What are Intent Signals
Watch this 5-minute video to learn what is intent data and how it differs from engagement data, the two most important dynamic signals you must use to power your ABM strategy.
Definition of Intent
Intent is a dynamic buying signal that surfaces insights into which topics of interest are being researched and consumed online by users. When users engage with content and research online, this may represent that the company they work for is interested in the category or topic those materials are about.
Intent signals are dynamic and change over time which means you can use them to better understand your prospects, open opportunities, or existing customers during the buying and renewal cycle. Intent data at the different stages of the buying cycle can help you to make decisions about how to move them through the conversion, retention, and expansion funnel.
Intent signals are a key building block in your ABM strategy, and you can leverage them for multiple ABM strategies, on their own but even better in combination with other buyer signals like engagement and fit. Considering that ~85% of your target accounts are likely not in-market right now you should combine multiple types of Intent data to triangulate true buyer intent to purchase and target the accounts that are showing intent signals.
Intent enables you to uncover accounts early in their buying cycle. Even if a prospect has never visited your site and is not aware of your brand, intent data allows you to understand what they’re interested in, and assess if they’re ready to buy or if they are very early in the buying cycle.
DemoCorp is an account that has never visited your website and may not be aware of your brand, but they are researching online for Learning Management Systems, which is your product category. They are reading articles about what it takes to implement an LMS to train and educate employees. The topics that an account can show intent in could be related to the industry, product category, specific company names, technologies, pain points they are trying to overcome, etc.
Using your product category, pain points, technologies, and industries as intent signals will allow you to uncover accounts early in the buying cycle.
When DemoCorp users are searching for basic information about your industry or product category, they might just be just starting to research a new tool or service. But when intent signals show that they’ve recently been searching multiple of your competitors, those intent signals may indicate that they are further along in their buying process comparing different options.
You can use these signals to prioritize your Account Lists by creating a specific group for accounts that are showing intent in your competitors so that you’re putting marketing and sales efforts into the accounts that are most likely to generate opportunities and revenue because they are further down their buying process.
Intent signals give you the ability to discover new accounts that are demonstrating intent on the topics that better define your product or solution that you are not aware of - they may have never visited your website, or filled a lead form, and you may not have the account recorded in your CRM. By adding OR filters to your Account List logic and joining intent data you can grow your existing Account Lists with new in-market accounts.
How to use Intent vs Engagement in your ABM Strategy
Watch this 4-minute video to learn why intent is different from engagement signals and how to use intent in your ABM strategy.
Types of Intent Data offered by RollWorks
RollWorks offers multiple types of intent data that should be combined to help you to triangulate true intent to purchase. Some types of intent data we use at RollWorks are proprietary, while others are sourced from industry-leading third-party partners, and they should be combined for optimal results.
Click here for a general overview and comparison of all the types of intent data available through RollWorks:
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