More and more, businesses are using intent data to get the most out of their marketing. It helps them figure out what potential customers are actually interested in.
Think of intent data as getting inside the heads of your potential customers. It shows you what they're actively looking for online – the topics they're researching, the questions they're asking, the problems they're trying to fix. It's like having a sneak peek into their buying journey.
A recent survey showed that a large chunk of businesses (67%) use this data to make their online advertising more effective, a good portion (62%) use it to understand their market and what their competitors are doing, and over half (57%) use it to find new leads [1]. It's all about using this information to bring in more business.
This guide will give you a complete rundown on how to use intent data. We'll explain why it's so valuable, especially for businesses that sell to other businesses (B2B). What exactly is intent data, anyway?
What is Intent Data?
Intent data is basically information that tells you how likely someone is to buy something and how soon they might buy it. It helps businesses understand what their potential customers are doing and predict what they might do next, which can seriously boost sales.
Think of it as digital breadcrumbs that show how close someone is to making a purchase. For businesses, this is gold. It means you can stop guessing and start targeting your marketing to people who are genuinely interested in what you offer, making your efforts way more effective and, yeah, boosting sales.
How Can It Transform Your Sales?
So, what's intent data actually used for? Here are a few key ways:
1. Finding Hot Leads
Intent data can help you spot the people who are actively searching for a product or service like yours right now. These are your hottest leads – the ones most likely to buy.
For eg., A B2B sales team uses intent data to find companies digging into "CRM integration with marketing automation." They know these companies are serious about improving their sales and marketing and make them a priority.
2. Ranking Leads by How Likely They Are to Buy
You can use intent data to score your leads based on how likely they are to make a purchase. This helps you prioritize your efforts and focus on the most promising prospects. Such as, someone who watched multiple product demos and chatted with a sales rep is a hotter lead than someone who just visited the homepage.
3. Making Marketing More Personal
Intent data allows you to create ads and marketing messages that speak directly to each customer's specific interests and needs. This makes your marketing way more effective, like, someone downloaded a case study on "improving customer retention," so they get an email with helpful tips on exactly that topic.
4. Creating Campaigns That Actually Work
You can use intent data to create really targeted retargeting campaigns (showing ads to people who have already shown interest) and send highly relevant emails that actually get opened and read.
For eg., you looked at a product page but didn't buy anything. Suddenly, you see an ad for that product reminding you how awesome it is. That's retargeting.
5. Spotting Opportunities to Sell More to Existing Customers
Intent data can also help you identify opportunities to upsell (selling a higher-end version of a product) or cross-sell (selling related products) to your current customers. Let’s say, a software customer is using the "basic" plan a lot, so they get some info about the "premium" plan with all the bells and whistles.
Choosing the Right Intent Data Provider: What to Look For
Picking the right intent data software can feel overwhelming with so many options out there. If you're looking at third-party tools, here's what you should keep in mind:
1. Does It Play Well With Your Other Tools?
This is huge. Imagine this: you've got this amazing intent data platform, but it can't talk to your CRM or marketing automation software. Now you're manually exporting and importing data, creating a massive headache and wasting precious time. Worse yet, data gets lost in translation, or your campaigns aren't as targeted as they could be.
You need software that integrates smoothly with the tools you're already using. This avoids those integration nightmares and makes it much easier to actually use the data in your campaigns, automatically syncing information and keeping everything up-to-date.
2. Can You Target Your Audience?
Look for tools that let you filter and segment your data effectively. You don't want to blast the same message to everyone. Let's say you're selling enterprise software.
You want to target decision-makers at large companies, not small businesses. A good intent data tool will let you filter by company size, industry, job title, and other key demographics, ensuring your message reaches the right people.
3. Can You See What’s Working?
Good reporting and analytics are essential. Without them, you're flying blind. Imagine you launch a campaign based on intent data, but you have no way of knowing if it's actually working.
Are your ads resonating? Are your emails being opened? Are leads converting into customers? You need to be able to track your progress, measure the impact of your campaigns, and get insights that help you tweak your strategy and improve your ROI.
4. Does the Price Feel Right?
Obviously, budget matters. Don't just jump at the cheapest option. Weigh the features against the monthly cost to make sure you're getting good value.
Think about the return you expect to get from using the tool. Will it generate enough new leads and sales to justify the expense? Sometimes, spending a little more for a robust tool can actually save you money in the long run.
5. What Are Other People Saying?
While reviews aren't the gospel, they can give you a valuable perspective. Reading what other users have to say can give you a better understanding of how the tool performs in real-world scenarios.
What are its strengths and weaknesses? Does the company provide good support? Is it easy to use? It’s like getting a recommendation from a friend – helpful, but take it with a grain of salt. Look for patterns in the reviews to get a clearer picture.
Top 5 Intent Data Tools Reviewed
Choosing the right intent data tool can feel overwhelming. There are so many out there! How do you pick the one that's actually going to help your business, especially when you're thinking about your specific goals and how big you want to grow?
It's like trying to find the perfect needle in a haystack. We've broken down five leading platforms to help you find the perfect fit for your business.
Feature
MeetRecord
UpLead
Bombora
ZoomInfo
Demandbase
Primary Focus
Conversational Intelligence
Lead Generation & Intent
B2B Intent Data
B2B Data & Intent
B2B Intent & ABM
Data Source
Sales conversations (AI-driven)
B2B contact & company data
Partner sources, website data
Publisher network, B2B database
Multiple data sources
Key Strengths
Real-time conversation insights, sales coaching
Accurate lead info, robust search
Proven intent data, CRM integration
Extensive data, real-time intent
Accurate intent, technology targeting
Key Weaknesses
Limited scope (conversations only)
Occasional outdated data
Website tracking limitations
Outdated data, UI issues
Reporting limitations, manual setup
Pricing Model
Tiered (user/month)
Tiered (user/month)
Custom (company needs)
Tiered (company size)
Tiered (company size)
Let’s deep dive into each of these:
1. MeetRecord
MeetRecord is an AI-powered revenue intelligence platform that enhances sales and customer interactions.
While not strictly an intent data provider in the traditional sense, it provides valuable insights into buyer intent during conversations. By analyzing calls and meetings, MeetRecord uncovers key discussion points, customer sentiment, and potential objections, providing a unique form of real-time intent data.
Key Features:
Automated Recording, Transcription, and Analysis: Automatically captures sales calls and meetings, transcribes them into text, and analyzes the content for valuable insights and user persona identification.
Topic, Competitor, and Sentiment Identification: Identifies key discussion topics, mentions competitors, and gauges customer sentiment (positive, negative, or neutral) to understand the nuances of each conversation.
Data-Driven Insights for Sales Improvement: Provides actionable insights derived from call analysis, helping improve sales strategies, identify training gaps, and optimize sales processes.
CRM and Sales Tool Integration: Seamless integration with popular CRMs and other sales tools ensures data flows smoothly into existing workflows, maximizing efficiency.
Automated Administrative Tasks: Automates note-taking and other administrative tasks, freeing up sales reps to focus on selling.
Pricing:
MeetRecord provides customized pricing tailored to your business's unique requirements and size. For more details and a personalized quote, please schedule a demo.
Pros:
Real-Time Conversational Intent: Provides immediate insights into customer intent directly from conversations, offering a deeper understanding than other data sources.
Enhanced Sales Coaching: Facilitates targeted coaching by providing concrete examples from real calls, improving rep performance.
Improved Follow-up and Personalization: Enables personalized and effective follow-up based on insights gleaned from each conversation, boosting engagement.
Cons:
Limited Scope: Focuses solely on sales conversations, not broader online behavior, limiting its view of the customer journey.
Not Suitable for Tiny Teams: Best suited for larger sales teams (3+ members) due to cost and complexity, not ideal for very small operations.
Testimonial:
"Our favorite feature of MeetRecord is that the post-meeting recaps and summaries automatically appear in HubSpot. We attempted to set up the same functionality with Microsoft Teams Premium but were unsuccessful."
UpLead is a lead generation platform that helps sales teams identify prospects interested in their solution so you can take action when it matters. With comprehensive B2B data, you can access a prospect’s most accurate intent data. As one of the leading marketing automation platforms, UpLead helps optimize your outreach strategy.
Key Features
Extensive Global Coverage: Access contact and company data from over 200 countries, providing a broad reach for your sales and marketing efforts.
Seamless Integrations: Enable robust API and CRM integrations to connect the platform with your existing workflows, streamlining processes and improving efficiency.
Personalized Outreach: Utilize email marketing and mobile direct dials to reach your target audience in a personalized way, increasing engagement and conversion rates.
Market Intelligence: Receive competitor intelligence and company news to stay up to date with the market landscape, enabling informed decision-making and strategic planning.
Advanced Search Filters: Leverage advanced search filters to refine your searches and enhance your sales process, allowing you to identify and target the most relevant prospects.
Pricing
Plan
Pricing
Best For
Free Trial
$0/month
Great for testing the platform before committing.
Essentials
$99/month
Individuals or small teams with basic needs looking for a starting point.
Plus
$199/month
Growing businesses or teams offering more features and capacity for expanding teams. Includes advanced filters and search options for enhanced lead generation.
Professional
Custom Pricing
Large businesses or enterprises requiring tailored solutions and comprehensive support. Contact for a quote to discuss specific needs and scale.
Pros
Current and Accurate Lead Information: The platform provides current and accurate lead information, ensuring that your outreach efforts are directed at valid and up-to-date contacts.
World-Class Customer Support: Benefit from world-class customer support, ensuring that you receive timely assistance and guidance whenever you need it.
Robust Search Tool: The platform offers a robust search tool, enabling you to quickly and efficiently find the specific contacts and companies you're looking for.
Easy-to-Use Interface: An easy-to-use interface simplifies navigation and makes the platform accessible to all users, regardless of their technical expertise.
Cons
Occasional Outdated Contact Data: While the platform strives for accuracy, some contact data may not be the most up-to-date, which could require verification and updates.
Testimonial
"This past year I was tasked with sourcing contacts from numerous trade show contacts. I was very pleased with customer service, the cost, and mostly accurate contact information. I had not really had to do BizDev like this in past jobs, and Uplead was by far the best system."
Bombora offers proprietary B2B contact data sets and access to ad tech platforms to give users up-to-date customer intent information.
Key Features
Customer Journey Data Evaluation: Evaluate data across your prospects’ customer journey, gaining insights into their behavior and needs at different stages for more targeted outreach.
Extensive B2B Organization Data: Access aggregate data from over 3 million B2B organizations, providing a vast pool of potential prospects for your sales and marketing efforts.
Proven B2B Intent Data: Work with comprehensive B2B intent data that has a proven track record, ensuring the reliability and effectiveness of your targeting strategies.
Compliant Data Access: Receive access to fully compliant data across a majority of B2B websites, ensuring data usage adheres to privacy regulations and best practices.
Patented Pre-Purchase Intent Signals: Use pre-purchase intent data signals processed through a patented method, giving you a unique advantage in identifying and targeting prospects who are actively considering a purchase.
Pricing
Plan
Pricing
Best For
Minimum
Varies significantly depending on company needs
Small businesses and teams just starting to explore intent data, with flexible pricing based on specific requirements.
Maximum
$411,429 annually
Large enterprises requiring comprehensive intent data, extensive integrations, and advanced customer service. Contact for a customized quote.
Average
$57,832 annually
Mid-market businesses looking for proven B2B intent data with broad access to multiple data sources for a more efficient outreach strategy.
Pros
Seamless CRM Integration: Integrates well with CRM systems, streamlining data flow and enabling efficient use of intent data within existing sales workflows.
Comprehensive Search Categories: Offers comprehensive search categories, allowing you to refine your searches and identify the most relevant prospects based on various criteria.
Effective Customer Service: Provides effective customer service, ensuring that you receive timely support and assistance when needed, ensuring smooth operations.
Cons
Website Tracking Improvement Needed: Website tracking could be improved, potentially limiting the depth of insights into prospect behavior on specific websites.
Intent Data Provider Only: The platform is only an intent data provider, meaning it may lack other valuable data points like contact information or firmographic details.
Segmentation Enhancement Needed: Segmentation could be more robust, potentially limiting the ability to create highly specific target audiences. More granular segmentation could improve targeted campaigns.
Testimonial
"I like that it helps me to target certain accounts right away without having to do as much research on my own. Immediate scores that tell me 'hey, this company might be looking to solve problems that your solution does.'"
ZoomInfo allows you to search for detailed information on over 50 million businesses and 230 million professionals. As one of the most widely used sales and marketing tools, ZoomInfo provides real-time intent signals and lets you build automated workflows that integrate into your existing tools.
Key Features
Extensive Publisher Network: Access a network of over 300,000 publisher domains, providing broad coverage for intent data collection, enhancing the chances of capturing relevant signals from your target audience.
Real-Time B2B Intent Data: Receive real-time B2B intent data, enabling you to identify and engage with prospects who are actively researching solutions like yours at the moment they are showing interest.
Automated Workflows: Build automated workflows to streamline your sales and marketing processes, saving time and resources while ensuring timely follow-up actions based on intent signals.
Streaming Intent Insights: See insights on prospects interested in topics related to your solution with Streaming Intent, providing a continuous flow of information about active prospects for proactive engagement.
Comprehensive B2B Database: Access a B2B database providing over 300 intent data attributes for CRM processing, enriching your existing customer data and enabling more targeted campaigns.
Pricing
Plan
Ideal Employee Size
Enrich
Chat
SalesOS
Ideal For
200 Employees
Small businesses or startups
$20,600 - $37,300
$15,600 - $31,400
$24,800 - $44,200
Small teams looking for essential intent data and CRM integration.
1,000 Employees
Growing mid-market businesses
$31,900 - $66,400
$23,100 - $48,900
$50,200 - $113,800
Mid-sized businesses needing advanced intent data integration and automated workflows.
At-a-Glance Insights: Gain company and employee insights quickly, allowing you to understand the context of intent signals and personalize your outreach efforts.
Broad CRM Integrations: Integrates with most CRMs, facilitating seamless data flow and enabling efficient use of intent data within your existing workflows.
Valuable Chrome Extension: Provides a Chrome extension for easy access to intent data, allowing users to quickly gather necessary information while browsing the web.
Cons
Occasional Outdated Intent Data: Some intent data may not be up-to-date, and it's important to verify and update information as needed for better targeting accuracy.
Limited Segmentation Tools: The platform's segmentation tools may be limited, restricting the ability to create highly specific target audiences.
Non-Intuitive UI: The user interface can be challenging to navigate and learn effectively, which could hinder platform adoption for new users.
Testimonial
"The ZoomInfo Chrome extension makes it so efficient to get the data I need from wherever I am working. Whether I am looking for the right person to reach out to on LinkedIn, or getting ready to make a call in outreach, I can easily use the extension to look up contact information and ensure I have the best chance of reaching them."
Demandbase lets you see who’s interested in your solution and others like yours. The tool tracks over 500 billion signals per month across over 300,000 intent keywords.
Key Features
Accurate Intent Data: See accurate intent data backed by robust processes, ensuring reliable insights into prospect behavior. This helps target the right accounts at the right time.
Multiple Data Sources: Access data from several partner sources, providing a broader and more comprehensive view of intent signals. This variety improves accuracy and coverage.
Buyer Journey Coverage: Provides intent data at many stages of the buyer journey, enabling you to understand prospect needs and motivations throughout their research and decision-making process.
Technology Targeting: Zero in on ideal targets based on the technologies they use, allowing for highly specific and effective outreach. This helps focus on companies whose tech stack aligns with your offering.
Company News Updates: Stay connected with your target companies’ news, keeping you informed about relevant developments and opportunities. This timely information allows for more personalized and context-aware engagement.
Pricing
Business Type
Pricing Range & Plan
Best For
Small Businesses (200 employees)
$18,100 - $31,700 annually for the core platform
Small businesses looking for reliable intent data and basic features to enhance sales outreach and CRM integration.
Mid-Sized Businesses (1,000 employees)
$42,800 - $60,800 annually for the core platform; $32,100 - $58,000 for the Engagio ABM Platform
Growing mid-market businesses requiring comprehensive intent data integration, buyer journey coverage, and more targeted outreach capabilities.
Large Enterprises (1,000+ employees)
$58,500 - $108,600 annually for the core platform; $57,800 - $104,500 for the Engagio ABM Platform
Large enterprises with advanced targeting needs, requiring extensive segmentation, personalization, and real-time insights into buyer intent.
Bundles & Services
ABX Digital Bundle ($60,000/year), ABX Cloud Ads & Orchestration Bundle ($63,000/year), Premier Services ($7,000/year), ABX Engagement Platform ($35,000/year), Orchestration ($24,000/year)
Enterprises seeking bundled services and enhanced ABM capabilities for more effective sales and marketing orchestration.
Pros
Custom Tags and Fields: Users can add custom tags and fields, enabling personalized organization and analysis of intent data. This allows for tailored workflows and reporting.
Easy-to-Use Interface: Offers an easy-to-use interface, simplifying navigation and making the platform accessible to all users, which promotes adoption and efficient use of the platform's features.
Company Insights: Provides company insights, giving valuable context to intent signals and enabling more informed outreach, improving targeting and messaging.
Cons
Reporting Limitations: Reporting functionality could be improved, potentially limiting the ability to generate in-depth analyses and visualize data effectively.
Manual Setup: Manual set-up can be time-consuming and may require technical expertise. Streamlined setup processes would improve onboarding and user experience.
Keyword Customization: Opportunity for more keyword customization, which could enhance the precision of intent data targeting and improve relevance.
Testimonial
"It provides very robust data based on your prospects' intents, offering a great way to get notified about specific alerts. Easy-to-use interface with many ways to visualize data, it's the simplest technology we have."
Before selecting any tool, you need to explore how intent data can be a real game-changer for your sales and marketing. It's not just jargon; it's a practical tool to understand your customers better and make smarter moves. Here's what you need to know:
1. Finding the Right People at the Right Time
Intent data helps you identify prospects who are actively looking for your product or service. These are your hottest leads, already interested, making it easier to focus on those most likely to buy. It’s like fishing in the perfect spot where the fish are already biting.
2. Knowing Who to Focus On
Not every lead is worth your time. Intent data ranks leads based on their likelihood to purchase, helping you prioritize your energy on those with the highest potential. It’s like knowing which leads are just browsing and which ones are ready to buy.
3. Talking Directly to the Right Companies
For B2B companies, intent data boosts your ABM strategy by identifying companies researching relevant topics. It allows you to craft highly targeted campaigns, addressing the right decision-makers. Think of it like sending a VIP invite to the exact people you want at your event.
4. Outsmarting the Competition
Intent data lets you see what your competitors' customers are looking at online. This insight helps you understand their strengths and weaknesses, and fine-tune your messaging to show why you're the better option. It’s like peeking at their playbook to outmaneuver them.
5. Keeping Your Customers Happy
Intent data isn’t just for finding new customers; it’s great for retaining current ones. By tracking what your existing customers are researching online, you can identify those at risk of switching and take proactive steps to address concerns and keep them satisfied.
The Future of Intent Data: Trends to Watch
Intent data is already a game-changer for understanding customers and making smarter marketing and sales decisions, and it's only going to get more powerful. Looking ahead to 2025, here's what we can expect to see:
1. AI Writing Your Content
AI is going to become a major player in content creation. By analyzing intent data, AI tools will be able to help businesses create content that really speaks to what their target audience is looking for. Think of it as having an AI assistant that helps you craft the perfect message to grab people's attention and keep them engaged. It's about staying ahead of the competition by giving people exactly what they want.
2. Borrowing Data From Others
Businesses will be using more data from outside sources to get a 360-degree view of their customers. This third-party data will offer valuable insights into what competitors are doing, what's trending in the industry, and what people are interested in across the web. It's like adding extra pieces to the puzzle to get a clearer picture.
3. Talking Directly to the Right People
Intent data will make outreach even more personalized. Instead of sending generic messages to everyone, businesses will be able to pinpoint the exact people they need to talk to, at the perfect moment, with a message that truly resonates. It's about ditching the mass emails and having real, one-on-one conversations.
4. Really Understanding Your Different Audiences
Intent data will allow for much more precise customer segmentation. This means businesses can divide their audience into smaller, more specific groups based on their actual interests and behaviors. This level of detail allows for highly targeted marketing campaigns that speak directly to each group, making your marketing budget work much harder.
5. Launching Products More Effectively
Intent data will be key to creating smarter go-to-market strategies. By understanding where their target audience is hanging out online and what they're talking about, businesses can create targeted campaigns that reach the right people at the right time in their buying journey. This makes product launches smoother and more successful.
Final Thoughts
Intent data is super important for understanding what your customers are really thinking and why they do what they do. So, when you're choosing a company to provide you with this kind of data (especially if you're a B2B business), you need to think about the features that will actually help you achieve your specific goals.
The intent data providers we talked about earlier offer a bunch of different features and settings, so it's worth taking some time to explore what each one brings to the table. The right provider can give you valuable insights into how your customers behave, which can help you create marketing campaigns that actually work and make your sales process much more efficient. It's all about finding the right fit for your business needs.
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