If you’re tired of generic “spray and pray” outreach and want your campaigns to actually connect with the right people, you’re in the right place. This guide is for marketers, sales teams, or founders who want to use account-based marketing (ABM) — and specifically, how to set up a focused ABM campaign using Wume for targeted outreach.
You don’t need to be a software genius. But you do need to avoid falling for the latest “AI-driven engagement synergy” pitch and focus on what actually gets results: the right list, tight messaging, and a simple, testable process.
Let’s walk through it, step by step.
Step 1: Get Your Account and House in Order
Before you start fiddling with campaign settings, make sure you’re set up for success:
- Get access: Make sure you’ve got a Wume account with permissions to create campaigns.
- Integrate your data: Connect your CRM, email, and any data sources you plan to use. Wume can do a lot, but your campaign’s only as good as the data you feed it.
- Decide your team: Who’s running the campaign? Who’s writing copy? Who’s following up with leads? If it’s just you, great. If not, clarify roles upfront.
Pro tip: If you’re inheriting a Wume instance from someone else, double-check the integrations and user permissions. Old, broken connections or zombie users can mess up your campaign later.
Step 2: Define Your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and Target Accounts
Don’t skip this. The biggest ABM mistake is targeting “everyone who might buy.” That’s lazy — and you’ll waste time and money.
- ICP basics: Figure out exactly who you want to reach. This means company size, industry, geography, tech stack, pain points — the works.
- Build your target account list: Wume lets you import lists from your CRM, upload CSVs, or (if your plan supports it) use its built-in firmographic filters to build a list.
- Prioritize ruthlessly: If you’ve got 2,000 accounts, you don’t have an ABM campaign — you have a cold email blast. Start with a list you can actually personalize for. 25–100 is a sweet spot for most teams.
What works: - Hyper-specific lists. “Midwest SaaS companies with 50–200 employees using Salesforce” beats “tech companies” every time. - Use real buying signals (funding, hiring, tech adoption) rather than just guessing.
What to skip: - Don’t chase logos just because they’re big. Focus on accounts that match your ICP and are actually reachable.
Step 3: Map Contacts and Buying Committees
ABM isn’t just about companies. It’s about the people inside those companies.
- Identify key roles: Who actually makes the buying decision? Who’s a blocker? Who’s an influencer?
- Contact sourcing: Wume can pull in contact data if integrated with sources like LinkedIn, Apollo, or your CRM. Double-check the info — nothing kills credibility like emailing the wrong “John Smith.”
- Personalize at the person level: Add custom fields for each contact (pain points, recent news, shared connections). This will pay off huge later.
Pro tip: Don’t get stuck chasing the CEO if there’s a Director or Manager-level person who can champion your solution. Go where the real conversation is happening.
Step 4: Craft Your Messaging and Content
Here’s where most campaigns crash and burn: sending generic, “Hi {{first_name}}, hope you’re well!” nonsense.
- Segment your messaging: Group your target accounts by key pain points or use cases, and write copy that speaks directly to them.
- Create a message sequence: Wume supports multi-step sequences (emails, LinkedIn, calls). You don’t need a novel — usually 3–5 touches is plenty.
- Use real insights: Mention specifics about their company, recent news, or shared connections. Wume’s dynamic fields can help, but don’t rely on automation for everything.
What works: - Short, honest outreach that doesn’t feel automated. - Offering something genuinely useful (case study, audit, intro call with an expert).
What doesn’t: - Templates that look like templates. - Long-winded intros and zero personalization.
Step 5: Set Up Your Campaign in Wume
Now it’s time to get your hands dirty. Here’s how to build your campaign in Wume without getting lost in the weeds:
- Create a new campaign: Name it something clear (“Q3 Midwest SaaS ABM – July 2024” beats “Outreach 7”).
- Upload/import your target list: Bring in your vetted account and contact data. Tag and segment as needed.
- Build your sequence:
- Set your touchpoints (email, LinkedIn, calls, custom steps).
- Add your tailored messaging for each step.
- Use Wume’s dynamic fields for basics (name, company) but handcraft anything critical.
- Assign tasks and owners: If you’re working with a team, make sure follow-ups and manual steps are assigned.
- Set sending rules: Control your daily sending limits, time windows, and opt-out handling. Wume can automate a lot, but don’t go overboard — blasting 500 emails a day is a one-way ticket to spam filters.
Pro tip: Preview your sequence as if you were the recipient. If it sounds canned, go back and tweak.
Step 6: Test, Review, and Launch
Don’t trust the “preview” button alone. Test every step:
- Send test messages: Always send to yourself and a colleague first. Check for broken links, weird formatting, and missing personalization.
- Check deliverability tools: Wume will warn you if you’re likely to hit spam traps, but don’t ignore classic best practices (custom domains, warmed-up inboxes).
- QA your targeting: Spot-check 10–20 contacts to make sure you’re not about to email the wrong person or a competitor by mistake.
Only after you’re confident in the setup should you hit “launch.”
Step 7: Monitor, Respond, and Iterate
ABM campaigns aren’t “set it and forget it.” You need to stay on top of replies, bounces, and weird stuff.
- Track responses in real time: Wume’s dashboard will show opens, clicks, replies, and tasks due.
- Handle manual steps: If your sequence calls for a phone call or a LinkedIn connection, don’t skip it — those are often the highest-yield actions.
- Pause or tweak: If you’re seeing bad results (no replies, high bounces), pause the campaign and figure out what’s broken. Don’t just hope it’ll get better.
- Document learnings: Make notes after the first week. What messages landed? Which titles responded? Where did you get stuck?
What to ignore: Vanity metrics like open rates. Focus on meetings booked, real replies, and pipeline created.
Step 8: Rinse, Repeat, and Scale — Carefully
Once you’ve got a campaign that works, then you can think about scaling up.
- Clone what works: Duplicate high-performing campaigns and tweak for new segments.
- Don’t get lazy: The temptation is to just “add more accounts” and blast away. Resist this. Personalization is what makes ABM work — don’t lose that.
- Keep your lists clean: Regularly update your target accounts and contacts. Outdated data leads to embarrassing mistakes.
Final Thoughts: Keep It Simple and Iterate
ABM with Wume isn’t magic, and the platform won’t save you from bad lists or bland messaging. The real secret is to start small, focus on quality over quantity, and always look for ways to refine your process.
Don’t get distracted by every new feature or integration. Get the basics right, measure honestly, and improve as you go. That’s how you actually get results — not just more noise in someone’s inbox.
Good luck, and remember: less is often more.