Imagine this: Your sales team is pushing for more leads, while your marketing team is focused on brand awareness. Both are essential, but without alignment, it feels like trying to steer a ship with two captains giving different directions. Sound familiar? You're not alone. The average marketing and sales targeting overlap in B2B companies is just 16%, according to figures released recently by LinkedIn. It’s a number that should give B2B marketers pause for thought.
Many businesses struggle with this daily, but there is hope. At KLIQ, we’ve been navigating these challenges with our clients using LinkedIn and our trusted tool, KLIQmetrics™, to bridge the gap between sales and marketing, driving some serious results. Let us show you how we’ve tackled this issue and how you can too.
Key obstacles to B2B sales and marketing alignment
When it comes to sales and marketing alignment, there are a few common culprits that often derail efforts. First and foremost, communication silos are a major issue. It’s not uncommon for marketing and sales teams to work towards different objectives, leading to a lack of coordination and a chaotic environment where opportunities are missed. Each team has its own set of goals and metrics, which can result in disjointed efforts and ineffective strategies.
Adding to the complexity is data confusion. With multiple sources of truth, decision-makers can become paralyzed by conflicting information, much like trying to navigate a new city with five different maps. This disarray makes it difficult to agree on a single course of action, leading to inconsistent strategies and ultimately, suboptimal results.
Finally, mismatched objectives between sales and marketing teams can spell disaster for campaigns. When these departments aren't on the same page, marketing campaigns may not resonate with the target audience, and sales efforts can be undermined. This misalignment often triggers a blame game, where the lack of success is attributed to the other team’s failure to deliver, rather than a recognition of the systemic issues that need addressing.
The significance of B2B sales and marketing alignment
Aligning sales and marketing is not just a nice-to-have; it's crucial for driving growth and maximising ROI. When these two critical functions work together, they create a seamless customer journey that leads to higher conversion rates and increased revenue.
Sales and marketing alignment offers several key benefits to businesses:
- Increased Growth: According to Aberdeen Group, companies with strong sales and marketing alignment achieve 20% annual revenue growth. This significant growth is a direct result of coordinated efforts and unified strategies.
- Higher Efficiency: Aligned organisations report 36% higher customer retention rates and 38% higher sales win rates (MarketingProfs). This efficiency stems from consistent messaging and shared goals, ensuring that both teams work towards the same objectives.
- Enhanced ROI: LinkedIn reports that 87% of marketers say that ABM strategies outperform other marketing investments in terms of ROI. When sales and marketing are aligned, they can better target high-value accounts, leading to more effective campaigns and higher returns.
Why does misalignment happen between B2B sales and marketing?
- Different Metrics: Sales teams often focus on revenue and quotas, while marketing teams concentrate on leads and engagement. This divergence can cause friction and misaligned priorities.
- Lack of Communication: Regular, open communication is crucial. Without it, misunderstandings and assumptions can derail efforts.
- Different Tools: Sales and marketing often use different tools and platforms, making it difficult to share data and insights.
By addressing these challenges and fostering collaboration, businesses can unlock the full potential of their sales and marketing efforts, driving growth and achieving their goals.
Harnessing the power of Account-Based Marketing (ABM) for B2B with LinkedIn and KLIQmetricsâ„¢
We've seen firsthand how transformative Account-Based Marketing (ABM) on LinkedIn can be for lead nurturing in our clients' businesses. By targeting specific accounts and collaborating with our clients to craft personalised content that aligns with their identified prospects' goals, objectives, pain points, and challenges, we've achieved remarkable results. This strategy isn't about casting a wide net; it's about precision and relevance, ensuring every piece of content hits the mark.
Our secret weapon is KLIQmetrics™. Like a marketing Swiss Army knife, it provides real-time insights that empower both sales and marketing teams to understand what’s working and what’s not, right when it matters.
With our LinkedIn ABM strategy and KLIQmetrics™, we've seen our clients’ ABM targeted accounts become highly engaged with their content. This engagement drives significant traffic from these lists to key pages on our clients' websites, generating demand and interest in their work and ultimately converting these visits into valuable leads.
B2B Client success stories: Transformative results with LinkedIn & ABM
For one of our HR tech clients, we've seen a 100% increase in followers on their LinkedIn Company Page in just 12 months, engaging the target audience effectively. Their average engagement rate for posts reached an impressive 7.24%, far surpassing the industry average of 4.73%.
Additionally, this client experienced strong click-through rates of over 3.5% per month on LinkedIn organic posts and gained over 700 new subscribers to their LinkedIn newsletter from the target audience in just three months.
Why is this important?
These results highlight the power of a well-executed Account-Based Marketing (ABM) strategy. By focusing on specific, high-value accounts and creating personalised, relevant content, we were able to engage the target audience effectively, leading to increased visibility and deeper connections with potential clients.
Why did it work?
The success of this strategy lies in its precision and relevance. By understanding the specific needs, pain points, and interests of the target audience, we crafted content that truly resonated with them. This approach ensured that every piece of content was not only seen but also valued and acted upon by the audience.
According to SiriusDecisions, 91% of marketers say ABM accounts have larger deal sizes. These results demonstrate the powerful impact of a targeted strategy, showing how meaningful engagement can drive substantial business growth.
Proven steps for successful sales and marketing alignment using ABM on LinkedIn for B2B
- Set Shared Goals
Start by getting everyone on the same page. It's crucial to define clear and common objectives that align with your company’s overall strategy. When sales and marketing have a unified vision, they work towards the same targets, creating a cohesive effort that drives success. - Foster Open Communication
Regular, open communication is the backbone of alignment. Schedule weekly check-ins and use collaborative platforms to ensure that both teams stay in sync. This transparency helps in addressing issues promptly and keeps everyone updated on progress and changes. - Use Unified Tools
Implementing the right tools can make a world of difference. Use platforms like KLIQmetricsâ„¢ to provide real-time, actionable insights. These tools help in tracking progress, making informed decisions, and ensuring that both teams have access to the same data, which eliminates confusion and improves collaboration. - Create Joint Content Strategies
Content is king, but it's even more powerful when sales and marketing collaborate on it. Work together to create content that resonates with your target accounts. Make sure it's aligned with both sales and marketing goals to ensure it effectively engages your audience and drives conversions. - Review and Optimise Regularly
The market is always changing, and so should your strategies. Consistently review your metrics to understand what's working and what isn't. Use this data to refine your approach and keep your strategies aligned with current market trends and business objectives. Regular optimization ensures that your efforts remain effective and relevant.
Why ignoring LinkedIn ABM could be costing your B2B business
Leveraging sales and marketing alignment through an Account-Based Marketing (ABM) approach on LinkedIn is a game-changer. This strategy not only enhances your brand’s visibility but also boosts engagement and conversion rates. According to HubSpot, nurtured leads make 47% larger purchases than non-nurtured leads. By releasing targeted content to a highly engaged LinkedIn audience, you can drive impressive conversion rates and foster lasting relationships.
Is your business missing out on the benefits of sales and marketing alignment with LinkedIn ABM? Get in touch with KLIQ for a no-obligations free consultation and a walkthrough of KLIQmetrics to uncover more insights.
