Account-Based Marketing (ABM) is more than a buzzword—it’s a powerful approach for B2B companies looking to drive scalable, high-value growth. HubSpot provides native tools for ABM through its Target Accounts feature, but most tutorials focus only on surface-level setup.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to go beyond the basics and use HubSpot strategically to automate target account management, prioritize follow-ups, and align your sales and marketing teams.
HubSpot introduced the Target Accounts dashboard to help companies manage ABM efforts. You can:
Flag companies as target accounts
View associated contacts and deals
See last engagement and scheduled activities
Filter accounts by team, owner, tier, and more
It’s a great start—but it’s not enough on its own.
Pro Tip:
If you haven’t already enabled Target Accounts, just go to your Companies tab, click "Set Up Target Accounts", and follow the prompts.
To run a serious ABM strategy in HubSpot, you need to automate the process of designating target accounts.
Here’s a simple example of a Target Account Assignment Workflow:
Enrollment Criteria:
Lifecycle stage is Lead or Qualified Prospect
NOT already marked as a target account
Company has at least 25 employees
Actions:
Set Target Account = True
Branch based on employee count and current provider (if applicable)
Assign Tier 1, 2, or 3 based on rules
For example:
Tier 1: 25–50 employees
Tier 2: 25–50 employees and payroll benefits platforms
Tier 3: More than 50 employees
Pro Tip:
Customize your own tiering criteria based on industry, tech stack, geography, or past sales success.
Once a company is marked as a target account, you also need to make sure your team follows up. HubSpot workflows can help you automate this too.
Follow-Up Workflow Example:
Enroll target accounts that:
Are not current or former clients
Haven’t been touched in a set period, based on tier:
Tier 1: 30 days
Tier 2: 60 days
Tier 3: 90 days
Actions:
Send internal email notifications to the rep with account details
Prompt rep to reach out and log the activity
Pro Tip:
Use personalized internal notifications with links to the company record and recent engagement insights to reduce friction.
Work with your marketing team to support sales outreach by developing:
Tailored email templates and sequences
Long-form content specific to target industries or competitors
LinkedIn ad campaigns targeting employees of target accounts
This creates a consistent, multi-channel ABM program that builds trust and drives conversions.
Your ABM program isn’t complete without performance tracking. HubSpot’s reporting tools let you:
Break down target accounts by tier, rep, and industry
Track engagement, open deals, and outcomes
Review ABM performance in regular sales meetings
Use Case:
Set up a dashboard for your weekly sales huddles that shows which reps have open deals with target accounts and which accounts are overdue for follow-up.
HubSpot’s ABM tools are powerful—but only if used strategically. By automating target account selection, tier assignment, and rep follow-ups, you can transform your CRM into a smart, scalable ABM engine.
Pair that with targeted outreach and reporting, and your ABM program will not only be easier to manage, it’ll be way more effective.
Want to see this in action or get help building it?
Contact The Gist to learn how we help B2B companies scale smarter with HubSpot.