Best practices for account-based marketing?

[Ari_Echt1]

As we move more towards account-based marketing, and names originate in Salesforce as contacts under accounts rather than leads, just wondering if people are creating a "Contact Status" to provide an indication to marketing as to what's happening with that contact prior to an opportunity being created. 

If you are creating a Contact Status field, are you mirroring Lead Status values? Or taking a different approach. 

Any input would be greatly appreciated. 

[Josh_Hill13 · Accepted solution]

I always setup a Contact Status (if I can) that starts at the last Status the Lead could have had on Conversion. Usually it is "MQL" or "Qualified".

A good way to do this is

Lead Status:
Nurturing
MQL
Working/SAL
SQL > Converted
Recycled
Trash

Contact Status:
SQL > Converted
Active Client
Ex Client
Recycled
No Longer There

[Ari_Echt1]

Thank you, Josh. 

The workflow is that names are being created in SFDC as new contacts, not leads being converted. 

In that case, would you ever have earlier engagement values on the contact status such as "attempting contact" or "2 way conversion"? 

[Josh_Hill13]

Sure, in that case, you can have earlier steps like

Attempting Contact
Nurturing

not sure what 2 way conversion is.

[Anonymous]

Hi,
I am interested in this idea as well. We have contact status in place, but I am not sure that covers all the scenarios and tracking when it comes to account based marketing in Marketo. Does anyone have any other ways they are executing account based marketing in Marketo?
Thanks,
Katie Kangas

[Ari_Echt1]

Hi Katie,

I recently posted a write-up on how we're handling Contact Status that might be helpful for you.

http://blog.invoca.com/one-useful-marketo-trick-for-better-account-based-marketing/

Regards,

Ari