We created a four-part ABM guide to share some ideas and tips we have with you to help you get started. So far, we've defined ABM, established its benefits as well as best practices, and gave you concrete examples to use in your campaigns. In this fourth and final part, we dive into examples that are specific to each stage of the funnel.

The series:

• Part 1: How to deliver personalized experiences for ABM success (read here)
• Part 2: Best practices for ABM success (read here)
• Part 3: Examples of personalized ABM experiences (read here)
• Part 4: Personalize ABM content for each stage of the funnel

Now, on to funnel specific examples!

As we discussed earlier, the more data you combine to target your key accounts, the better. Your sales cycle might also take several months (longer), so every step of the funnel is important and requires special attention. Some ABM prospects might be in the awareness stage. Others might be in the consideration stage, and finally you may have some in the bottom funnel (decision-making) stage. Personalize each touch point to help them progress towards conversion.

Top funnel awareness

It’s safe to assume that all first-time visitors will fall under this group. That first visit can be a make or break situation. Visitors can be very quick to bounce off your website so you have to attract their attention above the fold. If they are not intrigued by what they see at first glance, they will not scroll down. Make use of that prime real estate. Start with a catchy headline that will grab their attention and add a low commitment CTA (like a content download).

In this example, you can see that Billable has opted for a more introductory and welcoming tone when it comes to their headline and subhead. They have coupled this approach with a brief video that explains what they do without getting into too much detail. The CTA to book a demo has also been switched accordingly to the lower-commitment action of watching said video. More info here.

Mid funnel consideration

Have some of your target accounts moved to the consideration stage as a result of your initial ABM campaigns? Keep them engaged with immersive experiences. At this point in the journey, you can share more in-depth information. Think of the questions you get the most (FAQs) and make sure that your unique selling points (USPs) are highlighted.

A visitor at this stage is already relatively familiar with your product so instead of using an introductory headline you can go for something more specific and convincing to attract their attention. If your company stands out from competitors for its high service level, highlight that in your headline. If you’ve been mentioned in a Gartner report or received publicity via industry blogs, showcase that! Browse additional ideas here.

In the example below, Billable has chosen to adjust the subhead to something with more detail, highlighting scalability. They are also making use of social proof, both by mentioning their +2k customers around the world and highlighting big name logos. The book a demo button has also been changed to request a quote, which would allow Billable to learn more about this lead and thus personalize communication further.

Billable has also created some firmographic personalizations for when a lead has been identified either with a company name or industry. The example below is for a lead from the travel industry and so the headline has been slightly adjusted and some of the logos have been swapped for companies from the same industry as well.

Bottom funnel conversion

These people have made it through, shown interest, and invested the time to learn more about you. Now you need to seal the deal. Did they ask for a quote, and are you waiting for a decision on that quote? Maybe they started a trial of your product? Have multiple people from the same company visited your website? These are all good signs that they are at the decision phase and you can use them to build up your audience. More about audience building here.

The magic ingredient here is firmographic data. Below we’ll give you three different approaches you can take with it.

In the first scenario, let’s assume that you are in touch with the lead (Claudia), have built rapport, and are aware of her needs and requirements. You know her role and that she is the decision-maker. You can then go ahead and personalize your headline and subheader to mention things such as her name, job title, or how you can help her. An example could look like “Hey Claudia, find out how we help marketers like you to reach more qualified leads!”

In the second scenario, Claudia is still your contact person but she is not the (only) decision-maker. This is especially likely when dealing with large enterprises where multiple departments might get involved in a purchase decision. Instead of saying “Hey Claudia, choose us!” you can create a page that will help Claudia convince her colleagues.

In the third and final scenario, if you don’t have a contact person or know that there are multiple people from the same company visiting your website and evaluating your product, you can personalize for the company itself. Instead of your headline saying “Hey Claudia,...” it could say “The perfect billing solution for Hotels,inc.”

Above you can see examples of how Billable does this. In the first example, they know that Claudia is a CFO and they know her particular struggles, thus the message is structured accordingly. They have also changed their customer quotes to be from CFOs like her.

In the second example, since they are personalizing for the account, they have placed the name of the company in the header and adjusted the subhead slightly. They have also changed the customer quotes to match their industry.

That's a wrap!

ABM is still a preferred method to drive growth, but it’s not without its challenges, especially in a world plagued by information overload. As the examples above show, there are many powerful ways to use personalization to improve the effectiveness of your ABM campaigns.

It is now time to wrap up this ABM series but what a journey it has been! We hope these articles have inspired you to try some of these tactics. Curious about how you can use Unless to implement them quickly and at scale? Sign up for a free trial.