How To Use ABM Intent Data for B2B Marketing

You've created a perfect list of companies to target with your ABM campaign, but a big question remains: are they actually interested in your product or service? How will you know if they’re really ready to buy?

This guide will help you sort the intent data to target the perfect audience, explain ways to prioritize them and craft ABM campaigns that drive conversions.

What is intent data?

Intent data is information collected about an account’s online activities that show their potential interest or intention to buy a particular product or service.

This data captures various online behaviors, such as search queries, website visits, content downloads, and engagement with specific topics online. When analyzed, these activities can indicate readiness to buy, show which products or services your prospects are most interested in, and at what stage they are in the buyer's journey.

Buyer intent data helps account-based marketing by identifying which accounts are looking for the solutions that a company provides.

Using intent data, companies can:

Identify and prioritize accounts that show a strong interest in relevant topics and ensure that advertising budgets target your ideal customer profiles (ICP) —prospects most likely to convert
Tailor messaging and content to meet these targeted accounts' needs and interests, improving engagement and conversion rates
Time their outreach and engagement efforts more effectively, connecting with potential buyers when their purchase intent is highest

Where do you get intent data?

You can collect intent data from your audience (first-party data) or external sources (third-party data). Combining data from these two sources gives you a complete picture of potential buyers' journeys and the best way to engage them.

We’ll explain both models below.

First-party intent data

First-party intent data comes from your website and interactions with potential or existing customers. You can directly collect this data from the actions and behaviors observed on your website and through interactions with your CRM and marketing automation platforms.

Website behavior: Downloading white papers, visiting the pricing page and specific product or service pages, and signing up for demos or webinars can indicate a strong buying intent. Monitoring these activities helps you understand which solutions or content attract interest and allows you to tailor your follow-up strategies accordingly.
CRM and marketing automation data: These systems capture prospects' interactions with a brand, including email opens, clicks, form submissions, and event registrations. Past purchases and interactions offer insights into areas of interest and potential upsell opportunities. This data provides a comprehensive view of how prospects and customers engage with a brand over time, providing valuable signals about their intent and preferences.

Third-party intent data

While first-party data offers direct insights from your channels, third-party intent data expands this view by including signals from across the web.

Third-party data providers collect and analyze online behaviors such as browsing patterns, website visits, and engagement with content. This data is collected from numerous sources to identify brands and individuals researching topics or solutions relevant to your offer. It provides a broader view of market interest and helps identify prospects that may not directly engage with your brand.

Benefits of using intent data in your ABM program

Integrating intent data into your ABM program can make your campaigns more relevant and boost your chances of turning important prospects into customers.

Below, we'll break down the main benefits of using intent data in your ABM strategy and show how it can help you run more effective and targeted marketing campaigns:

1. Create targeted content

Intent data reveals what topics your target accounts research and which types of content they engage with most. These insights into the needs and interests of your prospects let you create content that directly addresses the challenges and questions of high-intent accounts.

Whether it's blog posts, white papers, or case studies, tailoring content to these interests improves relevance and engagement and increases the effectiveness of your content marketing efforts. You can guide prospects further down the sales funnel by delivering the right message at the right time.

2. Prioritize high-value leads

With intent data, you can score leads based on their demographic fit and online behaviors that indicate buying intent. You can prioritize leads that show active buying signals, like researching specific solutions or engaging with relevant content. By focusing nurturing efforts on leads most likely to convert, you’ll optimize resource allocation and boost marketing ROI.

3. Focus on qualified leads

Intent data helps you identify sales teams whose accounts are ready to make a purchase. Prioritizing qualified leads enables sales teams to concentrate their personalized outreach on high-potential accounts and improve sales efficiency instead of wasting resources on accounts that may not be interested after all.

4. Identify upsell/cross-sell opportunities

Intent data allows you to identify upsell and cross-sell opportunities within your existing customer base. Tracking clients' research activity will enable you to discover their interest in additional solutions that match their present purchases. This data will allow sales teams to approach clients with relevant offers at the right time, increasing customer value and revenue.

5. Proactively work on customer retention

Changes in intent data can be early signs of potential customer churn.

For instance, if a current customer begins researching competitor solutions, it may signal dissatisfaction or a readiness to switch providers.

Detecting these signals allows you to engage proactively with these customers through retention efforts, such as addressing concerns, offering special deals, or demonstrating additional value. You can improve customer retention rates and maintain stable revenue by acting before customers churn.

How to use intent data in ABM: 5 key steps

Using intent data in your ABM strategy can boost your ability to connect with accounts most likely to convert. It gives you a clear view of the buyer's journey, making it easier to personalize your marketing and align sales strategies with customers' needs.

Here's how to make the most of intent data in your ABM approach:

1. Source your data

You can collect first-party intent data from:

Website analytics
CRM system
Email marketing tools

Use tools like Google Analytics to track visitor behavior on your website. Look for page views, time spent on specific pages, and interactions with your product or service pages. Set up tracking on your website to automatically capture and categorize visitor behavior.

You can also extract valuable information on customer interactions from your CRM system. Pay attention to email opens, click-through rates, and responses to targeted campaigns. Set up tracking on your website to automatically capture and categorize visitor behavior.

Don’t forget to check your email marketing tools as well. Analyze engagement metrics from your email marketing software, focusing on who opens your emails, clicks on links, and the type of content that drives interaction.

For third-party data, partner with providers that aggregate intent data online.

These providers track potential buyers' interactions with content, product research, and even social media engagement related to your industry. Evaluate potential data providers carefully to ensure they follow privacy regulations and source their data ethically.

Some platforms collect intent data from a network of sites, providing insights into broader research and interest trends outside your direct engagement channels.

Tip: Conducting regular audits of your first-party and third-party data sources is key to ensuring accuracy and timeliness. Use filters and segmentation to remove data that does not align with your target audience or buying signals indicative of intent.

2. Identify and prioritize high-Intent accounts

To identify and prioritize high-intent accounts, follow these actionable steps focused on using both first-party and third-party intent signals:

Define Key First-Party Intent Signals

Page views: Track which product or service pages prospects visit the most, especially multiple times or for extended periods. Use your web analytics tool to set up alerts for high activity levels on key pages.
Downloads: Note the number and types of downloads (e.g., whitepapers, case studies, product sheets) as indicators of interest. Create tags for downloadable content to track each download.
Webinar/event sign-ups: Monitor registrations for your webinars and events as a strong engagement signal. Use your event management platform to track sign-ups and attendance, tagging each event by topic or product interest.

Assign a score to each intent signal

Develop a scoring model where each intent signal has a numerical value. Create a list of actions you consider intent signals and assign initial scores based on assumed buying intent. Assign higher scores to actions that indicate stronger purchase intent.

Here's an example list of actions along with their initial scores:

Requesting a demo: 100 points
Signing up for a free trial: 90 points
Attending a webinar: 80 points
Contacting sales: 70 points
Viewing pricing page: 60 points
Downloading a white paper: 50 points
Adding items to the cart: 40 points
Repeated visits to product pages: 30 points
Subscribing to email updates: 20 points
Following on social media: 10 points

Review conversion data regularly and adjust the scores as needed to ensure your scoring model remains accurate and effective over time.

For instance, if attending webinars leads to more conversions than requesting a demo, adjust the scores accordingly in future iterations of your model.

Set thresholds for lead scoring

Analyze your sales cycle and historical conversion rates to determine appropriate scoring criteria for marketing qualified leads (MQLs) and sales qualified leads (SQLs).

Set a lower score criteria for those ready for more direct marketing engagement but not yet ready to buy and a higher threshold for leads that indicate they are likely prepared to engage in a sales conversation.

Implement these thresholds in your CRM or marketing automation tool to automate the segmentation of leads into MQLs and SQLs based on their scores.

Use feedback from sales and marketing performance data to adjust your intent signal definitions, scoring weights, and MQL/SQL thresholds and ensure that your lead prioritization aligns with buying behavior and market conditions.

3. Research and monitor high-intent accounts

Merge intent data with existing account information in your CRM or ABM platform to create detailed profiles with industry, company size, and known challenges. You can also use B2B sales intelligence to add demographic and contact details, and buying triggers.

Now, look for patterns in the account's engagement with your content and website. Are they showing high interest in certain topics? This may indicate specific needs or challenges you may be able to address with content or email marketing.

Employ social listening tools to capture discussions, questions, or mentions related to your industry or product, offering insights into the account's current interests and concerns.

To simplify monitoring and make sure you don’t miss major opportunities to act and convert an account, set up alerts for significant changes in data, like a notable increase in engagement or interest in specific topics. Periodic reviews of high-intent accounts to assess their needs, challenges, and interest levels will let you tailor your engagement strategies, ensuring they are always relevant and timely, maximizing the potential for conversion.

4. Create sales enablement content

Dive into your intent data to identify which topics and solutions your high-intent accounts are actively researching to guide the focus of your content. The insights from this data will help you map out content that addresses specific pain points. For instance, if you find that an account has shown interest in "efficiency tools," prepare case studies that prove your tool can boost operational efficiency.

Which content formats you create also matters. If your target accounts engage more with videos, produce video case studies or product demos. For those who prefer written content, develop in-depth white papers or blog posts. Include statistics, results, and testimonials in your content—showing real outcomes from existing customers makes the content credible and compelling.

Sales enablement content should be organized in an accessible way for sales teams, possibly through a content library or sales enablement platform. Equip the team with the knowledge to use this content effectively during sales conversations by categorizing content based on the key points and scenarios where each piece can be most impactful.

5. Target accounts through multi-channel marketing

To use intent data for personalized marketing messages across email, social media, and display advertising for high-intent accounts, follow these actionable steps:

Segment your audience: Start by categorizing them based on their behaviors and interests indicated by the intent data. Segmentation allows more personalized and targeted messaging.
Customize content for each segment: Create content that speaks directly to each segment's needs and interests. For example, if one segment is highly interested in "cost-saving solutions," tailor your messages to highlight cost efficiency.
Personalize email campaigns: Adjust the subject line, content, and call-to-action (CTA) based on the recipient's interests and behaviors. Ensure emails address the recipient's stage in the buying journey.
Tailor social media ads: Use targeted ads to deliver personalized messages that resonate with each segment's interests and needs.
Optimize display advertising: Create ads that address your target segments' pain points and interests. Personalized ads can lead to higher engagement rates.
Use dynamic content on landing pages: Dynamic content adjusts your landing pages based on the visitor's intent data. Show different content variations to different segments, making the landing page more relevant to each visitor's interests.
Ensure cross-channel consistency: To build a cohesive brand experience, keep your messaging consistent across all channels while still tailoring the content to fit the format and audience of each channel.

Account-based marketing strategies for reaching more high-value target accounts

ABM strategies that will help you reach more high-value target accounts and achieve more conversions include:

Personalized marketing and sales outreach

Deep account research through sales intelligence platforms like UserGems will enable you to access comprehensive insights into target accounts. These tools can help you identify key stakeholders and their business objectives and effectively tailor your approach.

Once you’ve identified relevant information about these accounts, focus on personalized messaging. Craft personalized messages (custom emails, landing pages, or targeted social media outreach) that address unique needs and pain points.

Use various channels (email, phone calls, social media) to reach decision-makers within the accounts. Personalize your approach across each channel for maximum impact.

Gifting

If you prioritize the relevance and value of the gifts, give them at the right time, and deliver with a personal touch, you can make strategic gifting an impactful part of your ABM strategy.

Here are a few tips:

Choose gifts relevant to the recipient's interests to demonstrate an understanding of their business
Align your gift with a specific event or milestone related to the account, like attending a conference they're hosting or celebrating a recent achievement
Include a handwritten note that personalizes the gift and expresses your genuine interest in building a relationship

Dynamic retargeting ad campaigns

Use retargeting ad campaigns to stay top-of-mind with decision-makers within your target accounts.

Here's how to make them dynamic:

Website visitor tracking: Use website tracking pixels to identify visitors from your target accounts.
Personalized ad creatives: Develop dynamic ad creatives that tailor the message and visuals to each account visitor's interests and browsing behavior.
Multi-channel retargeting: Retarget website visitors across various channels (display advertising, social media) with relevant messaging that reflects their engagement with your website content.

Strategic partnerships

Partner with complementary businesses will expand your reach to a wider audience of high-value accounts:

Use LinkedIn or industry forums to reach potential partners
Create a value proposition and clearly explain how they can benefit from a partnership
Co-create content that addresses your audience's needs
Plan co-hosted webinars, joint research reports, or e-books, and use both marketing channels to promote these initiatives

Community building

Identify the platforms where your prospects spend the most time—it can be LinkedIn, Reddit, or an industry-specific forum. Conduct social listening to track mentions of your or competitor brands, or industry-specific keywords across various platforms.

Engage in meaningful conversations without pushing sales, and showcase your expertise to increase visibility and become recognized as an industry leader.

Account-based events

Host exclusive virtual (online) or in-person (offline) events for your high-value target accounts. For example:

Industry workshops
Product demonstrations
Executive briefings

Tailor the event's theme, content, and speakers to match the segmented audience's specific needs. Follow up after the event, share relevant resources, and schedule meetings to create lasting relationships.

Intent data integration

Use intent data to identify companies actively searching for solutions like yours. Prioritize accounts with a higher chance of conversion and personalize your outreach accordingly.

Best practices for optimizing your ABM campaigns with intent data

Blending strategic insights with actionable tactics will optimize your ABM campaigns with intent data. Here's how you can refine your approach to capture the attention of your high-value accounts and effectively engage them throughout their buyer's journey.

Find target accounts in your sweet spot

To find high-value targets explore intent data to discover prospects actively seeking solutions you provide. Merge intent data with firmographics (like industry and company size) to discover accounts that align with your ICP and ensure a match.

By analyzing your current high-value customers, intent data providers can help you find a lookalike audience so you can expand your target list with high-potential prospects.

Personalize your marketing messages

To personalize your outreach, you must know where your prospects are in their buying journeys. Use insights from intent data to personalize your messages with dynamic content that adapts to the intent signals and prospects’ current needs. It will increase relevance, engagement, and the likelihood of conversions.

Orchestrate integrated marketing and sales efforts

In the United States alone, sales and marketing teams lose an estimated $1 trillion yearly due to a lack of collaboration. When they line up, businesses can earn 208% more revenue from their marketing efforts. That’s why you should integrate your marketing and sales efforts.

Use a shared data platform for easy access to intent data for both teams
Include the sales team in campaign creation to ensure messages meet prospects' needs
Give sales data-driven insights to help them guide each prospect toward a conversion
Additionally, consider outsourced SDR services to expand your reach and further improve lead qualification.

Engage prospects with a multichannel approach

Use intent data to tailor consistent outreach across email, social media, and display advertising and speak directly to your prospects’ needs and interests.

You can deepen relationships and showcase your value proposition directly in industry events your prospects participate in.

Track metrics your stakeholders care about

The following metrics will provide valuable insights into your ABM performance:

Engagement rate measures how many prospects interact with your content
Account coverage checks do you reach the prospects signaling buying intent
Pipeline contribution tracks prospects' engagement to your sales pipeline
Win rate shows the percentage of deals won from accounts that were identified through intent data as potential buyers
Average deal size reflects the revenue from deals with prospects targeted based on their buying intent, checking for any increase in deal value
Customer lifetime value (CLV) estimates the total value generated from accounts chosen based on intent data over the entire business relationship
Return on investment (ROI) compares the costs of using intent data against the revenue earned from improved targeting and personalization

Best tools to collect intent data for ABM

Each of the following tools offers distinct advantages for ABM campaigns, from identifying high-intent accounts to personalizing and prioritizing outreach efforts:

UserGems

UserGems helps pinpoint high-value prospects by:

Identifying buying opportunities

UserGems helps you track job changes within your existing customer base. When a key contact from a satisfied customer moves to a new company, it can indicate a potential buying opportunity at the new company. This allows you to target these new companies proactively with relevant messaging.

Assigning scores to accounts based on various data sources

Potentially including even publicly available information and interactions with your platform can help you prioritize outreach efforts toward those demonstrating the strongest intent to purchase. Relying on different data sources may help identify champions within target accounts through data sources and user behavior on their platform.

Providing insights for more personalized outreach

Industry data or publicly available information about the champion’s role at the new company can inform personalized outreach efforts for each target account.

Overall, UserGems contributes to ABM campaigns by:

Focusing on high-intent accounts: UserGames intent data goes beyond basic firmographics to identify accounts actively researching solutions, increasing the effectiveness of your outreach.
Prioritizing efforts: Scoring systems prioritize accounts with the strongest buying signals, allowing you to focus resources on the most promising opportunities.
Personalizing outreach: UserGems insights inform personalized messaging that resonates with each target account's needs and decision-makers.

ZoomInfo

ZoomInfo offers a comprehensive platform that provides access to in-depth information on organizations and professionals, facilitating sales, marketing, and recruiting activities.

With features like advanced prospecting tools, data enrichment, and intent signals, ZoomInfo allows companies to precisely target their ideal customers. This tool is particularly useful for B2B sales and marketing, as it improves outreach and conversion strategies.

LinkedIn Sales Navigator

LinkedIn Sales Navigator helps sales teams target, understand, and engage with potential clients. It uses LinkedIn's extensive network to offer advanced search capabilities, personalized algorithmic recommendations, and real-time insights on companies and contacts.

This tool is valuable for businesses looking to streamline their sales process, foster meaningful connections, and close more deals with rich data available on LinkedIn's professional network.

Leadfeeder

Leadfeeder identifies companies visiting your website and provides insights into their online behavior. For ABM campaigns, this tool helps you distinguish website visitors from high-value target accounts, allowing you to prioritize outreach toward high-value prospects.

DemandBase

DemandBase offers intent data for B2B marketing and sales teams. It provides features tailored for ABM campaigns, such as account identification, website visitor tracking, and multi-channel marketing automation.

Cognism

Cognism identifies buying committees and key decision-makers within target accounts. This is particularly valuable for ABM as it allows you to personalize your prospecting process and outreach to different stakeholders' specific needs and roles within each target account.

Use UserGems for smarter account-based marketing

Intent data helps you distinguish interested prospects from those actively researching solutions—the high-value targets for personalized engagement. You can transform your ABM campaigns from sporadic attempts into focused initiatives that provide measurable results.

With UserGems, you’ll get end-to-end automation that identifies the best prospects that actively search for solutions like yours. You will:

Identify and prioritize key contacts in ICP accounts and personalize your outreach
Stay on top of changes in your open opportunities
Proactively prevent any churn risks
Get an accurate CRM that automatically refreshes monthly and updates contact info

Book a demo today and discover how intent data can transform your ABM strategy.

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