What Is Account-Based Marketing (ABM) and How to Start in B2B
ABM means marketing to a chosen list of target companies. Learn how to pick accounts, plan with sales, write tailored messages and measure results.
An accounting software company for factories ran broad ads and collected hundreds of leads, but the sales team said most were students and small shops that were not the target. Meanwhile, the mid-sized factories that truly fit numbered only a few dozen in the area. When the right customers are this limited, casting a wide net may not be the answer. That is where account-based marketing helps.
What is account-based marketing (ABM)?
ABM is marketing that starts by choosing target companies (accounts) first, then designing messages, content and outreach to suit each one. Instead of attracting lots of people and filtering later, ABM flips the funnel: you know from the start who you want, and everything you do aims to get those companies interested.
ABM suits B2B businesses with high deal values, several people involved in the buying decision and long sales cycles, such as enterprise software, consulting, machinery or logistics.
How ABM differs from traditional marketing
- It starts from a list of companies, not from generating as many leads as possible
- It speaks to several people in one company, because users, budget approvers and procurement ask different questions
- Marketing and sales work as one team, using the same list and the same goals
- It measures at the company level, checking whether target accounts are engaging and moving closer to buying
Steps to run ABM
1. Choose target accounts
Start with your best existing customers and see what they share, such as industry, headcount, systems used or problems faced. Write this up as an ideal customer profile, then list companies that match. 20 to 50 companies is enough for a first round.
2. Understand each company
Research their website, news, job postings and LinkedIn company page. For example, a company may have just expanded a factory, or be hiring for roles that suggest it is changing systems. Identify who is involved in the decision and what each person cares about.
3. Design tailored messages
Good ABM messages speak to that company's real situation. A sample email to a factory's accounting manager: I saw your company just opened a second site in Rayong. Many factories that expand find their monthly close slows down because data sits in separate systems. If it is useful, we have a case study on this and would be glad to send it.
4. Pick channels that reach the right people
Coordinate several channels, such as emails from sales, company-targeted ads on LinkedIn, content made for that industry, and small seminars by invitation only for target accounts.
How to measure ABM
- Account-level engagement: how many people from target companies open emails, visit the website or attend events
- Meetings: how many companies you have spoken with decision makers at
- Pipeline and closed deals: the value of sales opportunities from the target list
ABM takes longer to show sales, so agree with leadership at the outset which early indicators you will track. Otherwise the programme may be judged a failure before the first deal has had time to close.
Things to watch out for
Avoid shallow personalisation, such as just inserting a company name into a standard email; customers can tell. And do not use more personal data than necessary. Follow Thailand's Personal Data Protection Act B.E. 2562 (2019), and if unsure, consult your legal team.
ABM does not ask how to reach the most people. It asks what the companies you want most need to hear from you.
How to start
- Sit down with sales to summarise what your best customers look like
- Choose 20 target companies for a pilot round
- Prepare a short brief on each company and the people involved
- Write tailored messages for the first 5 companies and start outreach
- Meet with sales every two weeks to see which accounts are moving and adjust the plan
For the basics of business marketing, read How B2B marketing differs from B2C and Marketing automation basics. If you want to build your B2B marketing skills further, browse partner courses at Plants.work Learn.