The account-based marketing agency for the accounts you most want to win.
An account-based marketing agency chooses the companies that best fit what you sell, learns who inside each one shapes the decision, and runs coordinated campaigns that let marketing and sales reach those people together. Momentum builds on two tracks at once: the must-have accounts you are trying to open, and the must-grow accounts already buying from you.
What is account-based marketing?
Account-based marketing, shortened to ABM, is a B2B strategy in which marketing and sales pick a defined list of high-value companies and treat each one as a market of its own, researching its buying group and running coordinated, personalized campaigns to win or grow it. An account-based marketing strategy replaces the wide net with a named list, and every decision after that follows from which companies sit on it.
What does an ABM agency do?
An ABM agency plans and runs that program for you, which covers the account-based marketing services a team rarely has the time to build in-house.
In practice that means choosing the accounts, researching the people, shaping the story for each one and coordinating the channels, which gives each account one consistent voice from you. It matters more than it used to, because most B2B buyers settle on a shortlist before they speak to any supplier: in a Bain and Google survey of 1,208 business buyers, 80 to 90 percent had one in mind before formal research began1, and 6sense found that 94 percent of buying groups had ranked their preferred vendors before first contact2. ABM is how you earn a place on that list early.
ABM sits inside our GTM engineering work, which means it draws on the same signals and data as everything else we run. You can take it on its own or alongside the rest.
- Bain & Company and Google, via Harvard Business Review, “What B2Bs Need to Know About Their Buyers” (2022).
- 6sense, “B2B Buyer Experience Report” (2025). A vendor publishing research about its own category.
| Question | ABM | Demand generation |
|---|---|---|
| Starts with | A named list of accounts | A market or an audience |
| Who it reaches | The buying group inside each account | Anyone who fits the profile |
| The message | Written for one account or a small cluster | Written for a whole segment |
| Sales involvement | Planned together from the first day | Handed over once a lead qualifies |
| Measured by | Engagement, meetings and pipeline inside target accounts | Lead volume and cost per lead |
| Works best when | Deals are large, cycles are long and buyers are few | The market is broad and deals are smaller |
How does MotiveGTM approach ABM?
Our ABM strategy follows a six-stage framework: define the win, choose and score the accounts, map the buying group, shape the story, run coordinated plays, and measure and re-score. They answer three questions in turn, which are what we are trying to win, who we need to reach and how we reach them, and the order holds for every client because each stage decides what the next one has to work with. Across those stages a program delivers six ABM services: account selection and scoring, buying-group research, account-based content, account-based advertising, orchestrated outreach, and sales alignment and reporting. Choose a stage to see what we do in it, where AI does the work and where a person makes the call, and what you have in hand at the end.
Stage 1 of 6
Define the win
We start by agreeing on what success means before a single account is chosen: the revenue the program has to open up, which of your offers it leads with, the industries and regions it focuses on, and the time horizon it will be judged over. Sales sits in this conversation from the beginning, because a program that marketing designs alone tends to target accounts that sales never planned to work.
What we do
- Run a working session with sales and leadership to set the objective, the offers in scope and the markets that matter most.
- Study your closed-won and closed-lost deals to learn which kinds of companies buy, how long they take to decide and what they tend to spend.
- Agree shared definitions of an engaged account, a qualified conversation and an opportunity, which lets both teams count the same things from the first week.
- Size the program to the budget and the selling capacity you have, which keeps the list from outgrowing the people who have to work it.
What you have at the end
- A one-page ABM charter both teams sign up to
- Shared definitions for engagement, conversations and pipeline
- A baseline of where you stand today, and checkpoints for the months ahead
Stage 2 of 6
Choose and score the accounts
Accounts are chosen with a scoring model built from your own wins and the signals available in the market, which gives every account a score across three lenses and a clear threshold it has to clear before it earns a place on the list. Sales reviews the result before anything is final, because the people who will work these accounts often know something the data does not.
- Industry, size and region
- Technology already in use
- Business model and growth stage
- Resemblance to your best accounts
- Hiring for roles your offer supports
- New leadership or restructuring
- Funding, expansion or new sites
- Research on the problems you solve
- Former colleagues or alumni inside
- Past conversations and proposals
- Partners you have in common
- Engagement with your content or leaders
The list splits into two tracks and three tiers
The qualified list is split into accounts to win, which are new logos that need awareness and a first way in, and accounts to grow, which are existing customers with room to expand into new teams or offers. Each account then lands in a tier according to how much personal attention it earns.
| Tier | Scale | How personal | Typical plays |
|---|---|---|---|
| One to one | A handful of accounts | Built for each account | Executive outreach, account-specific content, private sessions |
| One to few | Small clusters sharing a problem | Built for each cluster | Industry points of view, roundtables, targeted advertising |
| One to many | A wider list | Built for each segment | Signal-triggered sequences, programmatic advertising |
What you have at the end
- A scoring model you can see into and adjust
- A qualified list, split into accounts to win and accounts to grow
- A tier and a named owner for every account
Stage 3 of 6
Map the buying group
Large deals are decided by several people who rarely want the same thing, which is why for every priority account we work out who is involved, what each of them is measured on and how you can reach them. AI does the heavy research across public sources and your CRM, and a person checks the result before anything is written, because a wrong name or a stale title does more damage in ABM than silence would.
What we do
- Identify the people in each role and how they relate to one another.
- Write a short brief on what each role cares about, what worries them and the language they use.
- Find warm paths in through shared connections, former colleagues and past conversations.
- Flag the gaps, which points the plays in stage five at the roles nobody is talking to yet.
What you have at the end
- A stakeholder map for each priority account
- Role briefs your whole team can use
- A list of warm introductions to ask for
Stage 4 of 6
Shape the story
With the accounts and the people known, we match what you sell to what each account is working on, drawing on its stated priorities, its recent moves and the problems its peers are dealing with. Every account in the top tier gets a value hypothesis, which is a short, testable statement of the problem we believe it has, what that problem is costing it and why you are the right team to solve it, and everything written for that account grows out of it.
What we do
- Write an insight brief per account covering its priorities, initiatives, triggers and the suppliers already in place.
- Turn each brief into a value hypothesis and test it in early conversations before scaling it up.
- Build a messaging matrix that shows what to say to each role at each stage, from first touch to proposal.
- Produce the proof, such as points of view, account-specific pages, short business cases and customer stories.
What you have at the end
- Insight briefs and value hypotheses for priority accounts
- A messaging matrix by role and stage
- A content kit for each tier
Stage 5 of 6
Run coordinated plays
Plays are the ABM campaigns themselves, where targeted advertising, email, warm calling, LinkedIn, micro-events and content are sequenced to let each touch build on the one before it. Advertising and content warm the buying group first, and buying signals decide when direct outreach starts, which means an account that starts researching gets attention while its interest is still fresh and every reply goes to a person who already knows that account’s history.
When a signal fires
Illustration. Three examples of the trigger rules we write with each client, using invented situations.
- Three people from one target account read your pricing and case study pages in the same week. The account is warming, and more than one person is involved. Next best action: the account owner is alerted with the pages viewed and the likely roles, and calls the strongest existing contact within a day.
- A new technology leader joins an account in the top tier. New leaders often review suppliers in their first months. Next best action: a short, personal note referencing their priorities, followed by an invitation to a small peer roundtable.
- An account to grow starts hiring for a function you support. The customer is building capacity you could provide. Next best action: the account manager raises it at the next business review with a one-page proposal ready.
What you have at the end
- A calendar of plays for each tier
- A signal playbook of triggers and next best actions
- One consistent voice across every channel
Stage 6 of 6
Measure and re-score
Because ABM is judged account by account, we measure progress as a ladder that runs from simply knowing the right people all the way to revenue. The early rungs move within weeks and tell us whether the program is working months before a deal closes, while the later rungs follow the length of your sales cycle.
- CoverageHow many target accounts have known contacts across the buying group
- EngagementHow many accounts show meaningful activity with you
- BreadthHow many roles inside each account are engaged beyond the first
- MeetingsQualified conversations inside target accounts
- PipelineOpportunities created and their value
- RevenueWin rate, deal size and cycle length, compared with accounts outside the program
The operating rhythm
What you have at the end
- Reporting at the level of each account
- A shared review rhythm with sales
- A target list that stays current as signals change
The principles behind every ABM program we run
A framework only works if the judgment behind it is sound, and these are the rules we apply when a decision isn’t covered by any stage.
Fewer accounts, deeper work
A shorter list worked properly beats a long one worked lightly, and we would sooner cut an account than spread the effort thin.
Sales in the room from day one
The people who will carry the conversations help choose the accounts and shape the story, which is why they trust what the program hands them.
Signals set the timing
We reach out when there is a reason to and give the calendar very little say, which means an account hears from you when it is most likely to listen.
Every touch earns the next
Each message, ad and invitation should leave the account better informed, which gives the reader something useful every time.
AI for research, people for relationships
AI handles the reading, the watching and the first drafts, while a person owns every decision about what to say and every conversation that follows.
Honest measurement
We report on the accounts that matter, including the ones that are not moving, because a program that only shows its wins cannot learn anything.
How does a target account become a partner of choice?
Three motions carry an account from a name on a list to a relationship that refers you and keeps growing. Each one earns the next, and the timings below suit a B2B sales cycle of a few months, which we stretch or compress to match yours.
-
Diagnose · Roughly the first six weeks
Account deep dive
A clear point of view on the account, built from what you already know about it and what the market shows.
Internal analysis
- Map current areas of engagement
- Identify whitespace opportunities
- Measure relationship strength
- Find the causes of de-growth
- Assess headwinds, tailwinds and growth areas
External analysis
- Understand the client's business and IT priorities
- Track investment and hiring signals
- Define the approach for each target region
Assets and artifacts
- Build videos, maturity assessments, points of view and case studies
- Record leadership videos featuring key stakeholders
Execution
- Build the stakeholder database
- Map executive relationships
- Plan the campaign and channel mix
-
Engage · Roughly months two to four
Awareness and relationship building
Warm relationships with stakeholders across the account, earned through work they find useful.
Awareness
- Run targeted social ads to key executives by use case and service area
- Host executive workshops
- Run focused technology and business campaigns
Stakeholder relationships
- Hold regular leadership meetings with client executives
- Share proof from other engagements, including frameworks, centers of excellence and growth stories
- Use business reviews to deepen the conversation
Events and networking
- Identify events the account attends or hosts
- Sponsor selected events
Alignment with objectives
- Bring executive insights into the client's planning cycle
- Time campaigns to land before budgets are set
-
Embed · Month five onward
Partner of choice
An account that refers you and keeps expanding, because your teams now build things together.
Joint initiatives
- Run joint innovation and co-creation workshops
- Invite client leaders to roundtables and panels that are not about vendors
- Host an event built for the account
Referenceability
- Secure references for analyst briefings
- Capture client testimonials
- Co-author case studies and thought leadership
Where has this worked?
One program, written up with the numbers it produced and the conditions it depended on. We publish what the work required as well as what it returned, because an account list that nobody maintains stops being useful within a quarter.
Is ABM right for your business?
Account-based marketing for B2B earns its cost when deals are large enough that winning a single account changes your quarter, when several people inside the buyer have to agree before anything is signed, and when you can already name the companies you want most. That describes most IT services and B2B tech firms selling into enterprise accounts, and many SMBs with a proven offer and a handful of dream customers. If you are a start-up still learning who buys, a focused version on a short list is often the right place to begin, while the wider GTM engineering work builds demand around it.
Straight answers
What does an account-based marketing agency do?
An account-based marketing agency helps you win a defined list of high-value companies. It chooses and scores the accounts, maps the people inside each one who shape the decision, writes messaging and content for those accounts, and coordinates advertising, email, calling and events to give the whole buying group one consistent story. A good one works hand in hand with your sales team, which gives every conversation it starts an owner.
How is ABM different from demand generation?
Demand generation builds interest across a whole market and qualifies whoever responds, whereas ABM starts with a named list of accounts and works each one deliberately. Most B2B companies benefit from both, because demand generation keeps the wider market aware of you while ABM makes sure the accounts that matter most get the attention they deserve.
How many accounts should an ABM program target?
It depends on the tier. A one-to-one program usually covers a handful of accounts that each get fully tailored work, a one-to-few program covers small clusters of accounts that share a problem, and a one-to-many program can reach a few hundred with lighter personalization. Most programs we run mix all three, and the scoring model decides which account sits where.
What is the difference between one-to-one, one-to-few and one-to-many ABM?
They are three levels of personalization. One-to-one ABM treats a handful of strategic accounts individually, with research, messaging and content built for each. One-to-few groups small clusters of accounts that share an industry or problem and tailors the work to each cluster. One-to-many reaches a wider list with lighter personalization by segment, usually driven by signals and targeted advertising.
How long does ABM take to show results?
Engagement inside target accounts tends to show up first, while pipeline follows the length of your sales cycle, which means a business that usually takes six months to close should judge ABM over at least two quarters. We agree those checkpoints with you when we define the win at the start, which keeps the timeline from ever coming as a surprise.
Do we need an ABM platform to get started?
No. Dedicated ABM platforms become useful at scale, but a well-scored list, careful research, a working CRM and coordinated channels are enough to run a strong program. We work with the tools you already have and suggest adding a platform only once the program is large enough for it to pay for itself.
What do you need from us to run an ABM program?
Less than most teams expect. We need access to your CRM or a recent export of won and lost deals, a senior person from sales who can give us an hour a fortnight, your existing customer list and any brand or product material you already have. Everything else, from the research and scoring to the content and the plays, is ours to build, and you review it at each stage before anything goes out.
Can you run ABM alongside our sales team and existing outbound?
Yes, and it works best that way. Your account owners keep the relationships, and we supply the research, the stories, the campaigns and the signals that tell them when to act. If you already run outbound against the same list, we align the two, which gives each account a single voice from your company. ABM is one of our GTM engineering services, and you can take it on its own or alongside the others.
What are some examples of account-based marketing?
A one-to-one program might build a microsite for a single enterprise account, pairing it with a LinkedIn campaign aimed at six named people and a private roundtable its CTO is invited to. A one-to-few program might write one point of view for eight insurers facing the same regulatory deadline and run it as advertising, email and a webinar. A one-to-many program might watch a list of 300 accounts for hiring and funding signals, then trigger a sequence the week a signal appears. The scoring model decides which account earns which treatment.
Book a discovery call
Tell us which accounts you want most. On the discovery call we’ll look at your list, your offer and where an ABM program should start.