Account-Based Marketing (ABM), also known as key account marketing, is a highly focused B2B growth strategy in which marketing and sales teams work together to target specific high-value accounts with personalized campaigns. Instead of casting a wide net, ABM flips the traditional funnel: it starts by identifying the right accounts and builds tailored experiences to engage and convert them.

As capturing attention gets more difficult in the age of personalization and ad fatigue, ABM offers a strategic solution. When done right, it can significantly improve ROI, accelerate pipeline velocity, and strengthen customer relationships.

Let’s walk through how to plan and execute an ABM strategy that works in 2025 and beyond.

What Is Account-Based Marketing?

ABM brings sales and marketing into alignment to focus on shared targets. As Adobe (which acquired Marketo) puts it, ABM “orchestrates personalized buying experiences for a set of high-value accounts through a combination of marketing, sales, and customer success.”

It’s no longer enough to rely on volume-based lead generation. With ABM, you prioritize quality over quantity—speaking directly to the companies that matter most. This approach not only drives revenue but also fosters deeper engagement across the customer lifecycle.

Start With the ABM Pyramid

Before you jump into tactics, you need a solid targeting framework. The ABM Pyramid helps segment accounts by level of engagement and personalization:

• Tier 1: Strategic ABM (One-to-One)
  Reserved for your highest-priority accounts. Each gets a fully customized strategy and content plan, often involving direct outreach, executive involvement, and deep research. 
• Tier 2: ABM Lite (One-to-Few)
  Focuses on clusters of 10–50 similar accounts with shared pain points. Messaging is tailored, but not as deeply individualized as Tier 1. 
• Tier 3: Programmatic ABM (One-to-Many)
  Uses automation and data to reach hundreds of accounts grouped by industry, region, or business model. Personalization at scale happens through dynamic content and intent-based targeting.

Pro tip: Use intent data and AI tools to dynamically assign accounts to tiers based on engagement, buying signals, and fit.

Defining Your ICP (Ideal Customer Profile)

Successful ABM starts with identifying the right accounts. Build your ICP using criteria like:

• Company size and industry
• Revenue potential
• Technographic or firmographic data
• Buying behavior and decision-makers
• Growth stage or funding

Involve both sales and marketing in this process. ABM is only effective when both sides agree on what success looks like.

Tools That Power ABM in 2025

1. HubSpot (for automation, CRM, and reporting)

HubSpot remains a leader in ABM software—especially for companies using its Marketing and Sales Hubs at the Professional or Enterprise level.

Key ABM features include:

• Target Account dashboards with unified views of engagement
  
• Contact and company scoring based on behavior and intent
• Dynamic content, smart CTAs, and AB testing
• Automated workflows for segmentation, lead nurturing, and alerts
• Integration with tools like LinkedIn Sales Navigator, RollWorks, Postal, and Slack

HubSpot’s strength is its all-in-one approach. For companies just starting with ABM, it reduces the tech stack and centralizes everything in one platform.

2. ZoomInfo (for data, enrichment, and intent)

ZoomInfo is a go-to for B2B lead intelligence and intent data.

You can use it to:

• Discover in-market accounts showing buying signals
• Enrich your CRM with accurate contact and firmographic data
• Identify anonymous website visitors via reverse-IP lookup
• Integrate directly with HubSpot, Salesforce, Outreach, and other ABM tools
• Segment and export ICP-matching accounts for outreach

With privacy changes impacting third-party data, ZoomInfo’s compliance-first approach and AI-powered insights help you maintain relevance without risking violations.

Emerging Tools & Trends Worth Watching

• AI-powered personalization tools like Mutiny and Jasper are helping teams deliver custom landing pages and messaging at scale.
• Intent-driven ad platforms like RollWorks and 6sense allow you to serve display ads only to accounts showing active buying behavior.
• Offline engagement through platforms like Sendoso or Postal helps break through digital fatigue with physical gifts or personalized mailers.
• Revenue teams (sales + marketing + customer success) are aligning more closely than ever to execute full-lifecycle ABM—focusing on expansion and retention, not just acquisition.

How to Launch Your ABM Strategy

Step 1: Align your team
Bring together sales, marketing, and even customer success to define roles, goals, and processes.

Step 2: Define goals and KPIs
Start with outcomes: pipeline value, deal velocity, account engagement, or customer lifetime value (CLV). Don’t just track MQLs.

Step 3: Select and segment target accounts
Use the ABM pyramid to assign accounts to different tiers based on value and intent. Tools like ZoomInfo and HubSpot help automate this.

Step 4: Build personas and messaging
Understand each buying committee and create personalized messaging for each persona, pain point, and channel.

Step 5: Choose your channels
Email, LinkedIn, direct mail, paid ads, content syndication, and webinars—pick what aligns best with your audience’s preferences.

Step 6: Execute and optimize
Launch your campaigns with tight coordination across departments. Use dashboards to monitor account activity, and be ready to pivot.

Step 7: Measure ROI
Focus on account progression: meetings booked, pipeline generated, and revenue influenced. Attribution can be complex—make sure you have alignment on what success means.

The Bottom Line: ABM Is About Focused Growth

ABM isn’t just a marketing strategy—it’s a business growth philosophy. It’s about aligning every part of your organization around the accounts that matter most, building meaningful relationships, and growing revenue in a smart, scalable way.

Yes, it takes work—but the results speak for themselves.

Need Help Getting Started?

Site-Seeker’s team of experts can help you launch a high-impact ABM strategy tailored to your business. Whether you’re new to the concept or looking to scale, we’ve got the tools, the team, and the proven track record to support your goals.

Let’s connect.