How intent signals transform data noise into actionable insights

B2B marketers have long understood that major purchasing decisions involve multiple stakeholders. The challenge? Accurately identifying and engaging these decision-makers at the right time. Intent signals have emerged as a powerful tool to address this challenge, but not all intent data is created equal. Understanding how to differentiate and apply intent signals can mean the difference between wasted efforts and high-impact engagement.

What are intent signals?

Intent signals are digital breadcrumbs left by potential buyers as they engage with online content, conduct research, and interact with various touchpoints. These signals help marketers identify individuals and accounts that are actively exploring solutions relevant to their business needs. However, intent signals are often misunderstood and misapplied, leading to ineffective targeting and missed opportunities.

The challenge with traditional intent data

Many marketing and sales teams rely on account-level intent data, which identifies companies demonstrating interest in specific topics. While this provides a broad view of potential demand, it falls short in understanding who within the account is actually driving the decision-making process. Account-level intent signals often:

• Lack granularity, making it difficult to pinpoint engaged individuals.
• Overlook the specific priorities and pain points of decision-makers.
• Fail to differentiate between passive interest and active buying intent.

The shift toward persona-level intent signals

To overcome these limitations, leading B2B marketers are shifting toward persona-level intent signals. This approach goes beyond account-level data to identify and engage the real people behind the buying decisions. Key advantages include:

• Precision targeting: Identifies specific roles engaging with content, helping align messaging with their priorities.
• Enhanced personalization: Enables tailored outreach based on a buyer’s unique needs and pain points.
• Stronger sales alignment: Provides sales teams with a clearer picture of the buying committee’s composition and level of engagement.

How to make intent signals actionable

To truly harness intent signals, marketers must move beyond passive data collection and integrate these insights into a comprehensive engagement strategy. Here’s how:

• Layer intent data with other signals – Combine firmographic, technographic, and behavioral insights to refine targeting and prioritize outreach efforts.
• Segment audiences based on buying stage – Differentiate between early-stage researchers and high-intent buyers to tailor messaging appropriately.
• Align sales and marketing on persona insights – Ensure sales teams receive persona-specific insights to enhance outreach and engagement strategies.
• Activate intent data across channels – Use intent signals to power omnichannel campaigns, ensuring consistent messaging across email, social, and paid media.

A smart approach to collecting & activating intent data

Data Axle’s Audience360® solution helps B2B marketers make sense of intent signals by integrating human-level consumer insights with professional profiles using 0 – 3rd party data. This approach enables businesses to:

• Identify and understand key decision-makers within buying groups.
• Layer multiple intent signals to uncover strategic priorities.
• Personalize engagement strategies to drive higher conversion rates

Turning intent into impact

Intent signals are only as valuable as the strategy behind them. By shifting from account-level intent to persona-level insights, marketers can engage the right decision-makers, craft more relevant messaging, and ultimately drive higher conversion rates. And trust us, we know about intent. Forrester named us a strong performer in their B2B Intent Data Providers Wave. Did you know we have an entire blueprint on B2B intent signals? Download your copy.

Are you ready to transform intent data into a true competitive advantage? Let’s explore how Audience360 can help you take your intent strategy to the next level.