What ABM actually is (and isn’t)
ABM is a go-to-market strategy where you identify a specific list of target accounts and coordinate marketing and sales activity around those accounts — rather than casting a wide net and hoping the right companies find you. The distinction matters because it changes how you measure success: not impressions or MQL volume, but account engagement, pipeline created from target accounts, and account penetration rate.
ABM is not: personalising emails with first names. It’s not retargeting everyone who visited your website. And it’s not just LinkedIn ads with company targeting turned on. Those things can be part of an ABM motion — but ABM is the strategy that organises them around a specific account list with a specific goal.
Phase 1: Build the account list (week 1–2)
Your ABM programme lives or dies on account list quality. A 500-account list of well-qualified targets will outperform a 5,000-account spray every time. Here’s how we build it:
Step 1: Pull your closed-won data
Take your last 20–50 closed-won deals and identify the firmographic patterns: company size (revenue and headcount), sector, geography, tech stack, funding stage, and growth rate. These are your best-fit accounts. Build your ICP from reality, not assumptions.
Step 2: Identify intent and trigger signals
Layer in signals that indicate buying readiness: companies hiring for roles that suggest your problem (e.g., a company hiring a “Head of Revenue Operations” is a target for RevOps tools), companies that recently raised funding, companies using competitor tools (tools like BuiltWith or G2 Buyer Intent surface this), and companies engaging with your category content on G2 or Capterra.
Step 3: Score and tier the list
Tier 1 (top 50–100 accounts): highest fit + active signals. These get white-glove outreach — personalised direct mail, executive-level LinkedIn touches, bespoke content. Tier 2 (100–300 accounts): high fit, lower signal. LinkedIn ads + sequenced SDR outreach. Tier 3 (300–500 accounts): moderate fit. Programmatic ads + content only, no direct SDR time.
Phase 2: The LinkedIn ABM campaign setup
LinkedIn is the only platform where you can reliably target by company name, job title, seniority, and function simultaneously. For B2B SaaS, it’s the backbone of most ABM ad programmes.
Campaign structure we use
Upload your Tier 1 and Tier 2 account list as a Matched Audience in LinkedIn Campaign Manager. Create separate campaigns by persona (e.g., CFO vs. VP Marketing vs. Head of Ops) with different creative and copy for each. Run three ad types in parallel: Thought Leadership ads (build familiarity), Document ads (offer a relevant guide or template), and Conversation ads (direct to a specific offer or event).
Budget and frequency
For a 300-account Tier 1+2 list, a $5K–$8K/month LinkedIn budget delivers meaningful frequency (8–12 impressions per decision-maker per month) across a 90-day campaign. Below $3K/month the frequency is too low to break through. Above $15K/month you’re usually wasting on diminishing returns unless your account list is very large.
Phase 3: SDR motion for ABM
ABM without a coordinated SDR motion is just expensive brand advertising. The SDR motion is what converts account engagement into pipeline.
The sequence that works
Week 1: LinkedIn connection request with a personalised note referencing something specific about their company or role. Week 2: Direct message after connection — lead with a relevant insight, not a pitch. Week 3: Email referencing the LinkedIn interaction + a specific piece of content relevant to their situation. Week 4: Phone call — by now there’s enough context for a warm opener. Week 6: Final “breakup” email — low-pressure, leaves the door open.
The key: every touchpoint in the sequence references the account’s specific situation — not a generic script. This requires SDRs to do 15 minutes of research per account before starting the sequence. It takes more time per account but close rates on ABM-sourced pipeline are typically 2–3× higher than standard inbound.
Phase 4: Measure what actually matters
Most ABM programmes are measured wrong. They track ad metrics (impressions, clicks, CTR) when they should be tracking account-level outcomes.
The four metrics that matter: Account reach rate — what % of target accounts saw your ads this month (target: 70%+). Account engagement rate — what % of reached accounts had meaningful engagement (ad click, content download, SDR reply). Pipeline penetration — what % of Tier 1 accounts have an open opportunity. ABM-sourced revenue — revenue closed from target account list, tracked in HubSpot with an ABM source tag.
What a 90-day ABM sprint looks like
Month 1: Account list built, LinkedIn campaigns live, SDR sequences started for Tier 1. Month 2: Optimise ad creative based on engagement data, SDRs moving to Tier 2, first meetings booked from Tier 1. Month 3: Pipeline review — which accounts are engaging but not converting, adjust approach. Tier 3 programmatic running in background. By month 3, a well-run ABM programme for a $5K–$50K ACV product should have 15–30% of Tier 1 accounts in active pipeline.