Blog / Common Account-Based Marketing Challenges and How to Overcome Them

In the world of B2B marketing, marketers like yourself need effective ways to generate leads and drive revenue. Traditional marketing strategies often spread their resources too thin. We’ve all been there. This is where account-based marketing (ABM) steps in as a powerful approach that aligns sales and marketing teams to target high-value accounts. But while it’s a game changer, it comes with its own set of account-based marketing challenges.

We all know navigating these complexities can be difficult at times, particularly in the B2B space where sales cycles can feel incredibly long. Businesses must learn how to overcome ABM challenges to succeed.

What sets ABM Apart?

What makes account-based marketing special is that it allows businesses to concentrate resources, particularly sales and marketing, on engaging a specific set of high-value accounts.

Instead of broadcasting your marketing message widely, ABM allows for highly personalised  activities tailored to the individual needs of each account using an particular framework agreed upon between various stakeholders before embarking on any marketing activities.

The goal? Drive engagement and conversions from those key accounts. This in turn boosts ROI through intentional activations, and strengthens client relationships for an improved CLV.

Overcoming common challenges in ABM

While ABM offers a powerful way to optimise marketing efforts for greater returns, its successful implementation does hinge on understanding and addressing potential challenges along the way. Let’s discuss some common ABM challenges.

1. Thinking of ABM as Simply a Campaign

Let’s get one thing straight: ABM is NOT a campaign. It represents a shift in mindset, a strategic approach to B2B marketing that needs to permeate your entire organisation.

The danger in treating it as a standalone campaign? Your efforts will fall flat. You’re bound to encounter issues like:

• • Poorly defined target accounts.
  • Misaligned sales and marketing efforts.
  • An over-reliance on generic messaging.
  • Missed opportunities to nurture valuable relationships long term.

2. Ideal Customer Profile Misalignment

One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is assuming they have their Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) down. They may think, “We already know who our best customers are.”. But aligning on an ICP is absolutely essential when trying to reach new customers. This will improve lead scoring and help your team select accounts with more accuracy.

How to Solve This

• • Dig deeper into existing client data. Who are your most profitable customers? What common characteristics, industry sectors, or challenges tie them together? Understanding your ICP at this level is essential when implementing an effective ABM strategy. Third-party data and data platforms can enhance your understanding.
  • Analyse which accounts engage most with your content and convert best. Once your ABM strategy is implemented you’ll want to continue refining your ICP and audience targeting to continuously refine and get the most from your campaigns. This is a crucial ABM step.

 Learn more about ICPs and account tiering.

3. Lack of Alignment Between Sales and Marketing

We’ve mentioned this one before, and we’ll keep mentioning it until it’s no longer an issue in ABM. 

Even with a well-defined ICP, the success of your account-based marketing strategy hinges on collaboration between your sales and marketing teams. They need to be on the same page regarding targets, messaging, and overall campaign objectives.

Regular communication between the two is essential for course correcting in real-time should the need arise, and of course, to ensure everything is moving toward the same desired outcome. Sharing successes on a regular basis is key to maintaining alignment.

Fostering an environment of open communication and clearly defined goals and responsibilities can help keep everyone on track.

4. Keeping Content Personalised

Targeting a larger number of accounts may make it tricky to personalise content and experiences. Yet this granular personalisation is often what sets successful ABM campaigns apart.

To address this, leverage technology. Explore intent and AI-powered tools designed specifically for creating and scaling those personalised experiences without draining resources. Consider using a demand centre to streamline content creation and distribution. Content creation is crucial for ABM, and personalising that content  at scale will enrich efforts to reach your ICP.

5. Dependency on Expensive Tools and Technologies

The flip side of this technology coin is relying solely on sophisticated technologies without first having a well-defined strategy in place. It’s no secret that ABM tools and technology play a key role in automating tasks, personalising outreach, and measuring results. It’s also true that some of these solutions will cost a pretty penny. Don’t fall into the trap of overreliance on expensive tools.

Start with clear business objectives and map your technology needs directly to those objectives rather than adopting shiny, new tools just because. That’s just throwing money down the drain. Tools should align with your budget and ABM strategy.

6. Not Enough Patience

ABM takes time to deliver meaningful results because B2B sales cycles, by nature, can be long. You need to nurture relationships with key accounts, establish thought leadership, and guide them through a longer buying journey.

Unless this is communicated clearly from the beginning, you may have board members within organisations becoming impatient when immediate results aren’t visible after only a few weeks. However, to increase the chances of ABM success, patience and persistence, along with attainable metrics and clear communication, are crucial.

7. Difficulties Measuring ROI and Demonstrating Value

Demonstrating ROI from marketing activities is vital. Unfortunately, many organisations fall short in effectively measuring their return on investment, especially with complex ABM programmes. In some instances, it can take up to 18 months to see real return on investment for your ABM efforts. The lack of clarity makes it tough to prove the programme’s worth. This is one of the biggest challenges of account-based marketing.

By setting up proper tracking mechanisms for crucial ABM metrics, in the early stages, businesses can gain valuable insight into the effectiveness of their ABM strategies and showcase their success to key stakeholders. Focusing on business outcomes instead of vanity metrics is essential. Some useful metrics which focus on account progression include account engagement score, pipeline velocity, average deal size and win rate. 

Overcoming these Account Based Marketing Challenges

Successfully navigating the challenges of account-based marketing means embracing its nuances while developing practical solutions. This requires a deep understanding of the ABM journey and the pain points businesses face.

Recognize that ABM goes far beyond just being another tool; it signifies a significant shift in overall strategy that demands dedication, long-term investment, and a clear understanding of what ABM truly is and how to maximise its full potential. It’s about moving from a lead generation mindset to a focus on high-value accounts and long-term business growth.

Your Next ABM steps

Account-based marketing challenges are inevitable when businesses transition to this focused and personalised approach. Addressing potential challenges head-on ensures successful ABM adoption. It sets the stage for increased ROI and stronger client relationships by aligning sales and marketing efforts. This positions businesses for greater success in an evolving B2B landscape.

Enhance your knowledge further for B2B success by reading our insightful article on the necessity of a solid ABM strategy before investing in ABM tools.