Top ABM Metrics You Should Be Tracking Right Now

If you deal in high-ticket sales, then you know how important it is to nurture enterprise-level leads in your marketing funnel. And with that comes a well-balanced (and measured) ABM strategy. The best way to measure ABM success is by focusing on a few specific metrics in particular.

The core ABM metrics you’ll want to care about will typically measure revenue, ROI, conversions, lead generation, and customer retention. However, measuring the wrong data can result in missed opportunities and wasted resources. Fortunately, ABM-specific metrics can measure your results against your goals, and tracking this data is very simple with the right tools.

This post will explore the ABM metrics that truly matter and how to measure them effectively.

Key Takeaways

• Account-based marketing metrics differ from traditional marketing key performance indicators (KPIs) because ABM strives to build deep relationships with key accounts.
• B2B marketers working on an ABM campaign should track key metrics such as account engagement, pipeline progression, account penetration rate, revenue from marketing and sales tactics, and the effectiveness of the ABM strategy.
• Measure these ABM metrics by setting benchmarks, investing in tools, aligning sales and marketing teams, and focusing on attribution models.
• As B2B marketers measure these metrics, marketing and sales teams should always leverage insights to improve marketing efforts and monitor niche trends.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Why ABM Metrics Are Different

Source: RevBoss

While ABM metrics are similar to those used in traditional marketing campaigns, marketers should approach the two differently.

ABM focuses on building deep, personalized relationships with targeted accounts. Traditional marketing metrics often emphasize broad reach and lead volume. ABM requires a tailored approach to measurement, focusing on metrics that track target accounts and align with campaign goals rather than generic performance indicators.

Here are some best practices to keep in mind:

• Alignment with business objectives: Metrics should be directly related to your organization’s goals, such as revenue growth or the number of contacts gained.
• Focus on quality over quantity: ABM prioritizes engagement with specific accounts, not overall traffic or leads.
• Collaboration across teams: Alignment of marketing and sales teams is crucial, as both share responsibility for ABM’s progress.

The Metrics That Matter

Not every B2B marketer will track the same metrics. The metrics you measure should align with your goals, industry, and the complexity of your campaign. However, all marketers should know the core categories of metrics tailored to ABM.

Account Engagement

This metric category tracks how target accounts interact with your brand. This includes behaviors related to sales and marketing initiatives, like content consumption, website visits, email opens, and whitepaper downloads.

Here are key metrics for account engagement:

• Content engagement: Time spent reading and watching your content, downloading documents, or attending webinars.
• Email metrics: Open rates, click-through rates, and response rates from target accounts.
• Social interactions: Likes, shares, and comments from key accounts.

Pipeline Progression

This metric category represents the percentage of leads moving down the sales pipeline. Marketers can compare this progression to metrics such as account engagement to better understand what makes leads move down the sales funnel.

Here are the key pipeline progression metrics:

• Opportunities created: The number of new opportunities from target accounts.
• Deal velocity: The speed at which deals progress through the pipeline.
• Win rate: The percentage of closed-won deals from targeted accounts.

Account Penetration Rate

Account penetration measures the number of target accounts who responded to your outreach efforts after engaging with your content. Compared to pipeline progression, this metric represents relationship-building initiatives. Examples of actions that marketers can measure include demo requests, responding to sales calls, or signing up for a webinar.

Here are the key account penetration metrics:

• Contacts engaged: Number of decision-makers and influencers engaged within each target account.
• Departmental reach: Engagement across different departments.

Revenue Impact

While ABM influences an organization’s overall revenue, marketers should focus more on how account-based initiatives influence profits. For example, marketers can compare overall revenue to marketing effectiveness and how quickly an account converts.

Here are specific KPIs that measure this.

• Average contract value (ACV): Revenue generated from target accounts compared to other accounts.
• Customer lifetime value (CLV): Long-term revenue potential of target accounts.
• Account retention and expansion: Renewal rates and upsell/cross-sell revenue from target accounts.
• Customer acquisition cost: The amount of money an organization spends to acquire a new customer, including fees for marketing and sales.

Program Effectiveness

Source: RevBoss

Evaluating your ABM program’s results informs marketers of what’s working and where they need to improve.

Here are key program metrics to track for account-based marketing campaigns:

• Return on investment (ROI): Revenue generated compared to the cost of your ABM initiatives.
• Cost per account: Total spend divided by the number of target accounts.
• Campaign performance: Conversion rates and other indicators for specific ABM campaigns.

How to Measure These Metrics

Measuring ABM success requires the right tools and processes. Here’s how to measure these metrics.

Set Clear Benchmarks

Even if you track all these metrics, your ABM campaign won’t improve with the right goals and objectives. Establish realistic benchmarks based on historical data, past campaign performance, and industry standards. This helps you measure progress and identify areas for improvement.

Use the Right Technology

The last thing you’ll want to do is use spreadsheets and other outdated processes to measure these metrics. Most ABM platforms offer data collection and reporting, complete with a user-friendly dashboard to view your results and gain insights into your campaign.

Popular ABM platforms include:

• CRM systems: Track account-level activity and pipeline progression.
• Marketing automation: Manage and measure campaigns targeting specific accounts.
• Analytics tools: Monitor engagement metrics and assess program effectiveness.

Encourage Collaboration

Your marketing and sales teams should collaborate on your ABM campaign and work toward the same goals. Conduct regular meetings where you will review these metrics and other performance reports. Sharing these insights with your sales and marketing teams will strengthen your ABM efforts.

Focus on Attribution

It can be challenging to know which marketing activities result in closed deals or are driving revenue growth. That’s why B2B marketers must focus on attribution models. Use multi-touch attribution models to understand how different ABM tactics contribute to account progression and revenue.

Let’s Start Measuring

Best Practices for Continuous Improvement

Source: Smartsheet

Measuring ABM metrics isn’t a one-and-done activity. To achieve long-term success, you must continually refine your approach.

• Experiment and optimize: Test different strategies to identify what resonates most with target accounts.
• Leverage insights: Use data to personalize outreach and improve account engagement.
• Monitor trends: Keep an eye on industry benchmarks and emerging metrics to stay ahead.

See the Impact of Your Campaign with the Right ABM Metrics

Tracking the right ABM metrics is the difference between gaining actionable insights that can improve your campaign versus wasting your marketing resources on tactics that aren’t resulting in conversions.

ABM and traditional marketing metrics measure similar outcomes, such as engagement, pipeline progression, revenue impact, and marketing effectiveness.

With ABM metrics, you can gain a comprehensive understanding of your target accounts and how you engage them. With the right tools, alignment, and commitment to continuous improvement, you’ll be well-equipped to measure and maximize the impact of your ABM efforts.

If you’re ready to optimize the metrics you use for your account-based marketing strategy, Single Grain’s ABM experts can help!👇

Measure ABM Right

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