How to Run an ABM Campaign

Select and Tier Your Target Accounts

The success of an ABM campaign depends on choosing the right accounts, not the most accounts.

1. Start with your ICP definition. Pull a list of companies that match your firmographic criteria (industry, size, revenue, geography, technology stack).
2. Layer intent data on top. Use tools like Bombora, G2, or 6sense to identify which ICP-fit accounts are actively researching solutions in your category.
3. Cross-reference with your CRM. Remove accounts with active opportunities, recent closed-lost deals (under 6 months), or existing customers.
4. Tier the remaining accounts into three groups:

Tier	Account Count	Criteria	Treatment
Tier 1	10-25	ICP fit + strong intent + strategic value	Fully personalized, 1:1 campaigns
Tier 2	25-75	ICP fit + moderate intent	Semi-personalized, 1:few campaigns
Tier 3	75-200	ICP fit, no intent signal yet	Programmatic, 1:many campaigns

5. Get sales buy-in on the final list. ABM fails when marketing picks accounts that sales does not want to work. Schedule a 30-minute alignment session with each AE to review their assigned accounts.

Map the Buying Committee

You are not marketing to companies. You are marketing to the people inside those companies who influence and make buying decisions.

1. For each Tier 1 account, identify 5-8 contacts across three roles: the decision maker (VP or C-level), the influencer (Director or Manager who evaluates), and the end user (the person who will use the product daily).
2. For Tier 2 and 3 accounts, focus on 2-3 key contacts per account.
3. Research each contact’s LinkedIn activity, recent posts, and conference appearances. Note any public pain points or priorities they have shared.
4. Enrich your contact data with verified email addresses and direct phone numbers. A campaign targeting the wrong email is wasted budget.

Launch Multi-Channel Campaigns

ABM campaigns should surround your target accounts with relevant messaging across every channel they use.

1. Digital ads: Run LinkedIn and display ads targeting your account list. Use company-level targeting, not broad audience segments. Rotate creative every 2 weeks.
2. Email sequences: Launch personalized outbound sequences for each tier. Tier 1 emails should reference account-specific research. Tier 2 can use industry-specific templates.
3. Direct mail: For Tier 1 accounts, send a physical gift or handwritten note tied to a specific pain point. Budget $50-150 per package.
4. Content: Create account-specific landing pages for Tier 1. Build industry-specific pages for Tier 2. Use your standard pages for Tier 3.
5. Sales outreach: Coordinate with AEs so their calls and LinkedIn messages align with the marketing touches. Timing matters. Sales should call within 24 hours of a Tier 1 contact engaging with an ad or email.

Measure Results and Optimize

ABM metrics are different from traditional demand gen metrics. Focus on account-level outcomes, not lead volume.

1. Track account engagement score weekly. Assign points for ad clicks, email opens, website visits, and content downloads at the account level (not the contact level).
2. Measure pipeline influenced by your ABM campaign. Compare pipeline velocity and average deal size for ABM accounts versus non-ABM accounts.
3. Review results monthly and move accounts between tiers based on engagement. A Tier 3 account showing strong intent signals should be promoted to Tier 2.
4. Calculate cost per opportunity for each tier. Tier 1 will cost more per opportunity but should produce larger deals with higher close rates.

Metric	Tier 1 Target	Tier 2 Target	Tier 3 Target
Account engagement rate	> 60%	> 40%	> 20%
Pipeline created (90 days)	30-40% of accounts	15-25% of accounts	5-10% of accounts
Average deal size vs. non-ABM	+40%	+20%	+10%
Win rate vs. non-ABM	+25%	+15%	+5%