5 Ways to Measure ABM Campaign Effectiveness
- Samuel Hall
- 5 days ago
- 8 min read
Updated: 7 hours ago
- Account Engagement: Track how target accounts interact with your website, emails, social media, and content. Metrics include page views, email open rates, and social media engagement. Tools like HubSpot and LinkedIn Analytics can help.
- Pipeline Progress: Analyse how ABM impacts your sales pipeline. Key metrics include average deal size, win rate, and pipeline velocity. Use CRM tools to track account-specific metrics like engaged contacts and deal activity.
- Buyer Journey Tracking: Monitor how target accounts move through the sales funnel. Metrics like account velocity, stage conversion rates, and engagement scores help identify bottlenecks and optimise the journey.
- Customer Success: Focus on retention and growth by measuring customer retention rate (CRR), churn rate, and net revenue retention (NRR). Track account health using factors like product usage and customer satisfaction scores.
- Revenue Impact: Evaluate the bottom-line results of your ABM campaigns. Calculate metrics like target account revenue, ABM ROI, and customer acquisition cost to understand financial performance.
Quick Comparison
Measurement Area | Key Metrics | Tools/Methods |
Account Engagement | Page views, email open rates, social shares | HubSpot, LinkedIn Analytics |
Pipeline Progress | Deal size, win rate, pipeline velocity | CRM tools, automated workflows |
Buyer Journey | Account velocity, conversion rates | Funnel stage analysis, engagement scores |
Customer Success | Retention rate, churn rate, NRR | Customer health scores, NPS surveys |
Revenue Impact | ABM ROI, acquisition cost, revenue | Revenue tracking, ROI calculations |
Account Based Marketing Metrics That Matter
1. Account Engagement: Key Interaction Metrics
Understand how entire accounts interact across various channels.
Basic Engagement Measurements
Website activity offers a clear view of an account's interest level. Keep an eye on metrics like:
- Page views per account
- Average session length
- Content downloads
- Form submissions
- Frequency of return visits
Email engagement reflects how well your content resonates with decision-makers. Metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and response rates are essential. In fact, 86% of marketers consider these metrics crucial when shifting to ABM strategies.
Social media activity can also provide valuable insights. Track:
- Interactions on your LinkedIn company page
- Shares of your content by account contacts
- Comments and reactions
- Responses to direct messages
Measurement Tools Overview
Using marketing automation platforms can simplify tracking account engagement. For example, HubSpot offers tools that allow you to measure interactions with precision. Fes Askari, Director of Sales and Strategic Accounts at strategicabm, highlights the importance of a unified approach:
"Just having that single customer view means that Marketing and Sales can work together to create a compelling account experience".
Here’s a quick guide to key engagement metrics and tools:
Engagement Type | Key Metrics | Recommended Tools |
Website Activity | Page views, Time on site, Downloads | HubSpot Analytics, Leadfeeder |
Email Engagement | Open rate, Click-through rate, Response rate | HubSpot Email Tools |
Social Media | Interactions, Shares, Comments | LinkedIn Analytics, HubSpot Social |
Content Consumption | Downloads, Video views, Webinar attendance | HubSpot Marketing Hub |
Marketing automation has been shown to increase overall productivity by 20% and improve sales productivity by 14.5%. To make the most of these tools, ensure your tracking aligns with your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and target account list.
"Think of this as your top-most funnel stage, the de facto stand-in for MQLs. Except that here, all of the traffic is pre-qualified (because you did a great job of picking the right accounts in the first place)." - Terminus
When tracking engagement, focus on quality over quantity. A spike in engagement from a target account often signals genuine interest and should prompt immediate follow-up. Use automated alerts in your platform to notify your sales team for timely action. These engagement signals are a strong foundation for evaluating pipeline progress.
2. Pipeline Progress: Sales Impact Analysis
Pipeline Performance Metrics
To understand how ABM impacts sales, focus on pipeline metrics. These help you measure the total pipeline value for target accounts, along with individual deal sizes. Key metrics to track include:
- Average deal size for ABM accounts
- Pipeline velocity (time from first interaction to closing)
- Win rate percentage for target accounts
- Number of new opportunities generated
Additionally, evaluate account penetration by looking at:
- Number of engaged contacts per account
- Engagement levels of decision-makers
- Multi-threaded relationships development
- Coverage of the buying committee
CRM Tracking Methods
To measure your pipeline effectively, you need a properly configured CRM. Here’s how to get started:
Custom Properties SetupCreate specific fields in your CRM to track ABM-related metrics. For example:
Property | Purpose | Example |
Contact Level | Attribution tracking | SDR Owner |
Deal Level | Activity measurement | Touch Count at Creation |
Account Level | Engagement scoring | Account Health Score |
Automate Workflows for AccuracyAutomation ensures your data stays reliable. Key steps include:
- Track AttributionUse deal-based workflows to automatically link SDR contact ownership to deal ownership. This ensures credit is assigned correctly for pipeline influence.
- Measure Activity ImpactAdd custom deal properties to calculate total activities logged when opportunities are created. This helps gauge how effective your outreach has been.
- Monitor Account ProgressSet up automated alerts to notify you when target accounts hit specific engagement levels or move to a new pipeline stage.
Key Metrics to ReportMake sure to track and report on these essential metrics:
- Opportunities created by SDRs
- Target accounts engaged through campaigns
- Conversion rates from activity to meetings
- Pipeline velocity, broken down by account tier
These insights offer a clear view of how individual accounts are progressing through the buyer journey.
3. Buyer Journey: Account Movement Tracking
Tracking how accounts move through the buyer journey not only shows how well your strategy is working but also highlights areas for improvement in your ABM approach.
Movement Speed Metrics
Understanding how quickly accounts move through the funnel is key to improving performance. Here are some important metrics to measure movement speed:
Account Velocity ScoreThis score tracks the average time accounts spend at each stage of the funnel. Use the following table to set a baseline:
Stage | Metric | Measurement |
Awareness | Time to First Engagement | Days from targeting to first interaction |
Consideration | Depth of Engagement | Number of meaningful touches per month |
Decision | Sales Cycle Length | Days from opportunity creation to deal close |
Pipeline Progress IndicatorsThese metrics help assess the overall health of account movement:
- Engagement Score: Tracks how actively accounts interact across various channels.
- Stage Conversion Rate: The percentage of accounts moving from one stage to the next.
- Deal Velocity: The average time accounts spend in each pipeline stage.
- Multi-thread Engagement: The number of active contacts within each account.
Once you've established these metrics, you can focus on making targeted adjustments to speed up account movement.
"By focusing on , you can get a true comparative measure of how programs impact revenue, without fights over which attribution model is best and how much partial credit each email or web touch should get." – Terminus
From here, it's time to explore strategies to accelerate this movement.
Movement Improvement Steps
To help accounts move faster, consider these approaches:
Stage-Specific Content MappingTailor your content to match each stage of the buyer journey:
Journey Stage | Content Type | Engagement Goal |
Early Stage | Industry Reports, Thought Leadership | Build Awareness |
Mid Stage | Case Studies, ROI Calculators | Drive Consideration |
Late Stage | Implementation Guides, Custom Proposals | Support Decision-Making |
Movement Acceleration Tactics
- Engagement Scoring: Create a weighted scoring system for high-value interactions commonly seen in successful deals.
- Multi-Channel Orchestration: Use coordinated campaigns across multiple channels to maintain momentum. Monitor which combinations work best for faster progress.
- Account Health Monitoring: Set up automated alerts for accounts that stall longer than expected, allowing for timely interventions.
4. Customer Success: Retention and Growth
Once you've assessed account engagement and pipeline progress, it's time to focus on retaining customers and driving growth over the long term.
Customer Loyalty Metrics
Keeping track of customer loyalty is crucial for sustained success in ABM.
To calculate your Customer Retention Rate (CRR), use this formula:CRR = ((E – N) / S) × 100Where:
- E = Customers at the end of the period
- N = New customers acquired during the period
- S = Customers at the start of the period
Key metrics to monitor include:
Metric | Description |
Customer Retention Rate (CRR) | Percentage of customers retained over a specific timeframe |
Churn Rate | Percentage of customers lost during the same period |
Net Revenue Retention (NRR) | Revenue from existing customers, factoring in expansions |
Customer Effort Score (CES) | How easy it is for customers to do business with you |
"As a revenue growth metric, NRR can also help you determine where you've gained and lost value with customers across your customer expansion initiatives, especially in periods where there may be economic uncertainty or booms." – Madison Logic
To create a customer health score, track factors like product usage, resolution times for support tickets, Net Promoter Score (NPS) responses, engagement with educational content, and participation in business reviews. These insights help you understand how existing customers contribute to revenue growth.
Account Growth Tracking
Expanding existing accounts is a key way to maximise the potential of ABM while strengthening retention strategies. With 65% of an average company's revenue coming from existing customers, focusing on growth within your current base is a smart move.
Channel Performance Metrics:
Channel | Key Metrics |
Content Syndication | Cost-per-lead, downloads |
Display Advertising | Reach, click-through rate |
Email Campaigns | Open rates, response rates |
Social Engagement | Shares, comments |
Value Expansion Indicators:
- Changes in Annual Contract Value (ACV)
- Adoption rates for products or services
- Cross-sell conversion rates
- Account penetration (e.g., number of active users)
- Expansion revenue as a percentage of total revenue
"These numbers are about understanding the sustainability of your growth strategy - focusing solely on gross sales without these insights is like celebrating a packed restaurant without knowing if you're actually making a profit." – Jonas Torrang, Co-founder, Is Brave
Since acquiring a new customer costs four times more than upselling to an existing one, it’s crucial to identify and track expansion opportunities within your current customer base.
5. Revenue Results: Bottom-Line Impact
Key Revenue Metrics
To assess the financial impact of your ABM campaign, keep an eye on these key revenue metrics:
Metric | Description | How to Calculate |
Target Account Revenue | Revenue earned from accounts targeted through ABM | Add up all closed deals from targeted accounts |
ABM ROI Ratio | Returns generated compared to ABM investment | Revenue ÷ Total ABM spend |
Average Deal Size | Average value of closed deals | Total revenue ÷ Number of deals |
Customer Acquisition Cost | Cost to bring in each account | Total ABM costs ÷ Number of new accounts |
Here’s how to calculate ABM ROI step by step:
1. Determine Total ABM Investment
Include all associated costs, such as:
- Marketing campaign expenses
- Sales team efforts
- Tools and technology
- Content production
- Account engagement activities
2. Track Revenue Generated
This includes:
- Revenue from closed deals
- Additional revenue from upselling or expanding existing accounts
3. Calculate ROI Ratio
Divide the total revenue generated by your total ABM investment.
These metrics give a clear picture of how ABM efforts contribute to your revenue. They also highlight the financial benefits of focusing on targeted accounts.
ABM vs Standard Results
When you compare ABM with traditional marketing, the differences in efficiency and focus become clear. ABM prioritises quality over quantity, which often leads to better outcomes.
Metric | ABM Approach | Traditional Marketing |
Deal Quality | Targets high-value accounts | Mix of high- and low-value leads |
Sales Cycle | Shorter due to better alignment | Can vary widely |
Resource Allocation | Focused on specific accounts | Spread across a broad audience |
Customer Acquisition Cost | Lower for targeted accounts | Typically higher overall |
ABM campaigns often deliver higher conversion rates, larger deals, better customer lifetime value, and more efficient use of resources compared to traditional methods.
Conclusion: ABM Measurement Checklist
Evaluate your ABM performance using these five methods and key metrics:
Measurement Method | Key Metrics | Tools & Actions |
Account Engagement | Website visits, event attendance, ad conversion rates | Analyse engagement trends and interaction data |
Pipeline Progress | Opportunity creation rate, meeting booking rate | Track sales efficiency indicators |
Buyer Journey | Account progression rate, sales cycle speed | Assess movement through pipeline stages |
Customer Success | Customer lifetime value, account churn rate | Monitor retention and account growth |
Revenue Impact | Annual contract value (ACV), ROI ratio | Measure influenced pipeline and revenue outcomes |
Follow this checklist to guide your process:
- Set Baseline MetricsWork with finance, sales, and operations teams to define metrics aligned with your business goals.
- Measure Revenue ImpactKeep an eye on opportunity creation and closed revenue. A whopping 86% of marketers see measurement as crucial for ABM success.
- Monitor ProgressRegularly review account engagement scores, penetration rates, and progression rates to fine-tune your strategy.
To get the most out of these steps, focus on these additional tips:
- Prioritise metrics that directly connect to business results.
- Use engagement data to improve personalisation efforts.
- Keep an eye on sales cycle speed to close deals faster.
These insights can help sharpen your targeting, personalise interactions, and deliver more value to stakeholders.
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