If you're running B2B campaigns and tired of spray-and-pray ads, account based advertising sounds like the answer. But just buying a tool like Terminus doesn't mean you'll magically reach the right people or know if you're winning. This is for marketers and ops folks who want to get real results (and real data) from Terminus, without wasting time or budget on shiny features that don’t matter.
Below, I’ll walk through how to actually set up and measure an account based advertising (ABA) campaign in Terminus, from picking the right accounts to figuring out what’s working. I'll call out what’s useful, what’s noise, and where you can skip the fluff.
1. Get Your Target Account List Right
Before you open Terminus, you need a solid list of accounts. This is the single most important part of any ABA campaign. If your list is garbage, your campaign will be too.
How to build a good list: - Start narrow. Don’t upload your entire CRM. Pick a segment: ICP-fit, industry, revenue range, or geography. - Use real data. Pull recent win/loss, intent signals, or CRM scoring—not just sales hunches. - Check the data quality. Make sure the company names and domains are accurate. Bad domains = wasted impressions.
Pro tip: If you can’t explain why each account is on your list, your list is too broad.
2. Prep Your Audience Data for Terminus
Terminus matches ads to companies using domains and, sometimes, contact-level data. Garbage in = garbage out.
- Format your list. Usually a CSV with columns for company name, domain, and maybe account owner.
- Map to CRM IDs if you want closed-loop reporting. This makes later measurement (and sales handoff) much easier.
- Remove duplicates and junk records.
Upload your list into Terminus, or use a CRM integration if you have it set up. Don’t trust automated “account mapping” to get it all right—spot check the matches.
3. Build Segments and Audiences in Terminus
Inside Terminus, you’ll use your account list to create segments (groups of accounts) for advertising.
- Break up large lists. If you have 1,000 accounts, don’t target them all the same way. Segment by industry, buying stage, or intent.
- Add filters. Narrow it by region, company size, or intent score, depending on your goals.
- Beware of segment overlap. It’s easy to accidentally target the same account with multiple campaigns—watch your frequency.
Honest take: You don’t need 15 segments for a first run. Start with 2-3 meaningful groups max.
4. Set Up Your Ad Campaigns
Now, the fun part: building the actual campaigns. Here’s what matters and what doesn’t.
a. Choose the Right Ad Formats
Terminus supports display ads (most common), LinkedIn integration, and sometimes retargeting.
- Display ads: Good for broad awareness. Don’t expect lead forms—think “air cover.”
- LinkedIn: More expensive but better targeting for job titles and functions.
- Don’t bother with video or fancy formats unless you have budget and creative.
b. Build Creative That Doesn’t Suck
- Use simple, clear messaging. “See why [Industry] leaders use [Your Product]” beats vague slogans every time.
- Have a clear call to action. Even if it’s just “Learn More.”
- Size matters. Upload all the required ad sizes—Terminus will tell you what you need. Don’t skip this, or your ads won’t show.
c. Set Budgets and Flight Dates
- Start small. $500–$2,000/month per segment is plenty for test campaigns.
- Set realistic dates. 2-4 weeks minimum to see any impact.
- Don’t turn on “always on” just yet. See what works first.
5. Launch and Double-Check Everything
Before you go live:
- Preview your audience. Check that accounts look right and you’re not missing big ones.
- Test your ad creative. Click through the preview links.
- Confirm tracking is set up. Terminus uses pixels for site activity—make sure it’s firing. If you use UTM tags, double-check them.
Pro tip: Run a “soft launch” to internal folks or a small group first, to catch obvious mistakes.
6. Measure What Actually Matters
Now for the part most people screw up: measurement. Terminus will show you lots of numbers. Only a few matter.
Key Metrics to Track
- Account Reach: Are you actually showing ads to your target accounts? If reach is low, your list or creative may be off.
- Impressions and Clicks: Basic volume numbers. Don’t obsess over clickthrough rate—it’ll be low, and that’s normal in B2B.
- Website Engagement: Are target accounts visiting your site more? Look at account-level web activity, not just overall traffic.
- Pipeline Influence: Did your target accounts move forward—book meetings, respond to sales, or enter pipeline? Tie this back to your CRM.
Ignore These (Mostly)
- Raw leads from ads. ABA is about influence, not lead gen.
- View-through attribution. It’s fuzzy math. Good as a directional indicator, not proof.
How to Report
- Account-Level Dashboards: Use Terminus’s reporting to show which accounts are engaging.
- Show Before/After: Did engagement with your site or sales team go up after the campaign?
- Tie to Pipeline, Not Just Clicks: Sales cares about meetings, not impressions. Line up campaign timelines with pipeline movement.
7. Iterate, Don’t Automate Everything
No ABA campaign is perfect on the first try. Here’s how to make it better:
- Review weekly. Look at which segments are seeing ads and which aren’t.
- Pause underperforming ads. If a creative isn’t getting impressions or clicks, swap it out.
- Refine your account list. Remove accounts that aren’t a good fit or aren’t engaging.
- Talk to sales. They’ll tell you if accounts are actually responding.
Don’t: Set and forget. Don’t chase every new feature Terminus launches. Focus on the basics.
Common Pitfalls (and How to Dodge Them)
- Too broad a list: Narrow it down. If you’re targeting “all SaaS companies,” you’re wasting money.
- Bad data: Garbage domains = zero reach.
- Measuring the wrong stuff: Influence is the goal, not form fills.
- Ignoring sales feedback: If the sales team says the accounts aren’t right, listen.
Final Thoughts: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Account based advertising in Terminus is powerful, but only if you focus on the fundamentals: a good list, clear segments, simple creative, and honest measurement. Don’t get distracted by dashboards full of vanity metrics or “AI-powered” features you don’t need.
Start small, pay attention to what’s actually happening with your target accounts, and tweak as you go. Simplicity and iteration beat complexity every time. Good luck!