HubSpot ABM: Features Every B2B Tech Marketing Team Should Use

B2B tech companies need to shift from focusing on lead volume to supporting account-based growth by taking a more precise and targeted approach. With account-based marketing (ABM), tech companies identify, engage, and expand high-value accounts that drive the most meaningful revenue instead of pursuing numerous individual leads.  

To succeed with ABM, tech firms need the right platform. Without the correct systems, companies create data silos and fail to achieve alignment between marketing and sales teams.  

HubSpot is a unified platform that empowers B2B tech companies to execute ABM at scale. Leveraging the appropriate features inside HubSpot enables users to turn ABM from a strategy into a revenue engine that executes repeatable processes. With HubSpot, teams can align sales and marketing goals, track engagement, and execute personalized account-based campaigns using one system.

What Makes ABM Different from Traditional Demand Generation

Account Based Marketing and traditional demand generation differ in their scope and targeting methods. While demand generation campaigns cast a wide net to capture high volumes of leads, ABM focuses sales and marketing efforts on a specific list of high-value accounts.  

ABM targets accounts using personalized experiences instead of broad campaigns. With ABM, companies can engage with buying committees rather than interacting with individual decision makers.  

ABM encourages alignment between sales and marketing by requiring collaboration throughout the campaign to identify accounts, refine messaging, and create an outreach strategy. This approach differs from the hand-off model used in demand generation in which marketing generates leads and passes them on to sales.

Success is measured differently in ABM and demand generation. Demand generation performance metrics focus on lead volume, traffic, and individual lead scores, while ABM measures account engagement scores, deal velocity, average contract value (ACV), and pipeline growth within the target list. 

Core HubSpot ABM Features You Should Be Using

Using the right features in HubSpot will enable your tech firm to make the transition from demand generation to ABM. Here’s an overview of the HubSpot ABM features you should take advantage of. 

Target Account Management

HubSpot allows companies to designate and track targeted accounts within the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system to support ABM efforts. Using the HubSpot Target Account property, tech firms gain a centralized view of priority accounts. With Target Account management through HubSpot, companies can filter, segment, and prioritize accounts to keep sales and marketing aligned on the same accounts.

Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) Tiering

HubSpot provides Tier 1, 2, and 3 account segmentation to prioritize accounts based on revenue potential and fit with the understanding that not all accounts merit equal effort. Tiering accounts based on the ICP helps tech firms allocate their marketing and sales resources effectively by focusing on accounts with the highest revenue potential and strategic importance. 

Buying Role & Contact Mapping

B2B deals often involve multiple decision makers. HubSpot enables tech firms to identify each contact’s role in the decision process by including buying role properties. With Buying Role & Contact Mapping, tech companies can assign roles, such as decision maker, influencer, or blocker, and map multiple stakeholders within accounts. 

Smart Content & Personalization

To succeed with ABM, companies need to create relevant messaging. With smart content and dynamic messaging, HubSpot enables IT companies to create dynamic website experiences and to personalize landing pages, emails, and CTAs based on account attributes.  

Workflow Automation for ABM Campaigns

HubSpot workflows allow tech companies to automate account properties and engagement-based actions to scale personalization of ABM without manual effort. Workflow automation capabilities of HubSpot include automated account scoring and segmentation. Automation can trigger sales tasks based on engagement and create nurture sequences based on account activity. 

Unified CRM for Sales + Marketing Alignment

HubSpot provides a unified system that enables both sales and marketing teams to work using the same data and accounts. Unified CRM eliminates data silos and ensures consistent messaging across channels. Using HubSpot CRM, IT service firms can share account data between teams and gain visibility into activities, contacts, and deals. 

Account-Level Reporting & ABM Dashboards

HubSpot provides account-based reporting and dashboards to track engagement and impact on pipeline. Instead of tracking engagement by lead, tech firms can track by account to monitor pipeline progression and deal activity for an account-level measurement of success which is necessary for ABM. 

How HubSpot ABM Features Work Together

ABM succeeds when the right HubSpot features are connected instead of being used in isolation. To gain full value from HubSpot ABM features, users need to think of them as a system instead of individual capabilities. These features should fit support key steps in an ABM strategy. 

Step 1: Define ICP and Assign Tiers 

Step 2: Build Target Account List 

Step 3: Map Stakeholders with Each Account 

Step 4: Launch Personalized Campaigns 

Step 5: Track Engagement and Pipeline 

Common Mistakes Teams Make with HubSpot ABM

While HubSpot ABM can provide great value for IT firms, companies need to avoid mistakes that undercut their efforts. ABM shouldn’t be treated as a campaign. Instead, it should be handled as a system.  

By not aligning sales and marketing workflows, companies prevent teams from collaborating on outreach. Focusing on leads instead of accounts causes companies to revert to traditional demand generation.

When data in the CRM is of poor quality, companies can’t prioritize the right accounts or personalize messaging effectively Over-personalizing without a strategy or under-personalizing undermines the precise and targeted approach necessary for successful ABM.

Pro Tips for B2B Tech Marketing Teams

As a Diamond HubSpot Solutions Partner, TSL Marketing understand the best practices B2B tech companies need to follow when using HubSpot ABM. We recommend starting with clean, enriched company data for a clearer understanding of accounts. Limiting your target account list will enable you to focus on high-value accounts instead of lead volume. Intent signals can be used to prioritize accounts for a more targeted approach.

ABM works best when teams align efforts across the entire buyer’s journey. TSL recommends aligning Sales Development Representative (SDR) and marketing outreach timing to make this happen.  

Building different playbooks for Tier 1 accounts than Tier 3 accounts ensures your team allocates resources efficiently, spending most of their time on high-potential targets.

Turning HubSpot into an ABM Engine

HubSpot isn’t just a CRM. Instead, it’s an ABM execution platform. Taking advantage of the right ABM features and optimizing them using best practices enables IT service firms to move from traditional demand generation to ABM for a more focused, personalized, and aligned approach to marketing and sales.

Success with ABM comes from combining:

• Data
• Processes
• Automation
• Alignment

As a HubSpot Agency, TSL Marketing can work with your B2B tech company to ensure you take advantage of ABM capabilities and lay a foundation for success.

Find out more about which HubSpot ABM features your company needs. Request a HubSpot ABM consultation from TSL Marketing.