KEO Marketing shares trends in account-based marketing to increase ROI

Account-based marketing (ABM) powerfully combines people, technology, and processes that, when used strategically, out-perform any other demand generation strategy in your arsenal. ABM is not intended to replace your current demand generation initiatives but should complement your best marketing strategies, sharing resources, data, tools, and technology with both your outbound and inbound marketing efforts.

If you are like other companies, you are likely to find the sales cycle for major deals to be long and complex. Account-based marketing offers a systematic, efficient, and measurable way to land big accounts and expand them. So, savvy marketers looking
to take advantage of the following trends in account-based marketing can jump-start their efforts.

Chatbots will Lead Education Efforts
In 2018, chatbots powered 85% of customer-service interactions. When customers and prospects are in the discovery phase of their buying journey, chatbots will answer their questions about products and services and point them toward the appropriate next steps. To take this trend to the next level, marketers need to make sure their chatbots use an ABM approach. Chatbots should use personalized, customer-centric messaging in all conversations.

Data will be the Differentiator
Data powers your ABM program. Account intelligence data will be the differentiator setting your account based marketing program apart from the rest. Using accurate contact information and predictive intelligence, you can segment your target accounts. Predictive data allows you to create a complete profile of accounts ready to buy. Consider how you can segment accounts based on the technology they use or the interest they show in a particular subject and product. Access to greater levels of data will give you a competitive advantage over others.

An ABM Approach to Content Marketing
Content marketing is still an effective tool, but to make your content stand out from dozens of other resources in your industry, you need to apply an account-based marketing approach to your content marketing. Personalize content to appeal to specific segments and accounts, and target organizations where they are along the buying journey. Sales need to become a primary focus for distributed content in 2019. As your content marketing becomes more account-based, you must focus on getting personalized content directly in front of your targeted accounts. Deliver a more consistent customer experience by streamlining content used by marketing, sales, and account management teams.

Take Advantage of New Technology
Thousands of tools are now available, and we can expect that number to continue to grow. For many marketers, this surge
in new technology is a welcome trend but has led to a variety of new programs, that when cobbled together, do not integrate well.
Marketing automation software remains at the center of account-based marketing solutions, with more features and tools being added. Look for technology solutions tailored to your industry. Find solutions focusing on areas of concern as well as those that integrate well with your other marketing and IT initiatives across your company.

Add Location Data to the Mix
Location data lets you put the products and services your customers are looking for right in front of them. By gathering data from mobile phones, location data helps you better understand customer behavior and desires. Use location data to create marketing
strategies centered on buyer habits. The more information you have, the more you can personalize your messaging. When you use location data to send personalized messages to customers and prospects, your marketing gives them the “nudge” they may need to transition to the next phase of the buying process at given geolocations. Build your ABM strategies using location data to get the right message in front of customers and prospects at the optimal time

Scale your ABM Program
Using programmatic account based marketing, you can apply marketing strategies to tens, hundreds, or even thousands of accounts. Advanced technology will help marketers carry out a scalable ABM program, giving you more eggs
  your growing basket. You can automate personalization and content distribution to reach a larger audience while still keeping your messages specific and targeted. Take care that your programmatic, account- based marketing methods do not become
generic through automation. Always personalize messages to ensure they are relevant and offer value to your customers and prospects based on where they are in the customer journey.

Ready to jump-start your account-based marketing program using these trends? KEO Marketing can help you optimize your ABM strategies to achieve significant ROI. Contact KEO Marketing for a complimentary consultation today: https://keomarketing.com/contact-keo-marketing