Account-based marketing (ABM) is often hailed as the "holy grail" for high-ticket sales. But what is ABM? Fundamentally, account-based marketing is a targeted strategy to engage with our ideal clients. Traditional ABM emphasized creating champions within an organization while being precise about target accounts, forming a core element of B2B account-based marketing.

ABM has become expensive, disjointed, and unfocused. We need ABM 2.0.

Why ABM Needs a Revamp

The conventional account-based marketing approach often follows a predictable pattern, which has shown to be ineffective in delivering promised outcomes or achieving the desired ROI:

1. Buy an ABM platform -> Invest heavily in complex technology


2. Intent research -> Identify numerous companies supposedly interested in your solution


3. Account planning -> Allocate reps to manage multiple target accounts


4. Org chart building -> Gather data on decision-makers and key stakeholders


5. Campaign building -> Devote time to creating ads, emails, and LinkedIn messages


6. Launch -> Begin contacting "dream" companies


7. Optimize Messaging -> Adjust strategies when initial attempts fall short

Focusing on key target accounts is crucial, but it shouldn't incur high costs and excessive research hours. A more efficient ABM strategy is vital to tackle these challenges and drive revenue growth.

ABM done right should reduce CAC, increase deal velocity, and fill the pipeline faster.

Introducing ABM 2.0

Account-based marketing isn't just about targeting high-value accounts. It also involves understanding:

• What companies to target


• Who to engage with


• When to reach out


• How to contact them


• Why they're in-market

Answering these fundamental questions allows marketing efforts to deliver faster ROI, earning sales teams' appreciation for a comprehensive funnel. ABM 2.0 revolutionizes traditional tactics and enhances lead generation.

What is Person-Level ABM?

ABM 2.0 centers on person-level account-based marketing. This approach combines the best of inbound marketing with ABM's targeted focus, creating a robust ABM marketing strategy.

Intent signals are everywhere, but knowing ABC Enterprise is looking for XYZ solution is not enough.

By starting with high-intent, in-market leads and working backward to high-value target accounts, you'll develop a list of companies to target. Person-level intent is crucial for an effective ABM strategy.

When executed correctly, you'll target the right leads at the right companies at the right time. The approach remains account-based marketing—building champions by starting with the right individual and expanding from there. This method enables personalized messaging, enhancing customer experience and improving account-based marketing campaigns.

ABM 2.0 Process

This new account-based marketing strategy simplifies the traditional process, making it more cost-effective and accelerating deal velocity. Key steps include:

1. Identify In-Market Leads: Monitor website visitors and use person-level intent data.


2. Scrape Contact Info: Focus on key, high-intent leads and their organizational peers. Affordable scraping tools make this feasible.


3. Retarget: Use digital ads to remain visible to this small, targeted group, significantly reducing ad spend.


4. Nurture: Implement content-driven marketing emails to increase lead engagement.


5. Warm Outreach: Use lead scoring for identifying the most engaged leads and initiate conversations.

The catch? There isn't one. Spend less, generate more, and close deals quicker.

Legacy ABM has dominated mid-market and enterprise sales for years. However, innovative, data-driven marketers dissatisfied with the status quo are paving the way for strategic and programmatic ABM, offering more efficient ways to engage the buying committee.

Person-Level ABM Tech Stack

Our team uses ABM 2.0 daily. Here's our tech stack:

1) Identity Matrix:

De-anonymize 70% of US web visitors at a person-level to identify those researching your offerings and competitors. Capture them on the first visit, score them based on behavior and ICP, and influence their buyer journey.

Identity Matrix allows you to identify, segment, score, and store leads in your CRM or marketing automation system. It integrates with ad platforms for direct lead segmentation and targeting, similar to 6Sense or Demandbase, but at a person-level.

Additionally, it provides predictive AI analytics, insights, and recommendations for optimizing traffic quality, outreach, and marketing mix—essential for effective account-based advertising and personalized campaigns.

2) Clay:

We send leads from Identity Matrix to Clay for additional AI capabilities. Clay assists in crafting hyper-personalized emails by researching the account, individual, and more. It's exceptional for enrichment and AI copywriting.

Clay aggregates data through 100+ integrations, offering a comprehensive solution without the need for multiple tools in your stack.

3) Salesforce:

This system is compatible with any CRM, but at Identity Matrix, we use Salesforce with the Clay integration. Using Pardot (Account Engagement) by Salesforce, we send value-driven emails to ICP-aligned visitors, showcasing an understanding of their challenges. This approach aligns with the account-based marketing framework, ensuring sales and marketing are on the same page.

4) Smartlead:

Switching to Smartlead for warm outreach emails enhanced our deliverability. We use domains from Maildoso, integrate them with Smartlead, and send AI-personalized emails from Clay directly to prospects.

Our ICP receives nurturing emails and warm, 1-1 emails from our sales team, significantly boosting outbound efforts.

5) Cell Phone:

While any VOIP system is viable, we use cell phones to call engaged leads fitting our ICP. Combining Identity Matrix and Salesforce Einstein scoring, we assess lead behavior across marketing emails, warm emails, ads, etc.

We directly call the highest intent leads, achieving about 7x higher connect rates than when using Apollo data and VOIP.

Account Expansion:

We expand beyond the key prospect showing intent by reaching out to their peers, superiors, and team members. Often, the team redirects us back to the original contact, which is advantageous. The best warm email outreach begins with: "Referred by John Doe", almost guaranteeing responses.

The Cost of ABM 2.0

Instead of spending $100k to $750k on expensive tools like 6Sense and Demandbase, plus a CRM, marketing tools, enrichment data, and email systems, you consolidate platforms that cost significantly less.

Moreover, you receive more value for every dollar spent:

• AI Analytics


• AI Personalization


• AI Insights


• Person-Level Intent

At Identity Matrix, as a MarTech company, we utilize more tools than others. You don't need every tool in our stack. However, if you do, it costs us $3,500 per month. Larger teams may see a slight increase, but not proportionate to employee numbers.

These tools become more economical as you grow, unlike legacy ABM tools that become costlier as you scale. We don't subscribe to that model.

Compare the Data

We strive to assist you in exploring ABM 2.0, helping you achieve 3-5x higher ROI, faster deal velocity, and more closed-won deals.

To facilitate this, we offer comparisons between legacy ABM platforms and person-level ABM solutions, available here:

• 6Sense


• Demandbase


• Warmly


• RB2B


• Koala

We welcome your feedback on what's working and what's not in the market. Reach out to our CEO, Stephen, at [email protected].

Frequently Asked Questions

What is ABM 2.0?

ABM 2.0 is the next evolution of Account-Based Marketing. It enhances traditional campaigns by focusing on person-level intent data, enabling you to target the right person within high-value accounts. By prioritizing precision and efficiency, ABM 2.0 delivers faster ROI, accelerates deal velocity, and reduces costs.

How does person-level intent work?

Person-level intent identifies specific individuals within a company showing interest in your products or services. It de-anonymizes website visitors, analyzes off-site data, and highlights high-value leads actively seeking solutions like yours. Unlike generic intent signals tied to companies, this approach allows timely and relevant outreach to specific decision-makers.

What are the benefits of ABM 2.0 over traditional ABM?

ABM 2.0 offers several competitive advantages:

• Precise targeting at the person level, leading to higher conversion rates.


• Reduced ad spend by focusing on smaller, high-value audiences.


• Faster deal velocity with targeted nurturing and warm outreach.


• Consolidated tools and lower costs compared to traditional ABM platforms.


• Improved ROI through data-driven insights, AI analytics, and real-time lead scoring.

What tools are recommended for ABM 2.0?

A streamlined, effective ABM 2.0 tech stack includes:

1. Identity Matrix: For de-anonymizing web traffic, capturing person-level intent data, and scoring leads.


2. Clay: For enhancing leads with personalized insights and AI-driven email writing.


3. Salesforce (or any CRM): For automating value-packed email outreach and nurturing campaigns.


4. Smartlead: For warm outreach emails with high deliverability rates.


5. VOIP or cell phones: For direct engagement with high-intent leads.

How does ABM 2.0 reduce costs?

ABM 2.0 reduces costs by:

• Eliminating the need for expensive legacy platforms like Demandbase or 6Sense.


• Utilizing affordable tools like Identity Matrix and Clay, which cost less and deliver more value.


• Focusing on smaller, highly-intent audiences, reducing wasteful ad spend and overhead.


• Streamlining processes with AI-powered insights and automations, saving time and money.

Can small teams use ABM 2.0?

Absolutely. Unlike traditional ABM strategies that require significant budgets and resources, ABM 2.0 is designed for efficiency. Small teams can adopt this strategy using affordable tools, making it accessible without sacrificing performance.

Why should I switch to ABM 2.0?

Traditional ABM methods are costly, broad, and often yield diminishing returns. ABM 2.0 enables you to:

• Spend less while obtaining more precise data and better outcomes.


• Shorten sales cycles by targeting decision-makers at the right time.


• Increase your ROI by engaging prospects who are already in-market.

If you’re ready to transform your sales and marketing efforts, ABM 2.0 is the smarter choice.