to Distributors
For manufacturers, M&R’s ABM enables highly focused outreach to distributors, wholesalers, or major accounts. Rather than marketing to a broad audience, we position manufacturers’ products and their expertise directly in front of the companies most likely to generate long-term revenue. M&R helps manufacturers use personalized digital ads, trade show engagement, and data-driven email campaigns to strengthen these relationships.
Construction: Using ABM to Attract Owners of High-Value Contracts and Bids
In the construction industry, relationships and reputation drive growth. M&R uses ABM to help construction firms identify and target owners, developers, and contractors who manage large-scale or ongoing projects through ABM. With tailored proposals, industry-specific content, and precise timing, M&R has helped construction clients secure more competitive bids and strengthen repeat business opportunities.
IT and Tech Services: Using ABM to Increase Service and Product Sales
For IT and technology providers, ABM allows for deep personalization by targeting companies that require specific infrastructure, security, or software solutions. By leveraging data to understand each target’s tech stack and pain points, M&R has helped IT clients build campaigns that highlight their ability to solve complex, industry-specific challenges.
Healthcare: Using ABM to Boost Partnerships and Referral Sources
Healthcare organizations benefit from ABM by focusing on building trust with referral sources, providers, and institutional partners. M&R helps clients in this space use ABM to craft educational and relational campaigns that resonate with administrators, physicians, and other decision-makers, resulting in stronger partnerships and improved patient referral networks.
Professional Services: Using ABM to Strengthen Client Acquisition and Retention
For consulting firms, legal practices, engineering firms, and other professional services, ABM helps build meaningful relationships with high-value clients. By targeting the right organizations and demonstrating expertise through personalized outreach and thought leadership content, M&R helps these firms improve client acquisition and strengthen long-term partnerships.
SaaS and Software: Using ABM to Shorten Sales Cycles and Improve Conversions
Software and SaaS companies benefit from ABM’s ability to align marketing and sales around high-value accounts. With customized messaging based on industry, company size, or tech needs, M&R helps SaaS clients target decision-makers and accelerate the path from demo to deal, improving efficiency and increasing revenue.
Energy and Utilities: Using ABM to Win Large-Scale Contracts and Partnerships
Energy and utility companies often engage with municipalities, commercial developers, and corporate clients that require long-term infrastructure or service commitments. ABM allows these organizations to identify and nurture relationships with key stakeholders, focusing on shared sustainability goals and economic growth opportunities. M&R helps clients in this sector use ABM to position themselves as trusted partners in innovation and reliability.
See ABM at Work for Walthall, a Regional Oil and Fuel Distributor
Walthall Oil Company, a Macon-based fuel and oil company has partnered with M&R since 2015. While our partnership first started with a new website and a few print materials, we have strengthened their marketing strategies over the years to help the company capitalize on emerging opportunities, expand into new markets, and drive their business further.
Part of this growth has included targeted digital campaigns, including Google Ads, email marketing, and social media marketing on LinkedIn and Facebook.
| Google Ads
9.1% conversion rate (industry average is 3.4%) |
Email Marketing
5.7% clickthrough rate (industry average is 2.6%) |
Social Media
632% increase in impressions on LinkedIn since 2022 |
Drive Your Business Further With Account-Based Marketing From M&R: 478-621-4491
The most successful marketing isn’t about reaching everyone, it’s about reaching the right ones. With account-based marketing from M&R, you can connect with your ideal clients in more impactful ways that spark engagement, loyalty, and growth.
Ready to focus your efforts where they’ll make the biggest impact? Call us at 478-621-4491 and let’s start building your ABM strategy together. Or, reach out to one of our business development managers!
More ABM Articles
- How to Build an ABM Strategy That Actually Works
- Create Personalized Content for Your ABM Campaigns
- Tools, Platforms, and Data: The ABM Tech Stack You Need
- Measuring Success: How to Track and Optimize Your ABM Campaigns
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