The Two Sides of Buying Intent: Why Smart Businesses Capture and Create Demand
Gasser Amin ??
Sales & Marketing Specialist for Tech Industries | Expert in Lead Generation, CRM Enrichment & Data-Driven Strategies to Boost Conversion
Buying intent is the foundation of every successful marketing and sales strategy. Businesses that understand how to leverage buying intent—whether by capturing existing demand or generating new demand—are the ones that dominate their markets. However, many companies focus only on searching for buyers who are already in the market, missing out on the massive opportunity of creating intent.
According to a study by Gartner, only 3% of your total addressable market is actively buying at any given moment, while the other 97% is either unaware or not ready to buy. This means that businesses focusing solely on capturing demand are competing for a tiny fraction of potential customers.
To truly scale and future-proof their growth, businesses need to balance both approaches:
Both types of intent directly reflect Inbound and Outbound methodologies:
Most businesses prioritize one over the other, but the most successful companies integrate both for maximum profitability. Let’s dive deeper.
1?? Searching Buying Intent: Capturing Ready-to-Buy Prospects (Outbound Approach)
What is Searching Buying Intent?
This type of intent focuses on finding buyers who already have a problem and are actively seeking a solution. These prospects have a high likelihood of purchasing soon, making them valuable for quick conversions.
Examples of High-Intent Signals:
?? A prospect searches for “best CRM for small businesses” on Google.
?? A decision-maker downloads a competitor’s pricing sheet.
?? A buyer fills out a demo request form on your website.
How to Capture Searching Intent (Outbound Execution):
? Use Intent Data & Tools: Platforms like HubSpot, Apollo.io, and Bombora can help identify prospects showing buying signals.
? Leverage PPC & SEO: Google Ads, retargeting, and high-intent keywords bring in buyers actively looking for solutions.
? Outbound Prospecting: Sales teams should reach out via LinkedIn, cold email, and phone calls to engage decision-makers.
? Optimize Conversions: Landing pages, lead magnets, and CTAs should be designed to capture leads at the decision stage.
Why It’s Important:
?? Shortens the sales cycle—since the buyer is already considering a purchase.
?? Increases conversion rates—you’re talking to prospects with immediate needs.
?? Delivers quick revenue impact—perfect for businesses that need faster ROI.
The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits him and sells itself. – Peter Drucker
2?? Creating Buying Intent: Influencing Future Demand (Inbound Approach)
What is Creating Buying Intent?
Unlike searching intent, creating buying intent means building awareness and demand before a buyer even realizes they need a solution. This approach educates and nurtures potential customers over time, ensuring they turn to your brand when they are ready to buy.
Examples of Creating Intent:
?? A business owner reads a thought leadership article about how marketing automation increases revenue.
?? A LinkedIn post challenges outdated marketing strategies, making professionals rethink their approach.
?? A podcast discusses a common industry pain point that buyers weren’t even aware of.
How to Create Buying Intent (Inbound Execution):
? Content Marketing: Publish educational blogs, guides, and case studies that help potential customers see the value of your solution.
? Social Selling & Community Engagement: Build relationships and authority on platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and industry forums.
? Brand Storytelling & Thought Leadership: Position yourself as the go-to expert in your industry.
? Webinars & Podcasts: Provide valuable insights that build credibility and nurture long-term relationships.
? Influencer & Partner Collaborations: Leverage trusted industry figures to increase credibility and extend reach.
Why It’s Important:
?? Reduces competition—since you influence demand before competitors enter the picture.
?? Increases trust and loyalty—buyers turn to your brand when they’re ready.
?? Creates sustainable growth—by building a pipeline of future customers.
?? Expands market share—by developing demand in previously untapped segments.
Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make, but about the stories you tell. – Seth Godin
3?? Why Most Businesses Fail at Buying Intent
Despite its importance, many businesses struggle with intent-driven strategies because they:
According to a HubSpot report, businesses that invest in both inbound and outbound marketing generate 3x more leads and experience 50% lower customer acquisition costs than those that rely on one method alone.
If you’re not serving the customer, your job is to be serving someone who is. – Jan Carlzon
4?? The Winning Strategy: Blending Inbound & Outbound for Maximum Growth
?? Short-term (Outbound): Use outbound prospecting, PPC ads, and SEO to convert ready buyers.
?? Long-term (Inbound): Use content, storytelling, and social selling to create future demand.
?? Customer-Centric Approach: Focus on delivering value at every stage of the buyer’s journey to keep leads engaged.
Key Metrics to Track:
?? For Searching Intent (Outbound): Conversion rates, lead velocity, and sales cycle length. ?? For Creating Intent (Inbound): Brand engagement, audience growth, and demand signals. ?? Blended Performance: Compare customer acquisition costs across both strategies to optimize budget allocation.
The best marketing doesn't feel like marketing. – Tom Fishburne
5?? Essential Tools & Pro Tips for Buying Intent Mastery
Tools are great, but success in marketing comes from the right strategy and mindset. I'm saying that
?? Tools for Searching Buying Intent (Capturing Demand)
? Apollo.io & Bombora – Identify prospects showing intent signals through engagement tracking.
? Google Ads & SEMrush – Run PPC campaigns and optimize SEO for high-intent keywords.
? HubSpot & Salesforce – Manage and nurture high-intent leads with CRM and automation.
? LinkedIn Sales Navigator – Find decision-makers actively engaging with relevant topics.
? Hotjar & Crazy Egg – Analyze website behavior to optimize lead capture pages.
?? Pro Tip: Use retargeting ads to stay top-of-mind with prospects who show intent but don’t convert immediately.
?? Tools for Creating Buying Intent (Generating Demand)
? Planable & Canva – Design and schedule engaging social media content to spark awareness.
? BuzzSumo & Ahrefs – Discover trending industry topics to create valuable content.
? HubSpot CMS & WordPress – Publish SEO-optimized blogs and lead magnets.
? WebinarJam & Riverside.fm – Host educational webinars and podcasts to build thought leadership.
? Slack Communities & LinkedIn Groups – Engage in conversations to influence potential buyers.
?? Pro Tip: Consistently educate and add value—buyers may not be ready today, but when they are, they’ll remember your brand.
Conclusion
? Outbound (Searching Intent) delivers quick wins—but you’ll always compete for existing demand.
? Inbound (Creating Intent) builds future dominance—but requires patience and consistency.
? The best businesses master both to dominate their markets.
Question for You: Are you investing in both capturing and creating intent, or are you stuck in one approach? ??
Gasser, this perspective on tapping into the hidden 97% is both enlightening and actionable! How do you recommend businesses prioritize their efforts between creating and capturing demand without overextending their resources?