Intent data
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Signals that indicate a company is actively researching or planning to buy a solution in your category. Third-party buying signals.
Intent data tells you which companies are actively researching solutions like yours. It comes from tracking content consumption patterns across the web: which companies are reading articles about your category, visiting competitor websites, and searching for relevant keywords.
Providers like Bombora, 6sense, and G2 collect this data from thousands of websites and B2B content platforms. When engineers at Company X read five articles about 'Kubernetes monitoring' in the last week, that is an intent signal. Company X might be in the market.
Intent data is most valuable when combined with your ICP. A Fortune 500 company showing intent signals is more valuable than a 5-person startup showing the same signals. Use intent data to prioritize outbound prospecting, personalize advertising, and time your outreach for when the prospect is actively evaluating.
Examples
Intent data prioritizes outbound.
Bombora data shows 50 ICP companies with elevated intent for 'deployment automation' this month. The BDR team prioritizes these accounts for outbound. Response rate from high-intent accounts: 15%. Response rate from normal outbound: 3%. Intent data triples outbound efficiency.
Intent-triggered advertising.
When a target account shows elevated intent, the ABM platform automatically increases ad spend for that account. Instead of $50/month in display ads, the account gets $200/month during the high-intent window. Cost per demo from intent-triggered ads: $400 vs $1,200 from standard targeting.
Intent data with false positives.
The data shows 200 companies with elevated intent. The BDR team calls all of them. 60% are not actually evaluating. They were reading content for educational purposes, not buying purposes. The team adds a qualification layer: intent signal plus fit score plus engagement with owned content before routing to sales.
In practice
Read more on the blog
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is intent data?
Intent data is directionally useful but not precise. It identifies companies with elevated research activity in your category. Not every company showing intent is ready to buy. Use intent data as one signal among many (combined with fit, engagement, and direct interaction) rather than as a standalone trigger.
What are the main intent data providers?
Bombora (the largest B2B intent data provider), 6sense (intent plus predictive analytics), G2 (intent from product comparison activity), TrustRadius (intent from review site activity), and LinkedIn (intent from content engagement). Each captures different signals.
Related terms
Marketing aimed at specific target accounts rather than broad audiences. Sales and marketing collaborate to win named companies.
Assigning numerical values to leads based on their fit and engagement to determine which ones are ready for sales follow-up.
Marketing and sales that reaches out to prospects directly. Cold calls, cold emails, and targeted ads aimed at specific accounts.
The marketing function that creates awareness and interest in your product. Fills the top and middle of the funnel with qualified prospects.
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