How to Choose the Best Account Based Marketing Agency
Account-based marketing (ABM) can elevate your marketing results by targeting individual accounts with a higher chance of converting. Numerous ABM tactics and tools exist, but some organizations prefer working with an account-based marketing agency.
These agencies offer tailored ABM services that align sales and marketing efforts and apply them to business objectives and the specific accounts they’re targeting. They specialize in ABM services like marketing personalization, targeted content, and sales pipeline optimization.
The right ABM agency can do more than achieve your marketing goals. These tailored solutions result in more qualified leads, greater revenue, and a better ROI. Here’s a comprehensive guide to finding the best ABM firms for your business.
Key Takeaways
- You should always consider the experience of an account-based marketing agency before working with them. Do this by reviewing case studies and viewing their portfolio.
- Ask about an account-based marketing agency’s tactics and how they apply them to a strategic, ABM lite, or programmatic campaign.
- Always consider the ABM tools that an agency uses to execute its strategy.
- Ensure the ABM company personalizes marketing and advertising efforts for each account or group. Choose an agency that personalizes an account’s readiness to buy based on its sales funnel stage for best results.
- Your ABM agency should always be transparent about its tactics and offer insights and KPIs into your campaign performance.
- If you need to attract more accounts or expand to another region, it’s a good idea to choose an ABM firm with scalable services.
- An ABM strategy can result in serious revenue growth but shouldn’t cut your profits. Know how an ABM agency prices its services and sets a monthly budget.
- All ABM firms should try new tools and implement new techniques in their campaigns.
- Requesting a proposal or a sample campaign is always a good idea.
- Don’t forget to trust your instinct and ensure the agency’s values and commitments align with yours.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Assess Experience
Gauging a marketing company’s experience should always be the first step. Looking at an agency’s portfolio and reading case studies ensures that the ABM company can deliver results and has experience with various signal-based selling strategies.
Organizations should also gauge the company’s experience with their niche or the accounts they’re targeting. ABM campaigns are not one-size-fits-all; organizations will get better results when the ABM agency understands market dynamics and the specific needs of each niche. Agencies with experience in your sector will have a better understanding of:
- Your target audience’s pain points and priorities.
- Industry trends and challenges.
- Regulatory requirements or specific nuances.
For example, if your business operates in or with healthcare organizations, the agency should have a track record of navigating compliance requirements while creating impactful campaigns.
Evaluate Their Strategies
An ABM strategy must be well thought out and encompasses account selection, personalization, and KPIs. That’s why all organizations must ask about methodology when evaluating agencies.
During the consultation, ask if your organization would be better equipped for a strategic ABM, ABM lite, or programmatic ABM campaign. These campaigns will affect how the firm targets accounts: individually, in a group, or a combination of both. They will also impact the firm’s advertising and marketing efforts to engage accounts.
From here, have the ABM company break down a sample campaign. This can include how they craft a sales pitch, their marketing and advertising tactics, and how they approach individual meetings. It’s also a good idea to ask about any tools they use or the marketing and advertising channels they recommend.
Other key questions to ask include:
- How do you identify and prioritize target accounts?
- What process do you use for crafting personalized campaigns?
- How do you align sales and marketing teams?
- What metrics do you track to measure campaign success?
A good agency should have a clear, proven framework and the flexibility to tailor it to your business growth.
Analyze Their Tech Stack
As stated, all ABM agencies will use platforms and tools to deliver a scalable strategy that drives conversions. Numerous ABM automation tools exist, so ask about the tools they use, like:
- Customer relationship management (CRM) platforms.
- Marketing automation tools.
- ABM-specific platforms.
- Analytics and reporting tools.
Some industry-proven ABM, marketing, and sales tools include:
- Demandbase
- Terminus
- 6sense
- Salesforce
- HubSpot
- Marketo
The agency should also have experience integrating these tools into your existing systems. This ensures a seamless workflow and accurate data sharing across teams.
Evaluate Their Personalization Tactics
Source: Medium
Personalization is at the heart of an ABM strategy. The account-based marketing agency should be adept at creating content and campaigns tailored to specific accounts and their stage in the sales funnel. Examples of personalization tactics include landing pages, ads, content, emails, and even websites tailored to individual prospects.
Before working with an ABM company, assess their ability to:
- Develop detailed account profiles.
- Content marketing like whitepapers, videos, and email sequences.
- Leverage data for personalized campaigns.
B2B personalization can result in a 1.4x revenue growth, which is why it’s a necessary part of account-based marketing. Strong personalization improves engagement and enhances your brand’s credibility with target accounts.
Understand Their Collaboration Model
Successful ABM strategies are a collaborative effort between your internal teams and the agency. Inquire about their process and how your organization fits into it. Transparency and reporting are key to measuring success, and the ABM agency should update you on your campaign performance and any insights they gathered.
You’re not with a high-quality ABM agency if you must ask for updates or constantly check them manually.
Other key aspects to consider include:
- How do they align your sales and marketing teams?
- How often will they provide updates or reports?
- Are they flexible in adapting to your feedback?
- What is their approach to training and onboarding your team?
Check for Scalability
As your business grows, you must scale to achieve a successful ABM campaign. Choose an agency that can accommodate this growth. During the consultation, discuss their ability to:
- Handle account profiling.
- Target an increasing number of accounts.
- Expand into new verticals or geographic regions.
- Adjust campaigns based on evolving business goals.
A scalable partnership ensures you won’t outgrow the agency as your needs evolve.
Evaluate Their Pricing Structure
While ABM efforts can boost your ROI, it is a serious marketing investment. You don’t want your agency to cut profits, so understanding pricing is key when choosing an ABM agency. Agencies may charge based on retainer fees, project-based pricing, key services offered, or performance-based models.
Set a monthly budget before investing in ABM services. Other pricing best practices to consider include:
- Understand what’s included in their pricing.
- Look out for any hidden costs.
- Assess whether their pricing aligns with your budget and expected ROI.
That said, the cheapest option isn’t always the best. Businesses that use ABM increase their profits 27% more quickly over three years, so it’s worth it to invest in professional account-based marketing tactics. Focus on the value an ABM agency can deliver.
Assess Their Commitment to Innovation
As technology evolves, the top ABM companies must be willing to embrace this tech to stay competitive. Choose top ABM agencies that stay ahead of trends and embrace new technologies. Ask about:
- How do they stay updated on ABM?
- Their track record of experimenting with new strategies.
- Their ability to adapt quickly to market changes.
Request a Proposal or Trial Campaign
Before deciding, ask shortlisted agencies for a detailed proposal or a small trial campaign. This allows you to:
- See their strategic thinking in action.
- Evaluate their creative capabilities.
- Test their communication and collaboration style.
When reviewing the proposal, ensure they have all business details correct, offer a glimpse of your target companies, and mention your experience with ABM. The proposal should also highlight the goals and KPIs you want to accomplish. The proposal should also provide a full-scale snapshot of your ABM campaign and potential next steps.
A trial campaign also provides valuable insights into what it’s like to work with the agency and helps you make a more informed choice.
Trust Your Instincts
With all this said, choosing an ABM agency can be daunting. But there’s an easy way to gauge the trustworthiness of a marketing firm: your gut instinct. If you have a good feeling about the brand, pursue them further.
What if you’re the type of CEO or marketing exec who doesn’t like using your intuition to make business decisions? Rely on other information, such as the company’s values and commitments, ensuring they align with yours.
Other tips to consider include:
- Are they genuinely interested in your success?
- Do they align with your company’s culture?
- Are they transparent and honest in their communication?
Source: Intercom
While 45% of businesses achieved more than double their ROI with ABM, working with a low-quality ABM firm won’t get these results. Don’t forget: a strong partnership is built on mutual trust and shared goals.
Bottom Line: Look For an ABM Marketing Company That Delivers Innovation
If you aim to convert highly qualified leads, ABM is the strategy to pursue. While brands can do this DIY, partnering with the top ABM agencies will boost revenue and improve ROI.
There are many ABM agencies, but you should always choose the one that puts innovation and ROI at the forefront.
Single Grain Marketing offers world-class marketing services. We comprise industry experts and thought leaders who use the best technology and approaches to account profiling and nurture these leads with personalized content and advertising. We track KPIs that align with your goals and stay transparent during every step of your campaign.
If you’re ready to level up your account-based marketing strategy, Single Grain’s ABM experts can help!👇
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