For contract manufacturers, winning new business isn’t just about generating leads - it’s about securing the right kind of leads to deliver long term growth and profit in your organisation. ROI in marketing investment is hard to prove, but you need a way to quantify success to justify further investment. And ABM is no exception.
Traditional marketing strategies often casts a wide net, aiming to attract a large number of potential leads. The goal is to capture and engage those who may be interested in your services, while later interactions will naturally filter out those who are not a good fit.
But for contract manufacturers with very specific offerings and a limited marketplace, this approach can be inefficient.
Account-Based Marketing flips the script for these players, by focusing on a select group of high-value accounts that align with your ideal customer profile (ICP).
By concentrating resources on these key prospects, ABM enables contract manufacturers to:
But how do you quantify these benefits to justify further investment?
Unlike traditional marketing, which often measures success based on lead volume, ABM ROI is measured by the depth of engagement and the quality of deals won.
Here are the key metrics contract manufacturers should use to track ABM effectiveness and ROI:
ABM focuses on accelerating the journey from initial contact to closed deal. By tracking how quickly target accounts move through the sales funnel, you can measure the impact of personalised outreach and targeted campaigns.
Key Metrics:
What success looks like: If your average sales cycle is typically 12 months but ABM efforts reduce it to 9 months, you’re seeing a measurable ROI.
While ABM often requires a higher upfront investment, the goal is to improve deal quality and customer retention, leading to higher lifetime value (CLV).
Key Metrics:
What success looks like: If an ABM-driven customer costs £50,000 to acquire but generates £500,000 in revenue over five years, the ROI justifies the investment.
In contract manufacturing, a strong relationship with a buyer is often the deciding factor in winning long-term contracts. ABM strategies focus on deep engagement with key stakeholders.
Key Metrics:
What success looks like: If a prospect moves from passive engagement (reading blog content) to active participation (requesting a meeting or attending an ABM-driven webinar), your strategy is working.
ABM isn’t just about engagement—it’s about closing deals with the right customers.
Key Metrics:
What success looks like: If ABM-targeted accounts have a 30% higher win rate than non-targeted accounts, the approach is proving effective.
Ultimately, the success of an ABM strategy is determined by revenue impact.
Key Metrics:
What success looks like: If a £100,000 ABM investment results in £1 million in new contracts, the ROI is clear!
ABM is effective only when sales and marketing teams are completely in sync. To achieve genuine alignment, it's essential to: set common objectives, ensure seamless digital integration across departments and throughout customer journeys, and establish clear revenue responsibilities within every team.
Use firmographic, technographic, and intent data to identify and prioritise high-value accounts. Monitor engagement metrics to refine your approach.
By combining your own analytics with intent data from the likes of ZoomInfo, you can work out which of your prospects are most likely to convert and score them appropriately in your CRM. The detail of intent data you can extract will help you prioritise resources and create the bespoke email nurturing sequences that will resonate for each target account as they navigate their sales cycle.
Account-Based Marketing (ABM) is not a one-size-fits-all approach; it requires a tailored strategy for each target account to maximise effectiveness. This can mean customising messaging, content, and outreach strategies to align with the specific needs, preferences, and challenges of each potential client.
But this can be a costly process. To ensure a personalised experience that maximises ROI in ABM you need to find ways of scaling and automating customisation. Our blog on personalisation in the age of AI is a great place to start on your journey.
To see strong returns from your ABM strategy, you must offer insights that your prospects simply can’t find elsewhere.
Andy Crestodina, CEO of influential Orbit Media, explains how to create value-led webinars specifically for manufacturing audiences—sharing original, bespoke research that speaks directly to the challenges and goals of your ideal customers.
In his guide, Andy illustrates how to use this kind of highly targeted content as the cornerstone of your ABM efforts. He outlines how to combine automated event promotion and digital advertising to build awareness at scale, while simultaneously using more personalised, one-to-one nurturing to engage the highest-value individuals in your ABM list.
He also shares practical tips for tracking engagement and following up meaningfully with attendees—ensuring that the considerable investment in webinar planning and delivery delivers tangible results and long-term value.
To effectively leverage Account-Based Marketing (ABM), implement a robust technology stack aligned with your goals.
Integrate ABM tools with the Hubspot CRM for contact and campaign management, intent tracking software for prioritising accounts, and AI-driven personalisation for boosting tailored experiences.
Streamline these technologies to automate tasks, scale campaigns, and maintain a consistent, personalised approach, optimising ABM efforts and maximising ROI.
For contract manufacturing companies, ABM isn’t just another marketing tactic—it’s a strategic investment that drives higher-value deals, improves efficiency, and strengthens long-term relationships with the right customers.
By focusing on the right metrics and continuously refining your approach, you can ensure that your ABM efforts deliver tangible, sustainable growth for your business.