Account-based advertising is fundamentally different from traditional lead-gen advertising. Instead of targeting by interest, role, or demographic, account-based advertising targets by company account name.
This guide covers the five best account-based advertising platforms.
Account-based advertising enables marketers to:
Upload target account list. CSV of company names or accounts from CRM (HubSpot, Salesforce).
Target by account. Run ads (LinkedIn, display, CTV) reaching employees of those specific companies.
Account-level reporting. See which target accounts have been exposed to campaigns, which have engaged, and how campaign exposure correlates with pipeline.
Sustained presence. Maintain digital presence (ads, banners, messages) in front of target accounts throughout long sales cycles.
RollWorks is the most accessible account-based advertising platform. Purpose-built for account list targeting with simple workflow.
What RollWorks offers:
Simple account list import. Upload CSV or sync from HubSpot/Salesforce. List is ready for ad targeting immediately.
LinkedIn advertising. Target accounts and roles via LinkedIn feed. Sponsored content, InMail, or lead-gen campaigns.
Display network advertising. Reach target accounts across third-party websites using programmatic display.
Account-level reporting. See which accounts have been reached and which have engaged with campaigns.
HubSpot and Salesforce integration. Account lists sync automatically.
Simplicity. Campaign launch in days, not weeks. RollWorks intentionally avoids complex features and customization.
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
When RollWorks is right:
You want simplicity and fast campaign launch.
Your primary channels are LinkedIn and display.
Budget is a constraint.
You manage 500-2,000 target accounts and don’t need complex audience segmentation.
Pricing: $2,000 to $6,000 per month platform fees plus media spend (agencies typically allocate $40K-$100K per month for client).
Use case: “We have 300 target accounts. We run LinkedIn ads to them via RollWorks. $3K platform fee, $50K monthly ad spend, campaign is live in one week.”
Terminus is account-based advertising with broader channel coverage. LinkedIn, display, connected TV (CTV), and email signature marketing all in one platform.
What Terminus offers:
Multi-channel advertising. LinkedIn, display, CTV, email signature. Broader reach than RollWorks.
Email signature marketing (Sigstr). Unique capability. Reach prospects every time a customer or prospect emails. High-visibility, always-on brand presence.
Email campaigns. Send personalized email campaigns to target account lists.
Account-level reporting. Measure engagement across all channels by account.
Audience segmentation. Segment target accounts by engagement level, attributes, or custom rules.
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
When Terminus is right:
Channel diversity is important (especially CTV and email signatures).
You have $60K-$100K+ per month for account-based advertising budget.
Brand presence and top-of-funnel awareness are priorities alongside sales activation.
Pricing: $4,000 to $15,000 per month platform fees plus media spend.
Use case: “We want presence across LinkedIn, display, and CTV. Terminus handles all three plus email signatures. $8K platform fee, $80K monthly ad spend, comprehensive coverage.”
Demandbase is full-stack ABM platform that includes account-based advertising as one component, alongside intent data, account scoring, and orchestration.
What Demandbase offers:
Account-based advertising across LinkedIn, display, and other channels.
Intent data identifies which accounts are in-market.
Account scoring prioritizes accounts by fit and buying intent.
Campaign orchestration coordinates advertising, email, and other channels based on account signals.
Multi-touch attribution measures pipeline influence.
When Demandbase is right:
You want account-based advertising plus intent data and orchestration.
Account-based advertising is one piece of broader ABM strategy.
You have operational sophistication to manage intent data and complex orchestration workflows.
Pricing: $60,000 to $200,000+ per year for platform (advertising spend on top).
Best for: Companies where account-based advertising is part of broader full-stack ABM strategy.
Use case: “We want advertising plus intent data plus orchestration. Demandbase handles all three. We run display ads to accounts with high intent scores. $120K platform, $100K monthly ad spend.”
6sense is enterprise ABM platform with advertising as one component. Focus is on AI-driven account scoring and propensity modeling, not pure advertising.
What 6sense offers:
AI-driven propensity scoring (which accounts are likely to buy).
Multi-channel orchestration including advertising.
Buying stage prediction and engagement scoring.
Account momentum tracking.
When 6sense is right:
You want AI-driven propensity scoring to identify accounts most likely to buy.
Your account-based advertising is one part of broader AI-driven ABM strategy.
You manage large account pipelines (2,000+ named accounts) with complex buying committee dynamics.
Pricing: $80,000 to $200,000+ per year for platform.
Best for: Enterprise companies with large sales pipelines and significant deal volume.
Use case: “6sense AI scores our 3,000 named accounts by propensity to buy. We advertise to high-propensity accounts. Purchasing decisions are coordinated by AI-driven stage and momentum.”
The least expensive account-based advertising option: leverage LinkedIn native matched audiences combined with your CRM.
What it offers:
LinkedIn native account-based targeting via “Matched Audiences” feature.
Upload account list from HubSpot or Salesforce.
Target LinkedIn ads to employees of accounts on your list.
Organic but effective account-based advertising without separate vendor.
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
When LinkedIn Matched Audiences is right:
Your primary channel is LinkedIn.
Budget is minimal.
You want to test account-based advertising before committing to RollWorks or Terminus.
Pricing: Free (built into LinkedIn advertising; ad spend only).
Use case: “We exported our target account list from HubSpot. LinkedIn matched to those accounts. We run LinkedIn ads targeting them. Zero platform cost, just LinkedIn ad spend.”
| Platform | Channels | Intent Data | Account Scoring | Ease of Use | Price (Monthly) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RollWorks | LinkedIn, display | No | No | Simple | $2K-$6K + spend |
| Terminus | LinkedIn, display, CTV, email | No | No | Moderate | $4K-$15K + spend |
| Demandbase | Multiple | Yes | Yes | Complex | $5K-$15K+ + spend |
| 6sense | Multiple | Yes | Yes (AI) | Complex | $7K-$20K+ + spend |
| LinkedIn Match | LinkedIn only | No | No | Very simple | $0 + spend |
Startup (budget-conscious):
LinkedIn Matched Audiences (free) plus organic content. Test account-based advertising before platform investment.
Growth-stage (simple):
RollWorks ($3K/month platform, $40K/month ad spend). LinkedIn and display advertising to 300-500 target accounts.
Growth-stage (multi-channel):
Terminus ($8K/month platform, $60K/month ad spend). LinkedIn, display, CTV, and email signatures for broader coverage.
Enterprise (sophisticated):
Demandbase ($120K/year platform, $100K/month ad spend) or 6sense ($120K/year platform, $100K/month ad spend). Intent data plus orchestrated advertising.
If you want simplicity and speed: RollWorks. Campaign launch in days, straightforward LinkedIn and display targeting.
If channel diversity matters (especially CTV): Terminus. Multi-channel presence with email signature marketing.
If advertising is part of broader ABM strategy: Demandbase. Advertising plus intent data plus orchestration.
If AI-driven account prioritization matters: 6sense. Propensity scoring feeds advertising prioritization.
If budget is minimal: LinkedIn Matched Audiences. Free account-based targeting within LinkedIn native tools.
Account-based advertising is essential for ABM teams focused on brand presence and sustained visibility with target accounts. RollWorks is the entry point for simplicity and speed. Terminus adds channel breadth for sophisticated campaigns. Demandbase and 6sense integrate advertising into broader full-stack ABM platforms.
Start with RollWorks if you want fast, affordable account-based advertising. Layer in Terminus or Demandbase as your ABM sophistication and budget grow.
Account-based advertising ROI depends on transparent attribution and measurement.
Key metrics:
Reach: How many of your target accounts have seen your ads? (Goal: 50-80% reach of target accounts monthly.)
Engagement: What percentage of reached accounts clicked, visited landing page, or engaged? (Goal: 2-5% engagement rate.)
Attribution: Which pipeline opportunities influenced by account-based advertising? (Goal: 20-30% of new pipeline touches included account-based ad exposure.)
Cost per engaged account: Total ad spend divided by number of accounts with measurable engagement. (Goal: $50-$200 depending on channel and account list size.)
Pipeline influenced: Revenue in pipeline with contact-level record of seeing ABM campaigns. (Goal: 30-50% of new pipeline influenced by ABM exposure.)
Example: RollWorks ROI calculation
Monthly spend: $50K ($40K ad spend, $3K platform fee).
Target account list: 300 accounts.
Monthly reach: 150 accounts (50% reach).
Monthly engagement: 30 accounts (20% of reached accounts).
Cost per engaged account: $50K divided by 30 = $1,666 per engagement.
Expected conversion: 30% of engaged accounts move forward in pipeline.
Expected deals: 9 accounts moving to qualified opportunity (30% of 30).
Expected revenue (at $100K ACV): 9 deals times $100K = $900K pipeline influenced.
ROI: $900K pipeline influenced divided by $50K monthly spend = 18x pipeline ROI.
(Note: Actual conversion to closed deals takes 6-12 months. Track pipeline influence, not just immediate closes.)
1. Start with clear account list definition. Garbage in, garbage out. Spend time defining target accounts. Quality of list drives ad effectiveness.
2. Test small before scaling. Run pilot campaign with 100-200 accounts. Measure engagement and learn. Then expand to full list.
3. Use account-level reporting. Don’t just measure click-through rates. Measure which accounts engaged and tie to pipeline.
4. Coordinate with sales. Sales team should know when ads are running to target accounts. Align outreach with ad campaigns.
5. Refresh creative frequently. Ad fatigue sets in after 3-4 weeks with same creative. Rotate creative every 2-3 weeks to maintain engagement.
6. Layer multiple channels. Single-channel (LinkedIn only) underperforms. Combination of LinkedIn plus display plus CTV reaches accounts across their digital journey.
7. Segment by engagement level. Create tiers: highly engaged accounts get more aggressive campaigns. Cold accounts get awareness-focused campaigns.
8. Track throughout sales cycle. Account-based advertising is multi-touch and multi-month. Track ad exposure through entire 6-12 month sales cycle.
Ready to launch account-based advertising? Book a demo at abmatic.ai/demo to combine first-party visitor identification with account-based advertising strategy.
When evaluating multiple platforms, go beyond features and pricing. Consider these factors:
Does the platform integrate well with your existing tools? Check compatibility with your CRM, marketing automation, analytics, and data warehouse. Poor integrations create friction and slow down adoption.
How long does implementation take? Some platforms require 8-12 weeks, others 4-6 weeks. Consider your go-live timeline and resource availability.
What training and onboarding is included? Does the vendor provide ongoing support? Review customer success stories and check references from similar-sized companies.
Will the platform grow with you? Start with a small team or segment, then expand. Ensure the platform can handle increased volume and complexity as you scale.
Look beyond the stated price. Factor in implementation, training, data costs, and internal resources. Calculate the real cost over 3 years.
Check the vendor’s support response times and availability. Look for an active user community where you can learn from others.
Create a scorecard that weights these factors according to your priorities. Score each platform. The highest score wins. But also trust your gut: which vendor feels like the best partner for your growth?
Account-based advertising is fundamentally different from traditional lead-gen advertising. Instead of targeting by interest, role, or demographic, account-based advertising targets by company account name.
Account-based advertising is fundamentally different from traditional lead-gen advertising. Instead of targeting by interest, role, or demographic, account-based advertising targets by company account name.