Account based marketing (ABM) sounds like another buzzword, but if you sell to companies—not just random leads—it's honestly one of the few tactics that isn't a waste of time. This guide is for marketers, salespeople, or anyone who's tired of generic campaigns and wants to use ABM for real results. We'll walk through using Kular features to actually get this done—no fluff, no vague promises.
If you want to cut through the noise and focus on the accounts that matter, keep reading.
Step 1: Start with the Right Accounts (Don’t Skip This)
Before you touch any software, get your target account list right. ABM falls apart if you chase the wrong companies.
- Who should be on your list? Companies that fit your ideal customer profile and have a real shot at buying soon.
- How to build it: Start with your CRM or sales team’s gut feel. Use firmographics (company size, industry, revenue) and past deal data. Don’t overthink it—30-100 accounts is plenty to start.
- What to ignore: Don’t buy big “intent data” lists unless you know how to vet them. Most are noisy.
Why this matters: Chasing every logo spreads you thin and wastes everyone’s time—including your own.
Step 2: Map Out the Buying Teams
Modern B2B deals aren’t closed by one person. You’ll need to know who’s in the room—literally or virtually.
- Use Kular’s Account Mapping: Kular lets you build org charts and map out stakeholders for each account. Add names, roles, and notes on influence.
- Pro tip: Don’t just list titles. Write down what you actually know about each person—who’s the skeptic, who cares about budget, who’s your champion.
- What doesn’t work: Guessing. Get your reps to fill in gaps after every call or email.
Why Kular helps: Most CRMs are terrible for visualizing complex buying groups. Kular’s mapping is built for this.
Step 3: Personalize Content and Messaging
Here’s where most ABM fails: sending the same message to everyone. Don’t do it.
- Use Kular’s Content Personalization: Kular can tag content assets (case studies, one-pagers, etc.) by industry, persona, or stage. Assign the right assets to each stakeholder.
- How to use it: Create a “content matrix” in Kular—match each stakeholder type to the content that speaks to their pain points.
- Example: Finance cares about ROI, IT cares about integration headaches, users want to know if it’s easy.
- Pro tip: Don’t reinvent the wheel. Use what you already have, just organize it so reps can find what they need, fast.
- Ignore: Overly customized microsites for every account (unless you have a huge deal on the line). It’s usually not worth the effort.
Why this works: The right message, to the right person, at the right time. Not rocket science, but somehow rare.
Step 4: Orchestrate Multichannel Outreach
You can’t just send one email and call it ABM. It’s about coordinated, persistent outreach across channels.
- Kular’s Campaign Workflows: Build outreach sequences that include email, LinkedIn, calls, and even direct mail. Assign tasks to sales or marketing as needed.
- What makes it useful: Kular keeps track of touchpoints by account, not just by contact—so you see the whole picture.
- Set up workflows:
- For each account, schedule personalized emails, follow-up calls, and social touches.
- Assign owners so nothing falls through the cracks.
- Pro tip: Don’t spam everyone at once. Stagger outreach so it feels human.
What to avoid: Generic “spray and pray” sequences. If you wouldn’t reply to it, don’t send it.
Step 5: Track Engagement and Real Signals
You need to know what’s working—and when to back off.
- Kular’s Engagement Tracking: See which accounts are opening emails, clicking links, sharing internally, or going dark.
- How it helps: Kular aggregates activity at the account level, not just by individual. That’s what you actually care about.
- What to look for: Spikes in engagement, sudden drop-offs, or new contacts showing up. These are your cues to act.
- Pro tip: Set up alerts for real buying signals, not just vanity metrics (like “email opened”).
Skip: Chasing every tiny signal. Focus on trends, not one-off actions.
Step 6: Sync Sales and Marketing (for Real)
ABM dies if sales and marketing aren’t talking. Don’t assume “alignment” just because you had a kickoff call.
- Use Kular’s Shared Dashboards: Both teams see account progress, who’s engaged, and what’s next.
- Set up regular reviews: Use Kular’s reporting to run short, focused meetings—look at stuck accounts, brainstorm next steps, and adjust outreach.
- Pro tip: Make it easy to hand off warm accounts between teams, right inside Kular.
Don’t bother with: Long “alignment” decks or overcomplicating process. If it’s not actionable, skip it.
Step 7: Measure Results and Iterate
ABM isn’t a one-and-done project. The first pass won’t be perfect, and that’s fine.
- In Kular: Use reporting to track:
- Accounts engaged
- Meetings booked
- Pipeline created
- Actual deals closed (the only number that really matters)
- What to tweak: Drop accounts that never engage, double down on those that do. Update your messages and outreach based on what’s working.
- Pro tip: Keep your feedback loop tight—don’t wait for quarterly reviews.
Ignore: Vanity metrics like “impressions” or “likes.” Focus on business outcomes.
Honest Takes: What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Ignore
- Works: Targeted, persistent outreach with actual personalization. Having sales and marketing on the same page.
- Doesn’t: Buying huge account lists, sending generic content, or automating everything to death.
- Ignore: Fancy ABM “frameworks” if they make things harder. Start simple, and only add complexity when you need it.
Keep It Simple and Iterate
Don’t let ABM turn into another “big project” that never ships. Start with a shortlist of accounts, use the practical features in Kular, and focus on what actually moves the needle. You’ll learn faster by doing than by reading case studies or chasing the latest trend.
Tweak, cut what doesn’t work, and keep your process lean. That’s how you actually win deals with ABM—and keep your sanity.