In our last blog, we explored how B2B hierarchy mapping can be used to identify buying teams. Now let’s consider how B2B hierarchy mapping can optimize your broader ABM strategy. Hierarchy mapping is inherently synergistic with Account-Based Marketing (ABM) because it helps identify, segment, and target the key players within a target account, aligning perfectly with ABM’s focus on personalizing outreach for high-value accounts. Let’s consider some of the ways B2B hierarchy mapping is essential to your ABM strategy.
Lead-to-Account Matching By Territory
The ability to react to a lead or inquiry in minutes often depends on understanding which territory the lead should be routed. The most common errors center around the system not knowing that LinkedIn for example is a part of Microsoft. Although that’s an obvious relationship, often entry-level reps or marketers may not be aware of it. These errors can mean the wrong rep gets started on the lead only to find out it’s their colleague’s account. On top of that, time kills all deals. With B2B hierarchy mapping, you can ensure your reps have the right leads routed quickly so they don’t miss any opportunities to penetrate their target accounts.
Precision Targeting of High-Value Accounts
ABM starts by selecting high-value accounts that are likely to yield high ROI. Once these accounts are identified, hierarchy mapping comes into play by revealing the internal structure and key stakeholders within each target account. This structured view allows teams to segment the account into smaller, role-based groups. For example, you might segment contacts by senior executives, mid-level managers, and technical end-users to better understand and prioritize engagement within that account. Hierarchy mapping allows ABM teams to pinpoint key roles in high-value accounts, making it easier to customize messaging for each segment.
Identifying Buying Groups and Tailoring Content to Each Role
As discussed above, a typical B2B sale involves a buying group composed of multiple roles (e.g., decision-makers, influencers, users). Hierarchy mapping identifies these roles and uncovers how they interact, creating a clear roadmap for engaging each stakeholder based on their influence. Content and messaging can be tailored for each person’s role in the decision process. For instance, executives may receive content focused on strategic value, while technical users receive product details. By aligning messaging to each role, ABM teams can strengthen relevance and impact. Targeted, role-specific content nurtures each contact within the buying group, creating a cohesive and customized experience for everyone involved in the decision.
Prioritizing Influential Contacts and Building Champions
In an ABM approach, identifying and nurturing “champions” within a target account can be critical. Hierarchy mapping helps identify important areas of the company and then by aligning people to them you can identify influential contacts who may not be the final decision-makers but have significant sway in the purchasing decision. By prioritizing these champions and nurturing them with targeted content, ABM teams can build advocates within the account who help advance the deal. For example, these champions can speak to the product’s benefits internally, raising support for the solution. With champions advocating for your solution, the ABM process gains momentum within the target account, making it easier to reach the right stakeholders with the right message.
Streamlining Cross-Functional Sales and Marketing Alignment
ABM is most effective when sales and marketing teams work closely together, and hierarchy mapping bridges these departments by providing a shared view of the account’s structure. With a hierarchy map, marketing can support sales with tailored content for each stage of the buying process. For instance, if sales has made initial contact with key decision-makers, marketing can focus on providing content that addresses specific objections or highlights relevant case studies. Streamlined collaboration between sales and marketing, supported by hierarchy mapping, leads to more efficient communication, ensuring all stakeholders receive timely and relevant messaging.
Accelerating Sales Cycles with Timely Engagement
One of ABM’s goals is to shorten sales cycles by improving targeting and engagement. Hierarchy mapping supports this by clarifying the organizational structure, making it easier to identify who to contact next and avoid bottlenecks. For example, after an initial conversation with a mid-level manager, hierarchy mapping can reveal the appropriate senior executive who should be looped in next. This prevents wasted time and ensures that the sales team advances quickly through the buying process. Targeted outreach to key players at the right time minimizes delays, keeping the sales process moving forward efficiently.
Personalizing Multi-Channel Campaigns
ABM often involves multi-channel engagement across email, social media, direct mail, and digital ads. Hierarchy mapping informs these campaigns by showing exactly who to target on each channel and with which content. For example, senior leaders might be more receptive to LinkedIn outreach with thought leadership content, while mid-level managers could receive more hands-on content via email or webinars. Hierarchy mapping helps coordinate these touchpoints to maximize engagement across channels. A well-coordinated multi-channel approach increases the chances of meaningful engagement with each contact within the target account, enhancing ABM’s effectiveness.
Tracking and Measuring ABM Success at Each Level
ABM success relies on tracking progress within target accounts, and hierarchy mapping provides a framework to track engagement at each level of the hierarchy. For instance, if the map shows key influencers and champions, ABM teams can track engagement metrics for these roles specifically and adjust tactics accordingly. This data-driven approach helps monitor which parts of the buying group are engaged and identify where additional attention is needed. By tracking engagement at each role level, ABM teams can optimize strategies, ensuring a well-rounded approach to moving the entire buying group toward a decision.
Conclusion:
Hierarchy mapping enhances ABM by providing a clear view of the decision-making landscape within each target account, allowing teams to better:
- Segment and prioritize key areas of an account and align its stakeholders.
- Customize engagement at each level of the organization.
- Build champions within the buying group.
- Streamline collaboration between sales and marketing.
- Track engagement for real-time campaign optimization.
Together, these benefits enable ABM teams to deliver highly relevant, impactful campaigns that resonate with all members of the buying group, ultimately leading to higher conversion rates and more effective ABM outcomes.
Most sales and marketing teams haven’t adopted the tools necessary to map B2B hierarchies effectively, but for the sake of their ABM strategy in an increasingly competitive data-driven environment, they need to start taking hierarchy mapping seriously. Winning sales and marketing teams are looking for a way to manage profiles for all of the people, companies and accounts across their TAM, connect them all together with hierarchies, and then keep it all updated across their existing systems automatically without breaking the bank.
By implementing a powerful Customer Data Platform (CDP) that leverages dynamic data with a dependable Identity Resolution framework, you can automatically map hierarchies across your Total Addressable Market (TAM) for a more comprehensive and effective ABM strategy. Use a CDP solution with hierarchy mapping to take your ABM strategy to the next level. Better understand your target accounts, identify decision makers, manage territories, and trust your lead-to-account matching process – get your B2B hierarchies mapped! To learn more about hierarchy mapping, watch the webinar, Market Activation Packs, where Leadspace’s CEO, Marge Breya, discusses the Leadspace Corporate Families MAP.