Half of the briefs we receive from clients are for piloting ABM for the first time. They're also always the most testing. Why?
Because pilots are often reduced programmes where there is less time, fewer resources (and budget)… but the expectations of proving ABM are just as high.
Furthermore, as ABM is really a framework – a marketing cycle – there are many moving parts, all of which could be tested. What’s right for one client, and one programme, may not be right for another but you’re not really getting a full picture of the potential of ABM by switching certain components on and off on a short-term pilot programme.
First, you should probably look at what kind of ABM you need to pilot, and this needs to be a reflection of your business strategy.
And being very clear on your goals is just the first step in the journey. Whichever route you take, it will open doors to another set of questions.
A good pilot is one that gives you a conclusive result on what you choose to test. But with so many moving parts one should probably expect that some of these may not work the way you wanted.
A great pilot is one that also delivers a positive result with the chosen accounts, that drives engagement, that starts or deepens relationships which could lead to a meeting and so on.
To achieve these things the pilot will need the right amount of time and resources to set up, activate, deliver and analyse. Cut any of these things short and you might well wonder why the pilot isn’t delivering what you need. If you think through what might need to be set up and delivered in a pilot – is it reasonable to expect it to perform in a single quarter? If you’re allocating budget should you be thinking of setting funding in terms of discrete assets or running a marketing cycle?
The best pilots are the ones that have a clear remit of why they exist and what they want to test. They will always give good results – where a good result is a conclusive answer to what you are piloting. The least successful pilots tend to be the “Me Too’s”, where the driving factor is something that everyone else is doing.
You need to consider the following:
Find out if an account-based marketing pilot is right for your business on this page.