4 ways intent data maximizes your ABM campaign’s success

Understanding your target audience’s needs and behaviors is important for B2B marketing, but for account-based marketing (ABM), it’s mission-critical.

Here’s when intent data enters the picture. Nowadays, it’s no longer considered a nice-to-have; it’s a necessity. In fact, a whopping 91% of marketers are using intent data to focus their efforts on high-priority accounts.

But what exactly is it? And why is it so important for ABM campaigns?

This article will explore what it can do for your organization (and, just as importantly, what it can’t do).

What is intent data?

Intent data indicates a prospect’s interest or intent to purchase a product or service. It helps marketers reduce guesswork and create more effective targeted campaigns.

There are two main sources of intent data.

First-party sources

First-party intent data shows you audiences who know your brand and are engaging with your content.

Your company collects this data directly through interactions. These include website visits, lead form submissions, content downloads, IP addresses, and email engagement.

Third-party sources

If you want to find accounts that need solutions like yours, third-party intent data can help. These accounts may not have interacted with your brand yet. External providers usually collect this data. They track activities on the web, like search queries, website visits, and content consumption.

In recent years, Google announced it would remove third-party cookies from Chrome. This news worried many in the industry, and as a result, marketers began to focus more on first-party data.

However, in July 2024, the company announced a new solution: it will offer a one-time prompt for users. This prompt lets users set preferences for all Google browsing experiences.

Why is intent data important for ABM?

For ABM to work effectively, you need to know which accounts are worth targeting.

Intent data helps you achieve this by significantly narrowing down your target list. This allows you to tailor your outreach and messaging in a more strategic way.

Since only 5% of B2B buyers are actively looking to buy, this data is very important. It helps you save time and resources by reducing efforts on low-interest prospects.

Not to mention: intent data can also bridge the gap between marketing and sales teams, which is crucial for ABM success.

Keep in mind that, despite its advantages, intent data isn’t a silver bullet.

What’s the challenge?

Intent data offers valuable insight, but it does not automatically guarantee worthwhile results. Relying too much on buying signals can cause you to overlook 95% of prospects. These prospects are not ready to buy now, but they are thinking about future purchases.

In other words, there are buyers who are still forming a mental list of solutions relevant to their business. According to Gartner, only an average of five vendors make the cut.

ABM isn’t just about targeting accounts that are ready to buy now. A successful ABM approach means you should focus on building relationships and engaging with important accounts. This includes those not in the market yet. You want to be on their radar when they are ready to buy.

4 ways marketers can use intent data for better ABM campaigns

With the above in mind, here are the ways intent data can add the most value to your marketing campaigns.

Select accounts that provide a better strategic fit

To make the most of intent data, it’s important to focus on the right accounts. This means looking at accounts that not only have high revenue potential but also match your strategic goals.

Consider this scenario. Imagine you’re a SaaS company that specializes in project management tools for the construction industry. You receive intent data that shows two companies actively researching project management solutions:

• Company A is a large multinational tech corporation.
• Company B is a mid-sized regional construction company.

While Company A has a much larger revenue potential, they don’t align with your core focus or product capabilities. Their needs might be far more complex, requiring features your tool doesn’t provide, which could lead to longer sales cycles and potential customer dissatisfaction.

On the other hand, Company B perfectly fits your target profile. They align with your ideal customer profile in terms of industry, size, and needs. By focusing on Company B, you can tailor your messaging to their specific challenges, build a stronger relationship, and have a much higher chance of converting them.

Personalize your outreach

Adjust your messaging according to where each target account is in their buying journey. Leverage intent data to shape your content strategy and develop marketing materials that align with their current stage of engagement with your sales team.

For example, accounts early in their journey may find value in educational content that introduces them to potential solutions. Examples include blog posts, reports, and eGuides that help contacts understand their goals and challenges more clearly.

Those in the middle stage might respond better to in-depth case studies or informative webinars that help clarify the solutions to their challenges. Accounts nearing the decision stage, however, are more likely to engage with targeted sales enablement content.

Prevent churn

Intent data isn’t just for finding new accounts. It can also highlight opportunities within your existing customer base, allowing you to preempt churn and identify chances for renewals or upsells.

For instance, if intent data reveals that an existing customer is researching competitor solutions, you can proactively address any issues they may be facing or highlight additional value your offerings provide. This proactive approach helps you strengthen relationships and reduce the risk of losing valuable clients.

In addition, intent data allows you to identify areas where you can offer new products or services, creating opportunities to deepen your engagement and grow revenue within your existing accounts.

Identify preferred channels

Not all prospects engage with content in the same way, and intent data can provide visibility into the channels they frequent most.

For instance, your research shows that some target accounts are highly active on social media, while others prefer gathering insights from industry-specific review sites like G2 or Capterra.

When you have this knowledge, you’ll be in a better position to meet your key account contacts where they are – whether that’s by running ads on LinkedIn or sharing case studies on third-party platforms.

What’s next?

B2B intent data is an essential part of any ABM campaign. When used appropriately, it can quickly help you generate more revenue from higher-value target accounts. However, the real challenge lies in convincing those accounts that you’re the right choice.

No amount of data can replace the need for compelling messaging and a well-defined value proposition. To win at ABM, your brand must already be positioned as a credible and relevant solution long before accounts reach the decision stage. Download our free playbook to learn how and why.