What is account-based marketing?

Account-based marketing (ABM) flips the traditional marketing funnel. Instead of casting a wide net and qualifying leads down, ABM identifies high-value target accounts first, then creates personalized campaigns for each. ABM works when your average deal size exceeds $25,000, your sales cycle is 3+ months, and buying decisions involve multiple stakeholders. The process: 1) Build a target account list (50-500 companies), 2) Research each account (org chart, pain points, tech stack), 3) Create personalized content and ads targeting those accounts, 4) Coordinate marketing and sales outreach, 5) Measure engagement at the account level, not lead level. ABM typically delivers 171% higher deal values compared to traditional marketing (ITSMA research). Platforms: Demandbase, 6sense, Terminus, and HubSpot ABM tier.