What is Account-Based Marketing (ABM)?

Account-based marketing (ABM) is a strategic approach in which B2B companies identify high-value target accounts and create tailored specifically to them. Rather than generating leads and hoping some convert, ABM reverses the —you select your ideal customers first, then build tailored experiences to win their business.

This strategy recognizes that in enterprise sales, you’re selling to organizations with complex decision-making structures. Buying committees in typical firms involve seven to eight people, each with different priorities.

ABM coordinates engagement across all stakeholders simultaneously, treating individual accounts as markets of one. Sales and marketing teams work together from the start, using shared goals and to engage entire buying committees rather than individual leads.

Different types of ABM programs

Organizations implement ABM at different scales depending on their resources and target account characteristics:

• One-to-one ABM focuses on fewer than 10 high-value accounts with completely customized strategies for each. This approach makes sense for enterprise deals where a single customer could generate millions in annual contract value.
• One-to-few ABM targets clusters of 5-15 similar accounts grouped by industry, company size, or shared challenges. This allows semi-customized programs that maintain personalization while achieving scale.
• One-to-many ABM applies account-based principles to hundreds of accounts using marketing automation and digital advertising. While less personalized, it still provides more targeted engagement than traditional demand generation.

Successful ABM programs follow a structured process that aligns teams around target accounts and coordinates engagement across the entire buying journey.

Identify high-value target accounts

The foundation begins with selecting the right accounts to pursue through , which identifies the accounts offering the best combination of fit and opportunity.

Companies build an ideal customer profile (ICP) by analyzing their most successful existing customers. What industries do they operate in? What company size generates the best lifetime value?

can identify patterns that indicate high-purchase intent. Account scoring models evaluate both fit and engagement. Fit scores measure how closely an account matches your ICP, while scores track buying signals like website visits and content downloads.

Research and map the buying committee

Teams need to understand who influences and makes purchasing decisions within each organization to implement ABM correctly. This goes beyond job titles—it requires understanding organizational structure, individual priorities, and interpersonal dynamics.

Mapping the buying committee helps identify all stakeholders involved, from end users to economic buyers to technical evaluators. Each person has different concerns: a CFO cares about , a technical lead worries about integration, and an end user wants ease of use.

Project leads gather intelligence through LinkedIn research, company reports, news articles, and direct conversations to understand what business objectives stakeholders are trying to achieve.

Develop personalized engagement strategies

Account-based marketing creates customized campaigns that speak directly to each account’s situation. This personalization operates at multiple levels—industry-specific messaging, role-based content, and account-specific references.

plays a central role. Rather than generic whitepapers, under an ABM strategy, teams create materials addressing specific challenges faced by the target account’s industry. A healthcare organization receives content about patient data privacy, for example, while a retail company gets materials about omnichannel experiences.

Multichannel orchestration ensures consistent messaging across touchpoints. An account might encounter personalized display ads, receive targeted emails, see customized website content, and get event invitations—all coordinated to guide them through the buying journey.

Execute coordinated campaigns

ABM execution requires tight coordination between marketing and sales, with both working from the same playbook. Marketing provides “air cover” through digital channels—targeted advertising, personalized web experiences, and email nurture campaigns. Meanwhile, sales conducts direct outreach through phone calls, LinkedIn messages, or meetings.

The timing and sequence of campaigns matter. Research from the account might trigger a sales call, or a sales conversation might prompt marketing to send relevant case studies. Teams use shared to track interactions and coordinate next steps.

Measure and optimize account engagement

ABM success requires different metrics than those used in traditional demand generation. Instead of tracking individual lead volume, teams monitor account-level engagement and progression toward purchase.

include account engagement scores, deal velocity, win rates for target accounts, and average contract values. reveal which content drives , which channels generate buying signals, and how different industries respond to various messaging approaches.

Organizations implement account-based marketing because it delivers measurable advantages over traditional marketing approaches, particularly for companies targeting enterprise accounts or complex B2B sales.

• Higher return on investment: ABM consistently outperforms other marketing strategies. found that most ABM programs deliver 21-50% higher ROI than traditional marketing, with nearly a quarter of companies reporting 51-200% higher returns. This stems from better resource allocation—concentrating spending on accounts with the highest conversion probability rather than spreading budgets across unqualified leads.
• Faster path to revenue: ABM accelerates sales cycles by engaging all decision-makers simultaneously rather than sequentially. Instead of convincing stakeholders one by one—discovering late in the process that additional approvals are needed—ABM surfaces all decision-makers early and ensures each receives relevant information matched to their concerns. This parallel engagement eliminates the back-and-forth that extends traditional sales cycles.
• Unified revenue teams: ABM forces sales and marketing to operate with shared goals and metrics rather than conflicting priorities. Both teams agree on target accounts from the start, eliminating friction over lead quality. shows that companies using account-based strategies experience an 86% improvement in win rates when sales and marketing align.
• Efficient resource allocation and stronger relationships: By concentrating efforts on accounts with the highest conversion probability, ABM eliminates waste inherent in broad campaigns. Teams develop targeted materials that address specific account needs rather than generic content that resonates with no one. This focused attention creates stronger connections that extend beyond the initial sale—organizations using ABM report compared to traditional approaches.

Effective ABM programs employ various tactics depending on their goals, target accounts, and available resources. The following approaches demonstrate how companies implement ABM principles in practice.

Industry-specific content experiences

Rather than creating one case study for everyone, ABM practitioners develop content libraries organized by industry vertical. A manufacturing company visiting your website sees case studies from other manufacturers, while a healthcare organization encounters examples from hospitals.

This extends beyond surface-level changes. Industry-specific content addresses regulatory concerns, technology stacks, and organizational structures unique to each sector. Some organizations create dedicated microsites for target accounts, with custom landing pages and tailored messaging.

Multichannel advertising and outreach

Successful ABM orchestrates across channels to create consistent exposure. Display advertising targets specific accounts on industry websites, LinkedIn campaigns serve personalized content to users with particular job titles, and email sequences deliver relevant insights to known contacts.

The key is coordination—all channels reinforce the same messages while adapting format to each medium. Retargeting plays an important role, keeping your solution top-of-mind as accounts research options.

Executive engagement programs

For highest-value accounts, ABM often includes executive-level outreach where your leadership connects directly with theirs. This might involve personalized video messages from your CEO, invitations to exclusive roundtables, or custom presentations addressing specific strategic initiatives.

These programs demonstrate commitment and accelerate deal velocity by removing organizational barriers. When senior leaders build relationships, it becomes easier to navigate internal approvals.

Event-based account targeting

provide concentrated opportunities for ABM engagement, whether through account-based experiences at conferences or intimate gatherings designed specifically for target accounts. Companies might host private dinners where prospects network with existing customers.

Post-event follow-up is just as important as the event itself. Teams can track which target accounts attended and which topics generated interest, informing subsequent outreach efforts.

Understanding how ABM differs from traditional demand generation helps clarify when to apply each approach and how they might work together within a comprehensive marketing strategy.

Traditional marketing operates on a , where wide-reaching campaigns generate large volumes of leads. Marketing qualifies these leads through scoring and nurturing, then hands the most promising ones to sales. The approach assumes that some percentage of leads will , so maximizing lead volume increases the number of eventual customers.

Account-based marketing inverts this model by starting with the end in mind. Rather than attracting whoever responds to campaigns, ABM identifies ideal customers first, then creates targeted programs to win their business. The assumption is that focusing resources on the right accounts produces better results than spreading them across many lower-quality prospects.

These approaches aren’t mutually exclusive—many organizations use both. Traditional demand generation might identify new opportunities and build awareness, while ABM focuses resources on the highest-priority accounts. The key is matching strategy to situation: ABM works best for complex enterprise sales, while demand generation efficiently handles higher-volume, lower-touch transactions.

While account-based marketing delivers significant advantages, it also presents obstacles that organizations must address to succeed. Understanding these challenges helps teams prepare appropriate solutions.

• Data quality and integration requirements: ABM depends on accurate, comprehensive about target accounts, their organizational structure, and stakeholder engagement. Many companies struggle with fragmented data across different systems— platforms, marketing automation, advertising tools, and software that don’t communicate effectively. Building a unified view requires significant integration work and ongoing data governance.
• Resource intensity of personalization: Creating truly customized experiences for each account demands substantial time and creative resources. Writing account-specific messaging, developing custom content, and designing for dozens or hundreds of accounts quickly overwhelms small teams. Organizations must balance personalization depth with program scale, often creating content frameworks that allow efficient customization rather than building everything from scratch.
• Longer time to demonstrate results: ABM focuses on high-value accounts with complex buying processes that naturally take longer to close. This extended timeline can create tension with executives expecting quick wins and steady lead flow. Success requires patience and commitment to the long-term strategy, along with leading indicators that demonstrate progress even before deals close—such as increasing from target accounts or growing numbers of stakeholders involved in conversations.
• Limited buying windows: Many target accounts, despite being a perfect fit, simply aren’t ready to purchase when you engage them. ABM programs must maintain a presence with these accounts over extended periods, staying top-of-mind until their buying window opens, while avoiding the perception of being overly aggressive.
• Cross-functional coordination challenges: ABM requires unprecedented collaboration between marketing, sales, customer success, and often product teams. Different departments must align on target accounts, agree on messaging, share information freely, and coordinate outreach—none of which happens naturally in organizations with established silos and separate goals. Creating this alignment demands executive sponsorship, new communication structures, and often cultural change.

Organizations that achieve success with ABM follow proven approaches that maximize program effectiveness while avoiding common pitfalls.

Start with a strong data foundation

Build comprehensive account profiles integrating from your website and product, second-party data from partners, and third-party data from external providers. This 360-degree view reveals not only who your target accounts are, but also the challenges they face and how they engage with content.

track how accounts interact with your digital properties—which pages visitors view, how long they research features, and what content drives repeat visits. These inform personalization strategies and identify buying signals.

Align teams around shared account goals

Create joint account plans where sales and marketing collaborate on a strategy for each high-priority target. These plans should identify key stakeholders, specify messaging themes, map the content journey, and assign responsibilities.

Establish shared metrics—account engagement scores, influenced pipeline, and target account win rates rather than department-specific KPIs. Schedule regular account reviews where teams discuss progress, share intelligence, and adjust strategies.

Prioritize accounts strategically

Not every account warrants the same level of investment. your target list into tiers based on potential value and likelihood to close, then match your ABM approach to each tier.

Tier 1 accounts with the highest value receive full one-to-one treatment with dedicated resources and executive involvement. Tier 2 accounts get one-to-few programs with semi-customized campaigns. Tier 3 accounts benefit from one-to-many approaches through automation and digital advertising.

Orchestrate experiences across touchpoints

for your target accounts and identify all touchpoints where they might interact with your brand. Ensure consistent messaging across channels while adapting content format to each medium.

Create playbooks outlining the sequence and timing of touchpoints. When someone downloads a whitepaper, what happens next? These coordinated sequences move accounts through the buying journey more effectively than isolated interactions.

Measure account-level impact

Move beyond traditional metrics to track account-specific indicators:

• Account engagement score: How many stakeholders interact with your content, and how deeply?
• Buying committee coverage: What percentage of identified decision-makers have you reached?
• Influenced pipeline: How much of your pipeline comes from target accounts versus non-target accounts?
• Win rate: Do you close target accounts at higher rates than other opportunities?
• Deal velocity: How quickly do target accounts progress from first touch to close?

Use to understand patterns across account segments and optimize both targeting and execution.

Experiment and iterate continuously

Treat ABM as an ongoing optimization process. Run controlled testing different variables—messaging approaches, content formats, channel mix, and personalization levels.

Start with pilot programs targeting a small set of accounts before scaling. Track both , like account engagement, and lagging indicators like closed deals to course-correct quickly.

Account-based marketing strategies depend on understanding how target accounts behave across digital touchpoints. Without clear visibility into account patterns, teams struggle to prioritize outreach, personalize experiences, and measure effectiveness.

provides the foundation for data-driven ABM by tracking account-level interactions rather than just individual user . This visibility reveals which accounts are actively researching solutions, which content resonates with different stakeholders, and how engagement correlates with eventual purchase.

Having the right analytics foundation in place transforms account-based marketing from educated guesswork into a measurable, optimizable growth strategy. Whether you’re launching your first ABM program or refining an existing one, Amplitude can help.