Today’s B2B buyers prefer to remain anonymous during their buying journey, conducting extensive independent research before contacting potential suppliers. This shift means your website must evolve beyond an attractive collection of pages and forms to support your ABM strategy.
A quick search for “ABM tools and platforms” reveals countless options, each claiming to transform your business with a steady stream of high-quality, qualified accounts.
While these tools are important for ABM success, this article focuses on specific tools, tactics, and strategies that work seamlessly with a WordPress website. We’ll show you how to begin your ABM journey and make the most of your WordPress website to achieve ABM success.
What is Account Based Marketing (ABM)?
Let’s start with the basics.
Account-Based Marketing (ABM) is a highly focused growth strategy where marketing and sales teams work in harmony to create personalised campaigns for specific high-value accounts, driving engagement, conversion, and long-term client relationships.
Think of it this way: if traditional marketing is casting a wide net, ABM is like spearfishing. Rather than taking a general approach, we target content to specific companies where the commercial impact will be greater for both the prospect and marketer.
Assumptions around your site structure and marketing
This article assumes two things:
- You have a well-optimised WordPress (or other CMS) website with a clearly structured sitemap.
- You have developed your ABM strategy with a researched plan that defines your Ideal Customer Profiles (ICPs) and maps out buyer personas for the entire buying team.
If either of these elements are missing, bookmark this article for later. You can also get in touch or learn more about optimising your WordPress website to build the foundation for an ABM strategy.
IP tracking tools: A glimpse into the dark funnel
The conventional wisdom for a long-time has been to put content behind a form, often referred to as ‘gated content’. This still works with some content in some sectors, but we’ve seen the effectiveness of this tactic diminish in the last five years. Throw in the introduction of generative AI and ChatGPT Search and it may be the final nail in the coffin.
With prospects wanting to research and remain anonymous for longer throughout the buying journey, gathering intent data can be problematic. However, IP tracking tools can help to provide insight and intent data so you can further engage your Ideal Customer Profiles (ICPs).
Tools such as Lead Forensics, Leadfeeder and Albatross all track based on fixed IP addresses from your site visitors. HubSpot now also has this feature built into their plans.
Once you know that one of your target accounts is visiting your site, you can then focus additional efforts into targeting the buying team with tailored messaging and segmentation to further enhance your chances of success.
Be aware of the limitations of IP tracking
In our experience, we’ve found that LeadForensics (while more expensive), has a greater degree of accuracy in their dataset. We’ve seen more affordable tools produce false positives which can lead to wasted effort.
It’s also worth mentioning that these tools typically work best with larger organisations. If your strategy is reliant upon targeting SMEs or smaller mid-market organisations, you will likely find these tools of limited use.
Building content personalisation into WordPress
Knowing who is looking at your site is great, but without using that information to personalise your site content, it’s largely irrelevant.
WordPress is a highly flexible and customisable CMS, making it easy for developers to provide customisation and personalised content based variables such as IP, URL parameters and other intent signals.
Another route is to leverage your CRM system to support with site personalisation. For example, HubSpot has a WordPress plugin that lets you dip your toes in the water, or you could dive into their API for deeper levels of customisation.
Just getting started with content personalisation?
If you’re just getting started with dynamic personalisation on your WordPress website, take a look at a plugin like If-So. This plugin will allow you to customise on-page content based on a range of variables including UTM parameter, Click IDs, OS, Browser, Referral source and more.
Resource and content hubs to demonstrate your domain expertise
Leading on from content personalisation, a key facet of ABM is being able to shift your focus from generalised marketing to producing content that clearly targets each persona on your buying team. This will likely be across multiple functions, departments and levels of seniority within your ICP organisation.
Developing a resource hub that speaks to a specific challenge, topic or area of interest is a compelling way to engage with members of your buyer team. Dedicated content that is tailored by sector, function, or even commercial challenge or problem is a great way to build engagement and show your prospects that you understand and can solve their challenges. Season this a light scattering of client logos and testimonials and you’ll significantly increase your likelihood of converting visitors to leads.
Assessment tools and calculators
Assessment tools and calculators can help to provide a prospect with upfront value, by helping them to better understand or quantify the scope of the challenge, and subsequently, the solution you can provide. It’s also an effective way of demonstrating deep knowledge of their sector and your expertise as a subject matter expert.
We’ve designed and developed a number of these tools over the years, most recently with our client, Rewire.
ROI calculators and readiness assessments that align with your target accounts’ specific goals are key to success here. Get in touch if you’d like to explore whether this approach could work for your organisation.
A word of warning
If done well, assessment tools can deliver incredible value and act as a compelling ‘lead magnet’ within your marketing plan, but… they are not cheap to produce, they require internal subject matter experts to scope and if they don’t deliver significant value to your prospects, they’re a waste of time and money.
TL;DR – They’re not for everyone.
Other tactical recommendations
If you’re looking for more ideas to implement across your website, perhaps consider:
- Personalised follow up – ensure that your sales and marketing functions are operating in alignment and that you have the data and reporting necessary to deliver timely, personalised follow up once you have intent data.
- Retargeting ads – ensure that you remain front-of-mind throughout the consideration and research phases of your buyer journey. Ensuring that you’re consistent and present is key.
- A/B test – Test, test and test again. Split testing allows you to deepen your understanding of user behaviour and what is working with messaging, positioning and your ICP’s pains. Nelio A/B testing works well in previous cases.
- ABM Chatbots – Buyers are busier and more impatient. Make sure you’re on hand to answer questions and serve up the relevant greeting, answers and knowledge at each stage of the journey.
Consistent improvement
Make sure your website is keeping pace with the needs of your business. Discover our support services.
In summary
Implementing ABM on your website requires a strategic approach that combines technology, personalisation, and seamless collaboration between teams. Success depends on having the right tools and tactics in place, from IP tracking to dynamic content personalisation, while maintaining a laser focus on your ideal customer profiles.
And don’t forget – while you can implement every tactic and trick, nothing will beat seamless integration between your sales and marketing teams.
