{"id":223874,"date":"2020-03-13T17:06:33","date_gmt":"2020-03-13T11:36:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.qcsglobal.com\/marketing\/abm-vs-lead-generation-choosing-a-strategy-that-fits-you\/"},"modified":"2020-04-18T17:10:39","modified_gmt":"2020-04-18T11:40:39","slug":"abm-vs-lead-generation-choosing-a-strategy-that-fits-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/qcsglobal.com\/blogs\/abm-vs-lead-generation-choosing-a-strategy-that-fits-you\/","title":{"rendered":"ABM vs. Lead Generation: Choosing a Strategy that Fits You"},"content":{"rendered":"


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This article originally appeared at:<\/span> <\/span><\/span>https:\/\/blog.90octane.com\/abm-vs-lead-generation-choosing-a-strategy-that-fits-you\/<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

An Oracle preferred marketing partner, 90octane<\/a> is a creative agency-consultancy who specializes in untangling the complex sale with a uniquely undivided approach.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

As a hybrid agency\/consultancy, 90octane likes to help clients with the why as well as the how. With ABM<\/a>, often that means starting from the beginning: the decision to start down the ABM path, stick to lead generation<\/a>, or do both.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

But first we need to agree on what we\u00a0mean<\/span><\/i>\u00a0by ABM vs. lead generation. While that sounds basic, it\u2019s not\u2014thanks to our industry. We agencies like to come up with our own terms and define them from our unique point of view.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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So, to stay true to that self-admitted flaw we\u2019ll share our definition of ABM:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

ABM is a strategy in which sales and marketing coordinate efforts on a specific set of target accounts. Together, sales and marketing gather insights and craft individual messages for each account to address their specific needs.<\/span><\/span><\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Compare that to our definition of lead generation:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Lead generation is the process of attracting target prospects and nurturing them into qualified sales opportunities with purchase intent.<\/span><\/span><\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s tempting to say: \u201cIf I\u2019m casting lines and waiting for unknowns to drop into the funnel, I\u2019m doing lead generation. If my efforts are more targeted, I\u2019m doing ABM.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

But it\u2019s not that simple. Tight targeting is used in some of the best lead generation programs\u2014often using tools we associate with ABM, like Demandbase. And an otherwise strong ABM program without sales and marketing\u00a0orchestration<\/span><\/i>\u00a0(a real-time coordinated touchpoint strategy rather than an SQL hand-off) may just be an expensive lead generation campaign.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Once we\u2019re clear on definitions we work through the ABM\/lead generation decision. The client\u2019s offering makeup is the first guide. ABM makes sense when a company has at least one high-involvement, high-touch, high-priced packaged offering\u2014designed for enterprise targets. Lead generation is a better fit for lower touch, lower priced offerings pointed at a broader market. Of course, many companies have a mix of both types of offerings, and both strategies can be employed. The trick to the latter approach is having the scale and planning to give each program the proper investment and attention\u2026which brings up the other decision factors: resources and buy-in. ABM can make all kinds of sense on paper, but without the mandatories it will fail. Similarly, a lead generation program needs some core elements to succeed. Use the checklists below as a guide.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

ABM Requirements:<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n