In this episode of Direct with Corrina and Taylor, hosts Corrina Owens and Taylor Young welcome Richard Grant, Account-Based Marketing Manager at ITJ, to discuss the intricacies of building and running a scrappy ABM program. Richard, drawing from his unique background as a former DJ and music producer, shares valuable insights on creating impactful ABM strategies with limited resources.
Building an ABM Program from Scratch
Richard details his experience of constructing an ABM program from the ground up, facing challenges such as limited data, content, and understanding of target accounts. He emphasizes the importance of starting with one-to-few campaigns to balance personalization and scalability. Richard explains how his team created numerous landing pages, ad sets, and content pieces for different funnel stages, while learning to segment effectively based on sub-industries. This approach allowed them to speak directly to the needs of their target audience, particularly in the U.S.-based life sciences sector.
Attracting C-Level Executives and Personalization at Scale
The conversation shifts to strategies for attracting C-level executives through ABM. Richard highlights the effectiveness of LinkedIn for targeting specific personas and accounts. He stresses the importance of crafting compelling messaging based on insights from engineering and sales teams, and testing different ad sets to determine what resonates with the target audience. Richard introduces his “PERFECT” framework for prioritizing activities in a resource-constrained ABM program, focusing on personalization at scale, efficiency, resourcefulness, and high-impact activities.
Innovative Tactics and Leveraging AI in ABM
Richard shares an innovative ABM tactic called the “Trojan Horse” campaign, which goes beyond digital outreach to create a highly personalized, physical experience for target accounts. This approach demonstrates the importance of blending digital strategies with creative, personalized experiences in ABM. The discussion also touches on the role of AI in ABM strategy. Richard explains how he implemented AI tools across the organization, including custom GPTs for specific functions like pain point finding and account qualification, emphasizing the potential of AI to synthesize information from various sources and provide actionable insights for ABM strategies.
Conclusion
Throughout the episode, Richard’s experiences offer valuable lessons for marketers looking to implement effective ABM programs in resource-constrained environments. His insights on balancing data-driven decision making with creativity, the importance of personalization at scale, and the potential of AI in ABM provide a comprehensive guide for listeners seeking to elevate their account-based marketing efforts. The episode concludes with a reminder of the importance of continuous adaptation and innovation in the ever-evolving field of ABM.
Featured Guest
Name: Richard Grant
What he does: Marketing Manager
Company: ITJ
Noteworthy: Richard Grant transformed his career from DJ and music producer to pioneering scrappy ABM strategies at ITJ. transforming B2B marketing through data-driven engagement strategies.
Key Insights
Personalization at Scale in ABM
Personalization is crucial for effective ABM, but it must be balanced with scalability. Successful ABM strategies focus on creating tailored experiences for target accounts while maintaining efficiency. This involves segmenting audiences based on sub-industries, crafting relevant messaging, and leveraging data-driven insights. By combining digital efforts with creative, personalized campaigns, marketers can make a lasting impact on high-value prospects. The key is to find innovative ways to stand out, such as the “Trojan Horse” campaign concept, which goes beyond digital billboards to create memorable experiences for target accounts.
Building ABM with Limited Resources
Implementing ABM with limited resources requires creativity, prioritization, and resourcefulness. Marketers should focus on high-impact activities, leveraging free tools and repurposing existing content. It’s essential to be agile, allowing for quick adjustments based on data and feedback. Collaboration with sales teams and key internal champions is crucial for success. By adopting a scrappy mindset and using the “PERFECT” framework (Personalization, Efficiency, Resourcefulness, Focus, Efficacy, Creativity, Teamwork), marketers can overcome resource constraints and build effective ABM programs.
Data-Driven Decision Making in ABM
Successful ABM relies on data-driven decision making and continuous optimization. Marketers should prioritize collecting and analyzing relevant data to inform targeting, messaging, and campaign strategies. This includes leveraging intent data, engagement metrics, and sales feedback to refine account selection and personalization efforts. AI tools can help synthesize data from multiple sources, providing valuable insights for decision making. By adopting a data-centric approach, marketers can improve the effectiveness of their ABM programs and demonstrate ROI to stakeholders.
Episode Highlights
Building an ABM Program from Scratch
Richard discusses the challenges of building an ABM program from the ground up, including limited data, content, and understanding of target accounts. He emphasizes the importance of starting with one-to-few campaigns to add personalization while maintaining scalability. The initial focus was on creating landing pages, ad sets, and content for different funnel stages, while learning to segment effectively based on sub-industries.
“We really changed gears, created one, created three, a few campaigns. spinning up. Gosh, it must’ve been like 108 different landing pages, different ad sets, tons of different pieces of content for top, middle, and bottom of funnel.”
Attracting C-Level Executives through ABM
The conversation shifts to strategies for attracting C-level executives through ABM. Richard explains the effectiveness of LinkedIn for targeting specific personas and accounts. He emphasizes the importance of crafting compelling messaging based on insights from engineering and sales teams, and testing different ad sets to determine what resonates with the target audience.
“LinkedIn ads and really just targeting, whether it be a target account list or doing contact-based match advertising through there, we can hone in on ensuring we’re reaching the right audience. But then really having craftful messaging around what was the type of content and the type of messaging that was going to resonate with that audience.”
Prioritizing High-Impact Activities in Scrappy ABM
Richard introduces the “PERFECT” acronym for prioritizing activities in a resource-constrained ABM program. He explains how this framework helps focus efforts on high-impact activities, leveraging available data, and maintaining agility in strategy implementation. The discussion highlights the importance of creativity, teamwork, and adaptability in ABM success.
“Personalization done at scale, efficiency. So like really leveraging the data that you do have to make smart decisions. resourcefulness, like we use a bunch of free tools, like shout out to Retention B2B, I mean, it gives us some first party data. Like anything that’s free, we try to use it, especially if it creates some sort of impact.”
Leveraging AI in ABM Strategy
The conversation concludes with a discussion on the role of AI in ABM strategy. Richard shares how he implemented AI tools across the organization, including Jasper AI and custom GPTs for specific functions like pain point finding and account qualification. He emphasizes the potential of AI to act as a data lake, synthesizing information from various sources to provide actionable insights for ABM strategies.
“I built a pain point finder, an account qualification bot, that qualifies accounts and essentially if you don’t give it the variables it needs to make a qualified decision, it will consistently ask for them without giving you an answer. So it’s a little fail-proof.”
