Even the best, most clever marketing campaign can miss the target if you’re not addressing the real-life problems your audience is facing, if there’s misalignment between the marketing and sales teams, or if you’re reaching out to people who aren’t ready to buy.

This is why using intent data has emerged as a game-changing tool for marketing and sales professionals. It provides invaluable insights into prospect behavior, allowing companies to pinpoint potential customers actively researching solutions in their industry.

In this guide, we'll explore all the ways intent data can benefit your B2B marketing and sales efforts heading into 2025.

1. Craft personalized, laser-targeted campaigns

Buyer intent data enables you to replace generic messages with highly personalized campaigns that speak directly to the specific pain points and preferences of different segments of your target audience.

Using intent data, marketing teams can tailor their content, messaging, and offers to align with intent signals of these audience segments, which can dramatically improve engagement and drive higher conversion rates.

Example: A B2B company specializing in marketing automation notices a surge in searches for "lead scoring best practices." Relying on data, the marketing team can create a blog post targeting this keyword, and create a whole topic cluster around lead scoring, which increases their chances of reaching the in-market prospects.

This strategy not only provides valuable insights to potential customers but also establishes the company as a thought leader in its field.

2. Address real-life pain points with your content marketing strategy

Content is essential for any successful B2B marketing strategy, as it’s what fuels email marketing, ads, social media, and all other aspects.

But, creating content that resonates with your audience requires a deep understanding of their interests and pain points. Purchase intent data allows you to create more relevant and valuable content that attracts, engages, and nurtures leads at every stage. You’ll be able to deliver personalized content experiences, like email campaigns or landing pages, based on the prospect’s intent and where they are in the buyer’s journey.

Example: For example, if you’re an HR tech company and someone who’s read a top-of-the-funnel blog may not be ready to buy. But, someone who’s downloaded an e-book or signed up for a webinar is likely further down your funnel. You can then enroll them in a lead nurturing campaign where you’ll deliver more relevant, helpful HR content.

3. Improve your account-based marketing (ABM) campaigns

Account-based marketing (ABM) is all about delivering personalized experiences to key accounts, and buyer intent data takes this personalization to a whole new level.

Identifying target accounts showing interest in specific solutions can help you tailor your marketing efforts to resonate with key decision-makers within those accounts. For example, if you’re tracking search terms that reflect high interest in your solution (for instance, “email automation”) or branded keywords, you can use intent data to learn when a key account for your target companies searches for these terms.

This targeted approach can inform your ABM strategies, and you can target this account with relevant, personalized ad campaigns or email outreach.

Example: A B2B SaaS marketer, armed with buyer intent data, identifies several key accounts actively researching their CRM solution.

They can then develop personalized landing pages and content for each account, highlighting how their product specifically addresses challenges and pain points typical for their industry or company size.

Just like Axios managed to do with UserGems data. Jessica Placencia-Perez, Director of Marketing at Axios, confirms that "the really cool thing about UserGems is that it enables us to zoom into the issues that a new person in a specific industry might face."

4. Create better alignment with sales

Marketing and sales should never operate in silos, although it’s still a common case today. However, buyer intent data acts as a bridge, providing marketers with valuable insights that can be shared with the sales team and used for better-targeted efforts and less waste of resources.

When sales teams operate with intent data, they know exactly which leads to target with outreach and when to do it. Sales reps won’t spend days and weeks trying to schedule a meeting with a lead that’s not even close to buying instead of seizing the opportunity to work on a warm lead actively researching solutions like theirs.

Example: This works best when marketing and sales their activities. When buyer intent data indicates a surge in research from a target account, marketing can increase ad frequency and personalization, as well as relevant content delivery, while sales can time their outreach to coincide with this increased interest.

5. Prioritize leads accurately

In B2B sales, knowing which leads to prioritize can make all the difference. Buyer intent data helps to identify and prioritize leads who demonstrate a high probability of conversion.

Focusing resources on high-priority prospects lets you optimize your time and effort, ensuring that every interaction counts.

Example: Combining your own intent data with third-party data can be incredibly helpful in lead scoring, leading to better prioritization. For example, a lead may visit a case study page or download a guide on your site, while you also get purchase intent signals from your third-party provider, such as UserGems. These are solid signs that your sales rep should prioritize reaching out to this lead, dramatically increasing the chances of closing a successful deal.

6. Craft trigger-based, personalized outreach

Generic sales pitches usually fall flat in B2B sales because decision-makers expect tailored solutions and to see the specific value of your offer immediately.

Buyer intent data allows you to craft trigger-based, personalized emails that resonate with each prospect's specific needs and interests. When you demonstrate a deep understanding of their challenges, you’re more likely to capture their attention and build rapport from the very first interaction.

Example: A sales rep discovers that a prospect has recently downloaded a whitepaper on a particular pain point their solution addresses.

During their outreach, the sales rep strategically references the whitepaper and tailors their pitch to emphasize how their product can directly solve that pain point, showcasing a genuine understanding of the prospect's needs.

7. Speed up sales cycles and close deals faster

Buyer intent data helps you identify the leads actively moving through the customer journey, like accounts comparing vendor solutions.

Engaging with high-quality leads at the right time and providing them with relevant information (in this case, using competitor battle cards to draw attention to potential shortcomings of your rivals) can significantly accelerate the sales process and shorten sales cycles.

Example: If a prospect is researching and comparing, for instance, security features of different identity and access management solutions, you can preemptively provide detailed information on your product’s security capabilities, backed with testimonials and case studies, while at the same time pointing out your competitors’ solution flaws.

8. Increase win rates through better-targeted conversations

The key to sales success lies in building strong relationships with prospects and understanding their pain points on a deep level.

Buyer intent data equips sales reps with the insights they need to have more meaningful conversations, address specific challenges, and position their solutions as the ideal fit. This kind of approach helps build trust and rapport, and can ultimately drive higher win rates.

Example: A sales rep leverages buyer intent data to gain a deep understanding of a prospect's interests and challenges.

This knowledge allows them to modify their presentation to focus on the most relevant features and benefits for this specific prospect, illustrating how the solution directly addresses their pain points.

9. Expand existing accounts and unlock new opportunities

Buyer intent data isn't just about acquiring new customers — it's also about maximizing the value of your existing accounts.

Intent data collected from monitoring the accounts’ research activities and interest in new solutions lets you identify opportunities for upselling and cross-selling, which can drive additional revenue and strengthen customer relationships.

Example: A sales rep working for a project management platform observes that an existing customer has been actively researching time-tracking tools, which is a new product line this project management platform will offer. 

The sales rep can proactively reach out to the customer to discuss how this new offering could further benefit their business, creating an opportunity for an upsell.

10. Spot early signs of churn and protect your revenue stream

Customer churn is a costly reality for many B2B businesses — $168 billion per year in the US only. B2B buyer intent data can help you identify customers who might be at risk of churning by monitoring their online behavior and engagement levels, such as whether they’re engaging with competitor content or have been using your product less than before.

With these early warning signs, you can proactively intervene, address their concerns, and offer additional support to ensure their continued satisfaction and loyalty.

Example: Let’s say a customer who was once loyal, and even your advocate, starts researching your competitors. This could be a strong sign that they're considering switching to another service: they’ve started engaging with negative reviews or criticisms or searching for discounts from competing vendors. Your product analytics also show decreased product usage.

A sales rep may want to reach out to the customer to check in, resolve any issues, and offer additional resources or support to prevent them from switching to a competitor.

Unlock the power of intent data with UserGems

In the intricate game of B2B sales, knowing when to act and who to target can make all the difference. UserGems is your reliable partner in improving your marketing and sales with data-driven decisions — a comprehensive platform that weaves together relationship signals and intent data to create invaluable insights you won’t get anywhere else.

This unique advantage empowers sales teams to tap into their existing CRM data and network connections, uncovering golden opportunities hidden within their customer and prospect accounts.

• Past champions: Reconnect with former customers or advocates who have transitioned to new companies. Their familiarity with your solutions can provide warm introductions and open doors to new business opportunities.
• New hires & promotions: Stay one step ahead of personnel changes within your key accounts. UserGems ensures you're always connected with the right decision-makers, fostering relationships and seizing opportunities as they arise.
• Champion referrals: Identify potential referrals from satisfied customers who have moved to new organizations. Their endorsements lend credibility to your solutions, expanding your reach and opening new doors.
• Multi-thread engagement: Navigate the complex buying process by mapping out the key decision-makers within target accounts. Engage multiple stakeholders with personalized messaging and tailored content, maximizing your influence and driving deals forward.

UserGems also goes beyond traditional intent data, empowering your sales team to leverage the strength of relationships and buying signals to identify, engage, and win more deals.

• Unified platform: Integrate relationship signals and intent data in one centralized hub. Gain a comprehensive view of your target accounts and prospects, facilitating informed decision-making and targeted outreach.
• CRM integration: Seamlessly connect UserGems with your existing CRM, ensuring a smooth workflow and actionable insights. Streamline your sales process and empower your team to focus on what they do best - building relationships and closing deals.‍
• Personalized campaigns: Create and automate highly targeted marketing campaigns that resonate with individual prospects, leveraging relationship and intent signals to drive engagement and conversions.

• Actionable alerts: Receive real-time notifications when key contacts change roles, companies, or exhibit strong buying intent. Act swiftly and capitalize on opportunities before they slip through your fingers.

For example, Lattice uncovered a fantastic chance to create a lead-nurturing campaign to target this exact segment of their audience:

“We found a major unrealized opportunity in following up with past users who had moved on to other roles. UserGems allowed us to act on important information about our prospects with a nurture campaign.  And we saw a 45% open rate on the initial campaign”, shares Danielle Sensley, Lead Lifecycle Manager at Lattice.

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UserGems empowers your sales team to leverage the power of intent data and relationship intelligence, uncovering hidden opportunities and closing more deals.

Don’t just take our word for it — book a demo today and see UserGems in action.

FAQs

What are the different types of intent data?

There are several types of intent data companies may rely on for their marketing and sales strategies:

• First-party intent data: This data is collected directly from your own digital properties like your website, landing pages, and marketing automation platforms. It captures valuable insights into how visitors interact with your content, what pages they visit, what forms they fill out, and more. Common examples include website visits (especially pricing, product, or solution pages), time spent on specific pages, click-through rates on emails and website links, form submissions and search queries used on your website's search bar.
• Second-party intent data: This type of data is generated from within your organization, often from your CRM, sales automation tools, and customer support interactions, like sales calls, emails, support tickets, and customer feedback. This data provides valuable insights into your existing customers' needs, pain points, and satisfaction levels, which can be used for upselling, cross-selling, and customer retention efforts. Examples include purchase history, data from support tickets, sales call notes, customer feedback surveys, and email interactions with sales.
• Third-party intent data: This data is gathered from external data sources, often by aggregating information from various websites, social media platforms, and industry publications. It can provide insights into the wider market and identify individuals or companies researching topics related to your industry or offerings. This data helps expand your reach beyond your own audience and identify potential buyers who might not be interacting directly with your brand yet. Common examples include online activity, social media activity, industry publication downloads, event attendance, and engagement with competitor websites.

Who are the best intent data providers?

The best intent data provider for you will depend on your specific needs, industry, and budget. Some well-regarded intent data providers include:

• UserGems: Specializes in capturing intent signals related to customer and prospect job changes, helping sales teams identify warm, qualified leads and opportunities for expansion within existing accounts.   
• Bombora: A leading provider of B2B intent data, offering a wide range of topics and industries, enabling targeted marketing and sales efforts.   
• ZoomInfo: Provides a combination of intent data and contact information, empowering sales teams with valuable insights for targeted outreach and lead generation.   
• Demandbase: Offers an account-based marketing platform that incorporates intent data for precise targeting and personalization of campaigns.

What are some of the ways marketing and sales teams leverage intent data?

Here are some use cases for marketing and sales teams:

• Lead prioritization: Intent data helps sales teams prioritize leads by identifying those who are actively researching and showing strong buying signals, allowing them to focus their efforts on the most promising prospects.
• Personalized outreach: Marketing and sales can use intent data to personalize their outreach with relevant messaging and content that addresses the specific needs and interests a prospect has demonstrated.
• Targeted advertising: Intent data enables marketers to create highly targeted advertising campaigns by reaching audiences who are actively researching specific keywords or topics related to their products or services.
• Content creation and optimization: By understanding what topics and content are resonating with their target audience, marketing teams can create more effective content and optimize existing materials to better align with buyer interests.
• Predictive analytics: Intent data can be used to build predictive models that forecast future buying behavior, allowing teams to track key metrics and proactively engage with potential customers.
• Account-based marketing (ABM): Intent data helps identify key decision-makers within target accounts who are showing interest in relevant topics, enabling more effective ABM strategies.
• Competitive intelligence: Monitoring intent data for competitor keywords and topics can provide valuable insights into their strategies and target audiences.
• Sales enablement: Equip sales teams with real-time intent data and insights to inform their conversations and better address prospect needs during interactions.