The modern digital world has opened up new opportunities to engage with audiences that were previously hard to reach. Account based advertising (ABA) is a powerful marketing approach that focuses on targeting the accounts with the greatest revenue potential. Research shows that the top 20% of accounts are responsible for nearly 80% of all clicks and website visits within a given media budget.
This makes account based advertising an extremely important strategy, especially for companies that rely on large, long-term deals where communication and influence across multiple stakeholders is crucial.
Table of contents
- Targeting high-revenue potential accounts
- Strategies for selecting the right target accounts
- Effective application: contextual targeting
- Relevant and personalized messaging
- Considerations and challenges in implementing account based advertising
- The growth power of account based advertising
In summary
This article introduces the concept of account based advertising (ABA) and explains how it can enhance a company’s marketing efforts. It highlights that ABA focuses on approaching specific accounts rather than a broad audience, enabling stronger personalization and targeting. The article outlines different strategies and tactics for ABA, such as identifying ideal customer profiles, building personalized campaigns, and measuring ROI. It concludes that account based advertising is an effective way to attract valuable customers and build relationships with key accounts.
Targeting high-revenue potential accounts
What makes account based advertising unique is that it targets entire accounts rather than individual leads. Unlike traditional marketing methods such as SEO and display advertising, which are aimed at reaching individuals based on geography, gender, or age, ABA focuses on targeting specific companies where your ideal audience works.
Strategies for selecting the right target accounts
To successfully implement account based advertising, it’s important to develop a clear strategy for selecting the right target accounts. Several approaches are possible:
- Revenue strategies: This approach focuses on selecting accounts based on known revenue potential. Marketing and sales teams work together to identify the accounts most likely to result in high-value deals.
- Land and expand: This strategy targets accounts that are already engaged with your company. The goal is to reach the right decision-makers within these accounts through display ads and gradually expand the relationship.
- Intent-based activation: Here, accounts are targeted based on the specific content they consume (first-party intent) or the media articles they read (third-party intent). This allows you to tailor ads directly to the interests and needs of your target accounts.
Effective application: contextual targeting
A powerful way to apply account based advertising is through contextual targeting. Instead of relying on cookies or demographic data, contextual targeting displays ads based on the exact content a user is viewing at that moment. This leads to higher relevance and stronger engagement with target accounts.
When implementing account based advertising, it’s also essential to use the right tools and technologies. Various providers offer ABA solutions, each with their own unique approach and functionalities. One example I’ve covered before is RollWorks.
Relevant and personalized messaging
One of the biggest advantages of account based advertising is the ability to deliver highly relevant and personalized messaging to your target accounts. By tailoring ads to specific industry solutions, challenges, or pain points at the company level, you can significantly increase interest and engagement among your audience.
Account based advertising also makes it possible to measure and analyze campaign performance at the account level. You can track key metrics such as impressions, clicks, conversions, and ROI to evaluate the effectiveness of your strategy and make adjustments where necessary.
Considerations and challenges in implementing account based advertising
Implementing account based advertising also comes with important considerations and challenges. First, it’s crucial to have a deep understanding of your target accounts and their specific needs. This requires close collaboration between marketing and sales teams to gather the right insights and information.
Targeting specific accounts and delivering personalized ads can also demand more effort than traditional marketing methods. It requires careful planning, creative development, and continuous optimization to ensure effective and relevant messaging reaches the right accounts.
Another challenge is selecting the right channels and technologies. Options include display advertising, social media, email marketing, and personalized landing pages. Choosing the channels most effective for your specific audience and objectives is essential.
It’s also worth noting that account based advertising should not be the sole strategy in your marketing mix. While it can be a powerful addition, especially for companies that depend on large deals and long-term relationships, it’s equally important to continue using other tactics such as content marketing, SEO, and inbound marketing to maintain a holistic and balanced approach.
The growth power of account based advertising
In conclusion, account based advertising provides an effective way to focus your marketing efforts on accounts with the highest revenue potential. By delivering relevant and personalized messages to specific companies, you can increase engagement and drive conversions. Success requires a strategic approach, close team collaboration, and the right tools and technologies. With account based advertising, you can harness the power of personalization to fuel the growth of your business.
