Account-based marketing (ABM) sounds fancy, but it’s really just about focusing your marketing and sales efforts on the accounts that actually matter. If you’re a B2B marketer tired of spraying and praying, this guide is for you. We’ll walk through setting up, running, and managing ABM campaigns in Quantified—no fluff, just the stuff you need to get results.
Who should use ABM in Quantified?
- You sell to businesses, not consumers. If your deals involve committees, demos, and long sales cycles, ABM fits.
- You want to stop wasting money on leads that go nowhere. ABM is about quality, not quantity.
- You have a list of target accounts and want to actually do something with it.
If that’s you, keep reading.
Step 1: Get your target accounts right
Before you open Quantified, nail down who you’re actually targeting. This isn’t about “every company over 50 employees.” Get specific.
- Start with real sales data. Who actually signs deals with you? What do your best customers have in common?
- Make a list. If you don’t have one, work with your sales team. Guessing here leads to wasted effort.
- Don’t overthink it. Ten good accounts are better than a hundred random ones.
Pro tip: Skip the temptation to buy big lists from vendors. Most are garbage. Build your own—even if it’s small.
Step 2: Set up your ABM campaign in Quantified
Quantified is built for ABM, but don’t expect magic. Here’s how to get your campaign off the ground:
1. Import your target accounts
- Manual upload: If you’ve got a spreadsheet, Quantified lets you upload it directly. Make sure your columns are clean—company name, domain, key contacts, etc.
- CRM sync: If you use Salesforce or HubSpot, connect the integration and sync just your ABM accounts. Don’t dump your whole CRM—focus.
- Check for duplicates: Quantified’s deduplication is decent, but always spot-check.
2. Define campaign objectives
Don’t just “raise awareness.” Be specific:
- Book demos with key stakeholders
- Get X accounts to a certain stage in your pipeline
- Re-engage churned customers
Ignore: Vanity metrics like impressions or “engagement” that don’t tie to pipeline.
3. Build your audience segments
Within Quantified, create segments based on:
- Industry, company size, technology used
- Buying stage (cold, warm, hot)
- Past engagement (opened an email? Attended a webinar?)
Don’t go crazy with micro-segments unless you have real differences in messaging. Start broad, then refine.
Step 3: Personalize your outreach (but don’t get creepy)
ABM works because it’s relevant. Quantified gives you tools to personalize, but you don’t need to stalk prospects’ LinkedIn profiles.
- Personalize by role and pain point. “Hey IT Director, here’s how we solve [problem] for companies like yours.”
- Use dynamic fields. Quantified’s email and ad templates let you insert company names, roles, and even recent activity.
- Don’t over-automate. People spot “Hi {FirstName}” stuff from a mile away. If you can’t make it personal, keep it simple.
What doesn’t work: Hyper-personalized emails that feel invasive (“Congrats on your kid’s soccer trophy!”). Stick to business relevance.
Step 4: Launch multi-channel campaigns
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Quantified lets you run coordinated campaigns across:
- Email: Still works, but keep it short and useful.
- LinkedIn ads: Pricey, but good for targeted brand awareness.
- Retargeting: Catch people who visit your site but don’t convert.
- Direct mail (optional): If you have the budget and the address.
Set up your campaign flows in Quantified to hit the same accounts across 2–3 channels. Sequence matters—don’t send a cold email after someone’s already booked a demo.
Ignore: Channels your audience doesn’t use. If your buyers aren’t on Twitter, don’t run Twitter ads “just because.”
Step 5: Coordinate with sales—don’t silo
ABM falls apart when marketing and sales aren’t talking. Quantified can notify reps when an account engages, but you still need human coordination.
- Set up alerts: When a target account opens an email or visits a key page, make sure sales knows.
- Share campaign calendars: So sales doesn’t cold call someone getting a nurture email.
- Weekly check-ins: Review progress, share notes, adjust messaging.
What to skip: Endless meetings. Keep it short and focused on action.
Step 6: Measure what matters
Quantified loves dashboards, but most of them are noise. Focus on:
- Account engagement: Are your target accounts actually responding?
- Pipeline impact: Did you book meetings or move deals forward?
- Channel effectiveness: Which channels actually drive results?
If you’re spending a ton on LinkedIn ads but all your meetings come from email, shift your budget—don’t just report “impressions.”
Ignore: “Brand lift” studies unless you’re a Fortune 500. Stick to what moves the needle.
Step 7: Optimize and iterate (don’t set and forget)
No campaign is perfect the first time. The good news: Quantified lets you tweak on the fly.
- Test subject lines and ad creative. But don’t get sucked into endless A/B tests—focus on big differences.
- Drop underperforming channels. If something’s not working after a few weeks, cut it.
- Update your target list. Accounts go cold, others heat up. Your list isn’t set in stone.
Pro tip: Document what you try, what you change, and what works. Next time will be faster.
Things to watch out for
A few honest pitfalls and how to dodge them:
- Trying to do ABM for everyone. It’s tempting, but only run ABM for accounts that justify the extra effort.
- Overcomplicating segmentation. More filters ≠ better results. Start simple.
- Ignoring the handoff to sales. If marketing books a meeting and sales drops the ball, you’ve wasted your effort.
- Relying on automation for everything. ABM is about relationships, not just workflows.
Keep it simple, keep improving
ABM in Quantified works best when you keep it focused. Start with a clear list, set real goals, and don’t drown in dashboards. Most importantly, talk to your sales team and keep tweaking. There’s no “perfect” campaign—just better ones, built over time.
Now, go build something that actually moves the needle. And don’t let anyone sell you hype about “AI-powered synergy.” Just do the work, measure what matters, and improve as you go.