How B2B marketers can use intent data?

You are at the right place if you are looking for why intent data is booming as a hot topic in the B2B marketing world. You might have heard that intent data is the future of marketing, and while some say it is the superpower in the hands of marketers. This is so good to be true and we say this because the main purpose of B2B intent data is to gain insight into the digital activity of a company to make predictions about the buyer intent.

We all know that the success of marketing is highly dependent on data and if this data is combined with the customer’s intent, then it tells a story and will give a bird’s eye view of what the customer is interested in and when they most likely buy. These insights will work to the advantage of the business and help in generating targeted leads.

What is intent data?

Intent data is the information that reveals the behaviour of a particular buyer and shows the buyer’s chance of doing a certain action. Capturing intent data of different buyers’ will help the marketers in gaining more insight into the customers’ behaviour and can precisely determine their purchase likelihood. Consequently, the engagement strategy is optimised both timing-wise and in terms of the type of approach, which will make it easier to personalise the buyer’s journey.

Value of Intent data

The methods and strategies that worked long back on B2B marketing are no longer effective now, in fact, the current environment of B2B marketing is very challenging. Suppose if you send a message out to the audience, then there are chances of only half of them to hear the message. This could either be because there are other competitors who have already reached their inbox, or the message has arrived along with the rest of the group. So, B2B marketers have begun to understand the value of using the intent data that produces better results and started to define the buyer personas, perform analysis on the market, create suitable and timely content, and meet the buyers where they are included in the sales process.

Benefits of using intent data for B2B marketing

Data from the right source is known to be great data and businesses need to make smart business decisions with this great data.

Improving marketing value: With intent data, businesses have a better chance of winning the competition if they focus on the companies that have already engaged with the website or have researched in their area of expertise. This will not just increase the conversion rate, but also improve the marketing value and precision.
Finding potential leads: An alert is sent to the sales and marketing team when an individual who is researching a business product visits the website and then exits in search of similar products or solutions. This will help in generating potential leads, where the businesses can set up an appointment and ultimately close the deal.
Personalised outreach: Having intent data will help in knowing potential customers’ buying behaviour and keep the businesses informed about the relevant insights and then take valuable marketing decisions. With this, businesses can also make personalised solutions and convert valuable prospects into actual customers.

How can B2B marketers use the intent data?

Here are some of the ways intent data can be used by B2B marketers and reach the prospects at the right time.

Considering the intent of the searcher: Once the user intent data is collected from various sources, marketers can use the data by sorting them out into different categories based on the individual intent. This will allow the marketers to select different keyword terms that align with different stages of the buyer’s journey. These keywords, terms and phrases can be included in the different product or service pages, geographic location, and a combination of phrases on which the user might possibly search.
Improved brand exposure: Intent data works as an exceptional tool for B2B marketers. Let’s know how this is done.

a. Firstly, marketers can carefully design their content marketing plan by revealing the topics that the target audience are most interested in. And with intent data present, challenges or the pain points of the individuals can be addressed well in advance and give the best possible solution.

b. Secondly, marketers can allow the intent data to optimise the website, social pages and landing or product pages to reverberate with the same audience segment.

All this will enable to give good exposure to the brand and attract good prospects to the business.

Optimised content creation: Marketers will identify buyers’ intent and funnel them with the right content. Optimised content can be created by adding a piece of content that most individuals are searching for and providing a detailed guide that walks prospective customers through a typical transaction.
Targeted advertising: Personalised and targeted advertising campaigns can be created with intent data by focusing on a particular industry. Products and service advertisements can be personalised and provide offers that the other business is most likely to get attracted to.
Enhanced customer experience: Intent data will give a boost to the B2B marketing team, as this data will equip them with the key insights of the customer like the behaviour pattern, likes, dislikes, online activities, etc. By understanding the customers' intent well in advance marketers can strengthen the relationship with the potential customers and create meaningful, informative, value-added, and customised content. This will help in creating remarkable customer experiences before and even after purchase.

You might have now understood that data is the lifeline of marketing efforts and strategies. As the need for data grows more relevant day by day, it allows B2B marketers to target potential customers effectively and efficiently at the right time. Any business can benefit from collecting and utilising the intent data in many ways and be the future of B2B marketing efforts.