Intent data helps businesses understand what potential customers are researching online, showing their interests and purchase intentions. Here’s why it’s important and how to use it:
- What is Intent Data?
Tracks online behaviors like website visits, content downloads, and searches to identify buying signals. - Why It Matters:
Companies using intent data see:- 2.7x higher conversion rates
- 30% boost in lead conversions
- 220% better ad performance
- Types of Intent Data:
- First-party data: From your own website or emails (accurate but limited).
- Third-party data: From external platforms (broader but less precise).
- How to Use It:
- Identify high-intent prospects with lead scoring.
- Personalize marketing messages.
- Improve sales timing and focus.
- Combine first and third-party data for better results.
- Challenges:
- Data accuracy: Verify signals across sources.
- Integration: Ensure smooth connection with tools like CRMs.
- Privacy compliance: Follow laws like GDPR and CCPA.
| Feature | First-Party Data | Third-Party Data |
|---|---|---|
| Source | Your channels (e.g., website) | External platforms |
| Accuracy | High | Lower, needs filtering |
| Cost | Low | Higher |
| Scale | Limited | Broad |
Intent data is a powerful tool for sales and marketing teams to target the right leads at the right time, improve ROI, and drive growth. Start by defining your ideal customer profile and integrating intent data into your strategies.
How to Use Intent Data for Business Growth
How to Collect Intent Data
To get started with intent data, the first step is to define your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). This profile should outline key details like industry, company size, job roles, common challenges, and purchasing motivations. Think of it as your guide for deciding which signals to prioritize.
For first-party data, track activity across your owned channels – your website, email campaigns, and social platforms. Pay attention to what content prospects interact with, how much time they spend on specific pages, and which emails spark the most interest. These behaviors can give you a clear picture of who’s genuinely interested in your solutions.
To widen your scope, bring in third-party intent data. Partner with providers to gather insights from sources like industry websites, forums, and review platforms. Look for signals that align with your goals, such as case study views, webinar attendance, or specific keyword searches.
Paul Donnachie, Sales Manager EMEA at Keboola, shared how his team leverages intent data:
"We use Bombora’s intent data in addition to Diamond Data®, and we’re winning clients as a result. We choose an intent topic and target 20 companies per week."
Once you’ve collected the data, the next step is turning those signals into actionable insights.
Turning Intent Data into Market Insights
Raw intent data is only useful if you can transform it into meaningful insights. Start by creating a lead scoring system that aligns with your ICP. Assign points to different activities – higher scores for actions that often lead to conversions, like downloading a whitepaper, and lower scores for less impactful behaviors. Regularly revisit your scoring model to ensure it reflects actual outcomes. For example, if a specific action consistently leads to sales conversations, adjust its score accordingly.
Intent data also helps you uncover patterns in customer behavior. For instance, prospects exploring pricing information might convert faster than those browsing general content. Use these insights to segment your audience and focus your efforts on high-potential leads.
Intent-driven insights can supercharge Account-Based Marketing (ABM). Research the structure, decision-makers, and goals of high-intent accounts, then craft personalized campaigns that hit the right pain points at the right time. You can even monitor mentions of competitors to spot prospects actively considering solutions like yours.
Using Intent Data in Sales and Marketing
Once you’ve extracted insights, it’s time to put them to work in your sales and marketing efforts. Use intent data to craft personalized messages that address prospects’ recent activities and needs. Lead prioritization becomes more precise, enabling your team to focus on the most promising opportunities. Integrate a dynamic lead scoring system into your CRM to automate lead assignment and ensure no opportunity is missed.
The results can be game-changing. George McKenna, Head of Cloud Sales at Ultima, shared his experience:
"Our sales cycle is typically 6-8 months long. With Cognism, we saw ROI in 8 weeks from intent data and direct dials. One deal pays for a year’s Cognism subscription."
Intent data can also improve your content strategy. Use tools to identify trending keywords and create content clusters around high-interest topics. This not only boosts your SEO but also keeps your audience engaged. Dynamic email workflows can further enhance your outreach. For example, if a prospect shows interest in a particular topic, trigger an email sequence tailored to that interest.
Beyond acquiring new customers, intent data can help with retention, upselling, and cross-selling. Set up alerts for accounts showing signs of disengagement or negative signals, so your customer success team can step in before churn happens. Similarly, use intent signals to craft targeted offers or promotions that match customers’ current needs.
Collaboration is key. When marketing, sales, and analytics teams share insights and work together, the result is a smoother, more effective customer experience.
How to use intent data to maximize your marketing impact
Intent Data Tools and Platforms
Once you’ve embraced intent data to fuel growth, the next step is exploring the platforms that bring these insights to life.
Popular Intent Data Platforms
Intent data platforms are designed to help you spot and engage with high-potential customers. Among the top players in this space is Bombora, a prominent provider of B2B intent data. Their platform monitors research activity across millions of business websites, helping you identify when companies are actively exploring topics tied to your solutions. This early insight can give you a competitive edge.
Cognism takes things further by pairing intent data with verified contact details, speeding up outreach and reducing sales cycles. Their approach has proven effective across various industries and company sizes.
"Cognism is unique in providing the complete package of intent data and verified mobile numbers. It’s a game-changer." – Paul Donnachie, Sales Manager EMEA, Keboola
Another standout, Demandbase, integrates intent data directly into CRMs, enhancing account prioritization. This seamless integration allows sales teams to focus on accounts showing consistently high intent, ensuring their efforts are directed where it matters most.
The impact of these platforms is evident in real-world results. For instance, Keboola leveraged intent data from Cognism and Bombora to secure 60% of their overall demos.
To choose the best platform for your business, focus on features that align with your goals and streamline your selection process.
Choosing the Right Intent Data Platform
Picking the right intent data platform requires a thoughtful approach tailored to your business needs. Start by evaluating your internal processes to identify gaps that intent data can fill. This analysis will help you zero in on platforms with features that address your specific challenges.
Data accuracy and coverage should top your list of priorities. Look for providers that guarantee reliable, regularly updated data. The platform should also offer extensive coverage across your target industries and deliver detailed insights that align with your ideal customer profile. Be sure to ask about data sources and how often they’re refreshed.
Integration capabilities are critical for success. The platform must work seamlessly with your existing CRM, marketing automation tools, and ad platforms. Companies that effectively score and prioritize leads with intent data report up to 30% more conversions. However, this only works if the data integrates smoothly into your current systems.
Key features like real-time updates, dynamic lead scoring, cross-channel data collection, and customizable dashboards can elevate your intent data strategy. Advanced filtering tools and user-friendly navigation ensure your team can effectively use the platform instead of letting it gather dust.
Scalability and compliance with privacy regulations should also be on your radar. Confirm that the platform can grow with your business and adheres to privacy laws in different regions. Ask providers about their data privacy strategies to ensure compliance.
Take advantage of free trials to test platforms. This is your chance to assess data quality, integration ease, and overall fit with your workflow. Look for flexible subscription plans that allow you to cancel if the platform doesn’t meet your expectations.
Also, consider the relevance of intent topics. The best platforms allow you to create custom topics tailored to your solutions and market position. Ideally, the platform should be part of a larger go-to-market intelligence system that integrates with your entire tech stack.
Finally, ensure the pricing is transparent to avoid hidden fees. Intent-based ads, for example, have been shown to be 2.5 times more efficient and achieve 220% higher click-through rates. The right platform should deliver measurable ROI that justifies its cost.
Choose a platform that not only integrates seamlessly with your CRM but also provides robust support and strategic guidance to help you maximize results. Transparent pricing and a focus on your long-term success are key.
Common Intent Data Challenges and Solutions
Intent data can provide valuable insights, but tackling its challenges is key to driving meaningful results. By understanding common obstacles and preparing effective solutions, you can turn intent data into a powerful tool rather than a missed opportunity.
Ensuring Data Accuracy and Quality
Data quality is often the Achilles’ heel of intent data strategies. In fact, poor data quality can result in up to 70% wasted spend. Issues like outdated information, incomplete profiles, and unreliable signals can derail your efforts.
For example, if your data shows a company researching your product months ago, that signal may no longer be relevant. Similarly, incomplete profiles might highlight interest but lack the contact details needed to follow up. Another common pitfall? Misinterpreting activity like multiple whitepaper downloads as purchase intent, when it could simply indicate competitive research.
Here’s how to tackle these issues:
- Cross-check signals across multiple sources to confirm genuine interest. Avoid relying on a single platform; instead, verify intent through additional channels before acting.
- Choose platforms that frequently update data, ensuring you work with current information. For instance, companies like 24/7 Intent process over 100 billion buying signals daily and update over 270 million profiles.
- Adopt comprehensive contact matching to fill in gaps. This ensures you can act on intent signals by reaching the right decision-makers.
- Conduct regular data audits to keep quality in check. Monthly reviews of data freshness, signal accuracy, and profile completeness can prevent small issues from escalating.
| Data Quality Issue | Impact on ROI | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Stale Data | Up to 70% wasted spend | Use platforms with frequent updates |
| Incomplete Profiles | Missed opportunities | Comprehensive contact matching |
| Poor Signal Quality | Reduced precision | Verify data across sources |
Once your data is accurate, the next step is ensuring it integrates seamlessly with your existing systems.
Connecting Intent Data to Your Existing Systems
Even the best intent data is useless if it’s trapped in silos. Integration issues – whether with CRMs, marketing tools, or sales platforms – can prevent teams from acting on insights in real time.
For example, delays in syncing intent signals might mean your sales team misses hot leads. Similarly, gaps in campaign integration could stop marketing teams from adjusting strategies based on fresh data.
To address these challenges:
- Unify systems with custom data models that bridge differences in formats and APIs. This ensures data flows smoothly across platforms.
- Look for intent data providers that offer direct integration with popular tools like Salesforce, HubSpot, Marketo, and Google Ads.
- Leverage data from your own digital channels – like website analytics and email engagement – before incorporating external sources.
- Use progressive profiling to build richer customer profiles over time without overwhelming prospects with long forms.
- When native integrations aren’t available, tools like Zapier can act as a bridge to keep data moving.
| Integration Challenge | Impact on ROI | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Real-time Sync Problems | Missed opportunities | Use platforms with fast refresh cycles |
| Campaign Integration Gaps | Fragmented efforts | Opt for multi-channel support |
With systems connected, the final hurdle is ensuring compliance and safeguarding sensitive data.
Data Privacy and Compliance Best Practices
Privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA have transformed how intent data is collected, stored, and shared. Mishandling sensitive data, such as Personally Identifiable Information (PII), can lead to hefty fines and damage to your reputation.
To stay compliant:
- Secure PII with strong protections like encryption, access controls, and regular audits.
- Make consent mechanisms transparent. Use clear privacy policies and cookie banners to inform users about data collection and its benefits.
- Enable user rights by allowing individuals to access, modify, or delete their data within regulatory timeframes.
- Train your team on data privacy best practices to ensure everyone understands how to handle sensitive information responsibly.
- Conduct regular compliance audits to review both your processes and those of your data providers.
By implementing these measures, you not only protect your organization but also build trust with your audience, creating a foundation for more reliable and actionable intent data insights.
Overcoming these challenges ensures that your intent data strategy remains effective, driving better results for both sales and marketing efforts.
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Case Studies: Intent Data Success Stories
These real-world examples highlight how companies, from ambitious startups to established giants, use intent data to gain insights and boost revenue. Whether it’s refining a product-market fit or scaling operations, intent data proves to be a game-changer.
Case Study 1: Startup Finding Product-Market Fit
Superhuman, an email startup, faced challenges confirming its product-market fit. Initially, only 22% of users said they would be "very disappointed" if they could no longer use the product – far below the 40% benchmark that indicates strong product-market fit.
To tackle this, Superhuman turned to customer feedback as a key intent signal. They asked users a straightforward question: "How would you feel if you could no longer use Superhuman?" This became their guiding metric. By segmenting their user base, they identified "high-expectation customers" (HXCs) – users who were most likely to become enthusiastic advocates. Feedback from this group revealed that users valued speed, shortcuts, automation, and design, but they were discouraged by missing features like mobile apps and integrations.
"To increase your product-market fit score, spend half your time doubling down on what users already love and the other half on addressing what’s holding others back."
Using these insights, Superhuman fine-tuned its approach. The results? Their product-market fit score jumped from 22% to 33%, and within three quarters, it soared to 58%, well above the 40% benchmark. This transformation made hiring easier, sharpened their marketing, and simplified fundraising. While startups like Superhuman use intent data to validate their market fit, established companies leverage it for broader growth.
Case Study 2: Scaling Business Growth with Intent Data
Lenovo North America provides a compelling example of how established companies can scale their marketing efforts using intent data. They focused on identifying prospects showing clear buying intent.
"We assume that whatever we put out from a marketing perspective – whether it’s a tweet, or a billboard, a display ad – everyone’s going to stop and read it. When in actuality, that’s the furthest thing from the truth. No one really cares about your company until they are in-market. Until that point, all of what we do to get their attention just doesn’t matter."
- Michael Ballard, Senior Manager of Digital Marketing, Lenovo North America
Lenovo used intent data to pinpoint prospects actively researching their products. They redirected their advertising budget toward these high-intent prospects, resulting in impressive outcomes:
- Display advertising saw a 22% increase in click-through rates (CTR).
- Email campaigns achieved four times higher CTR when targeting intent-qualified audiences.
- Over 75% of leads generated through these campaigns were new to Lenovo, expanding their customer base instead of retargeting existing ones.
| Metric | Improvement | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Display Ad CTR | +22% | Enhanced ad performance |
| Email CTR | +400% | Higher audience engagement |
| New Lead Generation | 75%+ | Broader customer base |
Another example comes from Kibo, a software company that used intent data for competitive intelligence. By leveraging G2‘s intent signals, Kibo identified prospects browsing competitor pages, category comparisons, and alternative solutions. This allowed their sales team to focus on higher-value prospects who were three times more likely to close.
These examples demonstrate that intent data, when aligned with a company’s goals, can drive measurable success. Lenovo used it to expand its reach, while Kibo focused on gaining an edge over competitors. Both achieved growth by tailoring their strategies to their specific markets and leveraging intent data effectively.
The Future of Intent Data
AI and machine learning are taking intent data from a basic metric to a powerful tool that predicts customer needs. These technologies are reshaping how businesses interpret and act on customer behavior, turning intent data into a system that forecasts trends and opportunities with precision. The strategies for collecting and using intent data are evolving, offering businesses sharper insights into their markets.
AI and Machine Learning in Intent Data
Artificial intelligence is changing the game when it comes to analyzing intent data. It enables real-time processing, smarter scoring with contextual signals, and uncovers customer behaviors that were previously invisible. By analyzing multiple data sources and engagement levels simultaneously, AI delivers more accurate insights.
Here’s what this means in numbers: businesses using AI-driven intent data have seen conversion rates increase by 10%, revenue gains between 3% and 15%, and a 10% to 20% boost in sales ROI. These benefits are largely due to AI’s ability to handle time-intensive tasks like processing massive datasets, spotting patterns, and scoring leads with high precision.
AI also automates the integration of intent data with CRMs, making it possible to deliver hyper-personalized content and outreach at just the right moment. This matters because 77% of consumers say they’ve chosen, recommended, or paid more for brands that offer personalized experiences.
Another breakthrough is AI’s ability to reveal what’s been called “dark funnel activity” – the behind-the-scenes research and decision-making processes that customers go through. By analyzing patterns across various touchpoints, AI identifies intent signals that humans might overlook. This provides a fuller understanding of the customer journey and their buying intent. Looking ahead, AI algorithms will likely evolve to autonomously adjust marketing strategies in real time, making personalization and engagement even more effective. The rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) will add even more data points, giving businesses deeper insights into customer behavior.
On top of these advances, predictive analytics is taking intent data to the next level by forecasting customer behavior with incredible accuracy.
Predictive Analytics for Customer Behavior
Predictive analytics is revolutionizing how companies use intent data by applying statistical models and machine learning to past behaviors. By examining things like site visits, content downloads, and search queries, businesses can predict what customers want and adjust their strategies instantly.
This approach is catching on fast. By 2025, more than 70% of B2B companies are expected to use predictive analytics to shape their lead generation efforts. This marks a shift from reacting to customer actions to proactively targeting high-intent prospects before competitors even notice them.
A great example of this in action comes from a healthcare tech company. By shifting its lead scoring focus from job titles to engagement with compliance-related content – a strong signal of urgency – it saw a 22% jump in conversions within just three months. This shows how intent-based predictive models can outperform traditional methods.
Predictive analytics is also becoming more sophisticated. Real-time analytics now make it possible to process data and generate insights instantly, which is critical for fast-moving industries like e-commerce and logistics. Explainable AI (XAI) ensures transparency in AI-driven decisions, while no-code and low-code platforms are making predictive tools accessible to teams without technical expertise.
Emerging technologies like neuro-symbolic AI, synthetic data, and Automated Machine Learning (AutoML) 2.0 are pushing the boundaries even further, improving accuracy and making advanced analytics available to smaller teams. The predictive analytics market is expected to exceed $24 billion by 2025, with more than half of businesses adopting AI-powered tools by then. Those using advanced techniques for customer analytics and personalization have reported a 20% increase in revenue, with 91% of consumers saying they’re more likely to shop with brands that offer relevant recommendations.
For startups, integrating intent data with CRM and marketing automation tools is key to targeting high-intent prospects effectively. This includes combining data from multiple sources, refining audience segments, and continuously optimizing campaigns. Aligning marketing and sales teams around shared intent data insights is also crucial for creating unified strategies and engaging high-value leads at the right time. These advancements give startups a clear path to leverage intent data as a cornerstone of their growth strategies.
Getting Started with Intent Data
If you’re looking to sharpen your market understanding and drive targeted growth, intent data can be a game-changer. For startups and entrepreneurs, it’s a tool that delivers precision in identifying and engaging potential customers. In fact, 94% of B2B marketers report improved lead conversions, and intent-based ads are proven to be 2.5 times more effective.
Start by clearly defining your ideal customer profile. Pinpoint specifics like industry, company size, job roles, and common challenges. This clarity ensures your intent data efforts focus on the right audience from the very beginning.
"Intent data is market intelligence gathered from online behavior that helps predict which potential customers are actively researching a purchase." – Jeremy Payton
Next, gather first-party data from your digital touchpoints – your website, email campaigns, product usage patterns, and even customer support interactions. By integrating these signals into your CRM and lead scoring systems, you can centralize information and automatically prioritize high-value leads.
Real-world examples show how effective this approach can be. Keboola, for instance, targeted just 20 companies per week using intent signals and managed to book demos with 60% of them. Similarly, Ultima saw a return on investment in just eight weeks, with a single deal covering an entire year’s subscription to Cognism.
Implementing intent data starts with identifying available data sources, setting up tracking and measurement processes, and creating tailored prospect lists. These lists allow you to customize your outreach based on where each prospect is in their buying journey. Considering that 70% of B2B businesses already use intent data for sales prospecting, getting started early can give you a competitive edge.
To ensure success, bridging the gap between planning and execution is essential. That’s where platforms like M Accelerator come in. Their unified framework integrates intent data into your existing marketing and sales processes. Through hands-on programs, they help refine customer profiles, optimize lead scoring models, and connect intent platforms directly to CRM systems.
With a network of over 25,000 investors and a history of supporting more than 500 founders, M Accelerator transforms intent data into a growth engine. Their approach ensures that strategies are not only planned but executed effectively, leading to measurable results and sustainable growth. By combining strategic insights with actionable implementation, they make adopting intent data a seamless process.
FAQs
How can businesses ensure their intent data is accurate and reliable for strategic use?
How to Ensure Accurate and Reliable Intent Data
To make the most of intent data, businesses need to focus on its accuracy and reliability. A good starting point is choosing trusted data providers and taking the time to verify how they collect their data. Reliable sources are the backbone of any meaningful insights.
Another key step is comparing intent data insights with actual marketing and sales results. By regularly analyzing how the data measures up against real-world outcomes, you can confirm its effectiveness and make better decisions moving forward.
For a deeper understanding of customer behavior, it’s smart to combine intent data with other analytics. This layered approach not only improves accuracy but also makes the data more actionable. Using a mix of automated tools and manual reviews can further sharpen the quality of your data, helping you achieve results that truly matter for your business.
What should I look for in an intent data platform to align with my marketing and sales goals?
When choosing an intent data platform, it’s essential to focus on a few key factors to ensure it meets your marketing and sales needs. Start by selecting a platform that delivers reliable, high-quality data sourced from trustworthy channels. Accurate insights into buyer intent are crucial for making informed decisions.
Next, ensure the platform can integrate smoothly with your current CRM and marketing tools. This compatibility helps streamline your processes and boosts overall efficiency.
Also, opt for a platform that includes advanced analytics and reporting features. These tools will allow you to uncover actionable insights and base your strategies on solid data. Flexibility is another important consideration – choose a platform that is scalable and customizable so it can evolve alongside your business.
Lastly, prioritize platforms that adhere to data privacy regulations. Protecting customer information not only safeguards your business but also helps maintain trust with your audience.
How do AI and machine learning improve the accuracy and effectiveness of intent data for driving business growth?
AI and machine learning take intent data to the next level by spotting patterns in user behavior – like browsing habits and engagement trends – and using them to predict what users might do next. These technologies can sift through massive datasets in no time, helping businesses figure out which leads are most likely to convert. This means sales and marketing teams can focus their efforts where it counts the most.
What’s even better is that machine learning doesn’t stay static. It keeps improving its predictive models as it processes fresh data. This ensures businesses get insights that are not only accurate but also actionable, helping them make smarter, data-driven decisions. With these tools, companies can fine-tune their audience targeting, improve campaign performance, and maintain a competitive edge in their industries.
