Overview

Account-based marketing in HubSpot combines targeted account selection with coordinated multi-channel outreach. While HubSpot started as an inbound platform, its ABM capabilities have matured significantly. This guide covers how to set up and execute ABM in HubSpot—including the outbound angle most guides miss.

What we'll cover:

• HubSpot ABM fundamentals and setup
• Target account identification and tiering
• Coordinating inbound and outbound ABM
• Account-level engagement tracking
• Measuring ABM success

HubSpot ABM Fundamentals

HubSpot's ABM features center on treating companies as the primary unit of focus, rather than individual contacts.

Key ABM Components

Setup Steps

1. Enable ABM features in Settings > Account Setup
2. Create Target Account property (checkbox)
3. Create ICP Tier property (dropdown: Tier 1, 2, 3)
4. Configure Buying Role property with relevant roles
5. Set up ABM dashboard

Identifying and Tiering Target Accounts

Account Selection Criteria

Define your ICP criteria for target account selection:

• Firmographics: Industry, size, revenue, location
• Technographics: Tools they use, tech stack signals
• Intent signals: Research behavior, content engagement
• Fit indicators: Similar to existing customers

Tiering Strategy

• Tier 1: Highest fit, highest potential value. Receive most personalized, high-touch attention.
• Tier 2: Strong fit, moderate value. Receive personalized but more scalable outreach.
• Tier 3: Good fit, lower value. Receive programmatic ABM with some personalization.

Automation for Account Selection

Create workflows to automatically flag target accounts:

1. Trigger: Company matches ICP criteria (industry + size + location)
2. Action: Set Target Account = Yes
3. Action: Calculate tier based on company value
4. Action: Notify sales team of new target account

For sophisticated account scoring, see account scoring for ABM campaigns.

Outbound ABM in HubSpot

Most ABM content focuses on inbound. But outbound ABM—proactively pursuing target accounts—is where many teams generate pipeline.

Building the Buying Committee

Before outreach, identify key stakeholders:

1. Research account to identify relevant roles
2. Use enrichment tools to find contacts
3. Import contacts, associate with company
4. Tag each contact with their Buying Role

Coordinated Multi-Contact Sequences

Don't blast all contacts simultaneously. Coordinate outreach:

• Start with most accessible persona (often Champion)
• After initial engagement, expand to other roles
• Reference earlier conversations when appropriate
• Avoid conflicting messages to same account

Account-Based Workflows

Trigger actions based on account-level events:

• When any contact at target account engages → notify account owner
• When multiple contacts engage in short period → flag as "Heating Up"
• When executive at Tier 1 account visits site → create high-priority task

For comprehensive outbound ABM orchestration, see orchestrating automated outbound for ABM.

Account-Level Engagement Tracking

Account Engagement Score

Create a company property that aggregates engagement across all contacts:

• Sum of contact engagement scores
• Weighted by contact buying role (executive engagement worth more)
• Decays over time (recent engagement worth more)

Workflow for Engagement Scoring

1. Create workflow triggered by contact engagement events
2. Add engagement points to contact
3. Use calculated property to sum at company level
4. Alert sales when account engagement spikes

Multi-Contact Visibility

HubSpot's Account Overview shows activity across all associated contacts. Train reps to use this view for account-level context before calls.

Account-Specific Content

Tier-Based Content Strategy

• Tier 1: Custom content—personalized landing pages, custom videos, account-specific case studies
• Tier 2: Semi-custom content—industry-specific materials, persona-based messaging
• Tier 3: Programmatic personalization—dynamic content tokens, segmented emails

HubSpot Personalization Options

• Smart content: Show different page content based on company property
• Email personalization: Tokens for company name, industry, and custom properties
• Landing pages: Create account-specific pages for Tier 1

For scaling personalization across accounts, see scaling ABM without losing personalization.

Measuring ABM Success

Account-Level Metrics

ABM Dashboard Setup

Build reports showing:

• Pipeline by account tier
• Engagement trend by tier
• New contacts added to target accounts
• Deals created at target accounts
• Win rate comparison: ABM vs. non-ABM

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

HubSpot's ABM capabilities provide a solid foundation for account-focused go-to-market. From target account identification to coordinated multi-contact outreach to account-level measurement, you can run meaningful ABM programs natively.

For teams wanting deeper account intelligence, more sophisticated orchestration, or better coordination across tools, consider how context engines like Octave can enhance your HubSpot ABM with richer signals and AI-powered personalization.

Related Articles

• Orchestrating Automated Outbound for ABM
• Account Scoring for ABM Campaigns
• Scaling ABM Without Losing Personalization
• Operationalizing ICP for Outbound
• ABM Campaign Orchestration with AI