ABM Platform Requirements: What to Look Out For
Your call on the account-based marketing (ABM) platform requirements you need can make or break your B2B marketing strategy.
Yes, ABM is great at engaging and converting high-value key accounts. But here's the thing that gets overlooked: picking the wrong ABM software can be downright disastrous.
So how to avoid this?
I'll walk you through the essential features to look out for, potential red flags, and how to ensure you're making the right choice for your unique business needs. Let's goooo!
Top 9 Must-Have ABM Platform Requirements
When you're in the market for an ABM platform, it's easy to get dazzled by flashy features or persuasive sales pitches. However, I can tell you that not all ABM platforms are created equal.
To help you cut through the noise, I've compiled a list of the nine requirements your ABM platform should meet. These aren't just nice-to-haves; they're the non-negotiable features that will empower you to execute a successful ABM strategy and demonstrate real value to your organization.
1. Account Prioritization
Account prioritization helps you identify and focus on your most valuable target accounts. A good ABM platform should use data to score accounts based on factors like company details, behavior, and buying signals.
This feature is crucial because it helps you invest your resources wisely. Without it, you might waste time and money on accounts unlikely to convert.
Using account prioritization leads to better conversion rates, faster sales, and stronger alignment between marketing and sales. When choosing a platform, look for one with flexible scoring and the ability to use data from multiple sources.
2. Account Intelligence
Account intelligence is a must-have ABM software use case, and gives you deep insights into your target accounts, covering company details, decision-makers, challenges, and recent changes. A good ABM platform must be able to provide detailed account profiles with real-time updates.
This feature is key because it allows you to create personalized, relevant outreach. Without detailed account intelligence, your ABM efforts might miss the mark and fail to connect with prospects properly. To convert successfully, you must know the audience really well. This is why creating customer personas is one the first things you must do when developing a solid marketing strategy.
Ultimately, strong account intelligence leads to better personalization, higher engagement, and a clearer understanding of your target market. Remember, when evaluating platforms, look for one that offers comprehensive, current account data from various reliable sources.
3. Predictive Analytics
Predictive analytics uses past data and AI to forecast future outcomes to see which accounts might convert or what content will work best. One advantage of predictive features is they help to guide your ABM content strategy.
This is important because it helps you make smarter decisions based on data, not just your gut feeling. Without predictive analytics, you're working with less information and might miss opportunities, essentially flying blind, which we want to avoid as this can be costly.
Using predictive analytics, you can better understand customer needs, improve your content, and use your resources more wisely. The key takeaway? Look for an ABM platform that offers predictive models you can understand and adjust to fit your business.
4. Personalization
An effective ABM platform lets you create dynamic content, use personalization tokens, and build custom landing pages for different accounts.
This feature is what makes ABM so effective. Without strong personalization, your efforts won't be relevant enough to engage high-value accounts.
Using ABM personalization leads to better engagement, more conversions, and stronger relationships with target accounts. When choosing an ABM platform, look for one that offers personalization tools and makes it easy to manage personalized content across different channels, including email and social.
5. Campaign Orchestration
Campaign orchestration lets you plan, execute and manage multi-channel ABM campaigns from one platform. A comprehensive ABM platform should help you create campaign workflows, coordinate messages across channels, and automate campaign execution.
This is important because ABM works best when the efforts are coordinated across different touchpoints. Without effective campaign orchestration, your messaging may be disjointed or fail to reach potential buyer at the right time during the buying journey.
With well-executed campaign orchestration, you get better customer experiences, more efficient campaigns, and improved alignment between marketing and sales. When choosing a platform, look for one with easy-to-use campaign builders, flexible workflows, and tools for team collaboration.
6. Full-Funnel Campaign Analytics
Full-funnel campaign analytics give you insights into how your ABM efforts perform throughout the customer journey. The best platforms provide detailed ABM metrics for every stage of the marketing funnel, from first-touch awareness to closed deals.
This feature is essential because it helps you measure the real impact of your ABM strategy and make informed decisions. Without full-funnel analytics, you might struggle to show ROI or find ways to improve your campaigns.
Using full-funnel analytics, you can better optimize your campaigns, use resources wisely, and show stakeholders the value of your ABM efforts. The key takeaway when choosing an ABM platform: look for one that offers a wide range of metrics, customizable dashboards, and the ability to integrate data from your other marketing tools.
7. Best Practices Documentation and Playbooks
Best practices documentation and playbooks are built-in resources that guide you on how to run effective ABM campaigns. Your potential ABM platform should have a library of up-to-date best practices, customizable playbooks, and step-by-step guides for different ABM scenarios.
This feature is crucial because it helps teams, especially those new to ABM, use strategies that are known to work. Without access to these resources, you might waste time figuring things out or make unnecessary mistakes.
Using best practices and playbooks helps you implement ABM faster, keep your team consistent, and improve your strategies based on what works in the industry. When choosing a platform, look for one with a rich library of resources that's regularly updated with the latest ABM trends and tactics.
8. Real-Time Account Engagement Data
Real-time account engagement data enables you to study how target accounts are interacting with your content, website, and campaigns at the different stages of the ABM funnel. To get is sort of data, you need an ABM platform that’s able to share instant updates on account activity, like web visits, downloads, email opens, and ad clicks.
This lets you quickly respond to buying signals and adjust your outreach based on current account behavior. Without real-time data, you might miss chances to engage accounts when they're most interested.
Using real-time data helps you interact with prospects more effectively, aligns sales and marketing better, and lets you act on moments of high interest. When choosing a platform, look for one with comprehensive real-time dashboards and the ability to set alerts for important account activities.
9. Multi-Channel Account-Based Advertising
With multi-channel account-based advertising, you’re able to run targeted ad campaigns across different digital channels for your specific accounts. A good ABM platform should have tools to manage ads on display, social, video, and other relevant channels.
This feature is essential because it helps you reach decision-makers at your target accounts wherever they are online. Without multi-channel advertising capabilities, you might struggle to get your message seen enough times to make an impact, as frequency matters!
Using multi-channel account-based advertising helps you build brand awareness with target accounts, reinforce your message across different touchpoints, and bring more qualified visitors to your website. When choosing a platform, look for one that offers advertising across multiple channels and provides advanced targeting options, including budget management tools and detailed performance analytics for your campaigns.
6 Considerations to Keep in Mind When Choosing an ABM Platform
Selecting the right ABM platform is a critical decision that can significantly impact your marketing success. While we've covered the must-have features, there are additional factors you need to consider to ensure you're making the best choice for your organization.
In my experience, these considerations can make the difference between a smooth, effective ABM implementation and a frustrating, underperforming one. Let's dive into six key points you should keep in mind as you evaluate different ABM platforms.
These insights will help you look beyond the feature list and make a well-rounded decision that aligns with your company's needs and goals.
1. Is it Budget-Friendly?
When choosing an ABM platform, cost is a crucial factor. A budget-friendly solution doesn't just mean the cheapest option, but one that offers the best value for your investment.
ABM platforms can be a significant expense. So, you need to ensure the platform you choose not only fits within your budget but also provides a good return on investment.
Here are some tips for getting the best value:
- Look for platforms with flexible pricing models that can scale with your needs
- Consider the total cost of ownership, including implementation and training
- Evaluate the potential ROI based on the platform's features and your specific goals
Don't just go for the cheapest option. Focus on finding a platform that offers the features you need at a price point that makes sense for your business and provides room for growth.
2. Is it Easy to Use?
A platform should be straightforward to use and operate, without requiring extensive technical knowledge.
A complex, difficult-to-use platform can lead to low adoption rates, inefficient processes, and frustrated team members, which obviously you don’t want. The easier the platform is to use, the more likely your team is to embrace it and use it effectively.
Here are some suggestions for assessing ease of use:
- Request a hands-on demo or free trial to test the platform yourself
- Involve key team members in the evaluation process to get diverse perspectives
- Check user reviews and ask for references from current customers
Prioritize platforms that balance powerful features with user-friendly interfaces. Remember, even the most feature-rich platform won't deliver results if your team finds it too complicated to use effectively.
3. What's the Time to Value?
Time to value refers to how quickly you can start seeing tangible results from your ABM platform after implementation. It's about how soon you can go from purchase to actively running campaigns and seeing ROI.
A lengthy implementation process can delay your ABM efforts and push back your expected results. A platform that allows for quick deployment and immediate action gives you a competitive edge.
Pro tips for optimizing time to value:
- Look for platforms with streamlined onboarding processes and robust customer support
- Prioritize solutions that integrate easily with your existing tech stack
- Choose a platform with pre-built templates and playbooks to kickstart your efforts
While some learning curve is expected, the right ABM platform should allow you to hit the ground running. Remember: consider how quickly you need to see results and choose a platform that aligns with your timeline.
4. What's the Ease of Implementation?
You need to be able to get your ABM platform set up and integrated into your existing marketing tech stack without tearing out your hair. This includes aspects like data migration, system integration, and initial configuration.
A complex implementation process can delay your ABM efforts, strain your IT resources, and potentially lead to errors that impact your campaigns. A platform that's easy to implement allows you to start taking advantage of its benefits sooner.
To ensure smooth implementation, make sure to:
- Ask vendors about their typical implementation timeline and process
- Check if the platform offers pre-built integrations with your existing tools
- Inquire about the level of technical support provided during implementation
Don't underestimate the importance of easy implementation. A platform that's simple to set up can save you time, resources, and headaches, allowing you to focus on strategy rather than technical issues.
5. Do You have Access to Customer Support?
Access to customer support is important because even with the most user-friendly platform, you're likely to have questions or face challenges at some point. Good customer support can mean the difference between a minor hiccup and a major roadblock in your ABM efforts.
Things to keep in mind when evaluating customer support:
- Ask about support channels (phone, email, chat) and their availability
- Inquire about response times and escalation processes for critical issues
- Look for platforms that offer dedicated account managers for personalized support
Strong customer support can significantly enhance your experience with an ABM platform. Prioritize vendors who demonstrate a commitment to helping you succeed, not just during implementation but throughout your journey.
6. Does it Allow for CRM Integrations?
CRM integrations allows for seamless data flow between your ABM efforts and your sales processes. Your CRM likely houses crucial data about your accounts and contacts.
A strong integration ensures that your ABM platform can leverage this data for targeting and personalization, while also feeding engagement data back to your sales team.
Pro tips for assessing CRM integrations:
- Verify that the ABM platform integrates well with your specific CRM
- Ask about bi-directional data sync capabilities
- Inquire about the depth of the integration (what data points can be shared)
A robust CRM integration can significantly enhance the effectiveness of your ABM efforts by ensuring alignment between marketing and sales. Look for platforms that offer deep, bi-directional integrations with your CRM to maximize the value of your data.
Choosing the Right ABM Platform Comes Down to Strategy, Not Just Features
While I’ve given you a comprehensive checklist for choosing an ABM platform for your organization, at the end of the day selecting the best platform goes above ticking boxes on a features list. Ultimately, the right choice comes down to how well a platform aligns with your overall marketing strategy and business goals.
Think of an ABM platform as a strategic tool that empowers your team to better execute targeted, personalized campaigns, as it should seamlessless integrate with the team’s tasks and capabilities. The best platform should most definitely meet technical requirements but remember it should also:
1. Fit your specific business needs and use cases
2. Scale with your growth ambitions
3. Offer the right level of support and guidance
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