If you want your marketing to actually move the needle with key accounts—not just spray and pray—account based marketing (ABM) is the way to go. But too many ABM “guides” are all theory, no details. This article is for marketers and sales pros who want to set up advanced ABM campaigns that actually work, using Browse.
No fluff. Just clear steps, pitfalls to avoid, and some honest advice about what’s worth your time (and what isn’t).
1. Get Your Target Account List Right
Let’s get real: If your target account list is off, nothing else matters. ABM lives and dies on picking the right companies.
How to do it: - Start with quality over quantity. Don’t get greedy—20 truly high-fit accounts beat 200 random logos. - Use real criteria: revenue, headcount, tech stack, recent funding, or strategic fit. - Get sales involved early. The best lists come from marketing + sales together, not in a vacuum.
Pro tip: Resist the urge to copy-paste your CRM’s “top 100” accounts. Start from scratch and question why each account belongs.
2. Build (and Import) Your Account List in Browse
Browse is built for ABM, but you’ve got to feed it the right data.
Steps: 1. Log in to Browse. 2. Navigate to the “Accounts” section. 3. Upload or sync your target account list. Use CSV upload, or connect your CRM. Make sure you map account fields correctly (name, domain, industry, etc.). 4. Tag and segment accounts. Use tags like “Tier 1,” “Expansion,” or “New Logo” to sort later.
What works:
- Keeping your tags simple and meaningful.
- Cleaning up duplicates before importing—messy data will trip you up later.
What to skip:
- Don’t waste time with every possible firmographic field. Focus on a handful that really matter to your sales process.
3. Map Key Contacts (the Right Way)
You’re not selling to companies. You’re selling to people. Browse lets you find and map decision-makers, but this part’s easy to over-complicate.
Process:
- For each account, identify 2–5 key buyer roles. E.g., CMO, Head of IT, Ops Manager.
- Use Browse’s contact finder to pull relevant people.
- Double-check for accuracy—job titles change, people move on.
What works:
- Prioritizing influence over job title. Sometimes the real decision-maker isn’t who you expect.
- Adding notes or context to each contact in Browse (“attended our last webinar,” or “existing customer in other division”).
What doesn’t:
- Bulk adding hundreds of contacts per account. It just creates noise and slows you down.
4. Set Up Targeted Campaigns and Personalization
Here’s where most ABM campaigns go sideways: they look and feel generic. Browse gives you tools to personalize at scale—if you put in the work upfront.
How to get it right: - Build campaigns for each segment or account tier (e.g., Tier 1 gets more personalized outreach, Tier 2 gets lighter touch). - Personalize messaging. Use account-level data in your emails, ads, or chatbots—don’t just swap in a company name. - In Browse, set up dynamic content blocks. Tailor landing pages or offers based on account, industry, or persona. - Use Browse’s multi-channel campaigns: coordinate email, LinkedIn, and retargeting ads.
Pro tip:
Start simple. Nail one channel with great personalization before adding more complexity.
Watch out for:
- Over-automation. If everything starts to sound like a mail merge, you’ll get ignored.
- “Personalization” that’s just a thin veneer. If you can’t tell the difference, neither can your prospects.
5. Build Automated Workflows (Without Being Annoying)
Automation is helpful, but not if it turns your ABM into spam. Browse lets you automate sequences, but use a light touch.
Steps: 1. Set up entry triggers. Example: Account visits a pricing page, or downloads a whitepaper. 2. Design multi-step sequences. Mix emails, LinkedIn touches, and even alerts to sales. 3. Set sensible delays and exit criteria. If someone replies or books a meeting, pause the workflow.
Practical advice:
- Keep sequences tight: 3–5 steps max.
- Always allow easy opt-out.
- Monitor reply rates and negative signals (unsubscribes, spam complaints).
What to avoid:
- Long, never-ending nurture drips. Most people tune out after a few touches.
- Automated LinkedIn connection requests en masse. You’ll just annoy people and hurt your brand.
6. Enable Sales With Real-Time Insights
ABM only works if sales actually acts on the data. Browse can show when an account is active, but you need to make that info useful.
How to do it: - Set up alerts for meaningful signals (e.g., target account visits your pricing or demo page). - Feed this data into Slack, email, or your CRM—wherever your sales team lives. - Don’t just dump data; add context. “Acme Corp visited the pricing page twice this week. Last engaged 10 days ago.”
What works:
- Quick, actionable notifications.
- Having a clear process for sales follow-up. Don’t leave it to chance.
What doesn’t:
- Overloading sales with low-quality signals (“someone from Acme viewed a blog post at 2am” isn’t helpful).
7. Measure What Matters (and Ignore Vanity Metrics)
You’ll get a ton of data from Browse. Most of it isn’t that useful. Focus on a handful of outcomes:
Key metrics to track: - Number of engaged accounts (not just opens or clicks) - Meetings booked with target accounts - Pipeline generated and closed-won from ABM list - Sales cycle length for ABM vs. non-ABM accounts
What to skip:
- Open rates, unless you’re troubleshooting deliverability.
- Website traffic from non-target accounts. Who cares?
Pro tip:
Review results every month. Kill what isn’t working and double down on what is. Don’t wait for a quarterly “review.”
8. Stay Sane: Common Pitfalls and What to Ignore
Here’s some hard-earned wisdom:
- Don’t try to “personalize at scale” for 500 accounts. You’ll water down your efforts and get little back.
- Avoid shiny objects. Browse has cool features, but stick to what actually moves accounts along.
- Don’t make ABM a siloed “project.” It should be connected to your broader sales and marketing efforts.
If you find yourself spending more time tweaking workflows than actually talking to customers, it’s time to recalibrate.
Keep It Simple and Iterate
The best ABM campaigns in Browse aren’t the flashiest—they’re the ones you actually finish and learn from. Start focused, keep your list tight, and don’t be afraid to kill what isn’t working. Iterate every month. ABM is a process, not a one-off campaign.
You don’t need to be a genius, just disciplined. Good luck.