An account-based marketing approach can translate to many different use cases and targeting strategies. For example, Tier A accounts, Tier B accounts, by industry, by company size, high intent, high engagement, etc. There are many options available with an ABM platform like Terminus that allows teams to target a specific audience, use the top B2B channels to get their brand in front of that audience, convert engagement into revenue opportunities, and measure everything from beginning to end.
If you consider all of the targeting strategies above, there’s one that stands out as the original ABM strategy and one that still drives the most engagement: 1:1 targeting and messaging. Said differently, treating each account as a market of one and customizing content and messaging for each specific account.
Across the four main lifecycle stages, this works best with opportunity creation or pipeline progression. If your sales team is already engaged with a top target account that they have identified as a high priority revenue opportunity, it’s time to break out the 1:1 playbook!
This playbook can include account-specific ads or banners, personalized web and chat experiences, customized landing pages, direct mail, thoughtful email outreach and more. Today we’ll focus on the ads + email play, which is the perfect starting point for a 1:1 strategy. Keep scrolling below to learn how these four brands are doing it best today and be sure to use these examples as inspiration for your own 1:1 campaign starting point.
Example #1
Terminus Email recognizes who is sending and receiving every email across all employees, which allows ABM teams like Uberflip to use this functionality for a “wow” factor everytime someone on their team emails a top target account. If they email anyone at “Klowd” for example, the banner located underneath their email signature will automatically update to a customized design that speaks directly to that specific account.
Who knew a small piece of digital real estate could have such a huge impact on an ABM strategy? We tested this use case out ourselves and found that account-specific targeted banners, like this one below, drove 5x more engagement than non-targeted email banners.
Example #2
Just like the example above, Cox Automotive used account-specific targeting and customized ads to get the attention of their top target accounts. In addition to the targeting, it’s the little details in the design that make this such a great campaign. Notice how they make the account name (Klowd) stand out most within the text. It’s the first place you look and for employees at Klowd, the first thing they’ll notice when scrolling through their timelines or the web. The ad also includes eye-catching photography, some subtle design elements in the background, and a shade of blue that’s true to the Cox Automotive brand. All of these elements come together as the perfect recipe for an effective 1:1 ad.
Example #3
Why not launch ads + email together? That’s precisely what Invoca did in this campaign as they paired the target account’s name with the value they deliver. They remain consistent with their look and style across multiple channels for easy brand recognition and we appreciate the strong “See it in Action” CTA. Especially for 1:1 campaigns run for your top accounts, it’s important to scale across multiple channels so you have as many opportunities as possible for that account to engage with your brand. Well done, Invoca!
Example #4
This 1:1 ad from Nuvolo is another great example of making the account’s name stand out within the design. It’s a different color than the rest of the text and sits at the top on a line of text by itself. A strong, clear message with eye-catching photography and a lovely color palette allows Nuvola to make a strong brand impression with Klowd every time they see this ad.
1:1 targeting isn’t the only strategy for ABM (although it might be our favorite). Need inspiration for other use cases across different lifecycle stages or channels? Check out 100+ more examples in this year’s Terminus September Issue.
