As in-person events decrease, account based marketing has grown in popularity as an opportunity to engage with possible customers. According to Statista, 56% of B2B companies planned to use this tactic in the coming year to get in front of qualified leads.

Instead of targeting general audiences, account based marketing (ABM) targets specific audiences and accounts. And LinkedIn has emerged as a highly successful channel for ABM because LinkedIn allows for effective audience targeting, the backbone of a successful ABM campaign because ABM is based on highly targeted messaging for those who stand the best chance of benefiting. Also, you can run many types of campaigns simultaneously on LinkedIn including and LinkedIn’s lead capture tool allows brands to capture pertinent lead information.

To successfully incorporate ABM into a B2B sales process, start with a content strategy focused on value. As a successful solution for a brand’s perspective customer, look to answer questions such as “What’s happening in the industry next year and is the brand prepared for this change?”, “What opportunities might the brand be missing out on?, and “What should the brand know to keep up with it’s competitors?”

Use strong thought leadership content to create demand generation. Practice a lean budget methodology by running multivariate tests to gain insights.

LinkedIn campaigns allow B2B marketers to see insights that help them optimize their campaigns for maximum effectiveness. Iteration is crucial so creating multiple versions of a campaign allows B2B companies to test their core messaging, their offers, their incentives and their design. LinkedIn campaigns are never “set it and forget it.” So daily or weekly check-ins on campaigns drive the iteration necessary to optimize successful campaigns.

Start with a small budget when starting a campaign and make sure to invest enough to get substantial impressions. Let the initial campaigns run for several days or a week to get a baseline. In order to avoid spam, LinkedIn limits the number of times an audience can see the same ads, so pause low-performing ads to ensure the best performing ads are in front of the target accounts. LinkedIn offers auto-optimization tools. However, these tools aren’t perfect.

As a particular campaign finds success, continue increasing the budget of the campaign. Look for a low cost-per-lead or a high engagement rate as metrics for success. Impressions don’t mean much if an audience doesn’t begin to engage with the company. Maximize budget for top performing campaigns to see engagement grow over time.

A successful LinkedIn ABM campaign can create a qualified pool of prospects along side B2B companies’ other marketing initiatives. Authentic messaging and sincere value offer the best chance to build quality and potentially successful, business relationships.