It’s no secret, that the IP law industry is changing. You’ve most likely been affected by increased competition, shifting client expectations, and the big one, growing emphasis on AI and its effect on efficiency. While these may feel like tough challenges, they can also be a refreshing hit of motivation to look for new opportunities. One opportunity is to adopt a targeted, data-driven strategy to attract and retain high-value partnerships. This is where Account-Based Marketing (ABM) can help you develop a focused and personalized approach that aligns with the unique needs of your firm.

So you may have come across this new term, and wonder if this is something that is useful to me. Account-Based Marketing focuses on identifying high-value accounts (or firms/applicants) that can lead to strategic business development outreach – so yes, it’s super useful to you! Let’s say you are attending INTA in 2025. Instead of reaching out to every law firm who’s attending to schedule a meeting and establish a relationship, imagine that you had a holy grail list of firms that you would love to have on your client base. You can then use this list to look for exact matches to firms who are attending INTA or look for similar entities who are attending that could be added to your list. You then only need to reach out and book meetings with firms who are your ideal client – such as firms filing large volumes of EP Validations or specific technical fields aligned with your expertise. This will save you time and energy (and your sanity!) as you only focus on what is important to your growth strategy.

To start with an ABM strategy, you’ll need to create an ABM Lead List. This is your holy grail list of high-value targets – a wish list of sorts. Just like in a traditional marketing strategy, you will need to identify what personas/opportunities you are looking for. This will narrow down exactly who your targets are to add to your ABM Lead List. Below are some examples you can start with:

• Reciprocity: Which law firms can you partner with for mutual benefit? Look for firms who are sending significant cases to other jurisdictions – they may be open to a reciprocity agreement with your firm. And don’t forget your own database. Have a look at who you send significant work to and look to see if they reciprocate. IP Pilot’s Case Exchange feature can quickly show you the case exchange trends of a firm to know if it is worth your time to reach out for a partnership.
• EP Validations: Identify clients regularly seeking validation services to meet regional requirements. IP Pilot allows you to search for law firms and applicants who are sending EP validations to your jurisdiction.
• Emerging Markets: Are there businesses or applicants entering new industries or regions where you can provide guidance? Perhaps there is a rise in filings coming out of a certain jurisdiction, say Brazil, which will need a contact within your jurisdiction to assist with filings.
• Industry or Niche Specialization: Focus on sectors where your firm already has expertise, like pharmaceuticals, tech, or manufacturing.

These are just a few ideas to get you started, but will get you on the right track to building a profile of your ideal partner.

Pro Tip: IP Pilot Pro (release date soon) will feature a Similar Entities function. You will be able to search specific firms and have IP Pilot return to you similar law firms to the one you have searched based on multiple factors. If you are interested in knowing when IP Pilot Pro is live, jump on our mailing list here.

Now that you have your list of leads, it’s time for outreach. But don’t copy and paste or use the dreaded BCC, take the time to get to know your prospect firms and make it personal. A few ways you can do this:

• Email with data-backed messaging: By taking the time to understand their patent activity, global filing strategy, or clients they work with. You can reach out with facts and figures to personalize your messaging. This helps them to understand that you are reaching out for valid reasons and they are more likely to reciprocate.
• LinkedIn outreach: There is nothing worse than getting a cold inbox message on LinkedIn with a generic copy-and-paste message. Understand who works at the target firm and identify the best people to approach. Then reach out with specifics on their filing activity (theirs personally or the companies) and why you think they would be a great partner for your firm. Pro tip: IP Pilot gives you an overview of attorneys who work at the firm and what they specialize in.
• Attend events and conferences: Networking is still a great tool when looking for new partnerships, but we know that attending them can be costly. By using your ABM list, you can now identify if there are any fitting prospects attending. Scheduling a 15-minute chat with a firm who strategically aligns with your business outcomes rather than a firm that, after a few minutes of chatting, you realize is not going to be able to help is always going to be a better use of your time and money. Reach out to these firms with a personalized message and reasons, if they reply, you will know quickly if they are going to be a good fit.

Pro Tip: IP Pilot Pro (release date soon) will feature an Attorney search function. You will be able to search for specific attorneys and have access to their contact information. If you are interested in knowing when IP Pilot Pro is live, you guessed it, jump on our mailing list here.

Now, to keep track of your outreach to your database, it’s essential that you have a CRM solution in place. There are many solutions on the market such as HubSpot or Salesforce, or you might already have one in place. This will help you to not waste efforts or double handle your outreach.

A good CRM will also help you Build a Follow-Up Strategy: Use automated workflows to nurture leads with timely, relevant communication. Following up after an initial conversation or meeting is critical to solidifying new client relationships.

The IP law industry is more competitive than ever, but with an Account-Based Marketing strategy, your firm can focus on high-value opportunities that drive growth. Tools like IP Pilot streamline the process by providing the data you need to identify, research, and connect with ideal clients. Whether you’re targeting law firms for reciprocity, applicants and firms in emerging markets, or businesses needing EP validations, a well-executed ABM strategy will set your firm apart and position it for long-term success.

Want to see how IP Pilot can assist your business development strategy or have any questions? Request a Trial or get in touch, we’d love to hear from you!