The Best Account Based Marketing Tactics for B2B Growth

Account-based marketing (ABM) has emerged as one of the most effective strategies for B2B companies targeting high-value clients. Unlike broad lead-generation campaigns, ABM focuses on identifying and engaging specific accounts that are the best fit for your product or service. To make this approach successful, companies need the right set of account based marketing tactics that go beyond simple outreach.

This guide explores the most effective and practical account based marketing tactics you can implement to build deeper relationships, accelerate sales cycles, and grow revenue from key accounts.

Table of Contents

Why Account Based Marketing Works

Before diving into tactics, it’s worth understanding why ABM has become a priority for modern B2B marketing teams. Traditional inbound and outbound methods rely on volume—attracting as many leads as possible and converting a small percentage of them. ABM, on the other hand, prioritizes quality over quantity.

Key reasons why account based marketing works:

Personalized experiences resonate more with decision-makers
Sales and marketing alignment ensures consistency
Marketing efforts are focused, reducing waste
Higher ROI due to targeting high-value accounts
Better tracking of influence across long sales cycles

ABM is particularly powerful in industries with long decision-making processes, large deal sizes, and multiple stakeholders involved in a purchase.

1. Build a Precise Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)

The foundation of all account based marketing tactics is a clear definition of your ideal customer profile. This ensures your resources go toward accounts that are the most likely to convert and deliver long-term value.

To build an effective ICP:

Analyze your best customers: Look at company size, industry, budget, and deal history
Identify patterns in success: Use internal data to find characteristics linked to customer satisfaction or renewals
Include negative qualifiers: Define who is not a good fit to reduce waste

This step is essential before selecting target accounts or crafting messaging. A strong ICP acts as a filter and a guide.

2. Create Tiered Account Lists

Not all accounts are equal. One of the more strategic account based marketing tactics is dividing your targets into tiers. This allows you to apply different levels of personalization and investment based on the account’s potential value.

Typical account tiers:

Tier 1: High-value, strategic accounts – one-to-one marketing
Tier 2: Medium-value accounts – one-to-few campaigns
Tier 3: Lower-priority or scalable opportunities – one-to-many ABM

For Tier 1 accounts, each campaign might be completely customized. For Tier 3, personalization might be limited to industry or job title. This structure allows you to scale without losing relevance.

3. Align Sales and Marketing Around Account Plans

One of the defining traits of successful ABM programs is deep collaboration between sales and marketing. Joint account planning ensures both teams understand the target account’s needs, goals, and buying committee.

Effective collaboration tactics include:

Shared dashboards tracking engagement and pipeline activity
Weekly syncs to discuss target account progress
Co-developed outreach cadences
Joint messaging frameworks and campaign content

Account based marketing tactics that fail to align sales and marketing tend to underperform. Both teams must operate from the same strategy and data set.

4. Personalized Email Outreach at the Account Level

Email remains one of the most direct and effective account based marketing tactics when used strategically. Instead of bulk emails or generic templates, ABM requires highly relevant, account-specific messaging.

Tactics for personalized outreach:

Reference recent company news or initiatives
Address the recipient’s role and department challenges
Offer tailored content such as a custom case study or benchmark report
Use first-touch emails to spark interest, then nurture with sequenced messages

High-quality personalization signals that you’ve done your homework and builds credibility with decision-makers.

5. Develop Customized Content for Target Accounts

Content marketing is still a key driver in ABM—but the content must be adapted to the needs of specific accounts or industries. Generic blog posts or whitepapers won’t cut it. Instead, use tailored content to open doors and support deal progression.

Examples of ABM-focused content:

Custom landing pages for each Tier 1 account
Account-specific executive summaries or proposals
Industry-specific case studies and ROI calculators
Personalized video messages or product demos
Competitive analysis tailored to the account’s market

This level of content customization shows that you understand the account’s world and have solutions for their specific pain points.

6. Leverage LinkedIn for Strategic Engagement

LinkedIn is one of the most powerful platforms for executing account based marketing tactics, especially in B2B. With LinkedIn, you can target entire buying committees, engage with their content, and promote tailored ads.

Effective LinkedIn tactics include:

Running Sponsored Content targeting job titles within specific companies
Connecting personally with decision-makers and engaging with their posts
Sending InMail messages based on shared interests or company goals
Retargeting account visitors with customized offers or invitations

The goal isn’t just to advertise—it’s to build familiarity and trust within the account’s organization.

7. Run Multi-Channel ABM Campaigns

Relying on a single channel limits your reach. One of the most effective account based marketing tactics is orchestrating campaigns across multiple touchpoints.

Typical ABM channels:

Email
LinkedIn and social media
Web personalization
Direct mail (physical packages or printed assets)
Phone calls or SMS outreach
Events and webinars

Multi-channel engagement ensures your message reaches stakeholders no matter where they are in the buyer’s journey. The key is consistency—each touchpoint should reinforce the same core message.

8. Personalize the Website Experience for Target Accounts

Website personalization allows you to tailor messaging and CTAs when a target account visits your site. Using tools like Clearbit, Demandbase, or Mutiny, you can dynamically change web content based on the visitor’s company, industry, or behavior.

Personalization ideas:

Show a custom headline based on industry
Recommend content or case studies relevant to the account
Highlight client logos that match the visitor’s sector
Offer exclusive demos or consultations

This tactic creates a more relevant experience and increases conversion rates for target accounts.

9. Host VIP Events or Webinars for Target Accounts

Events remain a valuable tactic in building relationships with key accounts. Hosting private webinars or invite-only sessions gives you the chance to provide value, demonstrate expertise, and learn more about your prospects.

Effective event ideas:

Executive briefings tailored to industry trends
Roundtable discussions for decision-makers
Early access product previews
Live Q&A sessions with internal subject matter experts

Make the experience feel exclusive and customized for the attendees. This helps deepen engagement and positions your brand as a trusted partner.

10. Use Intent Data to Prioritize Outreach

Not all target accounts are ready to buy at the same time. Intent data helps you identify when an account is showing signs of purchase interest, allowing you to focus outreach when it matters most.

Sources of intent data:

Website behavior (pages viewed, downloads, time on site)
Third-party platforms like Bombora or 6sense
Content engagement via email or webinars
CRM activity patterns

Using this data, you can prioritize accounts that are actively researching solutions and tailor your messaging accordingly.

11. Measure Account Engagement and Optimize

No set of account based marketing tactics is complete without measurement. Traditional lead metrics don’t tell the full story in ABM. Instead, track account-level engagement across multiple channels and map it to pipeline activity.

Important ABM metrics include:

Account engagement score
Pipeline created per target account
Win rate by account tier
Content consumption across stakeholders
Influence of marketing on deal progression

This data helps you identify what’s working, where campaigns need improvement, and how sales and marketing efforts contribute to revenue.

12. Enable Sales with Account Intelligence

Sales enablement is a critical, often overlooked part of ABM. Marketing teams should equip sales with deep account insights, messaging assets, and competitive intelligence.

Sales enablement tactics:

One-pagers summarizing account background and challenges
Talking points tied to the prospect’s current initiatives
Custom battlecards for competitive positioning
Real-time alerts when target accounts engage

Empowering sales with the right tools at the right time increases confidence and improves closing rates.

Final Thoughts

The most successful account based marketing tactics aren’t about flashy tools or one-off campaigns. They’re about alignment, focus, personalization, and persistence. When executed well, ABM enables businesses to break into hard-to-reach accounts, build long-term relationships, and close deals that truly move the needle.

Whether you’re just getting started with ABM or scaling a mature strategy, using these account based marketing tactics will help you focus your efforts where they matter most—on the accounts that drive growth.