Posting Best Practices
Yasmina Akni Ebourki
Last updated: Oct 18, 2024
The new technique that breaks away from traditional marketing models is Account Based Marketing (ABM).
If you've never heard of it or if you're familiar with the concept and want to learn more, let me take you on a guided tour of this strategy so you can apply it to your business.
It's incredibly easy to implement on LinkedIn, allowing you to generate new sales while significantly improving your understanding of customers, making the attraction process more effective.
TL;DR: Account-Based Marketing (ABM) is a prospecting technique on LinkedIn that focuses on engaging specific high-value clients through personalized outreach rather than traditional broad marketing tactics. By identifying key accounts, understanding their needs, and leveraging tools like LinkedIn Sales Navigator, you can enhance your outreach efforts.
What is LinkedIn Account-Based Marketing (ABM)?
Constantly sending messages in search of the ideal client is reminiscent of traditional marketing strategies.
However, let's be honest: this approach is neither the most effective nor does it yield the best responses.
Nowadays, most people ignore phone calls and countless messages.
What truly works is a more targeted strategy that involves a deep understanding of your customer.
This is where Account-Based Marketing (ABM) comes into play.
ABM is a marketing strategy focused on defining a client with specific needs or challenges.
In the B2B sector, this means pinpointing the companies best suited for your product or service.
The goal is to engage these clients in a more natural way, making them feel valued and relevant by understanding precisely what aspects of what you’re offering align with their interests.
This approach not only fosters more engagement but also drives increased sales for your business.
Why Use LinkedIn for ABM?
Although Account-Based Marketing (ABM) has been around for some time, it gained significant attention during the COVID pandemic.
For sales professionals, traditional methods like making calls and attending events became challenging, necessitating a new way to generate leads.
ABM effectively unites both sales and marketing professionals, creating a collaborative approach.
Working closely with marketing teams enables a more targeted strategy, making your outreach much more precise.
By focusing on ABM, you connect directly with decision-makers, fostering stronger relationships.
This allows you to understand the challenges of the companies you aim to reach and propose solutions that directly address their needs.
In other words, you understand their problems from the start, making your proposals more relevant.
Unlike traditional marketing, which often involves sending messages to a large volume of recipients, ABM targets specific, high-value accounts.
While traditional marketing relies on broader tactics, ABM uses a more personalized approach.
The primary aim is to engage in one-on-one interactions, thereby enhancing the likelihood of success.
Setting Up Your LinkedIn ABM Strategy
To begin, this approach is designed to focus on one account at a time, fostering direct connections.
This might involve targeting a specific company or creating a list of potential companies.
Here are the steps you should take to establish your ABM strategy:
Identifying Key Accounts
Start by identifying the ideal client or target account you want to engage with.
It’s crucial to know precisely whom you want to contact and how your solutions address their specific needs.
Understand their business, challenges, competitors, and how your product directly meets their needs.
Determine if they have shown interest in similar products or previously interacted with others in your industry.
Once gathered, compile this information into a profile that highlights the challenges your target accounts face and outlines their sales process.
With this understanding, the next step is to develop specialized content for targeted LinkedIn campaigns.
This content should address their specific challenges, positioning your company as a solution provider.
You can then reach out through one-on-one engagement, either via email or by creating valuable posts that resonate with them.
After launching your campaign, it’s essential to follow up to ensure everything is progressing as planned.
Finally, monitor and analyze your ABM campaign results consistently, adjusting your tactics as needed to maximize your return on investment (ROI).
Creating Customized Content for Targeted Accounts
A fundamental aspect of ABM is the personal touch it provides by engaging directly with individual accounts representing businesses, making personal branding essential.
Your LinkedIn profile should be well-curated and consistently deliver valuable, industry-related content, regardless of the number of followers.
Additionally, identify any shared connections within the sector, as these can facilitate engagement and open doors for deeper discussions and valuable opportunities.
Using LinkedIn Sales Navigator for ABM
You might be wondering, "How do I identify the exact person I need to contact after analyzing all this data?"
One of LinkedIn's powerful tools for this purpose is LinkedIn Sales Navigator.
While it is a paid version of LinkedIn, it offers a wealth of filters that can help you identify the right sales professional or decision-maker in the company you are targeting.
With Sales Navigator, you can create highly targeted searches based on specific criteria, making it easier to find the professionals who match your ideal client profile.
By crafting a personalized message that addresses their experience and the challenges they face, you increase the likelihood of receiving a response.
Remember, messages sent from a personal account tend to have a higher chance of engagement compared to those sent from a company account.
Using LinkedIn Sales Navigator not only streamlines the prospecting process but also enhances the effectiveness of your outreach efforts.
Engaging Key Accounts with LinkedIn Tools
A key factor that makes the Account-Based Marketing (ABM) strategy so effective is its emphasis on personalization, setting it apart from traditional marketing approaches.
By "personal," we mean utilizing both your LinkedIn profile and those of the salespeople in your company to build meaningful connections.
Thus, you and your colleagues should focus on creating content on LinkedIn and building a strong network with well-personalized profiles.
Additionally, you can leverage these profiles to post promotional content that highlights your products or services, extending reach through your team’s individual profiles.
Creating High-Quality Content with AI
To connect with potential clients on LinkedIn, it’s essential to remain active on the platform.
If creating content feels time-consuming or if you'd prefer to focus solely on client acquisition, remember that consistent content visibility is vital for strengthening both your brand and personal presence.
You can leverage external tools that help generate content in seconds, enabling you to share posts consistently without disruption.
One of the best and most affordable options is MagicPost.
Specifically designed for LinkedIn, it allows you to quickly create tailored content in the ideal format for the platform.
In addition to standard AI capabilities, MagicPost includes a supplementary algorithm that optimizes generated content specifically for LinkedIn.
Additionally, by staying organized, you can maximize your posts and schedule them directly within the app, ensuring consistent content throughout the month.
This approach simplifies content creation and removes the need for external hires, which can often be more costly.
While this process complements your ABM strategy, it becomes essential if LinkedIn is central to your business.
To engage with your target clients effectively, a helpful technique is to begin by interacting with their posts.
By liking or commenting on what they share, you increase the likelihood that, when you reach out with a message, they will recognize you.
Leveraging LinkedIn InMail for Personalized Outreach
Now that we’ve completed all the key stages, it’s time to start reaching out to our targets.
This is the moment to take action and deliver your message with precision.
There are several effective methods for contacting your prospects:
Use external tools: Consider leveraging external tools designed for prospecting and sending batch messages. These can help streamline your outreach efforts.
Craft personalized messages on LinkedIn: When you know exactly who you want to target, writing direct and personal messages is a powerful approach. Write your message to address their specific needs and interests.
Use LinkedIn account targeting: If you have LinkedIn Premium, you can run targeted ad campaigns aimed at the top accounts on your list. This allows you to reach the exact organizations or sectors you have identified as valuable prospects.
By implementing these strategies, you can enhance your outreach and improve your chances of generating meaningful connections on LinkedIn.
