Account-Based Marketing (ABM) is the difference between casting a wide net in Moreton Bay and hoping for the best, versus spear-fishing precisely for the exact trophy catch you want. For Australian B2B businesses, LinkedIn is the ultimate toolkit for this because it allows you to bypass the ‘gatekeepers’ and speak directly to the decision-makers at your dream companies.
Why this matters for your business
Instead of wasting your marketing budget showing ads to people who will never buy from you, account-based prospecting flips the script. You identify the 20, 50, or 100 companies that would change your business if they signed a contract, and you focus all your energy on them. It’s about quality over quantity, and it’s how the biggest deals in Brisbane are done.---
Prerequisites: What you’ll need
- A LinkedIn Sales Navigator Subscription: While you can do some of this on a free account, it’s like trying to mow a paddock with nail scissors. Sales Navigator is essential for the advanced filtering we’re about to do.
- Your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP): A clear idea of which industries, company sizes, and locations (e.g., QLD-based vs. National) you are targeting.
- An optimised personal profile: Before you reach out, your profile needs to look like a professional resource, not a CV.
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Step 1: Define Your "Dream 100" Account List
The biggest mistake people make is starting with individuals. In ABM, we start with Accounts (the companies).Log into Sales Navigator and click on the 'Account Filters'. Here, you want to filter by:
- Geography: (e.g., Australia, or specifically Brisbane/South East Queensland).
- Industry: Be specific here.
- Company Headcount: This is a great proxy for budget. If you need companies with 50-200 staff, set that now.
Step 2: Map the Decision-Making Unit (DMU)
Companies don't buy things; people do. Specifically, groups of people. In most Australian B2B sales, there are 3 to 7 people involved in a purchase decision.Click on one of your saved accounts. Sales Navigator will show you a list of employees. You are looking for three types of people:
- The Decision Maker: Usually the CEO, MD, or a Department Head (e.g., Marketing Director).
- The Influencer: The person who will actually use your product/service and tell the boss they need it.
- The Blocker: Often in Procurement, Finance, or IT—the person who might say "no" later.
Step 3: The "Warm-Up" Phase (No Selling Allowed!)
This is where most people get stuck, and honestly, the interface doesn't help because it encourages you to just hit 'Message'. Don't do it yet.Before you ever send a connection request, you need to become a familiar face.
- Go to your 'Lead Filters' and filter by your 'Saved Accounts'.
- Look for prospects who have "Posted on LinkedIn in the last 30 days."
- Follow them (don't connect yet).
- When they post something, leave a thoughtful comment. Not just "Great post!", but something like "Really interesting point about the QLD infrastructure changes, [Name]. We've been seeing similar trends in our industry."
Step 4: Identify "Trigger Events"
ABM is all about timing. Look at the 'Alerts' tab in Sales Navigator for your saved accounts. You are looking for:- Job changes: A new Marketing Manager is often looking to make their mark and is more open to new vendors.
- Company news: Did they just win a government grant or announce a new office in Milton? This is your "reason for reaching out."
- Funding rounds: If they’ve just raised capital, they have money to spend.
Step 5: The Multi-Threaded Outreach
Now we move in. Instead of just messaging one person, we use a 'multi-threaded' approach. This means reaching out to 2-3 people at the same company over a week. The Message Template (The "Un-Salesy" Approach):"Hi [Name], noticed [Company Name] just opened that new facility in Ipswich—huge move! I’ve been working with a few firms in the [Industry] space on [Specific Problem you solve]. I’d love to connect and share a quick insight we found regarding [Relevant Topic]. Cheers, [Your Name]."
Step 6: Content Retargeting (Optional but Powerful)
If you have a bit of budget, you can upload your 'Target Account' list back into LinkedIn Campaign Manager. This allows you to show ads only to the employees of those specific companies.Imagine your prospect sees your helpful comment on Monday, receives your connection request on Wednesday, and sees a helpful case study from your company in their feed on Thursday. By the time you ask for a coffee, they feel like they know you.
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Pro Tips for Success
- The 3x3 Rule: Spend 3 minutes researching 3 points about the person before you message them. It prevents you from sounding like a bot.
- Use Video: A 30-second personalised video (using a tool like Loom) sent via LinkedIn message has a 5x higher response rate than text. Mention something specific in their background to prove it's not a mass blast.
- ABN Check: If you're unsure about a company's size or legitimacy in Australia, a quick search on the ABN Lookup can tell you how long they've been around and if they are GST registered.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- The "Pitch Slap": This is connecting and then immediately sending a 4-paragraph sales pitch. It’s the fastest way to get blocked.
- Ignoring the 'Lurkers': 90% of people on LinkedIn don't post, but they are reading. Don't ignore a prospect just because their profile looks inactive.
- Failing to Follow Up: Most deals are won on the 4th or 5th touchpoint. If they don't reply to your first message, wait a week and share a relevant article.
Troubleshooting
"I'm not getting any replies": Your 'Hook' is likely too focused on you and not them*. Review your messages—are you talking about your services or their problems?- "Sales Navigator is too expensive": If you aren't ready for the $100+/month commitment, use the 'Boolean Search' tricks in the free version (using AND, OR, NOT in the search bar), but be aware your search volume will be capped.
- "The interface looks different": Google and LinkedIn change their UI constantly. If a button isn't where I described it, look for the 'Filters' icon—it’s usually top right or left sidebar.
Next Steps
Now that you've identified your accounts, it’s time to ensure your profile is ready for the influx of views. Check out our guide on "Optimising Your LinkedIn Profile for B2B Lead Gen" or, if you'd rather we handle the heavy lifting of account identification and outreach for you, contact the team at Local Marketing Group.This process is fiddly at first, but once you land that first high-value account, you’ll never go back to 'spray and pray' marketing again!