How to Build an ABM Program from Scratch: A Step-by-Step Framework for B2B Teams

Plenty of B2B teams say they're doing account-based marketing (ABM). Look closer, and a lot of them have little more than a shorter email list and a fresh subject line. The same sequence goes out, just to fewer people.

Real ABM starts well before the first email. It begins with deciding which companies are worth pursuing and understanding why they're a good fit. The messaging, channels, and sales handoff are then built around those accounts. By the time a campaign launches, much of the groundwork should already be in place.

This post covers how to build an ABM program from scratch, from checking readiness and choosing accounts to building plays and measuring progress in the first 90 days.

Before you start: Is ABM right for you?

ABM takes considerable effort per account, and that investment makes sense only under the right conditions.

Deal size matters.

If your typical deal is small, the time spent on a single account may be difficult to justify.

Your sales cycle should leave room for sustained engagement.

When deals move quickly, a volume-led approach may be more practical.

Buying decisions should involve multiple people.  

If one person can approve a purchase, there's less need to coordinate messaging across an entire account.

Sales and marketing need to agree on which accounts to pursue.  

If the two teams can't agree on which companies matter and why, resolve that first.  

You'll also need patience and a budget that doesn't depend on ABM delivering results in the first month. If these conditions don't apply, demand generation may be a better fit. Exploring different demand generation campaign ideas could be a more practical starting point. We cover how to weigh the two approaches in our post on ABM vs. demand gen budgets.

Here’s how you can start building your ABM program:

Step 1: Choose and tier your accounts

Account selection is where an ABM program takes shape. Get it wrong, and even a well-executed campaign can struggle to gain traction.

Start with the accounts, not the tactics.  

Look at your ideal customer profile (ICP). Which companies have the problem you solve, the budget to address it, and a profile like your best customers? Then consider timing. A spike in research activity, a leadership change, or a new business initiative could indicate that an account is in the market.

It's tempting to start with the biggest logos on the wish list. But size alone doesn't make an account a good prospect. Without a clear need, access to decision-makers, or a reason to act now, even a prestigious name can become a long, unproductive pursuit.

DISCO, a legal technology company based in Austin, Texas, offers an example of data-informed account selection. DISCO used the platform to refine its ICP and total addressable market definitions, while gaining visibility into intent signals such as keyword research, competitor research, and on-site engagement. This helped sellers identify relevant accounts and tailor their outreach.  

Next, decide how much attention each account deserves.  

Divide your shortlist into three tiers based on potential value and what your team can realistically deliver.

• 1:1: A small number of accounts that warrant a fully customized approach.
• 1: few: Groups of accounts that share an industry, challenge, or use case. Build one core play and adapt it for individual accounts.
• 1: many: A broader set of accounts that receive lighter personalization and more automated engagement.

There's no universal number for each tier. It depends on your team's capacity and the complexity of your offering. If your 1:1 tier contains forty accounts, you may be treating it more like a 1: many program, regardless of what you've named it.

At All in Motion, we assess accounts based on intent data, organizational fit, revenue potential, and competitive timing. The aim is to build a shortlist grounded in evidence and get sales and marketing aligned before creative development begins.

Tiers can change as accounts develop.  

An account that initially warrants a lighter touch may deserve more investment once it shows meaningful interest. AVEVA, an industrial software company headquartered in Cambridge, UK, offers an example of scaling personalization across a larger group.

AVEVA developed a master template to support personalized experiences for more than 80 top accounts, reducing the work to about half an hour per account. This saved more than 700 hours and that the program supports 60% of pipeline and 70% of bookings.  

Regional differences matter, too. Buying committees, decision-making processes, and expectations around business communication can vary by region. The people involved in a buying decision, and the way your team approaches them, may differ between a US account and a European one. Account research should reflect those differences rather than assume one play will work everywhere.

Step 2: Build plays for each tier

Once you've chosen and prioritized your accounts, decide what engagement should look like. Each tier needs a different level of personalization, but the underlying strategy should remain consistent.

1:1: Build around the individual account.

Sales and marketing should create a short account plan together. What is the company trying to achieve? Who influences the decision, and what matters to each stakeholder? The answers should shape the work, whether that's a tailored microsite, an executive briefing, or a short video addressing a specific business challenge. Sales brings relationship context; marketing develops the messaging and assets to support those conversations.

1: few: Build once, then adapt.

Group accounts that share an industry, challenge, or use case. Develop a core play for the cluster, then adjust it for different companies and stakeholders. A relevant case study, role-specific messaging, or a roundtable around a shared challenge can reach several accounts without requiring a fully custom campaign for each.

1: many: Use automation without losing relevance.

This tier suits lighter personalization across a larger group. Depending on the market and channels available, that could include targeted advertising, account-aware content, and email outreach. The aim is to build familiarity and identify accounts showing interest, so they can move into a more personalized tier when appropriate.

Across all three tiers, messaging should follow the same core logic, even when execution differs. Sales also needs to remain involved. If marketing builds plays that reps don't use or that don't reflect what they're hearing from prospects, the program will struggle. Agree on criteria for moving accounts between tiers so those decisions aren't made ad hoc.

At All in Motion, we map each account's buying committee to understand who influences the decision, who makes it, and who might hold it up. Messaging is developed for those different perspectives, from the business case a C-suite stakeholder needs to the technical evidence an evaluator may be looking for. We build case narratives and engagement materials around the account's situation rather than relying entirely on existing assets.

Step 3: Measure the first 90 days

Pipeline takes time to develop, particularly when you're pursuing complex, high-value accounts. In the first three months, look beyond closed deals to understand whether the program is gaining traction. Agree on measures before launch, so the team has a shared view of what progress looks like.

Account engagement: Are target accounts paying attention?

Track activity from named accounts, including website visits, content engagement, ad interactions, and event attendance. Look at these signals together rather than treating one interaction as proof of buying intent. If engagement stays low after several weeks, revisit the account list, messaging, or channels.

Committee coverage: Are you reaching the right people?

Look at how many relevant stakeholders you're reaching within each account and whether engagement extends beyond a single contact. A relationship built around one champion can be fragile if that person leaves, loses influence, or stops responding.

Sales signals: Is the program helping the sales team?

Track meetings booked with target accounts, feedback from reps about account quality, and whether the team is using the campaign plays. Sales can tell you whether the people responding have the right influence and whether the messaging reflects real prospect conversations. If reps have returned to their own materials, there may be a gap between the campaign and the way the team sells.

Review these signals at days 30, 60, and 90:

• Day 30: Check the fundamentals. Are the accounts a good fit, and is the messaging reaching them?
• Day 60: Look for depth. Are more people engaging within each account, and are contacts returning to your content?
• Day 90: Check whether engagement is leading to meaningful conversations with relevant stakeholders. If not, revisit account selection, messaging, and outreach rather than simply increasing activity.

These aren't rigid deadlines. Complex buying processes may take longer than 90 days to produce a qualified opportunity. The point is to use early evidence to decide what needs to change instead of waiting for revenue to tell you whether the program is working.

At All in Motion, we track engagement depth alongside campaign reach, then adjust messaging, timing, and channel choices based on what's moving accounts forward.

What this looks like when All in Motion runs it for you

Everything covered here can be managed seamlessly, provided you have the right people, time, and resources. For teams that need help with strategy, execution, or sales and marketing alignment, a partner can fill the gaps.

All in Motion works with B2B teams across enterprise SaaS, professional services, and technology, with production hubs in India, Poland, and Canada. Our ABM engagement starts with understanding which accounts matter most, what's getting in the way of winning them, and where support is needed. The specifics depend on the accounts you're pursuing and what your team needs to move them forward.

If you'd like support building an ABM program, write to us. We’ll partner with you to shape an approach built around your growth priorities.