As the account-based marketing (ABM) movement continues to gain momentum, subject matter experts (SMEs) are playing an increasingly important role in helping B2B organizations to execute ABM strategies successfully.
SMEs bring a deep understanding of the customer’s industry, challenges, and objectives, which can provide valuable insights into how to tailor an ABM program to meet the customer’s needs.
This article will discuss SMEs’ essential roles in ABM and how they can help you get the most out of your ABM strategy.
What are Subject Matters Experts?
Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) have comprehensive knowledge and substantial experience in a particular field.
They are typically individuals who have worked in a particular industry for a prolonged period and have obtained a high level of expertise in one subject.
Organizations typically employ SMEs to provide training, guidance, and advice on a particular subject.
Moreover, they may be consulted for their expertise and experience on a particular subject or project.
They can also be utilized to review and evaluate research on a particular subject.
Furthermore, SMEs are often sought out to provide valuable insight into the development of new products or services and to provide input into decisions related to risk management.
Subject Matter Experts in ABM-Fueled Organizations
It is critical to engage the subject matter experts in account-based marketing strategy.
Considering ABM necessitates a deep understanding of the intricacies of the target account, including their unique needs, challenges, and buying behaviors.
To best capture and represent this information, subject matter experts bring their knowledge, research, and experience to bear, allowing them to develop a more comprehensive and effective ABM strategy.
They will also be able to craft tailored messages and content that will resonate with the target account and provide the necessary information to move them through the buyer’s journey.
Furthermore, subject matter experts can provide strategic advice and direction on how best to reach and engage the target accounts and provide guidance and insights on complicated ventures that no one talks about on the internet.
Areas Where Subject Matter Experts Can Help
Subject matter experts can be invaluable assets when it comes to account-based marketing.
They can help in multiple areas, such as strategy development, customer segmentation, customer journey mapping, and analytics.
With their deep knowledge and expertise, they can provide valuable insights and recommendations to help ensure campaigns are successful. These are some of the areas where they can improve your organization:
- Customer segmentation
- Lead Prioritization
- Account-level messaging
- Data-driven content marketing
- Multi-channel personalization
- Automation
- Campaign optimization
Customer segmentation
Subject matter experts (SMEs) can provide invaluable support to organizations that are leveraging account-based marketing (ABM) in customer segmentation.
By using deep insights into customer needs, SMEs are able to develop precise customer profiles that allow for more accurate and tailored segmentation strategies.
Furthermore, SMEs can provide invaluable guidance on segmentation criteria, helping organizations identify the most effective customer segments for each ABM campaign.
For example, a financial services provider may have subject matter experts in finance, economics, and banking who can assist in creating segments based on customer demographics such as age, income, and investment portfolio size.
Additionally, a retail company may have subject matter experts in fashion, design, and social media who can help create segments based on fashion preferences, lifestyle, and the type of content customers are engaging with on social media.
Through their expertise, SMEs can also provide valuable suggestions on the best tactics to reach customers in each segment, such as identifying the best channels and messages.
Finally, SMEs can use their knowledge to help organizations tailor their ABM campaigns to the needs of their targets, ensuring that each campaign is as effective as possible.
Lead Prioritization
Subject matter experts (SMEs) are prominent in lead prioritization due to their specialized knowledge and experience in their respective fields.
SMEs can provide valuable insights into which factors are necessary for a successful lead-scoring model and which metrics should be used to measure performance.
For example, an SME in the insurance industry can recommend metrics such as customer lifetime value, customer retention rate, or purchase frequency as essential success criteria for lead scoring.
Additionally, SMEs can guide which data sources should be used, such as customer surveys, transaction data, or demographic data.
Furthermore, SMEs can help refine lead-scoring models by providing feedback on how best to weigh each factor and develop a better understanding of the target market.
Account-level Messaging
SMEs can bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table in
terms of crafting account-level messaging.
For starters, SMEs can help identify specific accounts’ needs and target them with relevant messages.
Through data-driven insights, SMEs can create messaging that resonates with each account, allowing for a more tailored experience.
In addition, SMEs can help ensure the messaging remains relevant to the target accounts and any new contacts that may arise.
Furthermore, SMEs can provide valuable insights into the dynamics of the industry, allowing the organization to stay ahead of the game.
Data-driven content marketing
With the discussion above, SMEs can make a difference in employing a data-driven content marketing plan.
SMEs can be valuable in identifying and understanding the best data sources to draw upon to inform the content strategy.
Using existing data, SMEs can help unearth key customer segments, analyze customer behaviors, and pinpoint the best content to produce.
They can tap into the latest industry trends, interpret data and provide valuable input in developing an effective content marketing strategy.
For example, an SME in the fashion industry could interpret the latest trends to identify the most lucrative target markets and then provide data-driven insights to craft tailored content for those audiences.
An SME in the health industry could interpret the latest research to develop content strategies to engage potential customers and drive conversions.
Multi-channel personalization
Regarding multi-channel personalization, SMEs have much to say when given to drive the conversation.
For instance, a marketing expert can offer insight into the types of audiences that an organization should target, the channels that should be used to reach them, and the best way to structure the messages for maximum impact.
An IT expert can advise on the technical aspects of implementation, such as the types of software and hardware that should be used to support the initiatives.
A data analyst can offer guidance on collecting and analyzing the data that will drive personalization efforts and avoid costly mistakes.
Automation
In the context of automation in account-based marketing, subject matter experts (SMEs) provide immense value by leveraging their deep understanding of the target domain.
SMEs can identify patterns and trends in the data that automated processes may not easily recognize.
They can also identify potential areas of risk or opportunity that automated systems may overlook.
SMEs can also provide valuable insights into customer behavior, helping to inform the design of automated systems and ensure they are aligned with customer expectations.
Additionally, SMEs can help refine and optimize automated systems, ensuring that they provide the desired outcomes.
Finally, SMEs can use their expertise to help organizations better understand their customers, enabling them to develop more effective strategies for account-based marketing.
Campaign optimization
Do you need to be aware of the gaps in your marketing campaigns? An SME might have a diagnosis of your current problems.
Subject matter experts (SMEs) play a critical role in the success of campaign optimization in account-based marketing (ABM).
While their expertise may span a wide range of topics, their contributions in an ABM context primarily revolve around helping organizations better understand the target audience, including their motivations and challenges.
This can then be applied to developing ABM campaigns more likely to resonate with the desired audience.
Additionally, SMEs can provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of campaigns and potential areas for improvement. They can also help to identify opportunities to expand reach and better engage with the target audience.
By leveraging the expertise of SMEs, organizations can ensure that their ABM campaigns are more likely to succeed.
Ultimately, subject matter experts are essential in any successful account-based marketing strategy. They provide valuable insights into the motivations of buyers and have the skills to craft compelling content that resonates with them.
By listening to their opinions and collaborating on campaigns, marketers can quickly create captivating messages that can help them reach their desired audience.
