How to measure what matters in account-based marketing

You’re staring at a screen full of metrics after your latest account-based marketing campaign and something doesn’t feel right. Sure, the numbers look good — engagement is up, website visits have increased and you’ve got meetings on the books. But are these metrics really telling you if your ABM strategy is working?

If you’re nodding along, you’re not alone. Here’s the truth: Measuring ABM success is tricky. It’s not about lead volume or website traffic. ABM is about building relationships, influencing key accounts and driving real business impact. Traditional marketing metrics often fall short of capturing these nuanced, account-specific outcomes.

Rethinking ABM measurement

Let’s face it — our old metrics might be holding you back. Those vanity metrics you’ve been relying on? They’re not cutting it anymore. Website visits, social media likes and generic lead counts don’t tell the full story of your ABM efforts. They miss the nuanced, account-specific impact you’re making.

To truly measure ABM success, you need to align your metrics with what matters in account-based strategies. Focus on metrics that reflect relationship building, account penetration and real business impact. Think about measuring the depth of engagement within target accounts, the quality of conversations you’re having and the tangible progress you’re making with key decision-makers.

Balancing quick wins and long-term relationship building is crucial. While focusing on immediate results is tempting, ABM is a marathon, not a sprint. Set up metrics that capture both short-term progress (like scheduling initial meetings) and long-term success (like deal size increases or shortened sales cycles). This balanced approach will give you a more accurate picture of your ABM effectiveness.

Having reconsidered what really counts in ABM measurement, let’s explore the specific quantitative and qualitative metrics that will redefine success in your campaigns.

The numbers you need to know

Account engagement score: More than just clicks

The account engagement score provides a nuanced view of how deeply and effectively you engage with your target accounts. Here’s how to calculate it:

• Website visit: 1 point.
• Content download: 3 points.
• Webinar attendance: 5 points.
• Sales meeting: 10 points.

Assign higher point values to actions that indicate a stronger intent or greater investment of time by the account, such as attending a webinar or participating in a sales meeting. These activities demonstrate a deeper engagement that’s more likely to influence sales outcomes.

Tools like Terminus, 6sense and Demandbase streamline engagement tracking and predictive analytics, helping you pinpoint which accounts to focus on with integrated insights and automated tracking.

Pipeline velocity: Speed matters

Pipeline velocity measures how quickly accounts move through your sales funnel. It’s a critical metric for understanding the efficiency of your ABM efforts.

To calculate pipeline velocity, use this formula:

• (Number of opportunities) x (Average deal size) x (Win rate) / (Length of sales cycle)

This gives you a dollar-per-day figure that shows how much potential revenue is moving through your pipeline.

When comparing ABM vs. non-ABM pipeline velocity, you’ll often see ABM accounts move faster. They’re typically better qualified and have had more tailored nurturing, leading to quicker decisions.

Show me the money: Deal size and win rates

Here’s where you prove ABM’s impact on your bottom line. Track the average deal size for ABM-targeted accounts versus your standard approach. You’ll often find that ABM leads to larger deals because you’re focusing on high-value accounts and building deeper relationships.

For win rates, calculate the percentage of ABM-targeted opportunities that result in closed-won deals. Compare this to your overall win rate. ABM typically improves win rates because you’re investing more resources in understanding and addressing the specific needs of each account.

ROI: The metric your CFO actually cares about

To calculate the ROI of your ABM efforts:

• Define costs: Include all expenses related to your ABM program (e.g., technology, staff time, content creation).
• Measure revenue: Track revenue directly generated from ABM-targeted accounts.
• Calculate ROI: Use the formula:
  • Revenue from ABM−Cost of ABM) / Cost of ABM

Implement tools like Bizible or LeanData for more accurate attribution, ensuring you can directly link revenue to specific ABM activities.

Dig deeper: Maximizing your B2B spend: Is account-based marketing worth it?

Beyond the numbers: Qualitative metrics that count

In ABM, the strength of your relationships can make or break your success. To assess multi-thread relationships within accounts, track the number of contacts you’re engaging with and their roles. Aim for connections across different departments and levels of seniority.

Create a relationship map for each account, highlighting key decision-makers and influencers. Track how many of these individuals you’ve meaningfully engaged with through meetings, personalized content or events. The goal is to build a network within the account, not rely on a single point of contact.

To track engagement with real decision-makers, focus on:

• Number of executive-level meetings secured.
• Participation of key stakeholders in your events or webinars.
• Personalized content consumption by decision-makers.
• LinkedIn connections and interactions with target individuals.

Account intelligence: What you’ve learned matters

The insights you gather about your target accounts are gold. Measure the quality of this intelligence by assessing:

• Depth of understanding of the account’s pain points and goals.
• Accuracy of your insights (validated through sales conversations).
• Actionability of the information gathered.

Use a scoring system to rate the quality of insights for each account. For example:

• 1 = Basic firmographic data.
• 2 = General industry challenges identified.
• 3 = Specific company pain points uncovered.
• 4 = Clear understanding of the decision-making process and key stakeholders.
• 5 = Detailed knowledge of strategic initiatives and how your solution fits.

To use this intel effectively:

• Share insights across your marketing and sales teams.
• Use the information to create hyper-personalized content and outreach.
• Adjust your account strategies based on the intelligence gathered.
• Inform product development with recurring pain points or feature requests.

Sales and marketing alignment: Are you really in sync?

Evaluate team alignment by tracking:

• Number of joint account planning sessions.
• Frequency of cross-team communication (e.g., regular syncs, shared Slack channels).
• Speed of information sharing between teams.

Measure the quality of account handoffs by assessing:

• Completeness of account intelligence passed from marketing to sales.
• Sales team’s utilization of marketing-provided materials and insights.
• Feedback loop between sales and marketing on what’s working and what’s not.

Implement a scoring system for handoffs, where sales rates the quality of information and support provided by marketing for each account.

Voice of the customer: What are they really saying?

Gather meaningful feedback through:

• Post-interaction surveys (after demos, content downloads, events).
• Regular check-ins with key contacts.
• Social media sentiment analysis.
• Third-party review site monitoring.

Track sentiment changes over time by:

• Creating a sentiment score for each account (-5 to +5).
• Updating the score after each significant interaction.
• Monitoring trends in sentiment across your ABM program.

Use this feedback to refine your approach and identify at-risk accounts early.

Dig deeper: How to find your next, best customers with ABM

Your ABM command center: Integrating insights for powerful decision-making

To truly harness the power of your ABM metrics, create a dashboard that blends quantitative data with qualitative insights. This integrated approach will provide a comprehensive view of your ABM performance and drive strategic decision-making.

Choose the right mix of metrics

• Align metrics with your key ABM objectives (e.g., increased engagement, accelerated pipeline, improved win rates).
• Select 2-3 metrics for each objective, balancing quantitative (like account engagement scores) and qualitative (like relationship depth) measures.

Visualize your data effectively

• Use heat maps to show engagement levels across target accounts.
• Implement trend lines to visualize progress over time.
• Overlay qualitative data (e.g., relationship maps) with quantitative metrics for deeper insights.

Drive strategy and optimization

• Set up alerts for significant changes or when metrics fall below thresholds.
• Schedule regular team reviews to identify trends and opportunities.
• Use combined insights to inform content creation, account selection and resource allocation.

Tools like Tableau, Power BI or Looker Studio can help you build interactive dashboards that bring these elements together. Integrating quantitative and qualitative data in your ABM command center makes you more equipped to allocate resources, tailor communications and foster deeper, more profitable account relationships.

Dig deeper: How ABM systems are evolving to meet changing B2B buying behaviors

Don’t fall into these traps: Common ABM measurement mistakes

Avoid focusing on metrics that look good but don’t drive business results. Instead of generic website traffic, measure account-specific engagement. Rather than lead volume, track the quality and progression of opportunities within target accounts.

ABM is a long game. Don’t expect overnight results. Set realistic timelines for seeing impact:

• Short-term (1-3 months): Increased engagement, better account intelligence.
• Medium-term (3-6 months): Accelerated pipeline velocity, improved win rates.
• Long-term (6+ months): Larger deal sizes, higher customer lifetime value.

Ensure your ABM metrics tie directly to broader business objectives. Regularly review your metrics with leadership to confirm they’re providing valuable insights for strategic decision-making.

The crystal ball: The future of ABM measurement

As ABM continues to evolve, so do the technologies and strategies for measuring its success. Here are the key trends shaping the future of ABM measurement:

AI-powered predictive analytics

• Automated insights: AI will sift through vast amounts of data to surface actionable insights about account behavior and campaign performance.
• Predictive lead scoring: Machine learning models will predict which accounts are most likely to convert, helping you focus your efforts more effectively.
• Churn prediction: AI will identify early warning signs of account disengagement, allowing you to address potential issues proactively.

Advanced attribution models

New platforms will emerge to track the impact of every touchpoint across complex B2B buying journeys, giving you a clearer picture of what’s driving success.

Intent data integration

• Measure interest before engagement: Use intent data to gauge account interest even before they interact with your brand directly.
• Refine targeting: Analyze intent signals to understand what truly defines your best-fit accounts and adjust your targeting accordingly.
• Competitive intelligence: Monitor intent data related to your competitors to measure your share of voice in the market.

Unified data platforms

These systems will bring together data from multiple sources (CRM, marketing automation, web analytics, etc.) to provide a holistic view of account activity and performance.

Time to take action: Implementing your new measurement approach

• List all your current ABM metrics.
• For each metric, ask:
  • Does this directly tie to our ABM goals?
  • Is it actionable?
  • Does it provide unique insights?
• Identify gaps in your measurement approach.
• Research and select new metrics to fill these gaps.
• Define how you’ll collect and analyze data for each new metric.
• Create a timeline for implementing new measurements.
• Set up a review process to regularly assess the effectiveness of your metrics.

Embrace the new era of ABM measurement

Now, it’s your turn to take action. Start by auditing your current metrics. Identify gaps and opportunities for improvement. Build your measurement dream team and set realistic timelines for implementation. Remember, effective ABM measurement is a journey, not a destination.

Remember, ABM measurement is always evolving — stay curious! Attend webinars, read industry reports and network with other ABM practitioners. Experiment with new metrics and technologies. Don’t be afraid to challenge conventional wisdom and find what works best for your unique business needs.