Five Healthcare Account-based Marketing Case Studies

In these five account-based marketing case studies you will learn that ABM in B2B healthcare demands strategic focus on high-value accounts, personalized engagement, using data-driven insights.

The key to success in these account-based marketing case studies is cross-functional collaboration, which is bolstered by deep industry-specific expertise.

This is not for the faint of heart. It requires patience and long-term commitment, ABM yields substantial results through personalized, multi-channel approaches. It’s an iterative process that, when executed well, delivers measurable outcomes and scalable growth.

We have published these detailed account-based marketing case studies on the Health Launchpad website. Here is a summary of each.

A Healthcare Account-based Marketing Journey

In the first of these account-based marketing case studies, you will learn about:

• A large technology and services firm selling exclusively to healthcare organizations
• They face longer sales cycles, larger buyer collectives, and complex problems in the healthcare industry
• They need to modernize their growth strategy and implement ABM

Approach

• Adopted “Think Crawl Walk Run” methodology for ABM implementation
• Created an ABM Playbook for a 120-day pilot focused on cross-selling RPM to current customers
• Utilized third-party intent data and LinkedIn marketing campaigns
• Collaborated across marketing, inside sales, sales, and account management teams

Outcome

• 31 meetings were booked, and 17 qualified opportunities were generated during the 120-day pilot
• $2.7 million in closed deals attributable to the pilot over the following six months
• 300+ leads identified through intent data
• Improved collaboration between different teams

Takeaways

1. The importance of a phased approach (Think Crawl Walk Run) in implementing ABM strategies
2. How integrating intent data with marketing efforts can significantly boost campaign performance
3. The value of cross-team collaboration in executing successful ABM campaigns

Nuvolo’s One-to-One Marketing Campaign

This is one of several account-based marketing case studies about Nuvolo, a. pioneer in ABM in healthcare. In this post, we review their 1:1 approach.

Nuvolo faced several challenges:

• Targeting very large accounts (less than 50) with significant deal potential
• Addressing complex sales cycles with at least 10 stakeholders involved
• Building relationships with multiple stakeholders across each account

Approach

1. Identifying & Selecting Key Accounts:

• Sales and marketing agree on 5-10 target accounts per quarter
• The marketing team analyzes individual accounts

2. Evaluating Engagement:

• Use Terminus Account-based platform to analyze account interests and intent data
• Examine HubSpot data to determine account engagement

3. Creating Account-branded Pages:

• Develop custom-branded landing pages for each target account
• Curate content based on each account’s demonstrated interests

4. Individual Prospecting:

• Account Executives use account-branded pages for personalized outreach
• Tailor the experience to address specific customer needs

Outcome

• Prospects appreciate the customized effort
• Increased engagement with target accounts
• Improved ability to address specific customer needs

Takeaways

1. The importance of collaboration between sales and marketing in selecting and analyzing target accounts
2. How to leverage intent data and engagement analysis to create personalized content and experiences
3. The value of creating custom-branded landing pages for high-value target accounts in a one-to-one ABM strategy

Developing An Ideal Customer Profile For B2B Healthcare Marketing

This is a personal story about how we created our target account list in healthcare software startup. We faced many changes:

• Operating in a crowded market with over 100 competitors
• Need to identify best-fit accounts for a customizable solution with an average deal size of $250,000
• Long sales cycles (up to 2 years) with large customers
• Limited initial geographic reach and integration capabilities

Approach

1. Differentiation through customization of solutions
2. Market segmentation (hospitals, physicians, clinically integrated networks, ACOs, large physician groups)
3. Developed an ICP process to find “Goldilocks customers” based on:

• Ideal size (large regional healthcare systems, independent hospitals, academic medical centers)
• Geography (initially within 100 miles)
• Financial strength
• EMR system (prioritizing Cerner and Siemens customers)
• Merger status (excluding those in merger talks)
• Recent competitor product purchases
• Ability to engage with CIO/CMO
• Innovation bias

Outcome

• Successfully identified and targeted “Goldilocks customers” that fit the ideal customer profile
• Expanded geographic footprint as the company grew
• Achieved sales with customers in the desired sweet spot

Takeaways

1. The importance of strategic differentiation in a crowded market through customization and targeting
2. How to develop a multi-faceted Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) for B2B healthcare marketing
3. The value of considering both hard factors (size, financial strength) and soft factors (innovation bias, ability to engage key decision-makers) when creating an ICP

Using Account-Based Marketing to Drive Complex B2B Sales: A Healthcare Technology Marketer’s ABM Story

This is one of the best account-based marketing case studies in healthcare. Kelly McDermott, CMO of Caregility shares their ABM story in detail.

The challenges they had to overcome:

• Targeting approximately 300 enterprise-level accounts with 10-50 hospitals each
• Only 20% of target accounts actively looking for solutions at any given time
• Complex B2B sales requiring engagement with up to 15 different stakeholders
• Long sales cycles (7-18 months or more)
• Difficulty in creating a unified view of customer data across multiple platforms

Approach

1. Focused ABM strategy on select high-potential accounts
2. Utilized multiple data sources and platforms:

• Salesforce (CRM)
• Demandbase (ABM personalization and alerting)
• Pardot (Marketing automation)
• Website analytics, ad platforms, tradeshow data, etc.

3. Implemented a four-stage account journey tracking:

• Anonymous Research
• Initial Lead Outreach
• Stakeholder Expansion
• Purchase

4. Coordinated efforts between marketing, SDR, and sales teams
5. Customized messaging and content for different stakeholders
6. Allowed for anonymous exploration of website content
7. Used intent data to determine when accounts were ready to engage

Outcome

• Successfully closed a major deal with a large hospital system after a 13+ month journey
• Improved ability to maintain mindshare throughout long sales cycles
• Enhanced collaboration between marketing and sales development teams
• Achieved substantial revenue growth through high-value complex account sales

Takeaways

1. The importance of a scientific approach to ABM, including detailed account journey tracking and stakeholder mapping
2. How to overcome data silos and attribution challenges in complex B2B sales environments
3. The value of close collaboration between marketing, SDR, and sales teams in executing an effective ABM strategy

KeyOps: Building a Strong Foundation for ABM Success

In this last of five account-based marketing case studies, we review our work with KeyOps a startup in the life sciences market. The challenges included:

• Marketing a new digital solution for physician market research to pharmaceutical companies
• Competing against large incumbents in the industry
• Lack of in-house capabilities to launch an ABM campaign
• Need for a partner with both ABM expertise and healthcare industry knowledge

Approach

1. Engaged Health Launchpad to develop and implement a targeted ABM strategy
2. Created an ABM Playbook, including:

• Defining the ideal customer profile (ICP)
• Developing a buyer journey framework
• Evaluating KeyOps’ Unique Value Proposition
• Creating a detailed sales and marketing engagement strategy

3. Implemented Health Launchpad’s Total Customer Growth approach:

• Identifying in-market accounts showing intent
• Engaging prospects across the buyer journey
• Improving conversion rates with targeted digital advertising
• Growing new customers into long-term profitable relationships

4. Utilized Health Launchpad’s marketing-as-a-service offering to execute the strategy:

• Revised brand messaging and positioning
• Developed a new customer-focused website
• Created content (blog posts, case studies, infographics)
• Launched digital advertisements with paid ABM campaigns on Google and LinkedIn
• Provided sales development representative (SDR) support

Outcome

• Generated more than 120 high-engagement leads from targeted accounts during the first year
• Built in-house sales and marketing capabilities for the future
• Established a repeatable engine to get the company’s name in front of decision-makers
• Created a predictable lead generation process with a regular cadence
• Developed a strong ABM foundation as a proof point for future investors

Takeaways

1. The importance of finding a strategic partner with both ABM expertise and industry-specific knowledge for successful implementation
2. How a comprehensive ABM Playbook can guide the development and execution of a targeted marketing strategy
3. The value of a phased approach in building ABM capabilities, from strategy development to full implementation and in-house capacity building

Overall Takeaways from These Account-based Marketing Case Studies

1. Importance of Strategic Focus: ABM is particularly effective for complex B2B sales with long cycles and multiple stakeholders. Focusing on a select group of high-potential accounts yields better results than broad-based marketing.
2. Customization and Personalization: Tailoring content, messaging, and approaches to specific accounts and stakeholders is crucial for success. Understanding the unique needs and challenges of each target account is fundamental to ABM.
3. Data-Driven Approach: Utilizing multiple data sources and platforms is essential for tracking account engagement and progress. Intent data and engagement metrics help identify when accounts are ready for more direct outreach.
4. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Successful ABM requires tight coordination between marketing, sales development, and sales teams. Shared ownership of target accounts and transparent communication are key to guiding accounts through the sales funnel.
5. Technology Integration: While technology is crucial for ABM, integrating data from multiple platforms remains a challenge. A “single source of truth” for account data is ideal but often requires manual effort to achieve.
6. Patience and Long-Term Vision: ABM strategies often involve long sales cycles (7-18 months or more), requiring patience and consistent effort. The payoff can be substantial, with larger deals and higher lifetime value customers.
7. Staged Approach to Implementation: Starting with a pilot or focused effort before scaling up allows for learning and refinement of the ABM strategy. Building ABM capabilities is an iterative process, often benefiting from external expertise initially.
8. Importance of Industry-Specific Knowledge: In healthcare technology, deep industry knowledge is crucial for credibility and effective targeting. Partners or team members with both ABM expertise and healthcare knowledge are particularly valuable.
9. Content and Engagement Strategies: Allowing for anonymous research by potential clients before direct engagement can be beneficial. A mix of digital advertising, personalized content, and direct outreach is typically used in successful ABM campaigns.
10. Measurable Results: Successful ABM strategies lead to concrete outcomes like increased lead quality, shorter sales cycles, and larger deal sizes. ABM can provide a repeatable, scalable approach to customer acquisition, which is valuable for growing companies and attracting investors.