A Marketer’s Guide to B2B Intent Data

What is B2B intent data?

Simply put, B2B consumer purpose data provides insight into what someone is thinking about buying your product. Objective data gives you an in-depth look at the buy signals of hope, whether transparent or subtle, so you can position your product as the best option. These purchase features may include keyword research in your industry, booking a demo, or downloading a report.

Combining objective data with the firmographic details of your relevant customer profile (ICP) provides additional meaning to your direction. Your ICP indicates whom you want. Objective data indicate whom you are looking for. When the hope you want wants you back, it fits right in.

Buyer intent in B2B can be visible or hidden

People show their intentions every time they browse web pages. That is how web statistics tools can provide rich background data to deepen your understanding of potential buyers.

A visible goal could include expectations of visiting your website and filling out a form. Let them know their purpose by providing their contact details. The visible purpose may also include people visiting related websites, such as a competitor's website, or reading product reviews and filling out a form with their contact details on the review site. They are visible to a third-party site owner, and data vendors may provide that information to B2B advertisers.

Most B2B web traffic is unknown, however, so objective signals are often hidden. The hidden purpose includes people who visit your website, look everywhere, and leave or visit other websites that are not directly related to your product but associated with a customer journey.

Types of B2B intent data

Intent data falls into two categories: first-party (internal) and third-party (external) data. Both enable B2B marketing and sales teams to see a complete picture of a target account’s activity.

Combining internal and external intent data gives you full context and clarity on the buyer’s journey, so you can make actionable decisions that turn more prospects into customers.

First-party intent data

Original company objective data, or internal purpose data, data that is readily available within your company's systems and tools. It may include data from website traffic, social media listening tools, internal search, and other systems. When you think of tracking visitors to your website or a potential buyer online, you are thinking of getting first-person target data.

The company’s initial target data is very important for advertisers because it shows strong buy signals. It is also easy to take action with the company's initial intention data in real-time. While Google Analytics will disclose interesting trends, such as which browsers people use or in which country, the original company’s target data is particularly powerful in the B2B context. That’s because it reflects a consumer’s interest in your products or services based on his or her behavior, such as a targeted account filling out a contact form or visiting your pricing page multiple times. If you do not make full use of the company's initial intention data, you may leave the potential (and income) on the table. Using objective data internally gives you control over what you collect - and how - and allows you to do something with the data as soon as it is collected.

In all likelihood, your team is already tracking the company's initial data with website analytics tools, CRM tools, automated marketing forums, or a backup of your website. You just need to turn that raw data into a smart one to improve your customer journey.