Many Australian SMEs are asking whether account-based marketing (ABM) is a strategy they should adopt. The short answer? It depends. ABM isn’t a silver bullet, but for the right businesses, it can deliver exceptional results. We’ve seen it consistently outperform traditional marketing for companies with a relatively small number of high-value customers or potential customers.

Traditionally, marketing casts a wide net, generating leads and hoping some convert. ABM flips this. Instead of chasing lots of prospects, you identify specific, key accounts – the companies that represent the biggest opportunity for your business – and focus all your marketing and sales efforts on them. Think of it as highly targeted, personalised marketing at the organisational level.

Here are a few things to consider when deciding if ABM is a good fit:

• Your Sales Cycle: ABM works best with longer, more complex sales cycles. If you typically close deals quickly, the investment in ABM might not pay off.
• Average Deal Size: The bigger the potential deal, the more sense ABM makes. If each customer is worth a significant amount, the focused effort is justified.
• Customer Concentration: Do a small number of customers generate a large percentage of your revenue? If so, nurturing those relationships with ABM is a smart move.
• Sales & Marketing Alignment: ABM requires close collaboration between your sales and marketing teams. If these departments operate in silos, ABM will struggle.

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking ABM is just personalisation. It’s much more strategic. It’s about understanding the key stakeholders within those target accounts, their challenges, and tailoring your messaging to address their specific needs. This often involves creating custom content, running targeted advertising campaigns, and even hosting exclusive events.

If you’re currently relying on broad-based marketing and aren’t seeing the returns you’d like, or if you’re preparing for significant growth in 2026 and beyond, we recommend taking a closer look at ABM. The first step is to identify 5-10 key accounts and map out their buying process. From there, you can start developing a tailored ABM strategy. A small pilot program is a great way to test the waters and see if it delivers the results you’re looking for.