matteotitta ABM Campaign
Build and execute account-based marketing campaigns across three tiers of personalization. From fully bespoke 1:1 plays for strategic accounts to programmatic 1:many sequences at scale.
Research substrate (Exa): primary tools company_research_exa, web_search_exa for account-level intel + trigger events. Citations per .claude/rules/exa-protocol.md ([VERIFIED: exa_search, {url}, accessed YYYY-MM-DD]). Quality gate: ≥3 sources per major claim, ≥50% verified, date filter for any "recent" claim.
Claude Code Triggers
Invoke this skill when user says:
- "build an ABM campaign"
- "account-based marketing for [client]"
- "target account list"
- "tiered outreach campaign"
- "reactivation campaign for [segment]"
- "re-engage churned accounts"
- "1:1 account plays"
- "programmatic ABM"
Do NOT invoke when:
- User wants broad lifecycle campaigns → use
lifecycle-marketing - User wants a single cold email → use
outreach-emails - User wants lead nurture sequences → use
lifecycle-marketing - User wants content strategy without account targeting → use
content-strategy
Three tiers of ABM (voice-locked)
ABM isn't one-size-fits-all. The tier determines how much time, research, and personalization goes into each account. Pick the right tier based on deal size, strategic value, and available bandwidth.
Tier 1: 1:1 (strategic accounts)
| Dimension | Specification |
|---|---|
| Account count | 5-15 accounts |
| Personalization | Fully bespoke. Custom research, messaging, and assets per account |
| Research depth | Deep dive: org chart, trigger events, stakeholder mapping, competitive displacement |
| Engagement model | Multi-threaded. Target 3-5 stakeholders per account across roles |
| Channel mix | Email + LinkedIn + direct mail + personalized content + events/webinars |
| Cadence | 12-20 touches over 8-12 weeks per stakeholder |
| When to use | High ACV ($50K+), strategic logos, competitive displacement, expansion plays |
Tier 2: 1:few (segment plays)
| Dimension | Specification |
|---|---|
| Account count | 50-100 accounts grouped into 3-5 segments |
| Personalization | Segment-level. Same pain points, same industry, same use case |
| Research depth | Segment research: common challenges, industry trends, shared triggers |
| Engagement model | Single-threaded initially, multi-thread on engagement signal |
| Channel mix | Email + LinkedIn + retargeting ads |
| Cadence | 8-12 touches over 6-8 weeks |
| When to use | Mid-market ACV ($10-50K), clear segment patterns, semi-automated execution |
Tier 3: 1:many (programmatic)
| Dimension | Specification |
|---|---|
| Account count | 200-500+ accounts |
| Personalization | Dynamic. Merge fields for name, company, pain point, industry |
| Research depth | Enrichment-level: firmographics, technographics, intent data |
| Engagement model | Single-threaded, automated sequences |
| Channel mix | Email + LinkedIn automation + programmatic ads |
| Cadence | 6-8 touches over 4-6 weeks |
| When to use | Lower ACV ($5-15K), volume plays, market awareness, pipeline generation |
Inputs
| Input | Description | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Campaign goal | Specific outcome with success metric | User specifies |
| Target market/segment | Who we're going after, why now | User + ICP context |
| Account list or criteria | Existing list OR rules to build one | User-provided / Clay / Apollo |
| Channels available | Email, LinkedIn, ads, direct mail | User specifies |
| Tooling available | CRM, enrichment, sequence platform | User specifies |
Process
Six-phase flow: Account selection & tiering → Account intel → Play design → Content creation → Execution → Measurement. Each phase has tier-specific outputs. Full step-by-step + fit scoring + cadence templates + MCP integration in the premium reference.
Reactivation play (sub-workflow for cold/churned/dormant accounts) also documented in the premium reference.
Anti-hallucination guardrails
- Never invent account data. Only use verified firmographics from Clay, Apollo, or user-provided lists.
- Never fabricate engagement history. Check CRM or Gmail for actual touchpoint history.
- Never assume stakeholder names. Use enrichment tools or mark as
[PLACEHOLDER: champion name]. - Never invent intent signals. Only reference verified intent data or observable behavior.
- Mark missing data explicitly. Use
[PLACEHOLDER: description]for anything unconfirmed. - No fake urgency. Only use urgency when there's a real trigger event or deadline.
Per Apollo credit gate (.claude/rules/apollo-credits.md): search is free; enrichment costs credits. Always confirm spend before bulk enrichment.
Quality
Pre-delivery checks cover campaign structure (tiering rationale, cadence realism), content quality (Tier 1 hand-written feel, "would they forward?" test), and data quality (no invented stakeholders or engagement history). Worked example + anti-examples (over-tiering, generic Tier 1, Tier 3 cadence pretending to be Tier 2) + post-launch failure-mode triage in the premium reference.
Integration with other skills
| Skill | Relationship | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| icp-research | depends_on |
ICP criteria for account scoring and segmentation |
| lead-scoring | depends_on |
Tier assignments use the scored account list |
| company-context | feeds_into |
Deep account research for Tier 1 intelligence briefs |
| product-messaging | feeds_into |
Value props and messaging for email and content creation |
| outreach-emails | feeds_into |
Individual email drafts within ABM cadences |
| lifecycle-marketing | feeds_into |
Post-conversion nurture for won ABM accounts |
| sales-enablement | feeds_into |
Handoff materials when accounts hit engagement threshold |
| competitor-research | enhances |
Competitive context for Tier 1 displacement plays |
Final ship gate
Run /premortem --output before ship. See /premortem skill for the 5 execution domains (will-it-resonate / will-it-convert / will-it-stay-on-brand / will-stakeholder-push-back / will-it-degrade-over-time) and output template.
Trivial-case escape: ## Premortem\nNo failure modes — trivial change satisfies the contract for genuinely trivial outputs.