If this doesn't match your current customer base, it might help to dig deeper into your website traffic sources via Google Analytics.
LinkedIn Website Demographics.
3. Gather input from sales
For building an account list, platforms and their data are an unavoidable source of insights, as we saw above. However, the power of account-based marketing also lies in the collaboration between sales and marketing. Don't panic, this is the only input needed outside of the platform. Use an inside-out approach by talking to sales and analyzing valuable data, such as existing customers. What are the requirements for a potential customer? When is a lead 'sales-qualified'? Use these insights to build a list of new customers.
4. Look beyond decision-makers
A common mistake is to base account based marketing on only reaching so-called 'decision makers' within a company. It is true that these are the designated people to make choices when it comes to closing a business deal. But these choices are influenced by multiple layers. Therefore, focus on the entire sales committee, and yes - that includes the end users and the seniors.
5. Divide accounts based on priority
Depending on the size of an account list, it is important to distinguish between priorities, also called tiers . This way you can monitor the accounts in question with a suitable approach for each account. Think of a distinction in budgets and content. Advice is to use 3 tiers, each with a unique approach:
Tier 1: High Priority Accounts
Tier 2: Medium Priority Accounts
Tier 3: Low Priority Accounts
6. Distinguish between new and existing accounts
In this article I mainly wrote about reaching new customers, but you can also use account based marketing very effectively to reach existing customers. To maintain a collaboration or as a form of up-selling. Here too, the advice is to divide accounts, but then based on familiarity. This helps with monitoring and with using an effective approach per customer. There is a big difference between existing and new accounts and this requires its own approach. Roughly speaking, we can distinguish two types of customers, each with their own goal.
New customers
Objective: acquisition > reach new companies, specifically the buyers by inspiring them and ultimately converting them.
Existing customers
Goal: Expansion > expanding existing relationships through up-selling or cross-selling.
Goal: Retention > keeping existing customers informed with meaningful content.
7. Add a LinkedIn URL to Company Listings
Now that the account lists are complete, you can load them via Matched Audiences. However, account-based marketing does not stop here. It is crucial to ensure that the account lists are as complete as possible and meet the guidelines. This way, the platform can 'match' the loaded accounts to existing accounts in LinkedIn. A minimum match score of 70% is desired and you achieve this by having the 'Company list' meet:
Minimum 1,000 accounts
Provide each account with a LinkedIn page URL
If it is not possible to compile an account list based on available data, LinkedIn also offers options to find country email list suitable lists via partners (often paid).
8. Analyze performance per account and adjust strategy
I saved the best for last , because the highlight of account-based marketing on LinkedIn lies in a relatively new function. Where many platforms are not allowed to share substantive data about customer lists, this is different at LinkedIn. Company lists contain open accounts and LinkedIn makes good use of this. After a company list has been loaded, you can click on the relevant list under Matched Audiences.
The Company Engagement Report then opens and here you will find very valuable information about the results per account. Such as the engagement level, number of candidates reached, impressions served, engagement per advertisement and even organic engagement. You can use this data effectively to adjust the campaign approach at account level. Which accounts interact well and which less well? Then adjust the marketing strategy per account (or bundle them). Good luck!
What do you think of this way of account based marketing?