If you’re running or experimenting with ABM campaigns to cut through the noise of content and drive personalized touchpoints and conversations, you’re not alone. Demandbase's 2020 ABM Market Research Study showed that 61% of companies surveyed had a full ABM program in place or were running a pilot program. But how many marketers are using LinkedIn Sales Navigator to accelerate and complement their ABM programs?
With a title like LinkedIn Sales Navigator, it’s hardly surprising that the tool usually sits within the sales budget, yet it's a vital tool for marketers too if your organization seeks to achieve real sales and marketing alignment. Alignment has been a challenge plaguing business for years - it's a critical element for successful ABM campaigns and LinkedIn Sales Navigator is a not to be overlooked tool for alignment and collaboration.
At Tribal, we've run many account-based sessions for clients and they perform at their best when sales and marketing are both in the (virtual) room. We've seen content plans turned on their head and account lists re-evaluated when both teams are working together using LinkedIn Sales Navigator. And as campaigns progress, it’s the missing link that helps drive buyer-centric content and conversations.
(For more practical steps to truly align your teams, download our eBook: B2B Sales & Marketing Alignment The Ultimate Game Of Digital Ping Pong)
How LinkedIn Sales Navigator Helps Marketers Run ABM Campaigns
When you use LinkedIn Sales Navigator alongside sales, you can uncover a wealth of insights that can drive more integrated ABM campaigns. Here’s how.
Identify Ideal Customers Through Advanced Account Searches
When sales and marketing are aligned, they have a shared view of their Ideal Customer Profile. While sales may have a ready list of accounts, LinkedIn Sales Navigator’s advanced search filters – such as industry, company size, location and even headcount - help you identify more (or even better-fit accounts) together.
Pinpoint The Buying Circle Using Search Filters & Smart Links
This is the part where most people’s eyes light up. LinkedIn Sales Navigator’s advanced search filters let you perform laser-sharp lead (people) searches so that you can determine your buying circle within your target accounts.
Some of the most useful search filters are:
- Industry
- Seniority level
- Function
- Company name
- Company type
- Company headcount
Not only can you find your buying circle, but you can also share content with them through InMail and Smart Links. The Smart Links functionality lets you package up content and measure its impact showing you when a prospect opened your link, what they looked at and for how long, as well as, who they forwarded it onto. In short, you can see how engaged your prospects are in the information you've shared and who all the other potential decision-makers are!
Learn About The Content Your Target Audiences Engages With And Shares
LinkedIn Sales Navigator’s Saved Leads functionality prevents your target audience’s activity getting lost in the usual newsfeed noise. You can set up and save each lead to a list so you can see what content they’re sharing, what hashtags they’re using and the language they’re using. Your list can then be shared with sales so you can both watch and learn about your prospect. Here, you’ll find a wealth of social listening functionality not available on third-party tools to help you understand more about your audience and how best to resonate with them. And we all know that the better we know our audience, the more tailored message we can create.
Identify Potential Sponsors & Detractors Of Your Brand In Your Target Account
Within any buying decision unit, you will have your sponsors and those who may push back on working with you and you’ll need to plan for this within your ABM strategy.
LinkedIn Sales Navigator’s advanced search filter allows you to search for past companies and filter by keywords. You can therefore look for:
- potential sponsors (e.g. worked for you previously/implemented similar technology or services, etc)
versus
- potential brand detractors (e.g. worked for a competitor/implemented a competitor technology/service).
Align Inbound Website Traffic To 'Who's Viewed' A Sales Profile
Account-based marketing is like the ultimate game of ping pong. Sales and marketing constantly share what buyers are discussing, the content they're consuming and the gaps where they can add value.
When a lead has visited a salesperson’s LinkedIn profile and then visits a high-value website page it’s a strong signal of interest which you can then flag to the relevant salesperson to quickly act on.
Account-based marketing works best when sales and marketing work together. LinkedIn Sales Navigator is a valuable tool to help you develop an initial joint strategy; it also extends beyond that so that as marketers you can react quickly to changing events and buyer behaviour.
The first step to successful ABM campaigns is to ensure sales and marketing are truly aligned and that’s one of the biggest obstacles many face. In our eBook, B2B Sales & Marketing Alignment The Ultimate Game Of Digital Ping Pong we talk you through the exact processes we use to bring sales and marketing together on ABM campaigns - and the steps you need to take at your end, too.
